fzwinter

Hi -

I'm *G and 1P on UA but have booked a RT on US SMF-LAS. The flight was booked about 23 hours ago and I noticed the fare had dropped $50 since I booked it. With UA, it's possible to cancel a reservation made less than 24 hours previously without any penalty; UA also refunds the difference in fares should fares go down.

I called US about this and the agent said that I'd have to pay a change fee of $150 to get the lower fare. She also said that I am not allowed to cancel a reservation for free within the 24-hour window.

Are these typical US policies?

I'll plan to use the tried-and-true FT method of hanging up and calling back to see if I can get this resolved, but I'd love some input from you all.

Thanks in advance.

fz

formeraa

Yes, US charges the $150 fee -- even within 24 hours. It's too bad because HP used to be more flexible.

fzwinter

That's discouraging I've tried three separate agents and have gotten the same response, so I'm no longer surprised that those are the policies.

Had I known, I probably would have waited to make my reservation - I just assumed their policies would be similar to UA or at least to WN. Live and learn, but just another reason for me to stay off of US.

Thanks for the response.

cedric

As was US east until after the merger...

fzwinter

Well I have to give US some credit here. I expressed my displeasure with the policies through an e-mail to customer relations and today received an e-mail back explaining the policies but also providing a "one-time" waiver of the change fees. My e-mail didn't ask for any compensation as I just felt compelled to let them know how I felt so I was pleasantly surprised with the prompt response and gesture. I'm still not planning to book future US fares unless I know I'm getting them very cheaply in case a similar situation would arise later.

cedric

Isn't that logic a little flawed? Perhaps I am misunderstanding you, but you seem to be suggesting that unless the US fare is very cheap, you will purchase a higher fare on another carrier and hope that it goes down. What happens if/when it does not decrease and you could have initially saved money by purchasing a US ticket?

fzwinter

Let me clarify. If I can find a cheap fare on US relative to other carriers, I'll go ahead and book it. If a fare offered by US is comparable to a fare offered by another carrier (such as UA) that has a more favorable refare policy should the price drop, I'll book it on the other carrier. I'm not suggesting that I'd pay a lot more $$$ to book an expensive fare on another carrier if US is offering a much lower fare.

GrizShel

This is one of many reasons USair has to be a lot cheaper for me to fly them anywhere nowadays. Can't even remember the last time they reached the equal return for my money price point.

fzwinter

Since I often check three pieces of luggage (musical equipment), my choices are limited to UA (preferred), US (helps me keep 1P status on UA), or WN since excess baggage fees on other carriers make otherwise cheap tickets more expensive than those I can find elsewhere. I'll still take US for N/S flights (i.e. SMF-LAS, SMF-PHX) for the convenience.

I called following the advice of the CSR who e-mailed me requesting the refund of the flight difference (waiving the $150 change fee) but the phone agent couldn't see any mention of the waiver in my record, even though I read the CS e-mail word for word. I had to e-mail CS again, and then call back again, before US would agree to send me a voucher for $50. Can't wait to see all of the restrictions on it!

PHLstudent

The same thing happened to me about 2 weeks ago, Refare on a PHL-LAX r/t. Sent an e-mail, and was told this would be a one time exception. The restrictions arn't too bad..

"How to Use:
1. May not be transferred.
2. May be used toward the price of one ticket/one fare on US Airways, US Airways Shuttle, US Airways Express as well as their codeshare partners. If the price of the ticket is greater than the value of the voucher, you simply pay the difference. If the discount exceeds the price of the ticket, no residual will be given.
3. Travel must be via the most direct routing available.
4. Travel dates must be determined prior to ticketing.
5. Call US Airways Reservations if you have any questions about the use of this voucher and/or to make your reservations. Inform them you will be using this Travel with US Voucher.
6. If a confirmed reservation is booked, you will be required to pay the current fare and forfeit the voucher.

Not Allowed
1. No stopovers permitted
2. Cannot be combined with any other Travel With US voucher or any other document.
3. Not applicable toward service or penalty charges.
4. Not applicable toward the reissue of a previously issued ticket.
5. Prepaid Ticket Service (PTA) not permitted.
6. Not applicable towards a US Airways Vacations package.

Additional Information
1. The voucher and subsequent tickets issued against it are nonrefundable and have no cash value.
2. Not replaceable if lost, stolen, or destroyed.
3. Changes are subject to ticketing rules. All terms and conditions must be met. A change fee may apply.
4. All applicable taxes, surcharges and fees are the responsibility of the user and must be paid at the time of ticket issuance.
5. Voucher must be redeemed within one year from date of issue.
6. Terms and conditions of this voucher are subject to change without notice."