Airline policy changes (United made another big one)

[TXTransplant]

I have United tickets to Ireland for June. My TA said I can cancel with no fee. The credit has to be used within 24 months from the original ticketing date. For me, that means by August 2021.

Maybe double-check that “use by” date. Even though United still has conflicting info on their website, the place where they say the policy is the 24 month voucher says that it’s 24 months from the issue date.

Changes to your travel plans: To help with the uncertainty around future travel — be it summer vacations, conferences, events and more — customers now have until April 30 to make changes to, or cancel, any travel they have booked through the end of the year without fees. This is in addition to existing waivers already in place. If you decide to cancel your flight, you can retain the value of your ticket to be applied to a new ticket without a fee. These travel certificates are now valid for 24 months from the date they were issued.

Link
https://hub.united.com/united-coronavirus-covid19-safety-update-2645397564.html

 

[TeeKo]

Maybe double-check that “use by” date. Even though United still has conflicting info on their website, the place where they say the policy is the 24 month voucher says that it’s 24 months from the issue date.

Changes to your travel plans: To help with the uncertainty around future travel — be it summer vacations, conferences, events and more — customers now have until April 30 to make changes to, or cancel, any travel they have booked through the end of the year without fees. This is in addition to existing waivers already in place. If you decide to cancel your flight, you can retain the value of your ticket to be applied to a new ticket without a fee. These travel certificates are now valid for 24 months from the date they were issued.

Link
https://hub.united.com/united-coronavirus-covid19-safety-update-2645397564.html

Thanks! It reads exactly how you said. I sent an email back to my TA. Obviously would love to have more breathing room on these tickets.

Like most people on this thread, we have a lot of money tied into these tickets. I don’t mind getting a credit (our tickets are non-refundable). Would feel super good about it if I had two year from now to use them. But I’ll take what I can get

 

[TXTransplant]

Thanks! It reads exactly how you said. I sent an email back to my TA. Obviously would love to have more breathing room on these tickets.

Like most people on this thread, we have a lot of money tied into these tickets. I don’t mind getting a credit (our tickets are non-refundable). Would feel super good about it if I had two year from now to use them. But I’ll take what I can get

I totally agree. I'm happy to take a credit, but I don't want to stress about having to book something before the end of the year or use it before my original purchase dates (which were in February). We don't even know when travel is going to open back up, and once school starts in the fall, we won't be able to travel. There is a real possibility we might not be able to go anywhere again until next summer.

 

[Cliffside]

Is it me or does United contradict themselves. On the website you can find it saying your e-certificate if you cancel your flight is good for 24 months from when the certificate is issued and in another section it says it’s good for 24 months from the original ticket issue. That is a very big difference for me I bought the tickets in October. What are people’s experiences with this new policy?

 

[hilarys]

We were supposed to be at Aulani on Oahu this week. Our flights over were booked on United with miles and then the four of us were returning on two days due to sports - DH and DS on Friday on Hawaiian and me and DD on United on Saturday. We cancelled the flights over to Oahu from SFO and the miles were put back. The flight on Hawaiian ended up not being cancelled as it was the once a week HNL to SFO flight that Hawaiian is still running. DH called and they offered a full refund without much negotiating even though we expected them to just offer a credit for future travel since the flight was not cancelled. My return flight for this Saturday still needs to be dealt with. Originally it was a 1:30 pm flight now it is showing as a 10:30 pm. Going to try sitting on a call with them tomorrow and quote the DOT Enforcement Notice as I would rather have a refund - an afternoon flight to a red eye is not something I would have accepted.

As a follow up, we called and cancelled the new flight they put us on (9 hours later than the original) and will receive the cash back refund - no hassle at all.

 

[Cousin Orville]

Is it me or does United contradict themselves. On the website you can find it saying your e-certificate if you cancel your flight is good for 24 months from when the certificate is issued and in another section it says it’s good for 24 months from the original ticket issue. That is a very big difference for me I bought the tickets in October. What are people’s experiences with this new policy?

You're correct, I think.

On their email sent out to us it says, "credit for future use up to 24 months after your original ticket issue date."

On the website it says, "Can be applied to book a new ticket up to 24 months from today." As in from the date of cancellation.

It would be helpful to know which is true. We're in the same boat as we purchased our tickets in October as well.

 

[Cliffside]

You're correct, I think.

On their email sent out to us it says, "credit for future use up to 24 months after your original ticket issue date."

On the website it says, "Can be applied to book a new ticket up to 24 months from today." As in from the date of cancellation.

It would be helpful to know which is true. We're in the same boat as we purchased our tickets in October as well.

It’s crazy that they could be that inconsistent with something like this.

 

[sayhello]

It’s crazy that they could be that inconsistent with something like this.

It might be crazy, but this is United. It's not unexpected.

Sayhello

 

[TXTransplant]

When you click on the

It’s crazy that they could be that inconsistent with something like this.

They didn’t change the info when you click the yellow “advisory ” at the top of their website until a couple of hours ago. When I clicked it earlier today, it still said you had to rebook travel by Dec 31 (same as what I posted in my OP yesterday). It has been changed now.

It does still say that tickets issued for travel June 1 and later have to be changed before April 30. I guess any tickets that aren’t changed are going to turn into pumpkins or something.

Edited to correct the ticket dates with the April 30 deadline.

 

[DLgal]

Hey guys!

So, today I got a notification that my flight on May 19 to Tokyo (morning nonstop from LAX) had been rescheduled to LAX-Newark (on a red eye, departing 10 hours later than my original flight), with a 7 hour layover, then EWR-Tokyo, arriving 23 hours later than my original flight.

Heck to the no!

I called United just now, got through right away and said "my flight had a significant schedule change and I will not accept that change, and would like a refund please."

I was put on hold for 3 minutes and they came back and said "okay, we have issued a refund for your flight. Anything else we can help you with today?"

That was it! So easy! Sounds like United got the message from DOT loud and clear.

 

[DLgal]

I also noticed a new section for requesting a refund. I did not see that online the other day. So if you get nowhere on the phone, this may be an option. It does say it takes up to 21 days to get a response, though.

It's here:

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/booking/refund-policies.html

 

[travelerj78]

I’ve seen the spirited discussion here, so I just wanted to share my experience. We had a flight to Tokyo booked on United in May. Non-refundable fare. When they started advertising the two-year thing...we have enough trips planned in that time (plus hopefully actually going to Tokyo at some point) and live near a United hub, that I am fine with the credit.

Cancelled my flight through the app and instantly got an Electronic Travel Certificate, good for two years from the date of cancellation. Have already booked two flights with part of that ETC and still have the balance available to continue to use.

 

[acndis]

I’ve seen the spirited discussion here, so I just wanted to share my experience. We had a flight to Tokyo booked on United in May. Non-refundable fare. When they started advertising the two-year thing...we have enough trips planned in that time (plus hopefully actually going to Tokyo at some point) and live near a United hub, that I am fine with the credit.

Cancelled my flight through the app and instantly got an Electronic Travel Certificate, good for two years from the date of cancellation. Have already booked two flights with part of that ETC and still have the balance available to continue to use.

I had the same experience as above. Actually booked with Chase points, United issued me a flight credit for the $ value of the flights. It was good 2 years from the ticket issue date. I rebooked a new flight yesterday.

The system would not allow me to book basic economy but I was able to get a round trip ticket (the ticket was originally a one way) for $70. So, they do have more of my money but I still feel like I came out ahead.

 

[Cliffside]

I keep reading conflicting reports...some people are saying two years from date of cancellation and others are saying two years from date of ticket issue. We still don‘t know if we should cancel or hope that United cancels. If we would get two years from know I would more likely cancel by April 30th. The arbitrary date United has given to cancel flights through the end of the year to get the certificate. However if I only get 2 years from date of ticket issue it might be more difficult to use since I booked the flights in October.

 

[TXTransplant]

I had the same experience as above. Actually booked with Chase points, United issued me a flight credit for the $ value of the flights. It was good 2 years from the ticket issue date. I rebooked a new flight yesterday.

The system would not allow me to book basic economy but I was able to get a round trip ticket (the ticket was originally a one way) for $70. So, they do have more of my money but I still feel like I came out ahead.

Did you cancel the flight booked with Chase points through Chase or on the United website?

I have United confirmation info, but Chase told me a couple of weeks ago that I have to go through them to cancel and to (eventually) rebook. Which probably means 2+ hours on the phone speaking to someone I can barely understand because the connection is bad.

I’d much rather do it myself through the web.

 

[TXTransplant]

I keep reading conflicting reports...some people are saying two years from date of cancellation and others are saying two years from date of ticket issue. We still don‘t know if we should cancel or hope that United cancels. If we would get two years from know I would more likely cancel by April 30th. The arbitrary date United has given to cancel flights through the end of the year to get the certificate. However if I only get 2 years from date of ticket issue it might be more difficult to use since I booked the flights in October.

This link (which is at the top of the United.com main page) now says 2 years from original ticket issue date.

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/notices.html
Flight changes:

• New tickets must be reissued within 24 months from original ticket date
• Rebooked travel must commence within 24 months from the original ticket issue date

The link I posted yesterday (my post is at the top of this page) still says travel certificates are valid for 2 years from the date they are issued.

If you decide to cancel your flight, you can retain the value of your ticket to be applied to a new ticket without a fee. These travel certificates are now valid for 24 months from the date they were issued. This includes all currently valid travel certificates and all new ones issued on or after April 1, 2020. See details.

https://hub.united.com/united-coronavirus-covid19-safety-update-2645397564.html
Why is it so hard for them to post consistent, up to date information on their website?!?

 

[sayhello]

Well, it's started, but I'm not ready to give up yet. Delta has changed the first and last legs of my flight to France in 3 1/2 weeks for my cancelled Rhone river cruise. The first change is to change me from my 2 hour non-stop flight from Columbus to Boston to a 2-leg, 5+ hour flight through Atlanta (with a totally unacceptable 1 hour stopover in Atlanta) that leaves 3 hrs and 58 mins earlier than my previous flight. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a significant enough change to warrant a refund. I still get to Boston with theoretically plenty of time to catch the flight to Paris (almost 5 hours). They have not changed the flight to Paris yet.

And coming home, they switched me to another flight from Detroit to Columbus, but the time change is insignificant (8 minutes).

Any idea if this is a significant enough change to warrant a call to Delta? The email says I can cancel for an eCredit good for "up to 2 years" without being specific on what that means.

Thanks for any help,
Sayhello

 

[neurosx1983]

Well, it's started, but I'm not ready to give up yet. Delta has changed the first and last legs of my flight to France in 3 1/2 weeks for my cancelled Rhone river cruise. The first change is to change me from my 2 hour non-stop flight from Columbus to Boston to a 2-leg, 5+ hour flight through Atlanta (with a totally unacceptable 1 hour stopover in Atlanta) that leaves 3 hrs and 58 mins earlier than my previous flight. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a significant enough change to warrant a refund. I still get to Boston with theoretically plenty of time to catch the flight to Paris (almost 5 hours). They have not changed the flight to Paris yet.

And coming home, they switched me to another flight from Detroit to Columbus, but the time change is insignificant (8 minutes).

Any idea if this is a significant enough change to warrant a call to Delta? The email says I can cancel for an eCredit good for "up to 2 years" without being specific on what that means.

Thanks for any help,
Sayhello

I would totally try it. Be annoying when you call them and make it seem like this is an unacceptable inconvenience for you.

FWIW I've heard Delta has given authority to their agents to make on the spot decisions over the phone, unlike United.

 

[acndis]

I keep reading conflicting reports...some people are saying two years from date of cancellation and others are saying two years from date of ticket issue. We still don‘t know if we should cancel or hope that United cancels. If we would get two years from know I would more likely cancel by April 30th. The arbitrary date United has given to cancel flights through the end of the year to get the certificate. However if I only get 2 years from date of ticket issue it might be more difficult to use since I booked the flights in October.

Ours was definitely 2 years from the date of the ticket. We called and posted on Twitter to confirm (since there was NO expiration posted on the credit in our account.) This was NOT good because I booked the ticket so early. It was going to expire May 2021. Luckily, my son plans on competing in the Water Polo Junior Olympics and it was just moved to November in Palo Alto. We just made a commitment to take a trip to San Fran over the Thanksgiving holiday and booked. My new ticket is changeable as well.

Did you cancel the flight booked with Chase points through Chase or on the United website?

We canceled through Chase (back in Early March when things were less crazy) but I would think you could just cancel through United (unless you want to try to get the Chase points back). These flights were for our canceled cruise and one leg was on Delta and one was on United. For Delta, they refunded Chase and Chase refunded our points. For United, they just issued the credit. I know that's kind of confusing. Please let me know if it's not clear. My short answer is that I am pretty sure you can cancel online with United.

 

[TXTransplant]

Ours was definitely 2 years from the date of the ticket. We called and posted on Twitter to confirm (since there was NO expiration posted on the credit in our account.) This was NOT good because I booked the ticket so early. It was going to expire May 2021. Luckily, my son plans on competing in the Water Polo Junior Olympics and it was just moved to November in Palo Alto. We just made a commitment to take a trip to San Fran over the Thanksgiving holiday and booked. My new ticket is changeable as well.



We canceled through Chase (back in Early March when things were less crazy) but I would think you could just cancel through United (unless you want to try to get the Chase points back). These flights were for our canceled cruise and one leg was on Delta and one was on United. For Delta, they refunded Chase and Chase refunded our points. For United, they just issued the credit. I know that's kind of confusing. Please let me know if it's not clear. My short answer is that I am pretty sure you can cancel online with United.

So, that's interesting...Chase said I could not have points back, and that I would get a credit back for the $ value of the tickets at the time that I booked. Which, honestly, I wasn't surprised about, but it would be nice to get points back.

I'm not expecting any of my flights to be refunded (either to me or Chase). I think the best I can do is get a credit.

I've got flights on Delta, Alaska, and United all booked through the Chase portal, either with points or a combo of points and $. I've also got a flight on United that I booked directly with them. I'm not quite ready to cancel or rebook anything quite yet. I posted on another thread that I'm thinking about calling Nat Geo tomorrow to see if we can change to a trip in July. As it stands right now, two of the hotels and the Alaska Railroad will be closed during the trip we are booked on (June 3-10).

If I do rebook for July, I'm not going to arrange flights just yet.