United Airlines slight change

[jpc763]

I have mentioned on here that United will allow me to cancel 4 RT flights my family & I have to Hawaii mid May and will give me credit for the funds but that credit must be used 12 months from date of purchase. For me that was mid July last year. I have been waiting for them to cancel the flights so I can file for a refund but today I learned that they have made 2 changes recently (last couple days).

First option is that you can call and request an extra 3 months to use the funds so my window would extend to middle of October.

Second (and much better) option is that they are allowing you to cancel and have the funds returned via an ETC (Electronic Travel Certificate) voucher which can be used up to 12 months from issue date (not date of ticket purchase) for travel up to 24 months out.

Just wanted to pass this info along to anyone in case they are in the same boat as me.

 

[BarbmC]

I too have been waiting for United to cancel my April 10 flight to Aruba. Currently playing chicken. Those of us (especially timeshare folks) who plan ahead already have flights booked for later this year. Thanks for the update.

 

[wackymother]

I have mentioned on here that United will allow me to cancel 4 RT flights my family & I have to Hawaii mid May and will give me credit for the funds but that credit must be used 12 months from date of purchase. For me that was mid July last year. I have been waiting for them to cancel the flights so I can file for a refund but today I learned that they have made 2 changes recently (last couple days).

First option is that you can call and request an extra 3 months to use the funds so my window would extend to middle of October.

Second (and much better) option is that they are allowing you to cancel and have the funds returned via an ETC (Electronic Travel Certificate) voucher which can be used up to 12 months from issue date (not date of ticket purchase) for travel up to 24 months out.

Just wanted to pass this info along to anyone in case they are in the same boat as me.

Thanks! We have a flight scheduled for early April and they have not canceled it. There are currently seven seats occupied on the plane (there were nine until a couple of days ago.)

I bought the tix in November and honestly I just don't think we'll be going anywhere before next December at the earliest. So these options are much better.

We already have tix for a July/August trip...who knows if that one will happen?

 

[dioxide45]

I have mentioned on here that United will allow me to cancel 4 RT flights my family & I have to Hawaii mid May and will give me credit for the funds but that credit must be used 12 months from date of purchase. For me that was mid July last year. I have been waiting for them to cancel the flights so I can file for a refund but today I learned that they have made 2 changes recently (last couple days).

First option is that you can call and request an extra 3 months to use the funds so my window would extend to middle of October.

Second (and much better) option is that they are allowing you to cancel and have the funds returned via an ETC (Electronic Travel Certificate) voucher which can be used up to 12 months from issue date (not date of ticket purchase) for travel up to 24 months out.

Just wanted to pass this info along to anyone in case they are in the same boat as me.

Good to know. Would have helped DW's friend who had to cancel a United flight a week ago (I don't think this was an option then). We had award reservations and surprisingly they let us redeposit and they waived the fee.

 

[BarbmC]

I came across this from The Points Guy - https://thepointsguy.com/guide/refund-for-canceled-flight/

 

[AnnaS]

Thank you.

We have first class tickets to Anchorage for June. We have not cancelled and are also hoping they cancel the flight. Cruise ships cannot dock at Canada ports (arriving/finishing in Vancouver). A credit from the issue date would do us no good (4 tickets).

A voucher to use at a later date might help us. We will be grateful for whatever they can give us.

We are not smokers, big drinkers or gamblers. We are out also the insurance we paid. I told my husband and our friends - would I love a good outcome? Of course. If nothing comes out of it, I will make believe we went to AC a few times

 

[jpc763]

Thank you.

We have first class tickets to Anchorage for June. We have not cancelled and are also hoping they cancel the flight. Cruise ships cannot dock at Canada ports (arriving/finishing in Vancouver). A credit from the issue date would do us no good (4 tickets).

A voucher to use at a later date might help us. We will be grateful for whatever they can give us.

We are not smokers, big drinkers or gamblers. We are out also the insurance we paid. I told my husband and our friends - would I love a good outcome? Of course. If nothing comes out of it, I will make believe we went to AC a few times

You can go on to the United page and click the button to cancel the reservation. It should take you to the next page which I showed above if that option is available to you. Since you trip is in June, it may not. NOTE: You can cancel out on that page an you will not cancel your reservation. It helps me to see what options I currently have available.

 

[klpca]

I sure hope that American follows suit.

 

[travelplanner70]

When the airline provides a voucher for the original flight and the new flight you are choosing is less than the one originally booked, does the airline give a refund, or do the remaining funds remain in one's account and have same restrictions that it be used within the year of the original airline ticket? Thanks in advance for the information.

 

[Luanne]

When the airline provides a voucher for the original flight and the new flight you are choosing is less than the one originally booked, does the airline give a refund, or do the remaining funds remain in one's account and have same restrictions that it be used within the year of the original airline ticket? Thanks in advance for the information.

From what I understand the remaining balance stays in your account. You can reach out to the airlines on Facebook and ask the question. I've gotten very quick response when I've done that.

 

[BarbmC]

From what I understand the remaining balance stays in your account. You can reach out to the airlines on Facebook and ask the question. I've gotten very quick response when I've done that.

thanks so much for suggesting Facebook - I contacted them on Facebook messenger and got everything resolved today = within 30 minutes

 

[Luanne]

thanks so much for suggesting Facebook - I contacted them on Facebook messenger and got everything resolved today = within 30 minutes

FB has bee great for communicating at this time. I had an issue with Southwest in that I was trying to change a ticket and kept getting an error message. Usually I would call, but I really don't want to sit on hold, and it wasn't an emergency. So off to FB I go. I get a response within a few minutes and not long after the change was made and I got a confirmation email.

 

[Talent312]

Sometimes, it's all a matter of bending the right ear.

In my dealings with Delta...
It seems the "Refunds Office" goes strictly by the policies,
but "Customer Care" has flexibility.

I submitted two requests on two different web pages.
One went to Refunds. "We'll get back to you in a week or two."
The other went to Customer Care...

Someone there called me (could'a knocked me over w/a feather).
The quickly agreed to my request and said it would be done.
"We can do that based on situational flexibility."
.

 

[Karen G]

We are out also the insurance we paid.

I called the company we bought trip insurance from for a tour in Switzerland later this year. I asked if we canceled our tour now could we cancel the insurance and get a refund. They said no, but did say if the tour itself gets canceled then we could get a refund.

 

[AnnaS]

I called the company we bought trip insurance from for a tour in Switzerland later this year. I asked if we canceled our tour now could we cancel the insurance and get a refund. They said no, but did say if the tour itself gets canceled then we could get a refund.

Thank you.

Are you saying that if the cruise/land tour is cancelled - the insurance company will refund our flights? We received our deposit on the cruise back and received all the tour $$ we prepaid. We also received our money back for our return flight since it was booked through Princess. We will just be out the $475 we paid to insure the trip and whatever we paid United - unless we get a credit/refund. Waiting a bit more before cancelling/doing anything. I had tried to call the insurance company also a few weeks ago - no one ever picked up and on hold literally for more than an hour.

Worst case scenario - it's a loss - at the time we decided to cancel and not go on the cruise, we had no idea how it was going to all play out (and boy the whole word changed within a few weeks ) - we did not think it was worth the risk of getting stuck somewhere or or take a chance with our health.

 

[Karen G]

Thank you.

Are you saying that if the cruise/land tour is cancelled - the insurance company will refund our flights?

No, I was referring to the premium paid for the trip insurance policy itself. After speaking with the company which sold us the trip insurance, I got the impression that if our tour was canceled then we could get a refund on the trip insurance policy we had paid for.

 

[AnnaS]

Got it!!! Thank you

 

[wackymother]

I finally canceled our flight, which was supposed to be tomorrow. United had moved us into first class. We would have been the only passengers on the plane.

 

[travelplanner70]

I am wondering if this strategy would work: AA says that the flight I want to cancel in May has a schedule change, but does not know yet what the change will be. I wonder if I wait until I am notified of the change, I would then call for a refund rather than a voucher for future travel. I had heard that if the airline changes flights or cancels the flight, we are entitled to a refund - not a voucher.

 

[Luanne]

I am wondering if this strategy would work: AA says that the flight I want to cancel in May has a schedule change, but does not know yet what the change will be. I wonder if I wait until I am notified of the change, I would then call for a refund rather than a voucher for future travel. I had heard that if the airline changes flights or cancels the flight, we are entitled to a refund - not a voucher.

This is what I have heard as well and why I'm waiting to do anything about the flights we have booked at the end of May to Seattle.

 

[jtp1947]

You are entitled to a refund on AA if the flight change is more than 120 minutes.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Airlines Must Refund Tickets Not Just Oder Vouchers For Flights Delayed Or Canceled Because Of COVID-19, Government Warns.

Airlines Must Refund Tickets—Not Just Offer Vouchers—For Flights Delayed Or Canceled Because Of COVID-19, Government Warns

The Department of Transportation writes it's taking the action after a slew of consumer complaints.

www.forbes.com

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Richard.

 

[MULTIZ321]

DOT won't enforce cash refunds for flights canceled by coronavirus

DOT won't enforce cash refunds for flights canceled by coronavirus

The agency said it will not take enforcement action, provided airlines follow certain guidelines.

www.axios.com

Richard

 

[MULTIZ321]

Airlines Must Issue Refunds, Not Vouchers, for Flights Impacted by Coronavirus, Says Department of Transportation.

Airlines Must Issue Refunds, Not Vouchers, for Flights Impacted by Coronavirus, Says Department of Transportation

The Department of Transportation (DOT) says it expects airlines to provide flyers with refunds, not flight vouchers, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The…

www.marthastewart.com

.


Richard

 

[Karen G]

Airlines Must Issue Refunds, Not Vouchers, for Flights Impacted by Coronavirus, Says Department of Transportation.

I had a great experience with British Airways today. We had tickets for an Aug. 31 flight from Las Vegas to Zurich and a return flight Sept. 19 from Venice, Italy, to Las Vegas. (This trip was planned many months ago before we had ever heard of the Corona virus!) The return flight was booked with BA but it was on American Airlines with a change of planes in Philadelphia.

We got an email from BA that the segment from Venice to Philadelphia had been canceled. I called BA to ask for a refund on that segment that was canceled and also to cancel the flight from Philadelphia to Las Vegas & be refunded. They said they could do that and when I asked to cancel and refund the whole trip, they agreed to do that, too! We were delighted because we thought we'd get only a voucher for a future trip and not a complete refund.

I was afraid the DOT's ruling applied to only US airlines, but apparently it appies to foreign carriers that do business in the US, too.