Are you seeking a hassle-free way to cancel a United Airlines flight? With United Airlines’ cancellation policy, you can change your plans and won’t be charged a high price as in the past.
You will read here about the cancellation policy’s guidelines, how to cancel a flight, the airline’s penalties, and much more.
Can I change My Flight with United Without Being Charged?
The procedure for switching to a different flight is described in the United Airlines flight change policy, along with an estimate of the refunds to which passengers may be entitled.
- No of the fare, you can cancel your reservation up to 24 hours after making it without incurring a fee as long as you do it at least a week before your trip.
- If a United Airlines flight is unexpectedly canceled, you have three options: cancel the ticket without incurring fees and ask for a refund; take the airline’s substitute flight; or postpone your trip and get a travel credit.
Additionally, you may be qualified for benefits of payment for missing flights.
- You can cancel your travel without incurring fees and ask for a refund if your United Airlines flight from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, or Switzerland is: Delayed by 5 hours or more (plus compensation).
- If your flight is delayed by 3 hours or more and United Airlines could have prevented it, you are entitled to compensation.
- All ticket categories are available for cancellations and refunds in cases of death, specific illnesses, and jury duty. This covers award tickets, tickets obtained using cash, check, or credit card, and promotional, bulk, and net fares.
- Basic Economy tickets cannot be canceled, under United’s economy cancellation policy. Still, they are eligible for a full refund within the first 24 hours if purchased at least one week before the flight’s scheduled departure time.
- United Airlines has varied cancellation rules for France, Columbia, Argentina, and Taiwan according to your billing address.
- A travel credit given for a delayed flight between March 1 and June 6, 2023, may also be refunded to you. You must complete this refund form to request a refund.
- Only qualifying tickets will be returned for partially used tickets. The refund will be issued on a prorated basis following the rules that apply to the ticket and the segments flown.
- Refunds on credit cards are processed within 7 business days. The processing time for other reimbursements is usually 20 business days.
- All refunds will be credited to the original method of payment.
- If you need a refund on a ticket you bought from a travel agent or other third party, you must get in touch with them directly.
The information above explains how, in various situations, you can cancel your tickets under United’s cancellation policy.
United Airlines 24-hour Cancellation Policy
If you cancel your flight with United Airlines within 24 hours of booking, you’ll receive a full refund as long as you booked at least 7 days before your departure. All reservations, including those for “Basic Economy,” are subject to this.
Use United Airlines reservations to make and manage reservations through the website or mobile application. When you cancel your ticket within 24 hours, according to United’s cancellation policy conditions, your refund will be applied to the original payment method you used to purchase the ticket.
Policy for United Cancellations Because of a Death, a Sickness, or Jury Duty
In cases of death (of the traveler or a close relative), certain illnesses, and jury duty, United Airlines’ ticket cancellation policy permits complete reimbursements. The policy applies to all ticket categories, including award tickets, promo fares, bulk fares, and net fares. It also applies to tickets bought using cash, a credit card, or a check.
United Airlines Cancellation Fee for Basic Economy Tickets
According to United Airlines cancellation policy, basic economy tickets can only be returned if they are cancelled within the 24-hours, and the purchase was made a week or more before departure.
United Airlines Cancellation Fee for Non-Refundable Tickets
If you cancel a non-refundable ticket more than 24 hours after purchasing it, depending on your travel class, you may be charged a cancellation cost of up to USD 400 for an international flight and up to USD 200 for a domestic flight.
The following conditions must be met to use the unused portion of your ticket towards future travel after your cancellation fee has been subtracted:
- Your original ticket is canceled before the first flight takes off.
- Your trip must start within a year of the original ticket’s issuing date.
- If the traveler or fellow traveler passes away.
- Passenger acceptance of military/jury duty orders.
To demonstrate the cause of the cancellation, you must be able to produce supporting documents.
United Airlines Cancellation Fee for Refundable Tickets
If you’ve purchased a refundable ticket, you may cancel it at any moment before your flight takes off, according to United’s cancellation policy. Refunds will be transferred to your original mode of payment. Credit card payments are normally completed within 7 business days, but other charges can take up to 20 business days, per United Airlines’ policy on flight cancellations.
United Airlines Cancellation Fee for Award Tickets
The reward ticket cancellation policy for United Airlines operates a little differently, as demonstrated here.
| United Airlines Cancellation Fee for Award Tickets | |||||
| Cancellation Fee | General | Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Premier Platinum | Premier 1K |
| 31 or more days before departure | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Cancelling a U.S. flight 0–30 days before departure | $125 | $100 | $75 | $50 | $0 |
| Cancelling an international flight not originating in the U.S. 0–30 days before departure | $125 | $100 | $75 | $50 | $ 0 |
| No-Show | $ 125 | $ 125 | $ 125 | $ 125 | $ 125 |
Your membership status will determine the cancellation charge for award tickets on United Airlines.
- United Airlines charges 0 USD for general members, 0 USD for silver members, 0 USD for gold members, 0 USD for premier platinum, and 1000 members for cancellations of award flights made at least 31 days before departure.
- For award flight cancellations made between 0 and 30 days before departure, United Airlines charges the following fees:
- USD 125 for general members,
- USD 100 for Silver members,
- USD 75 for Gold members,
- USD 50 for Premier Platinum members,
- And USD 0 for Premier 1000 members.
- No-shows on United Airlines incur a cancellation fee of USD 125, regardless of membership tier.
- For Silver and general members, the same-day change charge for award tickets is USD 75, while it is waived for Gold, Platinum, and 1K members.
United Travel Options Refund
Your United Travel Options bundles will be automatically returned when you cancel your ticket if the fare regulations of your ticket permit. Only the unused value of your Economy Plus and Premier Access features will be refunded if you have already used a portion of your ticket at the time of refund. These regulations apply to United Airlines’ cancellation policy, and you may request a partial or full refund under its fare regulations.
How to Cancel a United Airlines Flight?
You can cancel a flight on United Airlines by calling (+1 888-982-1907), going online, or working with a travel agent. You must contact the online travel agency (OTA) directly if you purchased your ticket through one.
If you have made your flight reservation directly via United, you may cancel it online under the United cancellation policy, as detailed below.
- Visit United.com.
- Select the “My Trips” option.
- Enter you’re to access your journey:
- Assurance number
- Final name
- Click on the Search icon.
- Select the flight or trip that you want to cancel.
- Select the Cancel flight option after choosing the trip or flight you want to cancel.
- You will be prompted to confirm your decision to cancel your reservation on the next screen. When you select Confirm, your reservation will be formally canceled.
- Following the deduction of the cancellation fee, you will be given an eCredit for the funds.
You must call the third party (OTA or travel agent) you booked your ticket via if you need help viewing your reservation online.
United Airlines Cancellation Refund
You can receive a full refund on your reservation if you:
- Cancel within 24 hours of making it under United Airlines’ 24-hour flexible booking policy.
- You reserved your seat at least 7 days before the scheduled departure of your flight.
Check the status of your refund here - On the right, select the Check Status tab.
- Type your:
- Last name
- The number on a ticket, document, or package.
- Select Check status from the menu.
You may see the status of your refund.
- You can cancel your ticket online through My Trips and get a refund if you bought it straight from United and it is eligible for one.
- The country or region of your billing address will determine the refund procedures, and a cancellation fee can be charged.
- Most fares are non-refundable. However, if you’re qualified, the value of your ticket may be changed towards new access on a fee-based basis.
- Tickets are suitable for a year from the date of issuance, however, those bought between July 1 and July 31 will be good until July 31 of the following year. By July 2022, you must start your trip and finish it within a year of the departure date.
The following is the standard refund period:
- Refunds on credit cards are 7 business days following your request.
- Other refunds 20 business days after you make your request.
- For all returns, all credits will be credited to the original form of payment.
United Airlines Refund Policy
Can I get a refund if I change my flight?
The United Airlines refund policy is as follows:
- You won’t be charged a cancellation fee and will receive a full refund if you purchase a ticket at least a week before departure and cancel within 24 hours.
- Tickets purchased in the Basic Economy cannot be refunded after 24 hours. This means you have to buy your ticket at least 7 days before your travel and cancel it within a day.
- Tickets that qualify can be canceled over the phone. Alternatively, you can use My Travel to submit a refund request online.
- The ticket’s tariff policies will determine the cancellation cost.
- Non-refundable tickets are not eligible for free refunds, but for a fee, the value of your ticket can be changed to a Future Flight Credit.
- From the date of issuance, airline tickets are good for one year. However, tickets purchased on or before December 31, 2021, will now be valid through December 31, 2022. This implies that your trip must start by December 31, 2022, and end by 12 months after you leave.
- Refund amounts will vary depending on several variables. By the terms of the ticket and the segments flown, the refund amount for tickets that have been partially utilized will be determined on a prorated basis. If the rules permit, the surcharges and fees paid for the ticket will be repaid.
- Credit card refunds will be handled within seven business days of receiving your request. Other refunds will be processed within 20 business days after your request.
- All refunds will be credited to the original method of payment.
- Go to the refunds page and pick the Check status option to see the current status of your refund request.
- All refund requests must pass an audit before receiving final airline clearance.
The following refund guidelines apply to several international regions:
- Argentina
- All tickets are non-refundable unless you buy a refundable ticket.
- Colombia
- You have up to 24 hours before departure to cancel your ticket under the right of withdrawal (save for promotional pricing). United Airlines may, however, keep 10% of your fare while refunding the remaining 90%.
- The right to retract: If you buy your ticket directly from United Airlines (through their website or contact center), you have 48 hours to change your mind and get a refund as long as you do it at least 15 days before your travel. United Airlines may keep up to USD 50, plus service fees and non-refundable taxes if you cancel your reservation.
- France
- You must complete a refund request form to be reimbursed for fees and taxes if your ticket is no longer valid and you still need to take the flight. If you give United your email address, you’ll get your dues within 30 days without paying an administrative fee.
- Taiwan
- The seven-day refund period Taiwan’s Consumer Protection Act (Article 19) provides for passengers does not apply.
How to Receive a Refund for a Flight Cancellation?
You can request a refund after canceling your flight by doing the following:
- Complete the United Airlines refund application.
- You’ll be informed by United Airlines if you’re eligible for a refund.
The amount of your reimbursement will vary depending on your price type and the cause of your flight cancellation. Sometimes the refund will be applied to the original mode of payment, and other times you can get a credit for a flight.
How to Avoid Cancellation Fees on United Airlines?
Three credit kinds are available from United Airlines:
- Future Flight Credits (FFCs)
- Electronic Travel Credits (ETCs)
- Credits from United Travel Bank
While United Travel Bank Credits can be bought to increase the amount with the now-discontinued United Travel Bank Card, only the first two credits (ETCs and Future Flight Credits) can accrue from canceling a flight or a service.
Credits for electronic travel (ETCs). ETCs are still valid 24 months after their issuance. You can use your ETCs for the upcoming trip online or by calling (+1 888-982-1907). Log onto your MileagePlus account via My account to access your ETCs online.
If at least one section of your itinerary is run by United Airlines or United Express, you can use your ETCs (up to 10 together, multiple times) for partner-operated travel. You can redeem your ETCs on that page after choosing a qualifying flight and continuing with your booking to the checkout screen. The balance will stay in your account for future usage if the price of your new flight is less than the value of your ETCs. You can use your credit card to cover the difference if the cost of your flight is higher than the value of your ETCs.