United Airlines Cancellation Policy

United Airlines Flight Cancellation Policy

According to United Airlines Cancellation Policy a customer can cancel his/her existing reservations within 24 hours from the time of booking to avoid cancellation fees. Once these 24 hours are completed you will be charged a certain amount as cancellation fee but this can be avoided if you purchase a refundable flight ticket.

Types of United Airlines Ticket

Now depending on the type of ticket purchased United Airlines will issue you a travel credit or will be sending you a refund to your bank account. That will be taking from three to seven business days.

Basic Economy

United Airlines does not allow you to cancel a basic economy flight ticket unless you cancel it within 24 hours from the time it was purchased or was purchased a week or more before the scheduled departure.

Other tickets include Economy, Economy Plus, First Class, Business Class, Premium Plus and Polaris Class.

Guidelines

  1. When you purchase a refundable flight ticket with United Airlines you are free to cancel your flight ticket anytime without paying a penalty. You will get a full refund for the original ticket price.
  2. Keep in mind that refundable flight fares often cost a little more than non refundable flight fares . What you get in return for the higher fare is the peace of mind that you will get your money back on time if you cancel your flight.
  3. Be prepared to wait up to seven days for a refund.
  4. According to the US Department of Transportation requires airlines to credit their passengers within seven days of receiving an application for refund. 
  5. Non refundable flight fares can be still refunded in the event of death of a passenger or passengers travelling companion  or because of military deployment  by producing a supporting document.

How To Cancel a United Airlines Flights?

To cancel a United Flight ticket online:

  1. Navigate United.com from your web browser
  2. Enter your email ID or booking number and log in
  3. Navigate on “My trips” at the United Airlines flight search form
  4. Enter your six digit Flight booking number along with your last name
  5. Choose the trip that you are looking to cancel
  6. On the very next screen, the page will display a total amount that you will be getting as refund from the airlines
  7. Click on “Cancel trip” and note down the final refund amount
  8. Do not forget to check the registered email ID for the cancellation confirmation message from United Airlines.

Airport

If you are unable to cancel your flight tickets using United.com feel free to cancel your flight ticket by visiting the nearest airport. On reaching the airport you can approach the United helpdesk and ask the staff to help you cancel your flight ticket on your behalf. You can share your travel details and check for the confirmation message on completion.

Via Call

Passengers are also given the option to cancel their flight tickets 24/7 by calling United Airlines phone number at +1-800-864-8331. You can call anytime and follow the on call voice instructions and connect with a live agent.

Miles

If you have purchased your flight tickets using miles then you can make cancellation online by visiting United.com or by calling the customer care. United Airlines does not charge any fees for cancelling flight tickets using miles and you can get your miles restored within seven business days.

United Airlines 24 hour Cancellation Policy

According to United Airlines 24 hour Cancellation policy:

  1.  All passengers have 24 hours from the time of their original booking to cancel their flight without being charged a cancellation fee, regardless of the fare selected, as long as the flight ticket was purchased a week or more prior to their flight departure.
  2. After 24 hours passengers will be charged a service fee ranging anywhere from $45 to $500 for cancellations depending on the type of fare chosen and itinerary selected.

United Airlines Cancellation Policy 2023

United Airlines segregated their flight tickets into two different classes when it comes to ticket cancellation; they are refundable and non refundable flight tickets. As per the updated United Airlines Cancellation Policy 2023:

  1. United Airlines Cancellation Policy is only applicable for those flight tickets that are purchased directly from the United Airlines websites, customer care centres or ticket offices.
  2. If any customer happens to purchase their flight ticket using a United gift certificate, then the passenger will receive refund in the form of an electronic travel certificate only.
  3. As per the United Airlines Cancellation Policy a customer has to pay the cancellation fee irrespective of refundable or non refundable  if he /she wants to cancel their flight on the day of the departure.

Refundable Flight Ticket

A refundable flight ticket can be cancelled anytime and the customer can get a complete refund without any cancellation fees.

Non Refundable Flight Ticket

When it comes to a Non refundable flight ticket a customer can only cancel it within the 24 hour policy from the point of booking their flight ticket. If he/she exceeds cancelling at that point of time then they have to pay for the cancellation fee of nearly $200 per passenger. Cancellation fees are largely determined by the destination selected and the customer will not get any refund, however he can use that amount as a travel credit to book a new flight in future with United Airlines.

Award Ticket

If you have booked an award ticket and want to cancel it you can either redeposit with miles or use your miles as a travel credit for future travel with United Airlines. You will not be eligible for redeposit unless you are a no show.

Illness or Death

However a supporting document is required like a death certificate, medical certificate, etc. Passengers with non refundable flight fares can still receive a full refund in the event of death of a passenger or passengers travelling companion or because of military deployment  by producing a supporting document.


Booked With Miles

If you have purchased your flight ticket using miles then you have 24 hours from the time of booking your original flight ticket to make changes to your existing flight reservations without being charges.

Bad Weather

If your flight is cancelled or delayed because of bad weather conditions, cyclones or unpredictable weather conditions you will receive a full refund or the airlines will accommodate you with a seat on the next flight. If you do not wish to travel you can cancel your flight and ask for a full refund without any extra charges.

After check in- If

you have already checked in at the airport you can still cancel your flight ticket by approaching the United helpdesk and asking the staff to cancel your flight. You need to cancel your flight at least ten minutes before your flight departure.

Military

In case of certain unplanned events such as military deployment United Airlines allows you to cancel your flight ticket and gives you back a refund for the original amount.  According to its refund policy you can submit an application in those cases and a refund will be issued minus a processing fee of $50 at the time of publication.

Companion Ticket

You cannot change a companion ticket, to make changes you will need to cancel your flight ticket and rebook a new flight.

United Airlines No Show Policy

If you don’t show up at the airport before the flight departs or at the time of flight departure then it will be considered a No Show. According to United No show policy your entire value of ticket will be terminated and you will not be compensated for a no show. If you want your miles restored you will have to pay a fee of $125.

United Airlines Cancellation Fees

If it has been more than 24 hours since you booked your flight ticket you will have to pay a cancellation fees of $200 on domestic flights and up to a cancellation fee of $400 for international flights depending on the type of fare class you travel.

The fee for cancelling an award ticket and having your miles re-deposited can vary greatly depending on your status level with United.

If you cancel your flight ticket for 61 or more days before your departure, the fee is $75 for general members, $50 for Silver members, $25 for Gold members and $0 if you are a 1K or Platinum member.

If you cancel your flight ticket within 60 or fewer days before departure the fees will be $125 for general members, $100 for Silver members , $75 for Gold members, $50 for Platinum members and $0 if you are a 1K member.

After payment of the cancellation fees you can apply the unused value of your flight ticket towards a future trip with United as long as your new trip begins no later than one year from the tickets original date of purchase and also you cancelled your flight ticket before the departure of the first flight.

United Airlines Service fees

General member

Premier Silver

Premier Gold

Premier Platinum

Premier 1K

Fees for booking award travel

 

Fees for booking a Mileage award travel

$25

$25

$25

$0

$0

Fees for changing / cancelling an award travel

 

 

 

 

 

Making changes or cancelling with a re deposit

$0

$0

$0

$0

$0

Re deposit with miles after a no show

$125

$125

$125

$125

$125

 

United Airlines Refund Policy

If you cancel a non refundable flight ticket you will not get a refund. However you can put out the cost of your flight ticket for a new ticket, but you will be charged a change fee of between $50 to $150 at the time of publication depending on your destination and the type of change you are making.

You will receive compensation or full refund by United Airlines on the following grounds:

  1. Your flight ticket was cancelled by United Airlines
  2. If your flight is delayed by the airlines for three or more hours then United will issue you complete refund for free or a travel credit or accommodate you a seat for another departing flight.
  3. If you have purchased a refundable flight ticket
  4. In the event of death of a passenger, immediate family or a travel companion along with a supporting document.

How To Get a Refund Online?

You can follow the steps to submit a refund request with United Airlines:

  1. Visit United.com
  2. Log in to your travel account using your flight credentials
  3. Enter your last name and reference number
  4. Retrieve you flight ticket and
  5. Click on “Cancel/Change” option’
  6. Select the reason for cancellation
  7. Click on submit and pay for applicable fees
  8. Click confirm and complete the process

How To Check the Refund Status for United Airlines Flight?

To check the refund status for United Airlines flight:

  1. Visit United.com
  2. Log in to your travel account using your flight credentials
  3. Enter last name and PNR/ Booking/ reference number
  4. Next you can click on”  Track refund status”

United Airlines Delayed Flight compensation

Check out the chart to estimate about the fees for United Airlines Delayed Flight compensation:

Flight Length

 

Amount of Delay

United Airlines Compensation

1500 kms or lesser

 

Two or more hours

$252/ 250 Euros

Flights between 1500 and 3500 kilometres

 

Three or more hours

$403/400 Euros

Flights longer than 3500 kilometres

 

Four or more hours

$605/600 Euros

 

Related Page : United Airlines Reservation

FAQs

According to United Airlines Cancellation Policy a customer can cancel his/her existing reservations within 24 hours from the time of booking to avoid cancellation fees. Once these 24 hours are completed you will be charged a certain amount as cancellation fee but this can be avoided if you purchase a refundable flight ticket.

When you purchase a refundable flight ticket with United Airlines you are free to cancel your flight ticket anytime without paying a penalty. You will get a full refund for the original ticket price.

A refundable flight ticket can be cancelled anytime and the customer can get a complete refund without any cancellation fees. Non-refundable flight fares can be still refunded in the event of death of a passenger or passengers travelling companion or because of military deployment by producing a supporting document.

Yes, you can cancel your United flight ticket 24 hours after your purchase if you want to enjoy risk free flight cancellations.

If it has been more than 24 hours since you booked your flight ticket you will have to pay a cancellation fees of $200 on domestic flights and up to a cancellation fee of $400 for international flights depending on the type of fare class you travel.

If you want to cancel your flight tickets you can call United Airlines phone number at +1-800-864-8331. You can call anytime and follow the on call voice instructions and connect with a live agent.

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