Airline policy changes (United made another big one)

Well I just got off the phone. Surprisingly no wait and she immediately asked if I wanted a refund. No problem. Didn't mention (and I didn't ask) about the 3-4mo refund wait though.

What did the email you got about your flights say? That your flight had been cancelled and there is no alternative flight available? Or did it offer a different itinerary?

I’m asking because it's clear my original flight was cancelled. But I was automatically rebooked on flights to SFO and SEA, and United is calling it a “modification to your itinerary”.
 
What did the email you got about your flights say? That your flight had been cancelled and there is no alternative flight available? Or did it offer a different itinerary?

I’m asking because it's clear my original flight was cancelled. But I was automatically rebooked on flights to SFO and SEA, and United is calling it a “modification to your itinerary”.

“ The impact of the coronavirus outbreak has been felt around the globe by individuals, families, communities and companies. With the challenges brought on by these difficult and uncertain times, travel has been severely affected. Unfortunately, your flight has been canceled. To view your options, please visit the United app, united.com or call 1-800-UNITED-1. We appreciate your patience during this time and look forward to welcoming you back on board in the future. On behalf of all of us at United, be well.”


Pretty generic. In fact it didn’t even identify which of my trips were cancelled. When I went online i saw my flights to Denver and then on to Vancouver were both cancelled. No alternative flights were offered. Must be significant because there were a few flights that made that trip daily even as of a couple days ago.
 
“ The impact of the coronavirus outbreak has been felt around the globe by individuals, families, communities and companies. With the challenges brought on by these difficult and uncertain times, travel has been severely affected. Unfortunately, your flight has been canceled. To view your options, please visit the United app, united.com or call 1-800-UNITED-1. We appreciate your patience during this time and look forward to welcoming you back on board in the future. On behalf of all of us at United, be well.”


Pretty generic. In fact it didn’t even identify which of my trips were cancelled. When I went online i saw my flights to Denver and then on to Vancouver were both cancelled. No alternative flights were offered. Must be significant because there were a few flights that made that trip daily even as of a couple days ago.
I trick I learned from American is to keep checking your flights and call them right away when you see a change before they find you a replacement flight. If you wait, they told me they might rebook your trip and you can't cancel anymore.
 


“ The impact of the coronavirus outbreak has been felt around the globe by individuals, families, communities and companies. With the challenges brought on by these difficult and uncertain times, travel has been severely affected. Unfortunately, your flight has been canceled. To view your options, please visit the United app, united.com or call 1-800-UNITED-1. We appreciate your patience during this time and look forward to welcoming you back on board in the future. On behalf of all of us at United, be well.”


Pretty generic. In fact it didn’t even identify which of my trips were cancelled. When I went online i saw my flights to Denver and then on to Vancouver were both cancelled. No alternative flights were offered. Must be significant because there were a few flights that made that trip daily even as of a couple days ago.

Thanks. Something is squirrelly about my new itinerary. When I search for flights from IAH to SEA on our travel date, there is only one option with only one stop (the rest have two or more stops). And it’s late in the day (we were originally scheduled to leave at 7 am).

The only flight from SFO to SEA on that day, and in fact for the entire week of our travel day, is at 6 pm.

We were reassigned to a flight from SFO to SEA that supposedly leaves at 10:50 am and arrives at 1:19 pm. Except this flight doesn’t seem to exist. It’s not on United’s schedule at all during the week of our travel date. The only direct flight from SFO to SEA is at 6 pm. So, I think they rescheduled us on a flight that doesn’t actually exist so they don’t have to give a refund.
 
AirFrance canceled our flights for a June trip that we had already been canceled. We were waiting to see what AirFrance did. We got an email today notifying us of the cancellation and a full refund to the credit card immediately. Nice. One less thing to worry about.
 
Update on British Airways:

Need to cancel your booking?
If you booked via a travel agent, please contact them directly to discuss cancelling your booking.
If you are due to travel between now and 31 July 2020 you can claim a voucher to the value of your booking, valid for travel until 30 April 2022.
Vouchers can be used as payment, or part payment, for a future booking. Your new trip booked with your voucher must be fully completed by 30 April 2022 (departure and return). You will receive your voucher by email within seven days of your application.
IMPORTANT: Please do not amend your booking in Manage My Booking yourself - we will do this on your behalf.
See flights and holidays T&Cs
Claim voucher
Voucher information
 


I trick I learned from American is to keep checking your flights and call them right away when you see a change before they find you a replacement flight. If you wait, they told me they might rebook your trip and you can't cancel anymore.

That's not true. If they cancel your original flight and rebook you on a flight that is not agreeable to you, they must refund you by DOT rules. YOU get to decide if the new flight is good enough or not.
 
That's not true. If they cancel your original flight and rebook you on a flight that is not agreeable to you, they must refund you by DOT rules. YOU get to decide if the new flight is good enough or not.
There *are* some parameters to that. You have to have been diverted (like a non-stop leg becoming a stopover, or just going through a different city, a certain amount of time difference between when you were supposed to arrive and when you arrive, etc.) Airlines frequently change flight numbers and the times vary by a few minutes, but that alone is not considered enough of a change. I'm trying to find the exact DOT wording. But what you say is true. If the change fits the DOT description of a change that warrants a refund, it's up to you, not the airline to decide if the ticket is to be refunded. The airlines can't say "Sorry, we re-booked you, you're out of luck!"

Sayhello
 
There *are* some parameters to that. You have to have been diverted (like a non-stop leg becoming a stopover, or just going through a different city, a certain amount of time difference between when you were supposed to arrive and when you arrive, etc.) Airlines frequently change flight numbers and the times vary by a few minutes, but that alone is not considered enough of a change. I'm trying to find the exact DOT wording. But what you say is true. If the change fits the DOT description of a change that warrants a refund, it's up to you, not the airline to decide if the ticket is to be refunded. The airlines can't say "Sorry, we re-booked you, you're out of luck!"

Sayhello

DOT wording is intentionally vague/open-ended. It's left up to the airlines to create their own specific policies.

RIGHT NOW (insert eyeroll here), United's policy is, if your new flight(s) get you to the same destination within 6 hours of your original arrival time, you are NOT entitled to a refund. This includes if you originally booked a non-stop flight and now have a stopover somewhere.

United is refusing to give me a refund on our flights to Seattle at the end of the month (they were non-stop and now include a stop in SFO). I even sent them a request in writing, and it was denied.

Per the email they sent me to deny my refund request, their current policy is copied and pasted below:

Eligible Refund Scenarios for Non-Refundable Tickets:
A ticket affected by a significant schedule change (i.e., by more than 6 hours from the original departure/arrival times); a flight cancellation where no re-accommodation options were available; or a ticket covered by our 24-hour Flexible Booking Policy.

I'm still sitting on the ticket, waiting to see if there are any other changes/cancellations. If not, I'll be forced to cancel and take a credit/electronic voucher.

I did file a consumer complaint with DOT. Aside from receiving a confirmation email, I have not heard anything (not that I expected to).
 
DOT wording is intentionally vague/open-ended. It's left up to the airlines to create their own specific policies.

RIGHT NOW (insert eyeroll here), United's policy is, if your new flight(s) get you to the same destination within 6 hours of your original arrival time, you are NOT entitled to a refund. This includes if you originally booked a non-stop flight and now have a stopover somewhere.

United is refusing to give me a refund on our flights to Seattle at the end of the month (they were non-stop and now include a stop in SFO). I even sent them a request in writing, and it was denied.

Per the email they sent me to deny my refund request, their current policy is copied and pasted below:

Eligible Refund Scenarios for Non-Refundable Tickets:
A ticket affected by a significant schedule change (i.e., by more than 6 hours from the original departure/arrival times); a flight cancellation where no re-accommodation options were available; or a ticket covered by our 24-hour Flexible Booking Policy.

I'm still sitting on the ticket, waiting to see if there are any other changes/cancellations. If not, I'll be forced to cancel and take a credit/electronic voucher.

I did file a consumer complaint with DOT. Aside from receiving a confirmation email, I have not heard anything (not that I expected to).
Technically, that's illegal. I'm told there's supposed to be multiple class action suits against United, because their policies definitely are against the DOT's policies, no matter how liberally you interpret them. I'm sorry you're having to deal with that. Most airlines are not being as brazen as United.

Sayhello
 
Last edited:
Technically, that's illegal. I'm told there's supposed to be multiple class action suits against United, because their policies definitely are against the DOT's policies, no matter how liberally you interpret them. I'm sorry you're having to deal with that. Most airlines are not being as brazen as United.

Sayhello

Yes, they are totally taking advantage of the Big Company vs. Individual Consumer dynamic. Plus, they already have my money...none of us individually can force a refund, so we cave and take what's offered so that it's not a total loss. Maybe if there is a class action lawsuit, I'll get some sort of extra compensation in a few years.

The bad thing is, I think the T&C of any voucher/e-certificate is that it makes you ineligible for any sort of refund. Hopefully, if United is found to be in the wrong, that won't apply.

IF (and I realize it's a BIG if) our Alaska trip goes in July, I should be able to use up all of my vouchers (including the one I am holding out on) on that airfare. So, it may all end up being a wash. It's just the principle of it...they should be doing the right thing.
 
Yes, they are totally taking advantage of the Big Company vs. Individual Consumer dynamic. Plus, they already have my money...none of us individually can force a refund, so we cave and take what's offered so that it's not a total loss. Maybe if there is a class action lawsuit, I'll get some sort of extra compensation in a few years.

The bad thing is, I think the T&C of any voucher/e-certificate is that it makes you ineligible for any sort of refund. Hopefully, if United is found to be in the wrong, that won't apply.

IF (and I realize it's a BIG if) our Alaska trip goes in July, I should be able to use up all of my vouchers (including the one I am holding out on) on that airfare. So, it may all end up being a wash. It's just the principle of it...they should be doing the right thing.

Go to your credit card and have them reverse the charges. They will go after the airline for you at this point since you have a trail of them refusing to refund you.
 
Go to your credit card and have them reverse the charges. They will go after the airline for you at this point since you have a trail of them refusing to refund you.

I bought the tickets using Chase points, so technically, United owes Chase a refund. I have to go through Chase, and when they called United to ask about a refund, United refused. I escalated it to a manager who basically said “We know exactly what United is doing. Wait a few weeks because your flight will probably be changed again or be cancelled.”

United is giving everyone the run-around.
 
I bought the tickets using Chase points, so technically, United owes Chase a refund. I have to go through Chase, and when they called United to ask about a refund, United refused. I escalated it to a manager who basically said “We know exactly what United is doing. Wait a few weeks because your flight will probably be changed again or be cancelled.”

United is giving everyone the run-around.

You don't have to go through Chase. My friend booked a ticket to Tokyo using Chase points. They changed the flight dramatically, and my friend just called United directly. They cancelled the flight and initiated a refund on their end. It took about 10 days but she got all her Chase points back the other day. She never contacted Chase at all, even though they claim you "have" to go through them. You don't. When you book a flight using Chase points, Chase uses their own line of credit to charge the ticket with the airline. When the airline issues a credit, it automatically triggers the Chase system to return your points. Chase doesn't want you to know this, but that is how it works.

Call United.
 
You don't have to go through Chase. My friend booked a ticket to Tokyo using Chase points. They changed the flight dramatically, and my friend just called United directly. They cancelled the flight and initiated a refund on their end. It took about 10 days but she got all her Chase points back the other day. She never contacted Chase at all, even though they claim you "have" to go through them. You don't. When you book a flight using Chase points, Chase uses their own line of credit to charge the ticket with the airline. When the airline issues a credit, it automatically triggers the Chase system to return your points. Chase doesn't want you to know this, but that is how it works.

Call United.

Yes, I know how the refund with Chase works. I actually did call United at one point, but I was able to get someone from Chase on the phone much faster. If I want an e-voucher, I can also do that directly on United's website.

If United denied my in-writing refund request, I don't think I'm going to have any luck arguing with whatever CSR I happen to be connected to. The flight isn't scheduled until May 29, so I can wait it out a little longer to see if it changes again and puts me in a better position for a refund.

This is a domestic flight, and even though it's no longer direct, the arrival time is only delayed by about 3 hours (1 pm vs. 10 am).

At this point, it looks like our Alaska trip is going to be cancelled, so I won't need to repurchase airfare. I REALLY don't want another $400 in e-vouchers with United on top of the $600 I already have :/
 
Since you mention CURRENT policy, is there any chance you have a copy of what the terms were when you purchased the ticket? Can they really revise on their own whim like this?
 
Since you mention CURRENT policy, is there any chance you have a copy of what the terms were when you purchased the ticket? Can they really revise on their own whim like this?

Not sure if its legal, but they sure did. When I purchased my ticket the policy was different and if they changed your flight by more than 2 hours you could get a refund if you weren't satisfied. I tried pointing to that and got no where. They made the change mid/late March to 6 hours and made it retroactive. The cancelled/rebooked my flight so one the same day with an added layover and it made my flight pattern 5 hours longer. No refund despite calling 4 times.
 
Since you mention CURRENT policy, is there any chance you have a copy of what the terms were when you purchased the ticket? Can they really revise on their own whim like this?

Who knows what the policy was when I bought the ticket back in Jan/Feb. I can't even find where the current 6-hour policy is on their website NOW. All the website says now about refunds is the following:

"Depending on the severity of the schedule disruption, you may also be eligible for a refund. Fill out the refund form and we’ll contact you shortly to let you know whether your ticket qualifies for a refund."

The "six-hour rule" mentioned in my previous post was in the email I was sent denying my refund request.

United has changed their policy about six times since Mid-March. At one point, the policy was, you weren't entitled to a refund unless your flight changed by MORE than 25 HOURS, and even then, you had to wait a YEAR to request a refund.

It's ridiculous, but United knows exactly what they are doing, and they can get away with it (for now) because they have the upper hand.

Here is an interesting article explaining how United is interpreting the DOT rules:

https://viewfromthewing.com/united-is-still-flouting-dot-refund-rules-for-cancelled-flights/
An excerpt from the article:

"United is effectively saying that they will not provide refunds for cancelled flights, only for significant delays, because cancelled flights do not exist. They are treating DOT rules – which specifically provide for two separate reasons for a refund – as though they only provide for one.

If an airline used to fly 8 times a day between two cities, and now flies just 3 times a day, that airline has cancelled 5 flights even though the airline can still accommodate the customer. United disagrees, but that is absurd on its face."

This is effectively what happened to me. United is NOT flying from IAH to Seattle right now. All of those flights have been cancelled. But because they can accommodate me on an IAH-SFO-SEA itinerary, and the arrival time is only three hours later, they are saying I'm not entitled to a refund.
 
Last edited:
Who knows what the policy was when I bought the ticket back in Jan/Feb. I can't even find where the current 6-hour policy is on their website NOW. All the website says now about refunds is the following:

"Depending on the severity of the schedule disruption, you may also be eligible for a refund. Fill out the refund form and we’ll contact you shortly to let you know whether your ticket qualifies for a refund."

The "six-hour rule" mentioned in my previous post was in the email I was sent denying my refund request.

United has changed their policy about six times since Mid-March. At one point, the policy was, you weren't entitled to a refund unless your flight changed by MORE than 25 HOURS, and even then, you had to wait a YEAR to request a refund.

It's ridiculous, but United knows exactly what they are doing, and they can get away with it (for now) because they have the upper hand.


Here is an interesting article explaining how United is interpreting the DOT rules:

https://viewfromthewing.com/united-is-still-flouting-dot-refund-rules-for-cancelled-flights/
An excerpt from the article:

"United is effectively saying that they will not provide refunds for cancelled flights, only for significant delays, because cancelled flights do not exist. They are treating DOT rules – which specifically provide for two separate reasons for a refund – as though they only provide for one.

If an airline used to fly 8 times a day between two cities, and now flies just 3 times a day, that airline has cancelled 5 flights even though the airline can still accommodate the customer. United disagrees, but that is absurd on its face."

This is effectively what happened to me. United is NOT flying from IAH to Seattle right now. All of those flights have been cancelled. But because they can accommodate me on an IAH-SFO-SEA itinerary, and the arrival time is only three hours later, they are saying I'm not entitled to a refund.


This EXACTLY! United knows what they are doing to skirt the rules and adjust their policy to hold the customer funds and only offer vouchers.

I had the same experience as you. I also was on a non stop flight that was "cancelled" and rebooked on a flight with a stop over and got me to my destination 2 hours later. I was also now leaving 3 hours earlier. They gave me the same reasoning even though I said I was not satisfied with the replacement. No refund, only a voucher.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!






Top