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NFT: Cancelling a Flight

TyreeHelmet : 3/7/2018 4:25 pm
I had a weekend trip planned- Friday AM to Sunday that I need to cancel. The friend I was visiting had a death in the family and needs to leave town. Unfortunately I booked 2 separate one way tickets and United wants to charge me a 200 dollar change fee each way. Questions-

Any tips to getting this change fee waived? Its crazy how other airlines happily do it but United is the worst.

Is there any benefit to cancelling before the flights? Could this weather somehow benefit my situation? The flight on friday is 6am and I am sure the seat could be filled with all the cancellations today and tomorrow.

Thunderstorms are expected on sunday and I'm holding out hope my flight is delayed or cancelled. Should I wait or do I need to cancel beforehand?

Thanks in advance for the help. United airlines sucks.
Other airlines happily waive cancellation fees?  
Jim in Fairfax : 3/7/2018 5:01 pm : link
News to me. Unless they did something wrong or you’ve got a covered circumstance, I’ve never known an airline to waive a cancellation fee.
Good luck if you ever need to cancel a Spirit Airlines flight  
FranknWeezer : 3/7/2018 5:05 pm : link
They are the world's worst. Unless you cancel w/in 24 hours of booking, they hit you with about 75% of what you paid in fees/penalties, and the rest you only get back in credit on another Spirit flight that has to be used in 60 days or it expires. Guess you get what you pay for.
I've gotten..  
FatMan in Charlotte : 3/7/2018 5:07 pm : link
cancellation fees waived only one time in my life. It is the risk people take when they buy non-refundable tickets. The risk is usually small, but when it happens, you have to pay

ha  
giantfan2000 : 3/7/2018 5:10 pm : link
no airlines waive cancel fees

the only hope you have is if United changes the time of the flight


if they do - they have essentially broken the contract and you can ask for refund
they say

United says minimum 2 hours difference but if you call and complain they probably would give you a refund

United Schedule Changes - ( New Window )
don't just no-show  
pjcas18 : 3/7/2018 5:15 pm : link
then I believe you lose any residual value (even if it would have gone into a ticket bank/fund for you to use toward future purchases with that airline).

but you could wait it out and cancel at the last possible second, if you do in fact need to cancel, this way if there is an early weather cancellation before you cancel it yourself you may be eligible for a full refund, even if it's a non-refundable ticket.
Clarification  
TyreeHelmet : 3/7/2018 5:19 pm : link
I am referring to change fees not cancellation fees. I’m not looking for a refund, just a credit without being hit with 200 bucks each way.

I was in similar situations with Jet Blue and Virgin and they both waived the change fee.
RE: Clarification  
pjcas18 : 3/7/2018 5:22 pm : link
In comment 13853899 TyreeHelmet said:
Quote:
I am referring to change fees not cancellation fees. I’m not looking for a refund, just a credit without being hit with 200 bucks each way.

I was in similar situations with Jet Blue and Virgin and they both waived the change fee.


I'll clarify my post,

I'm saying if they cancel your flight then you may be better off taking the full refund, and re-booking then you would be with changing (if you can't get them to waive the change fee).

otherwise wait to the last possible to second to change your flight, so you know it wasn't canceled.

Know what I mean?

Ive only been successful with getting change fees waived on airlines where I had some type of elite status.
RE: Clarification  
MetsAreBack : 3/7/2018 7:19 pm : link
In comment 13853899 TyreeHelmet said:
Quote:
I am referring to change fees not cancellation fees. I’m not looking for a refund, just a credit without being hit with 200 bucks each way.

I was in similar situations with Jet Blue and Virgin and they both waived the change fee.



They dont care. Same difference whether you cancel or change to them. You're screwed. Wait it out as long as you can but i'm guessing Northeast airports will be back up and running by Friday.

The irony is yeah... lots of people stuck in the weather this week would probably love to have your seat and if you actually went to the airport and 'voluntarily bumped' yourself to another flight theyd give you a full voucher. But, you'd have to be mighty motivated to go to the airport to do this.
yeah good luck with that  
UESBLUE : 3/7/2018 10:25 pm : link
my daughter once had to spend a few days nt he hospital and they wouldnt waive my fee even with a Drs note.
If you don't show up for the flight  
JayBinQueens : 3/7/2018 10:37 pm : link
The ticket status will become 'suspended' and you won't even be able to exchange it, even with the $200 change fee.

United is pretty bad with the fee in general. Even if the ticket you're exchanging has a higher value than the ticket you're switching to, they'll make you pay the $200 and issue you a credit for the remaining value.
I can double check tomorrow  
JayBinQueens : 3/7/2018 10:39 pm : link
But I'm pretty sure the UA waiver only included travel today and tomorrow to allow free exchanges so the weather most likely won't help
Wait  
OnTap : 3/8/2018 8:20 am : link
so you buy 2 one-way non-refundable tickets...where the change policy is clearly stated. Then need to make a change and now want to bitch about the cost associated with making a change even though you full well should have known the consequences of making the change? Holy hell what an entitled society we've become.



RE: Wait  
EricJ : 3/8/2018 8:42 am : link
In comment 13854556 OnTap said:
Quote:
so you buy 2 one-way non-refundable tickets...where the change policy is clearly stated. Then need to make a change and now want to bitch about the cost associated with making a change even though you full well should have known the consequences of making the change? Holy hell what an entitled society we've become.




^^ Exactly!
Your screwed  
AnnapolisMike : 3/8/2018 8:50 am : link
Explain to your friend the situation and ask if you can stay at their place while they are out of town. Go and see the area.

Did you get the cheap insurance?  
BigBlue4You09 : 3/8/2018 8:54 am : link
If so you're fine. If not, stop complaning
U r better off  
spike : 3/8/2018 9:19 am : link
Going
RE: Wait  
TyreeHelmet : 3/8/2018 9:26 am : link
In comment 13854556 OnTap said:
Quote:
so you buy 2 one-way non-refundable tickets...where the change policy is clearly stated. Then need to make a change and now want to bitch about the cost associated with making a change even though you full well should have known the consequences of making the change? Holy hell what an entitled society we've become.




Are you serious? I'm not bitching I'm asking for advice. It's 2 one way tickets with the same airline. The change fee both ways is equal or more then the cost of the ticket I paid. I'm not cancelling because I don't feel like going. The person I am visiting had his dad die unexpectedly and has to go bury him overseas.

I'm fine with paying a fee. But paying more in the change fees then the cost of the tickets is a ridiculous practice. Again I've been in similar situations with Jetblue, Virgin and Delta and they have waived the change fee. Also a similar situation with United who reduced the change fee to 75 bucks in a travel certificate.

Entitled society? How about a society where monopolies are constantly ripping off their customers because they can get away with it? And this is an airline I fly 1/2 times a month for the last 10 years. I understand companies need to make money and don't want people abusing the them, but if someone dies suddenly then exceptions should be made.
Maybe you can  
pjcas18 : 3/8/2018 9:31 am : link
get a picture of yourself near the coffin and get a bereavement waiver

RE: Did you get the cheap insurance?  
TyreeHelmet : 3/8/2018 9:31 am : link
In comment 13854594 BigBlue4You09 said:
Quote:
If so you're fine. If not, stop complaning


Complaining? I'm asking for advice. Sorry to inconvenience and force you to read and reply to a thread.

And yes I bought the insurance and I'm not covered because it's not my family member that died. I explained it was my travel companion ( I was meeting him in Miami to go to the Keys) but because he's not flying with me I am not covered.
The advice has been that your SOL  
AnnapolisMike : 3/8/2018 9:43 am : link
Shit happens and you had a non refundable ticket. Your upset because you got screwed by your friends death in the family. The airline is not screwing you if you purchased a non refundable ticket when a changable/refundable option was available.

RE: RE: Wait  
DC Gmen Fan : 3/8/2018 12:07 pm : link
In comment 13854630 TyreeHelmet said:
Quote:
In comment 13854556 OnTap said:


Quote:


so you buy 2 one-way non-refundable tickets...where the change policy is clearly stated. Then need to make a change and now want to bitch about the cost associated with making a change even though you full well should have known the consequences of making the change? Holy hell what an entitled society we've become.






Are you serious? I'm not bitching I'm asking for advice. It's 2 one way tickets with the same airline. The change fee both ways is equal or more then the cost of the ticket I paid. I'm not cancelling because I don't feel like going. The person I am visiting had his dad die unexpectedly and has to go bury him overseas.

I'm fine with paying a fee. But paying more in the change fees then the cost of the tickets is a ridiculous practice. Again I've been in similar situations with Jetblue, Virgin and Delta and they have waived the change fee. Also a similar situation with United who reduced the change fee to 75 bucks in a travel certificate.

Entitled society? How about a society where monopolies are constantly ripping off their customers because they can get away with it? And this is an airline I fly 1/2 times a month for the last 10 years. I understand companies need to make money and don't want people abusing the them, but if someone dies suddenly then exceptions should be made.



I feel your frustration, but why should an airline waive a fee for your friend's dad? I could see them doing it for an immediate family member but for a friend's dad? No way. Your best bet is to see if there's a travel advisory put out due to weather.

People don't realize what a bargain flying is. It's one of the few services where ticket prices have remained steady or even decreased over the years despite the increasing complexity of the system. No one blinks an eye to spend $150 taking the family to see a stupid movie and get snacks and stuff yet people (not you) complain about paying $400 to fly coast to coast at nearly the speed of sound in all weather in just a few hours and have a 99.9999999% chance of getting there safely.
Keep in mind  
DC Gmen Fan : 3/8/2018 12:09 pm : link
airlines are making money now, but in a down economy, it's the hardest hit industry. Go look at the monumental $$ losses of the 2000s and you'll understand why airlines try and squeeze every penny they can.
RE: Maybe you can  
Mad Mike : 3/8/2018 12:12 pm : link
In comment 13854638 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
get a picture of yourself near the coffin and get a bereavement waiver

Be careful how you dip your chips though.
once again  
giantfan2000 : 3/8/2018 5:14 pm : link
something similar happen to me in december

bought a ticket to LA and found out I needed to change to go two days earlier
JetBlue was going to charge me as much as ticket to change departure leg of the flight ..

but a few days before the flight - Jetblue changed the departure time by 20 minutes
I called and complained that JetBlue changed the flight time and JetBlue let me cancel departure flight and gave me credit for the cost of that leg of flight

I booked 1 way ticket on another plane and saved 75 bucks ..

RE: RE: RE: Wait  
MetsAreBack : 3/8/2018 6:07 pm : link
In comment 13854976 DC Gmen Fan said:
Quote:


People don't realize what a bargain flying is. It's one of the few services where ticket prices have remained steady or even decreased over the years despite the increasing complexity of the system. No one blinks an eye to spend $150 taking the family to see a stupid movie and get snacks and stuff yet people (not you) complain about paying $400 to fly coast to coast at nearly the speed of sound in all weather in just a few hours and have a 99.9999999% chance of getting there safely.



I see this one on BBI a lot and I dont get it. What the fuck does evolution and innovation have to do with anything? I guess we should be happy our cable bills are only $150 a month - because hey, who would have thought 100 years ago we'd be able to watch a sports event on a 50 inch high-def TV!!

These are publicly owned, for-profit businesses charging you for their service. They make money. If they could get away with it - they'd charge more money, but too many 'discount' airlines out there figured out there's a big enough pie out there for them to grab some too. Competition is fierce. The TSA gets their large, bloated bureaucratic cut too.
Just one piece of advice  
pjcas18 : 3/8/2018 6:18 pm : link
if the change fee is more than the ticket price, don't bother and change it.

just no-show.

they may give away your seat to a stand-by passenger if you no-show, but if you cancel/change they can re-sell the seat plus your change fee.

Also this gives you the most time in the event they do cancel or delay your flight in which case you may have some wiggle room for a refund.

I went to Logan last month and found JetBlue had a strike and my flight was canceled. I got a full refund. It was a business trip so I was less concerned, but still better off than not getting one.

and if my change fee is more than the cost of a ticket, I'm not changing my flight. I'd just book a new ticket.
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