All you need to know about United Airlines Cancellation Policy

by Joseph M. Can I Cancel My Delta Flight?

It is always stressful for a passenger to cancel a flight. Flight cancellation reasons vary from person to person. However travelers face chaotic hassles during cancellation. However, it is not the case with United Airlines Cancellation Policy.

The United 24-hour cancellation policy is flexible and helps passengers cancel their flights without hassle. Let’s understand how this airline's cancellation policy helps you while canceling flights.

What is United's Cancellation Policy?

The United Airlines cancellation policy offers its flyers a 24-hour risk-free window, under which passengers can cancel their bookings for free and be eligible for a complete refund, regardless of fare type. However, if you cancel your flight after 24 hours, you have to pay a certain amount as a United Airlines cancel flight fee.

United Airlines Flight Cancellation Policy Highlights

As per United Cancellation Policy, a traveler can request flight cancellation 3 hours before the scheduled departure for international flights. Similarly, domestic flights can be canceled before 2 hours.

You should know about the following other rules of United Airlines' Cancellation Policy.

Some fees apply to United cancellation requests. The amount may vary depending on the trip type, fare rules associated with the reservation, and cabin class.

As per the United Airlines 24-hour cancellation policy, economy flight reservations are non-refundable and non-changeable after 24 hours of purchase.
If a passenger is marked a no-show for a flight, the value of the reservation may be forfeited.
If United Airlines cancels the flight, the traveler would not have to pay cancellation fees. Besides, if you deny taking the alternative flight, you will get a refund for the unused portion of the ticket.
In the event of the death of a traveler, immediate family member, or traveling companion, United will waive the cancellation fee. In that case, you will get a refund for the unflew segment.

How to get a refund from United

If you’d rather get a refund than be accommodated, contact United directly. As we mentioned above, if your flight has been canceled, you’re entitled to a full refund. This is true whether the cancellation was due to weather, mechanical delays or schedule changes.

In United’s case, you can choose to contact customer service by calling the airline at 800-864-8331. Be sure to tell the representative that you’re not looking for a new flight; you’d simply like to receive your refund due to your original flight being canceled.

Otherwise, you can visit United’s refund request page. You’ll need to input your information, including your flight details and the reason you’re requesting a refund. Once you’ve submitted the paperwork, United will take up to 14 business days to process your claim.

After it’s approved, you can expect a refund credited to a credit card within seven business days. Other methods of payment can incur 20 day waits.

3. Cancel Flight United by Visiting Airport

Cancelling a flight by visiting the airport is an offline method. In this, you can go to the departure airport and request flight cancellation up to 3 hours before the departure time. If you have checked in for the airlines, you must cancel the check-in first to claim the refund on your booking. It is one of the most feasible methods to cancel United flight tickets offline.

In some cases, it is not necessary to cancel your United flight when you have the option to change or rebook. In accordance with United Airlines flight change policy, you are free to reschedule your flight. You will not be charged for this service. However, you will need to pay a fare difference in case your new flight costs more than your original United reservation.

If you are confused about the cancellation process and don’t know how to do it, we are here to help.

United Airlines Flight Cancellation Rules by Ticket Type

In order to experience the flexibility of United Airlines' 24-hour cancellation and avoid cancellation charges, passengers have 24 hours from the time of their initial booking to revoke as long as the ticket was bought at least a week before their scheduled departure.

The terms and limitations of United Airlines cancellation differ depending on your fare category. Take a look at the information listed below to understand more.

United Flight Cancellation Policy for Basic Economy Ticket

United Airlines doesn’t permit its passengers to cancel their basic economy tickets unless they cancel them within 24 hours of purchasing the ticket. Moreover, the ticket must have been purchased at least a week prior to departure.
In case you decide to cancel your ticket, you are eligible to get a complete refund for your unused Basic Economy ticket within 24 hours of purchase. This rule is applicable to all United-operated domestic as well as international.

United Airlines Cancellation Policy for Non-Refundable Ticket

When you cancel your United Airlines with a non-refundable ticket, you’ll not be eligible for a refund. Moreover, in the event that you revoke your itinerary after 24 hours of purchasing the ticket, you will be liable for paying a flight cancellation fee of USD 200 on a domestic flight as per United Airlines 24 24-hour cancellation rules. For international flight cancellations, the charges can reach up to USD 400. Basically, it depends on your travel class.

United Airlines Flight Cancellation Policy For A Refundable Ticket

As per the United Airlines 24-hour cancellation processes, United refundable ticket passengers can cancel their flight anytime before departure and request a refund. Your reimbursement will be processed to the initial mode of payment. As per the United Airlines cancel flight rules, If a credit card was used to make the reservation payment, the refund will normally be granted within seven business days. However, other methods of payment may take up to 20 business days.

United Airlines Cancellation Policy For Award Ticket

United 24-hour cancellation fee completely depends on your award ticket membership status. For a No-show United cancellation, the fee would be USD 125, regardless of your membership status. However, if you revoke your flight 61 days or prior to the departure date, the fees of United Airlines cancel the flight would be USD 75 for general members, USD 50 for silver members, USD 25 for gold members, and 0 charges for platinum and 1K members.

United Airlines Policy on Cancelled Flights

A flight is not only called off by the passenger but also by the airline. Although United Airlines works hard to take care of its customers and bring them to their destinations, it sometimes fails. Usually, it happens due to unpredicted circumstances. In that case, United Airlines does its best to assist travelers in the best possible way.

Here are some types of canceled flights under the United Airlines flight cancellation policy: United Airlines 24 Hour Cancellation Policy - As per the United Airlines 24-hour cancellation policy, You can receive a full refund with no fees if you cancel the flight ticket within 24 hours of booking. However, some banks may temporarily hold your funds on your card. In this situation, contact the bank to learn about their rules.

Following are the terms and conditions of United Airlines 24 hours cancellation policy:

The 24-hour period starts when you reserve the flight.
All refund amounts will go to your original form of payment except for United gift certificates.
United's 24 hours cancellation policy applies to all basic economy fares unless you cancel within the timeframe.
If you cancel a United flight after 24 hours, a $200 cancellation fee will apply to you.
The 24 hours will begin when your ticket number generates.
If your PNR consists of more than nine members, the 24-hour cancellation policy will not be applicable.
Tickets purchased with e-certificates are not acceptable under United Airlines 24 hour cancellation policy.
As part of this United cancellation policy, bookings held but not yet purchased are not eligible.

How to Cancel a United Airlines Reservation?

Apart from the flexible United Airlines reservation policy, a passenger also has the option of cancelling a United Airlines ticket. You can use any of these methods to cancel a United flight at your convenience. Now, let’s discuss the following ways to call off the flight ticket:

Cancel Flight United via the Website

A United Airlines ticket can be canceled online using a website. For ticket cancellation, you need to follow a few steps. You can cancel the ticket by following the below-mentioned steps:
Go to United Airlines' website.
Find the My Trips tab.
Submit the booking reference number and the passenger’s last name.
Choose the flight segment you want to cancel.
After selecting the segment, pay American Airlines cancellation fees to complete the request.
Lastly, you will get a confirmation mail on your email ID.

Cancel Flight United Via Phone Number

If you want to cancel a United flight ticket due to an unforeseen circumstance, you can contact a United Airlines executive via call. A customer service agent can assist you with this United 24 hour cancellation method. Once you connect with an executive, you can request cancellation of your ticket. Then, they will ask you to provide the ticket number or booking confirmation.

After the necessary details, they will ask you to pay the United cancellation fee and any other charges over the phone. Later, the agent will cancel your ticket and confirm it in an email.