United Airlines money back refunds

There are numerous threads on this topic.
If You cancelled- voucher.
If the the airline cancelled the flight you can take a voucher or get a refund (generally lots of phone time involved).

Thanks, read the forum posts and read the airline website. Interested in people's personal recent experiences with United Airlines specifically regarding refund over voucher.

Understood- I could be wrong, but I believe there are posts from numerous members who received back points (award travel) and cash. I have neighbors who received both last week (credit card credit posted fairly quickly). The biggest issue is the dreaded phone call, you can get it but you have to push for the refund.

Thanks. I should have been more specific in my question to hopefully receive responses from people with personal experience.

Ray - We were scheduled for RS Village of So England tour May 25. We purchased our flights in November with award points, and $$$ on our United Plus card (taxes and 2 segments of extra leg room premium plus on the long haul flights). After our tour was cancelled, I called United April 3. Yes... the dreaded call to cancel. I never can seem or trust doing on the computer. We booked separately because we had our own points enough for a flight (did not have enough on one account, so had to do each separately).
I got a very nice man who returned all our point to each of our accounts and refund the taxes and extra leg room. My husband got the credit refund (all three, Taxes, two extra leg room flights) by the next day Saturday. I only got my taxes back. So I waited a week because he did say it would be 7-10 days. I called this am and again got a very nice woman and she saw the problem that it was sent over to the right department. So hopefully, it will hit my credit card in a few days. If not, I will be back on the phone.

Because we purchased flights via awards miles and paid taxes and leg room, not sure if that is why they were so helpful. We cancelled our flights but United probably would of cancelled into London, Maybe? So we had a good experience.

I now people have issues with United a lot, but we have been mileage plus customers for over 5 years and I earn those points, so that is how we travel. Neve had any bad issues, except one minor hiccup last year.

Kim

That is encouraging, thanks.

I think a key point was: Did United cancel, or change your schedule such that you would arrive substantially after your original arrival time? If you cancelled after that, you are entitled to a refund. if you cancelled before that, then you get to rebook the flight at a later date, perhaps as much as 2 years. Its complicated, but those are the rules, more or less.

Now if you did cancel after United cancelled the flights, you still may have a struggle for the cash refund. I'm still waiting for a resolution. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I have a business class round trip to Delhi via EWR in June. It has not yet been cancelled, but given the situation in India, the likelihood of being able to travel there in June is basically zero. I called last week to see if I could get a refund and got thorough promptly to a live human, less than 5 minutes. Unfortunately, since the flight has not been cancelled, no refund. I was offered a voucher, but declined. I will wait until the flight is inevitably cancelled and hope that I can get my refund. I won't call again unless I hear from them that the flight is cancelled or I'm very close to my departure date. (I don't need a lecture about waiting until 72 hours before my flight. United is holding several thousand of my hard-earned dollars and I'll call when I please.)

ETA: I do not have status with UA. I've been a Delta-or-die medallion member for years (as any good Georgia girl would be) but the United routing was much preferable to Delta and cheaper too, so I compromised by booking in Polaris. If I end up not getting refunded due to United either being difficult or going belly-up, I will be kicking myself repeatedly. I haven't taken a UA flight in at least 15 years. Grrrr.

Thanks celeste. What airline?

United. See my revised post above.

Celeste. We are in same boat. Can not even remember last time we took a United flight. Thanks for sharing.

Ray, we got a refund from United. It arrived as a credit on our charge card 22 days after we requested it by phone. We then called our charge card company requesting a cash refund which they are mailing as a paper check. Good luck.

That is awesome and encouraging!

Got my United refund. They changed the flights to an unacceptable schedule, then I cancelled. Got the refund, but it did take 30 days and I had to put my foot down and point out DOT directives.

Update: I checked my United app last night and the EWR-Delhi legs of our June trip were gone. I called them this morning, waited only a minute or so and got a live agent. I told him it looked like my flight was cancelled, he clicked around a bit and said something long the lines of "yes, there's been a change." I said, "Does that mean it was cancelled?" "Yes, it was cancelled."
He initially tried to reroute me through Frankfurt but I kind of jokingly said, we can do this as long as you want but I would like a refund. He said okay, will go back to original form of payment in 7-10 days. (Was paid on 3 cards, work trip + upgrade + DH's ticket.) The whole call including the routing to agent was only 11 minutes.
I'll update when I see the refund hit my credit cards. Good luck to anyone else waiting on a cancellation.

After Rick Steves canceled my tour of Sicily on June 14 I canceled my flights booked through United on award miles. I did it online, it instantly put back the miles into my account and told me my taxes would be refunded to my credit card in 7 business days. That was on April 13 and it is now May 6, still no refund, it's been 3 weeks and 17 business days. It seems from other comments I might be getting close to seeing my money arrive back on my card. It's a very long time to wait though, especially when they said 7 business days!
I was very impressed with Air Canada, United had me routed on one of their flights for this trip, I had purchased seat upgrades and a food voucher. I emailed them and within a week they refunded all my money. To be honest I wasn't sure the seat reservation fees would be refundable in the best of times. Excellent service. Another part of my journey to Sicily was on Swiss Air, I had also purchased seat reservations, they haven't even responded, just told me my refund request was submitted....3 weeks ago. Their website also reads like they do not plan on giving any refunds.
So, I'm interested to know what experience others are having.

Yes. Happy to say that we did within the last 10 days receive a full refund from United. We waited until the 72 hour window prior to our scheduled departure on April 30 Newark to Paris. Around that time we checked our confirmation number and saw that the flight was "cancelled or not-confirmed". We called and there was really no wait time for customer service. We may have gotten lucky because the agent we spoke with seemed very confident, poised and only asked a couple questions. She asked us to hold for a couple minutes and when she came back on the line said that the refund would come through to the card that was used for the purchase. It did within 3 days. So we may have been just lucky....?

So my advice is to hang in until the 72 hour window.

Mark and Pat Erhard

Lynn3373 -
United change a flight significantly enough that I was able to force them into a refund on April 5th. I just yesterday received my refund. I was originally told 7 days, then I was told 21 days, then 21 business days. A week ago I received an email telling me they know I have been waiting and to be patient. Two days ago an email saying a credit has been issued for the full amount and to give it 7-10 days to hit the card. It took two days to reach my credit card.

Another update on my refund from United. Requested refund for cancelled flights/upgrade on May 4, used two different credit cards, one being a the Chase United Explorer card. Received the refund to that card on May 5! Received the refund to my Delta AmEx on May 12.

I have not received a refund for the insurance I purchased from United at the time of the transaction, not sure yet if I have to request that separately. Anyone have guidance?

Insurance is normally not refundable, regardless of if you fly or not for whatever reason. You will have to ask if they would be willing to refund in this case.

It is worth trying for a credit for the insurance. We were able tp get one through another company.

I was shocked today when I checked my credit card -- I received a United refund!

I had purchased tickets last December for me and a friend to go to Hawaii the middle of this April. Both in business class. I did the online cancellation receiving a flight credit to which I sent an email saying I would prefer a cash refund since the total was several thousand dollars, and Hawaii was not letting people in on the date we were to fly without the long quarantine. I had heard nothing. The flight never showed as cancelled on the United web site. But the credit showed up on my card today and the flight credit for the same amount has disappeared. Don't know which gods I should offer sacrifices to that made this happen, but I am extremely happy about this.

I do still have several other flight credits with United. I am not worrying about refunds on those because the costs were not that much being discounted domestic tickets. I am hoping I can use those funds for flights before the credits expire.

Update...finally got my taxes back from United 30 days after the ticket was cancelled and Swiss Air just refunded my seat upgrade fees, 35 days after my request.

Better late than never. My next contact will be the AIG travel insurance I bought recommended by RS...I know (Hope) that will be a voucher as it clearly states it’s non refundable after 15 days.

I’m looking forward to the day I feel confident enough it’ll be safe to travel (or do anything) and start planning another tour!