How to Cancel a United Airlines Flight [Points or Cash]

The process of canceling a flight can be both expensive and complicated, but sometimes it is unavoidable.

If you’ve booked a flight with United Airlines and need to cancel, you’re in the right place! Here’s all the information you need to navigate their cancellation policy and determine what policies apply to your situation.

All customers have 24 hours from the time of their original booking to cancel their reservation without being charged a cancellation fee, regardless of the fare selected, as long as the ticket was purchased a week or more before departure.

United Airlines will not allow you to cancel a basic economy ticket unless it is within 24 hours from the time it was purchased, and was purchased a week or more before departure.

If it has been more than 24 hours since you booked your ticket, you can still cancel your ticket and get a full refund, but it will come in the form of a flight credit toward future travel with United

If you’ve purchased a refundable ticket, cancellations can be made anytime before the departure of your flight and the refund will be issued to your original credit card within 7 days (it should appear on your statement in 1-2 billing cycles).

United no longer charges a fee to cancel your award ticket and have your miles redeposited.

However, if you no-show for your flight you will need to pay $125 to have your miles redeposited, regardless of your status level.

Hot Tip: Looking for even more information about canceling award tickets? Explore our guide on canceling award tickets, including information on over 30 carriers, to learn more.

As with cancellations, all customers will have 24 hours from the time of their original booking to change their reservation without being charged a fee, as long as the ticket was purchased a week or more before departure. This does not apply to Basic Economy tickets.

International flights that don’t originate in the U.S. can be changed, but change fees will apply.

United Airlines will not allow you to make any changes to a basic economy ticket, even during the initial 24-hour window. If you’re still within the 24-hour window, your best option would be to cancel your ticket and book a new one.

United does not charge any fees for flight changes; you will just be responsible for any difference in fare.

For same-day changes, United charges up to $75, depending on destination and fare class. Premier status members have the fee waived.

United does not charge any fees for flight changes. If you’re changing to a more expensive option, you will need to pay the difference in price. If you’re changing to a cheaper flight, the difference in fare will be refunded to your original method of payment.

United has dropped all change fees on award flights. So customers can now switch to any award flight without needing to pay any extra fees.

Step 1: Log into your account on United’s homepage and select “My Trips.”

Step 2: Once you’ve selected the trip you want to cancel, select “Cancel Booking.”

Step 3: The next screen will ask you to confirm that you want to cancel your booking. After you click “confirm,” your booking will officially be canceled, and you’ll receive an eCredit for any remaining funds after any potential cancellation fees.

If you’re using an eCredit that you received from a flight you changed or canceled, click the drop-down box under “United payment types,” then simply enter the PIN code, your last name, and the year you received the eCredit during checkout.

If you’re worried that you may need to cancel your flight and want to make certain you can get a refund, a refundable ticket will certainly be your best option.

Having to deal with canceling a flight can be difficult enough as it is, so consider adding a rewards card that provides compensation. Be certain to review fare rules closely so that you know what your options are both at the time of booking and if you end up needing to cancel.