I bought 5 tickets on 11/19 to go to my brother wedding in January, today I realized the tickets had the wrong dates, a week later than the actual wedding, I called United and they are asking $200.00 fine per ticket, does anyone here knows how to get around that?

Thanks

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UPDATE:

I guess since I'm a MileagePlus Explorer member they made an exception for the 5 tickets and I end up paying an extra $130.00 (Total)

The first customer service person I spoke to was rude and didn't want to hear that I had made a mistake, she said there wasn't anything she could do, I was polite and told her I would call back. The second time I called, the customer service rep I spoke to whose name is Frank, put me on hold for about 30 minutes after I told him I had made a mistake, when he came back on the line he said "since I was a MileagePlus Explorer" member he would make a one time exception, needless to say I was grateful to him, nice early Christmas present.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: aguilar64,

Hate to say it but you're pretty well buggered. Any chance you bought refundable tix that you can cancel and buy new ones? If not you can call res again and maybe see if you can get a sympathetic supervisor, don't expect an agent to do anything for you. Maybe plead your case on United social media and hope some pressure from the masses helps. Good luck!

There is no way. You purchased a non refundable ticket with change fees. Sucks but it is what it is.

if you fly frequently, it might be better to just cancel and buy new tickets. they will credit your account a larger percentage of the value in miles, usually.

Why does it cost so much to change the ticket? Is there $200 worth of effort involved? Is it more to discourage people from making changes to the travel plans? If so, why -- it's not like they really lose money, especially if a couple months in advance (I can understand better if it's within a week or something).

Is this just a racket? Or is there some reasonable justification?

quote:

Is this just a racket?

Yes it's been a racket for a long time

Airlines have used it as a way to increase revenue from low cost fares when people change or make mistakes.

I think Southwest has a better deal on the changes but the OP is basically screwed, he can put it out on social media however it's not the airlines fault he booked the wrong dates.

Since they all do it as it's major revenue there is not an incentive from competition to change the process.

Like Bank Fees, Overdraft fees, change fees on airlines are commonplace.

The only way out is if you can get them to move the wedding date...

Is the change fee per ticket or per reservation?

you could just try and be the squeaky wheel just keep asking for managers up the chain sooner or later you will hit somebody that doesn't want whant to deal with it and give you what you want

Are all of the tickets on one reservation number? If yes, you might call again and see if you can get lucky. Be really nice and ask if they will help you out. Might ask for a manager - maybe they will have the authority to help you out.

Keep appealing to higher authorities within the airline and hope someone feels like wearing a white hat that day.

The last time we had to make a change, the airline would not budge.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
Is the change fee per ticket or per reservation?

Usually per ticket plus any fare change. I have to change a lot of tickets for work, often times it's just easier to buy a new one or a new portion if it's the return part of the trip.

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
if you fly frequently, it might be better to just cancel and buy new tickets. they will credit your account a larger percentage of the value in miles, usually.

They will credit your account minus the $200 change fee per ticket. You normally then have one year to use those credits towards new flights.

It's ridiculous the amount charged for changing a ticket, but that's the shakes. If you explain the circumstances though, and even have proof that the wedding is a different date (which of course you do) that shows it was an honest mistake, you may--*may*--get a kind agent who is willing to help you out. It's United though, so don't hold your breath. Otherwise there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.

I also have to change my tickets quite frequently for work. It's just something that I budget in. It's always a gamble.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Why does it cost so much to change the ticket? Is there $200 worth of effort involved? Is it more to discourage people from making changes to the travel plans? If so, why -- it's not like they really lose money, especially if a couple months in advance (I can understand better if it's within a week or something).

Is this just a racket? Or is there some reasonable justification?

The simple answer is that it was a condition of your purchase. You agreed to it when you bought the ticket (read the details).

Large penalty fees for ticket changes exist for several reasons, one being to discourage frivolously buying a ticket then changing the ticket.

The airline passenger scheduling system is complex, and it's not just your flight that's involved; it's every connecting flight of every passenger on that flight, and every connection of every one of those flights, and so on. It impacts thousands and thousands of people, and hundreds of flights, possibly thousands. Every time a change is made, it has ripples across not just the sales for that flight, but every system tied into that seat. If you say you'll take a seat and pay for it, that seat goes off the market across the board and it's assumed sold. The price continues to fluctuate for the remaining seats with numerous variables; the cost of the seat may be considerably more as time gets closer to departure due to availability.

The earlier you book a flight, the lower the cost, generally; as demand increases and availability shrinks as the flight grows closer or conditions and demand change, the cost may increase (often does). What you bought at 500.00 may now be worth 1200, and so on.

If the flight is left too late, the airline may be unable to sell the seat, which alters the cost of the overall flight, but has also impacted available seats on other connecting flights; the airline may have been unable to sell a connecting flight because your seats were taken, making it impossible to book the passenger through to the destination; your accepting the purchase of those five seats also altered the ability to put connections on at least five other flights, possibly many more, and it snowballs, exponentially. When you consider how many are tied together, the picture of what your seat cost the airline, and cost the system is far more complex than you might imagine.

Add to that the increased complexity of code sharing between airlines, and the potential impact of taking back your seat has increased the problem exponentially.

Not a racket, but definitely a discouragement to taking flights and returning them on a whim. For those who may need to cancel, trip protections are available for additional cost, which are accounted for and incorporated into the system as variables. Yours apparently was not such a fare.

quote:

Originally posted by aguilar64:... does anyone here knows how to get around that?

A $50 fee would still be excessive yet wouldn't be a racket.

A $200 fee is just a racket pretending to be otherwise.

Technically, you're probably screwed. Escalate and ask, repeat as necessary.

But yes, it's a (legal) racket, fine print and all.

You can cancel within 24 hours otherwise there is a change fee per ticket. Been that way for years. The way around it is southwest. They don’t ever charge change fees, only a difference in fare if there is any.

I think you're screwed.

quote:

Originally posted by sig77:
You can cancel within 24 hours otherwise there is a change fee per ticket. Been that way for years. The way around it is southwest. They don’t ever charge change fees, only a difference in fare if there is any.

Yep, I like Southwest for their baggage policy when I go on dive trips. Those added fees for bags add up.

quote:

Is this just a racket? Or is there some reasonable justification?

It is a racket! He is lucky it only cost him $200. United screwed me for $400.

It would be a racket if the pricing structure was set up with the expectation that sales profits stemmed from ticket cancellations, which is exactly opposite the truth. The airline does not sell the ticket in the hope that you cancel. It's expected that you book with the intent of taking the trip.

When you book, the conditions of purchase are given.

It's a little like those who buy their ticket, go to the airport, and then whine that security screening represents unusual search. It's a condition of entering the secure area, just as a fee for cancellation is a condition of purchase.

I no longer fly, but am frequently astonished that people book on other airlines where their route has a Southwest flight available. Souhwest doesn’t fly to every city, or from every city, but if it is available, why endure or risk these adverse conditions, baggage charge, ticket change, etc?

We had a visitor from the midwest who came and returned on United. There were Southwest flight, with similar stops, etc.

Why risk these situations?