I have written a few blogs on how some airlines like KLM, Qatar Airways, Air Canada etc are waiving change fees and allowing rebookings and refunds. However, United has introduced a sneaky policy wherby it wants to hold on your money as an “interest free loan” for a year before giving you a refund.
They will only allow you to retain a travel credit for 12 months and if at the end of that period, you choose not to use the credit, only at that point in time you will get a cash refund.
Here is an excerpt from their site:
International rebooking: Our goal remains to automatically re-book as many customers as possible within six hours of their originally scheduled flight. For any customer whose international travel is disrupted by more than six hours because of schedule changes resulting from government restrictions, they will retain a travel credit equal to the value of their ticket. That credit can be used towards any flight, to any destination, for 12 months from the time of purchase. If the customer chooses not to use the credit, they will receive a cash refund at the end of that 12 month period. Importantly, this new way of helping customers manage through changing flight schedules also applies to residents from other countries who effectively can no longer travel to the U.S. because they would face a 14-day quarantine upon arrival as well as customers impacted more broadly by government-mandated travel restrictions or quarantines.
#NotImpressed.
If you are not travelling, demand a refund. You can refer to Dr. Gabor Lukacs, founder and coordinator of Air Passenger Rights, who provides tips on how to make the airline refund your airfare for the flights you cannot take because of COVID-19. Check out the video here.
Written by Dominic Fernandes aka CanadaPointsGuy.