The Reservation Servicing Fee ($25) applies to voluntary changes made to tickets purchased through external ticketing sources (travel agencies, online travel agencies, other airlines, etc.).
Once paid, the Reservation Servicing Fee grants the customer lifetime reservation servicing. Customers always have the option of contacting their original ticketing agency for changes. If you choose to make a change with a United Reservations or customer service agent instead, the Reservation Servicing Fee will apply.
The fee will apply to:
Voluntary changes processed by United Reservations or Customer Service Representatives at airport locations for tickets originally purchased through travel agencies or online travel agencies
Domestic (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) itineraries or international itineraries purchased and originating in the United States
The fee will NOT apply to:
Tickets issued by United via united.com, Airport Ticketing Offices or United Reservations
1K and Global Services members or anyone traveling on the same reservation with a 1K or Global Services member
Tickets issued by Star Alliance partners
Involuntary itinerary changes (e.g., schedule changes or flight cancellations)
Customers ticketed using government or military fares
Customers completing a United Mileage Plus upgrade
Fully refundable fares booked in F/C/Y/B booking classes
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What is the Reservation Servicing Fee?
The Reservation Servicing Fee applies to customers making voluntary itinerary changes to a reservation that was originally ticketed by a company or agency other than United Airlines.The Fee will be charged when changes are made by United Reservations or by a United Customer Service Representative.
Why is United charging this fee?
This charge applies to reservations that were originally sold by third parties and is reflective of the handling required in changing an externally created reservation. Fees of this type are commonly charged by most agencies when changes are made after ticketing.
Does the fee apply to Visit USA (or VUSA) transactions?
No. VUSA fares relate to international point-of-origin customers and are therefore exempt from this fee.
Does the fee apply to Same-Day Confirmed Flight Change transactions?
No. Same Day Confirmed Flight Change transactions must be handled by United Reservations, at airport self-service EasyCheck-in machines or ticket counters, so the fee does not apply.
Does the fee apply if United revalidates the agency ticket, rather than reissuing it?
Yes. The fee will apply to tickets that are either reissued or revalidated.
Does the fee apply to tickets purchased on united.com or flyted.com?
No. The fee does not apply to tickets purchased directly from United via united.com, flyted.com, United Reservations or United Customer Service Representatives.
If United changes the itinerary, will the fee apply?
No. The fee applies to voluntary changes and will not be applied when United has a schedule change or flight cancellation.
Does this fee replace the ticket change fee?
No. Customers who wish to change and confirm their itinerary must follow the applicable fare rules and pay any associated change fees and add collects, in addition to the Reservation Servicing Fee.
If the travel agency is closed, will United waive the fee?
No. The fee is based on the type of transaction involved and is independent of the agency hours of operation. Customers may choose to wait to speak with their travel agent.
Are there any fees associated with tickets initially issued by United Reservations and Airport Ticketing Offices?
Tickets purchased through United Reservations or at airport ticket counters are assessed reservation fees at the time of purchase. These fees cover the service associated with the reservation for the life of the ticket; therefore, the additional Reservation Servicing Fee does not apply for changes to those tickets.
Once United reissues the ticket, will the fee apply to any subsequent reissues?
No, the Reservation Servicing Fee only applies to the first change and is valid for the lifetime of the reservation.
Refundable tickets
A refundable ticket for domestic or international travel can be changed or refunded without penalty within one year of the original date of issuance.
Online refund requests
Refund requests are available online if you are a registered Mileage Plus member and if your ticket:
is refundable;
was purchased with a credit card using either U.S. or Canadian currency;
is for travel within the U.S. and/or Canada; and
is numbered with 016 followed by ten (10) additional digits.
If all of these criteria are met, you may log in and complete an online E-Ticket refund request. If any of the above criteria are not met, please submit a refund request form online for processing by a United representative.
Refund status
If your ticket was purchased with a credit card and qualifies for a refund, your refund will be processed within 7 business days of the receipt of your request. You will receive a confirmation once your refund has been processed. For tickets purchased by cash or check, your refund will be processed within 20 business days.
To check the status of your refund, you may call our automated refund status system at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To access the automated system, select "refunds" from the "more options" menu, and then press "3" to check your status. Please have your 13-digit ticket number (beginning with 016) ready when calling.
Nonrefundable tickets
If you have a wholly unused, nonrefundable ticket for domestic or international travel and will not be able to travel as scheduled, the value of the ticket (less any applicable change fees) may be applied to the purchase of another ticket at current qualifying fare levels, provided that:
You contact United Reservations before the original scheduled flight to give notice that you wish to cancel your itinerary; and
The value of the ticket is used within one year from the original date of issuance.
To request a refund for your nonrefundable ticket, please submit a refund request form online for processing by a United representative.
Ticket receipts
If you are a Mileage Plus® member with a united.com profile, you can view and print copies of your E-Ticket® receipts from the past six months through My Reservations, provided that your Mileage Plus number is associated with the reservation.
Receipts or duplicate records can also be requested in any of the following ways:
Send an email to refunds@united.com
The following information is required in order for your request to be processed:
United Airlines Refund Department – WHQAK
P.O. Box 66282
Chicago, IL 60666
If you purchased your ticket through a travel agency, you may request a copy of your receipt by contacting the agency directly.
Changes to form of payment
Form-of-payment changes are permitted within six months of the date of issue for a processing fee of $35 (USD) per ticket. Travel must already have been completed in order to process a change to the form of payment.
Changes to your form of payment can be requested in any of the following ways:
Fax a request to 1-847-264-3371, along with your ticket number(s), your credit card account number and expiration date, your name as it appears on the credit card, your billing address, and a signature authorizing the charge to the credit card.
Send a written request to the following address, along with your ticket number(s) and a check for $35 per ticket made payable to United Airlines.
United Airlines Refund Department – WHQAK
P.O. Box 66282
Chicago, IL 60666
Be sure to include the relevant ticket number(s) in any correspondence to the Refunds department.
Lost paper tickets
If you lost your paper ticket and purchased a replacement ticket, you may be eligible for a refund on the cost of your replacement ticket if the itineraries match on both tickets. To request a refund, you may download, print and complete the Lost Ticket Refund Application. (Adobe Reader is required to view and print the application.) Please send your completed application to:
United Airlines Refund Department – WHQAK
P.O. Box 66282
Chicago, IL 60666
Compassion fares
United offers discounted fares, called compassion fares, to customers purchasing tickets for last-minute travel for the purposes of obtaining medical treatment, attending to a seriously ill or injured family member, or attending the funeral of a family member. These fares provide a 10% discount off any other published fare for tickets purchased within six days of travel.
If you purchased a regularly priced ticket when you would have been eligible for a compassion fare, then you can request a compassion fare refund by submitting an online refund request. When submitting your request, you will need to include the following information in the “Additional comments” field:
Name of family member who was the reason for travel
Family member’s relationship to you
Name, address and telephone number of hospital, hospice or funeral home
Name of attending physician (if applicable)
Your refund, if approved, will be applied to the original form of payment for the ticket. If you purchased your ticket using a credit or debit card, please allow seven days after submitting for your refund request to be processed. If you purchased your ticket using cash or check, please allow twenty days for processing and mailing of your refund check.
Medical, personal and travel emergencies
In certain scenarios where travel plans are impacted by a situation outside a customer’s control, United will refund any change or cancellation fees associated with the customer’s reservation changes. To find out if you are eligible for or how to request this type of refund, please view United’s policy on medical, personal and travel emergencies.
