I discovered today, that when cancelling an award ticket on United’s web site, there is a trick.
Cancelling the booking does not automatically process a request for a refund. After you cancel the booking you have to open the reservation in the ‘Cancelled’ Tab of the Manage Reservations Page, Cancelled Options
However, about half way down, there is small, likely to be overlooked link:
Click this link to ask for your miles, and taxes back!
What about the redeposit fee?
The “Mileage and Price Details” section and the Refund/Redeposit link is always displayed on an award reservation. You can save a step if you just click that instead of “Cancel”.
Does anybody know how to avoid / minimize the $150 redeposit fee?
That is ridiculous.
I discovered on us airways that there is a $150 charge to cancel an award ticket to deposit your miles back into your account. Isn’t that nice?
Thanks for the tip. I’m wondering whether this will trigger the award redeposit fee ($150 for those of us without any status on united!). I guess if you have premier plat and up, then you might not be able to tell since you have waived redeposit fees anyway. Any additional info is helpful. I’m hesitant to cancel first and then find out the redeposit fee is charged. In that case, changing the ticket for $75 is better.
Isn’t there a redeposit fee? they told me yesterday it costs $150!!!
I canceled an award ticket online a couple weeks ago. It didn’t do the exact step as you described but have received refund.
Also, you can cancel an award ticket by phone, which is fast and easy.
@RyanfromMA – depends on status
@Diana – it may be this that triggers the collection, but as a 1K I am pleasantly exempt
Well, its not a trick if you still have to pay. Its a web site option to do it online. Not exactly an OMG moment.