Flight Cost to USA with United Airlines Significantly Dropped in Price - What Are My Options?

bahgain on 07/06/2018 - 17:46
Last edited 08/06/2018 - 09:08 by 1 other user

Hi guys,

I am a bit upset today to find flights I booked last month to the US in December/January have significantly dropped in price ($800 per ticket).

I booked the flights through United and unfortunately they are non-refundable tickets and therefore If I place a cancellation order there is a US$250 charge with 'United credit' provided for up to a year (no cash difference refund).

I booked the flights direct with my ANZ Platinum card. Do I have any options to at least get some of the difference back?

• 

  PissLUR on 07/06/2018 - 17:48

  +10

  nothing you can do. just sit at the corner and cry.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 07/06/2018 - 17:55

  WOW!

  How much did you pay and how much are they now?
  Where are you going from and to?

  $800 is a huge gap

  • 

    bahgain on 07/06/2018 - 18:14

    I paid approx. $2300 (everyone was saying this was a great price at the time).

    Cost is now approx. $1500

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 07/06/2018 - 18:26

      +1

      From where to where?
      Economy, Business?

    • 

      altomic on 07/06/2018 - 20:16

      +3

      you should have asked here if it was a great price.

    • 

      wantitforless on 08/06/2018 - 10:14

      united had some $1000 fares return from Australia to USA departing 2nd half of December yesterday. Turns out they were an error. Some people got them, but same fares today are over twice the cost. Maybe this is what you saw ?

• 

  JimmyF on 07/06/2018 - 18:15

  -6

  What are my options?

  Don't book non-refundable tickets next time….

• 

  onetwothreefour on 07/06/2018 - 18:26

  +18

  Your option is to stop looking at the cost of something you have already paid for.

  • 

    bahgain on 07/06/2018 - 18:39

    Agree but can’t help it…. surely a lot of people do this. Not just with flights.

    • 

      knobbs on 08/06/2018 - 08:50

      Being a bargainer I am always checking back on the prices I paid for something. I feel your pain. Flights are some of the worst though.

• 

  smuggler on 07/06/2018 - 18:36

  -3

  oh boo hoo.

  You sound like you never fly. Never look at prices of flights you have already booked.

• 

  retiredfeline on 07/06/2018 - 18:43

  Post to OzB in chagrin. Oh wait…

• 

  [Deactivated] on 07/06/2018 - 18:54

  +3

  Would you be complaining if the prices went up? Unfortunately, it's a gamble and you lost this time.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 07/06/2018 - 20:16

  +4

  United are notorious for overbooking flights, so if you waited for lower prices on fixed dates, you might well miss out.

  • 

    bahgain on 07/06/2018 - 20:57

    Thanks! Didn't think of this.

• 

  MathNerd on 07/06/2018 - 21:31

  Looks like you missed the bahgain.

  Username doesn't check out.

• 

  RockyRaccoon on 08/06/2018 - 10:25

  I booked the flights through United and unfortunately they are non-refundable tickets and therefore If I place a cancellation order there is a US$250 charge with 'United credit' provided for up to a year (no cash difference refund).

  The price is $800 cheaper. (presume thats AUD)

  You lose $US250 per ticket to cancel. which gives you a credit to use later

  What about this.

  Book 1 ticket at new fare. Cancel old ticket - Saved $800 - $US250 so ahead about $500
  Book ticket 2 at new fare Cancel old ticket - saved $800 - $US$250 ahead another $500 - Plus you use the $USD250 from ticket 1 (assuming this is instantly available which it may not be - in that case you lose $USD 500 total)

  Net you are $1600 ahead minus the $USD250 unused credit from Ticket 2 (at this time) So you recover about $1250 - depending on exchange rates etc. and about $800 if you cant use the credit for ticket 1 cancel right away)

  Yep you are still down, but a lot less than just lying down and accepting without getting creative.

  Or is there something you havent told us, about cancellation costs

• 

  nxllson on 08/06/2018 - 11:29

  +2

  Conclusion:

  Deal from yesterday (United's $1200~ deal to US NYC/LAX) was a price error.
  Those same flights are now back to $2200. OP, you can relax.

  • 

    bahgain on 08/06/2018 - 15:55

    Thank you!! Feel about 54x better….. the Bahgain in me lives on.