
United Change Flight Policy gives you a lot of flexibility when any passenger wants to make changes to their flight. Recently, United Airlines permanently removed change fees in all categories for paid flights within the U.S. or between Mexico, the U.S., or the Caribbean. Please note here that all other international flights and basic economy fares are excluded.
Travelers are allowed to change their flights without paying any additional cost. But passengers should remember that they need to pay the flight difference if the flight is expensive, and if the new flight fare is cheaper, they can receive the flight credit for the difference. If you have an award ticket, United Airlines does not charge any extra fees until you are traveling via international or domestic flight starting from the U.S. and not picking up a basic economy fare.
United Airlines Change Flight Policy
All United Airlines tickets (incl. Basic Economy) can be Changed for a full refund within 24 hours of purchase. No change fee will apply (incl. for award tickets) if your flight is within the U.S., or for any international flight originating in the U.S. This is applicable to all Economy (except Basic) and Premium Cabin tickets.

However, the fare difference must be paid if your new ticket is costlier
United Airlines Change Fee
If you want to change your United Flight Date or Time, you only need to pay the difference in fare. Refunds on canceled flights are given as a travel credit, which can typically be used within one year of the booking date. If you’re looking for a same-day flight change with United, it will depend on the original ticket purchased.
Ticket Type | United Airlines Change Fee |
United Basic Economy tickets Change Fee | You can cancel and receive a flight credit for future travel, subject to the following cancellation charges: $ 49.50 per one-way domestic flight $99.50 per one-way international flight |
United Non-refundable tickets Change Fee | $0 |
United Refundable tickets Change Fee | $0 |
United Award tickets Change Fee | $0 |
United Airlines Flight change Fee for Basic Economy tickets:
The United Change Flight Policy never allows passengers to change their basic economy booking; even the 24-hour window is not applied here. One of the ways out is to try canceling the ticket in 24 hours(without paying any fees) and then opting to buy out a new ticket.
Also, you can cancel your ticket and then select a flight credit, subject to the cancellation fees of:
- 99.50$ for a one-way international flight
- 49.50$ for a one-way domestic flight
- Non-Refundable Ticket: United Airlines does not charge any Change fees on Non-Refundable Tickets, you will just be responsible for any difference in fare.
- Refundable Ticket: United Airlines doesn’t charge any fees on Refundable Tickets. If you’re changing to a more expensive ticket then you need to pay the difference in price. If you’re changing to a cheaper flight, the difference in fare will be refunded to your original method of payment.
- Award Ticket: United Airlines has dropped all change fees on award tickets. So flyers can now change to any award flight without paying any extra charges.
- The same-day standby fee has been eliminated for taking an earlier flight on the same day.
- MileagePlus Premier members can confirm a seat on an earlier flight at no cost.
- Group fares purchased via United’s Group Desk will still be subject to a change fee.
United Airlines allows you to change your flight time (or date) without incurring any change fees for flights within the United States as well as international flights originating in the United States, as long as you pay the applicable fare difference. This includes all tickets, except Basic Economy tickets which cannot be changed (but cancelled for a fee and converted into a flight credit for future use). The one-way cancellation charges for Basic Economy tickets are $49.50 for domestic flights and $99.50 for international flights.
United Same-Day Flight Change & Standby
United Airlines has waived the standby fees too. They used to charge approx $75 for availing standby services on the same day. But now passengers can standby for an earlier flight without paying any fee.
- The flight you request must be leaving within 24 hours from the time your change request is made and can include any fare class; also you need to pay the difference in fare.
- Same-day flight change fee instead of the change fee mentioned in the rules will apply when you get your original ticket fare on a change flight request within 24 hours of departure.
- There is a standby option also available. In that case, the same-day change fee will apply, but won’t be charged unless you’re assigned a seat on your alternate flight with a restriction on route change.
- Changes to flights are available for the same origin and destination airport. Connecting stops can be changed if the fare you have purchased allows for the new routing.
United Airlines Name Change Fees:
United® and MileagePlus® reserve the right at their discretion to require written legal documentation for any name change request received (including marital status, military titles, titles and suffixes, nicknames, hyphenated names to any of its variations, inverted name changes, misspelled names, etc.).
United Airlines charges $75 if the traveler requests a name correction within a day or 24 hours of booking. However, the United Name Change/Correction Fees can range from 100 to 200$ for each way the name change request is placed after 24 hours of booking.
Does United MileagePlus cost money?
Anyone can sign up for the MileagePlus program. It’s free to join. With basic membership, though, pretty much all you get is a frequent-flyer number and an account where your points accumulate. The real goodies come when you fly or spend enough to earn United Airlines elite status.
United Cancellation Policy
As per the Current United Cancellation Policy, All flyers have 24 hours from the time of their original booking to cancel their booking without being charged a cancellation fee, regardless of the fare selected, as long as the ticket was purchased a week or more before departure.




Here’s the current United Airlines Cancellation Policy:
- United Basic Economy: If you cancel a basic economy ticket, you will not receive a refund in any form. No cancellations are allowed after 24 hours from the reservation.
- United Nonrefundable tickets: If your United tickets are nonrefundable, that means you’re not going to get refund. However, you may be eligible to apply the value of your unused ticket toward the price of a new ticket with its travel credits.
- United Refundable tickets: With Refundable tickets, you can cancel and get a refund in your original form of payment before the flight departs. Depending on the ticket type you may need to pay a cancellation fee.
- United Award tickets: If you redeemed MileagePlus miles for your flight and want to cancel, you’ll be given the option to redeposit the miles or use the miles for another trip in the future. There’s no redeposit fee unless you are a no-show. In this instance, you will be charged a flat fee of $125 to redeposit your award miles, regardless of your status level.
United Fare Type | United Cancellation Fee |
Basic Economy | N/A |
Non-Refundable | $0 – you’ll receive a flight credit for future travel |
Refundable | $0 – you’ll receive a full refund |
Award Ticket | $0 |
United Airlines Cancellation Fee
United Airlines’ usual cancellation fee was 200$, but it is waived now. Here is the current United Cancellation Policy:
All of your tickets, even the basic economy booking, are allowed to cancel under the recent change fee policy of United Airlines. The passenger can opt for a full refund given the condition that the booking needs to be made within 24 hours and the flight departure should be a week later.
Once the 24-hour window is closed and you have purchased the non-refundable ticket, the passengers are not allowed to select the option for the cash refund, although the airlines allow them to have future flight credits. Travelers who have booked basic economy fares cannot opt for these flight credits.
- No deductions in the form of cancellation fees if you are canceling the flight ticket within 24 hours of booking. In such cases, customers also need to ensure that the date of departure is more than 7 days.
- For bookings made of non-refundable tickets, no amount is to be refunded to the source account even if you proceed ahead with the process of cancellation.
- Refund is only applicable for the tickets booked which is refundable in nature. The exact amount of the refund to be displayed on the screen and customers need to agree to the same to get the refund.
- Customers who have made a third-party booking are requested to directly connect with the agents to know the exact amount of refund. Customers can agree to get the refund initiated onto the source account.
Different Ways To Connect With The Live United Airlines Live Person
Connecting with a live United Airlines live person is easy. There are several ways you can get in touch with them and get your questions answered, including:
- Chat: Chat live with a representative 24/7 through our website or mobile app. You can also use chat to check on your flight status or make changes to your reservation.
- Email: Email us at [email address]. Please include your name, flight number, and date of travel in the subject line so we can answer your question as quickly as possible.
- Phone: Call United Ticket Agent at (833) UNITEDAIRLINES 844-1239. Agents are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you with any booking issues, Cancellations, or changes to your itinerary.
United Airlines Rebooking Fee
If you rebook your United flight yourself, you will usually have to pay a fee. The fees for a rebooking by the passenger are set by United Airlines. Whether a rebooking is possible also depends on the fare/ticket class booked. If United rebooks a flight, you may be entitled to compensation.
Now that there are no change fees for most Economy and premium cabin tickets for flights within the U.S.; between the U.S. and Mexico or the Caribbean; or for international travel originating in the U.S., you have even more flexibility to adjust your plans.
United Airlines Baggage Fees
The baggage fee might be applied. United Airlines baggage charges are based on the fare bought by you; if you are a dependent or a military U.S. personnel, your destination city or country, what’s your status with the frequent flier program hosted by United Airlines or with an affiliated carrier, or in case you are having a sponsored charge/credit card with United Airlines.
United Airlines hold baggage or standard checked baggage fees only for U.S. domestic flights:
- For the first bag, the price will be $35
- For the second blog, the price will be $45
- For the third bag and any additional baggage, the price will be $150 for every bag.
The user may add up to two checked bags and pay for them in advance via online mode and receive a waiver of $5 for the first two checked bags. Remember you can add these two bags to your flights only if there are more than 24 hours before your departure.
If the checked baggage measures more than 62 inches(height+width+length), the passenger will be liable to pay extra fees. The maximum baggage allowed to carry on the flight is 115 inches(height+width+length); if there is anything extra from the United Airlines described measurements, it will not be accepted.
- International flights
For international flights, United Airlines holds baggage/standard checked baggage fee from/to the United States. International flights allow the traveler to pay zero fees for the first and $100 for the second. If you are traveling via International basic economy hold baggage/checked baggage, the fee is $60 for the first and $100 for the second.
Does United charge for carry-on bags?
Except for the $25 fee for basic economy customers who bring a full-size bag to the gate, United Airlines doesn’t have a carry-on fee for any tickets. If your carry-on is bigger than the maximum permitted size, United will check your bag to your final destination (but you might need to pay a checked bag fee).
Does United have baggage fees for international flights?
On international routes, economy passengers generally receive one or two free checked bags, depending on the destination. Here’s a summary of what you can expect to pay for baggage fees so long as your bag adheres to United’s size and weight requirements. 1st bag, $35; 2nd bag, $45.
United Airlines Pet Policy & Fee
United Airlines has a strict pet policy and accepts only dogs and cats as in-cabin carriers. The airline charges about $125 for a single side itinerary where the pet accompanies the passenger in the cabin.
Furthermore, the airlines can charge $125 more for the one-way itinerary for traveling within the U.S. and having a stopover for more than 4 hours or booking an international itinerary having more than a 24-hour stopover.
The United Airlines pet policy for both soft-sided and hard-sided pet carriers. The hard-sided carriers can be up to measurements of 17.5 inches in length, 12 inches in width, and 7.5 inches in height. The soft-sided carriers in United Airlines can be up to 18 inches in height, 11 inches in width, and 11 inches in height.
However, the further condition for the soft-sided and hard-sided carriers is that they should fit to be kept underneath the passenger in front of yours.
United Airlines’ Priority Boarding Fee
Priority boarding always targets those passengers who would like to board a bit earlier than their scheduled ticket. Whenever travelers pay for priority boarding with United Airlines, they can board via Group 2 behind premium cabins and United elites travelers.
The price for priority boarding will start from $15 for every flight segment and can be availed on United Airlines and express flights. The passengers can buy out priority boarding privileges for a single or all segments for the same route.
United Seat Selection fee
Whenever you book one of the economy tickets, United Airlines allows travelers to book a preferred seat, which is one of the economy seats and is quite closer to the plane front. You will be seated just a few rows behind the passengers in Economy Plus.




As per United Seat selection policy seats are automatically assigned prior to boarding and can’t be changed. Customers traveling together, including families, will not be able to sit together. Advance seat assignments may be available for purchase during booking and up until check-in opens.
The preferred seat selection fee on United Airlines starts from $14 and can vary according to the destination and route followed. Only basic economy passengers are allowed to buy out preferred seating arrangements.
Travelers can explore customizable bundle packages with United Airlines while booking their tickets. This facility allows the user to save money as he pays a nominal fee and avails many benefits.
The passengers can combine priority boarding and checked bag fees and bundle them. Do note here that the bundle fees are non-refundable most of the time, so be sure you are sure of your travel plans.
How do I select my seat on United after booking?
If you’ve already booked a ticket and would like to select a seat or change your existing seat, you can do so from the “Manage My Trips” tab under the “My Trips” option. Then, you’ll select “Manage Trip” from your available trips. Here you’ll find your trip information, including the option to change your seat
Can I choose my seat in the United Economy?
For all fare classes, except Basic Economy, you will be able to choose or change your seat assignment. If you have a Basic Economy ticket, you’re able to purchase a seat assignment during booking and up until check-in opens. Learn more about Basic Economy restrictions.
How do United Fees compare with other airlines?
add-on fees For one-way fare, including a checked bag, overhead carry-on bag, and selected seat.
Airlines | Average one-way fees |
Southwest Airlines | $0 |
Alaska Airlines | $30 |
American Airlines | $30 |
Delta Airlines | $30 |
Hawaiian Airlines | $30 |
JetBlue Airlines | $35 |
United Airlines | $35 |
Spirit Airlines | $137 |
Frontier Airlines | $145 |
United Airlines stands tall in competing with other full-service United States carriers. The airlines usually charge about $35 for every check-in bag on all domestic routes. Also, they impose some fees for seat selection. Still, the passengers can find their favorite aisle or window seats without paying any charges.
Although United Airlines’ change policies are crystal clear, they can confuse travelers opting for the airline for the first time. While booking your ticket, take your time to look at the pet policy, baggage fees, and other change fees to know what you are buying out. We hope our article will help you with important details about United Airlines’ change fees in all the segments.
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