Change Comes Along—Know Your Choices at United Airlines

Life has a way of coming between even the best-laid travel plans. Either a family emergency, scheduling conflict, or sudden change of heart, flight cancellation is sometimes unavoidable. If you're flying with United Airlines, you're probably wondering: Can you cancel United flights and get a refund?

The short answer is yes—although it depends on what type of fare you bought. In the course of this blog, we will outline United's refund and cancellation policy so you can travel (and cancel) worry-free.

United Airlines' Cancellation Policy: The Basics

United Airlines has a relatively liberal cancellation policy for a big carrier. But whether or not you can receive a refund—or any compensation at all—is dependent upon the nature of the fare you bought and how much lead time you provide.

Here's the rule for most United flights:
You have 24 hours after booking to cancel most United flights for a refund, provided the flight was reserved at least 7 days prior to departure.

This policy applies to all fare types, including non-refundable tickets. So if you’ve just booked and had second thoughts, act fast—you’re covered within the first 24 hours.

Refundable vs. Non-Refundable Tickets

Refundable Tickets

If you paid for a refundable fare, you're lucky. You can cancel whenever you want before you leave and receive a full refund to your original form of payment. Such tickets will normally cost more up front but offer peace of mind.

Non-Refundable Tickets

If you paid for a non-refundable fare, your flight may be canceled, but you will not receive a cash refund. United will issue you a flight credit that you may use to book another flight within a year.

Some Basic Economy tickets do not have changes or cancellations allowed, so do check your fare conditions carefully.

United's 24-Hour Flexible Booking Window

As mentioned earlier, United Airlines follows the U.S. Department of Transportation's 24-hour rule: Book a flight and then reconsider? Cancel for a full refund, no questions asked, no fees paid.

This applies even if you booked in some other way as long as the ticket was issued directly by United.

What About Award Flights?

Good news: United makes it relatively easy to cancel award tickets bought with MileagePlus miles. The vast majority of awards can be canceled, and your miles will be redeposited—sometimes without paying a fee, depending on your status and timing.

This is how it typically works:

Cancel 31+ days prior to flight → No redeposit fee
Cancel within 30 days or less → Fee might be assessed (waived for Premier members)

How to Cancel a United Flight

It is simple to cancel a United flight. You can do so:

Online at United.com or in the mobile app
By phone with United customer service
In an airport at a United kiosk or at a ticket counter

Once canceled, your credit or refund information will be displayed, and you'll receive confirmation via email.

COVID-19 Policy & Travel Waivers

In answer to the pandemic, United introduced travel waivers and waived most change fees on most domestic and international flights, including:

No change fees on Economy, Premium Economy, Business, and First-Class (except Basic Economy unless waived)
No-charge rescheduling on COVID-disruption impacted flights

Although these regulations have altered following the pandemic, most of the fee waivers and flexibility persist.

Conclusion : Can You Cancel United Flights and Get a Refund?

Yes, United can cancel flights and sometimes refund them—especially if:

You're canceling within 24 hours of booking
You have a refundable ticket
You're canceling an award ticket with flexible dates

If you bought a non-refundable ticket, you'll likely get a travel credit to use later, which is still flexible.

So next time you reserve on United, remember this: check your fare class, beware of the 24-hour rule, and don't forget to read the fine print.

To know more, visit Fly Fair Travels

Can You Cancel United Flights and Get a Refund?