UA Econ+ refund/repurchase?
Apr 18th, 2012, 06:58 PM
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UA Econ+ refund/repurchase?
Flying SFO-CDG on business. The company buying the tix will only pay economy. I decided to purchase the Econ+ option for the outgoing and return. UA changed the flight number after the merger with CO but the departure and arrival times are the same. When they made the change, my seat was reassigned in economy. I called the service center and was told by the operator that he couldn't do anything and it all had to be handled online. He said I should ask for a refund on my original purchase and buy a new upgrade. This doesn't make sense to me. Are we supposed to ask for a refund every time they make a schedule change?
Anyone know a number stateside I might be able to call?
Thanks
Anyone know a number stateside I might be able to call?
Thanks
Apr 18th, 2012, 08:10 PM
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Are we supposed to ask... only if you want to. A schedule change is, or at least used to be, one of the few reasons for getting an actual refund. We were notified of a schedule change that was only a half-hour difference but meant we would miss a train connection, and we got a total refund.
Apr 20th, 2012, 02:07 PM
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United's customer non-service people are in India and they do not seem to have any US-based telephone clerks. Unless ity is on their script, they rarely make sense. I would buy a new upgrade, send UA an email if there is such as option on the website, and when that doesn't work dispute it with your credit card.
Apr 22nd, 2012, 05:42 PM
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I would try calling and talking to a different person. Since you purchased an E+ upgrade, they should be able to move you on the phone to an E+ seat.
If that doesn't work, follow the instructions to get a refund and repurchase the E+ seats.
If that doesn't work, follow the instructions to get a refund and repurchase the E+ seats.
May 10th, 2012, 11:48 AM
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I have an addon qustion on this same topic.
I had a United flight from Chicago to Aspen last March and I was assigned a regular economy seat even though I had paid for economy plus ($35 extra, I had already gotten the CC statement). I thought my seat no. was different than assigned and when I got on board, it sure didn't look like anything "plus" and was towards the reare. Later I found out that it wasn't a plus seat at all. I had not even wanted it, but was forced to pay for it when reserving as those were the only seats left on the flight (a great gimmick United has).
When I deplaned in Aspen I went to the United desk to ask about it and what I could do and the woman claimed she had no record that I had ever paid for such a seat, she could only see my payments for checked baggage (which was a separate charge, she saw that). I didn't have my CC statements with me, of course, so figured I'd look at the issue later at home. Sure enough, I had paid $35 for such a seat and didn't get it, I have no idea why.
I went online and filled in all the info to request a refund (full details with ticket no., my FF number, flight nos, etc). I waited over a month (they say they shold respond in 3 weeks), and then FAXed the info also to their FAX number. I have heard nothing and it's been two months now. the online status indicator where you can check about your refund just says "pending review" so at least I know they got it.
United has no phone number on their website for customer service for refunds. I can't believe it, there is no way you can actually talk to anyone about this. They could basically never pay anyone anything as there is no way you can complain. At least it's only $35 but I think I'm owed the money. I called customer service and they just told me they couldn't handle anything about refunds/complaints and there was no phone number they could give me to do so.
So, does anyone by any chance know how you can contact someone at United about refund requests other than email/FAX? I have to admit I don't fly them often (and won't now) but this is rather astonishing to me in terms of customer service, to not allow anyone to actually talk to you.
so greytop if you are there, do you have any contact info?
I had a United flight from Chicago to Aspen last March and I was assigned a regular economy seat even though I had paid for economy plus ($35 extra, I had already gotten the CC statement). I thought my seat no. was different than assigned and when I got on board, it sure didn't look like anything "plus" and was towards the reare. Later I found out that it wasn't a plus seat at all. I had not even wanted it, but was forced to pay for it when reserving as those were the only seats left on the flight (a great gimmick United has).
When I deplaned in Aspen I went to the United desk to ask about it and what I could do and the woman claimed she had no record that I had ever paid for such a seat, she could only see my payments for checked baggage (which was a separate charge, she saw that). I didn't have my CC statements with me, of course, so figured I'd look at the issue later at home. Sure enough, I had paid $35 for such a seat and didn't get it, I have no idea why.
I went online and filled in all the info to request a refund (full details with ticket no., my FF number, flight nos, etc). I waited over a month (they say they shold respond in 3 weeks), and then FAXed the info also to their FAX number. I have heard nothing and it's been two months now. the online status indicator where you can check about your refund just says "pending review" so at least I know they got it.
United has no phone number on their website for customer service for refunds. I can't believe it, there is no way you can actually talk to anyone about this. They could basically never pay anyone anything as there is no way you can complain. At least it's only $35 but I think I'm owed the money. I called customer service and they just told me they couldn't handle anything about refunds/complaints and there was no phone number they could give me to do so.
So, does anyone by any chance know how you can contact someone at United about refund requests other than email/FAX? I have to admit I don't fly them often (and won't now) but this is rather astonishing to me in terms of customer service, to not allow anyone to actually talk to you.
so greytop if you are there, do you have any contact info?
May 10th, 2012, 12:13 PM
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The easiest way out of this is to file a dispute with your credit card company. You have waited a reasonable amount of time for a response from United and have made a good faith effort to get your money refunded. By filing a dispute you will get an immediate credit and the credit card company will "take back" your payment from United. Depending on your credit card company, you may have to follow up with proof but it will be a lot less aggravating than trying to get a response from United.
May 11th, 2012, 08:33 AM
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yeah, I thought about that (my CC company). I kept my boarding pass and of course, I have my CC charge although it doesn't identify exactly what it is for on the bill and my CC wouldn't know. Of course my CC has no way of knowing of my seat was economy plus or not (and not sure how I could prove it) but I guess they'd contact United about the issue.
May 11th, 2012, 06:57 PM
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Christina,
I don't know how it might work after the flight but I tried the call center one last time. I got an agent who said she could see the original E+ purchase I made afte the ticket was bought. The E+ seat I originally bought had been assigned to someone else. Sarah, the agent, set up a refund on the first E+ seat and processed the purchase of the new E+ seat in the exit row. She gave me the tracking number on the refund and it's in the system. She also assigned the new seat and made a new transaction.
Obviously, the call center agents have the ability to do all this but many of the ones I have talked to lack the training or knowledge to do what we need them to do. It's so frustrating!
Since your flight has already occurred, I would try calling one more time and asking the agent to file the refund. I would then file a refund online under "seat assignment" and attach the transaction record from your CC company. Finally, I would dispute the charge with the CC company. I would file with united and the CC company at the same time. It's all a PITA but it's also about the principle of the thing. Good luck.
I don't know how it might work after the flight but I tried the call center one last time. I got an agent who said she could see the original E+ purchase I made afte the ticket was bought. The E+ seat I originally bought had been assigned to someone else. Sarah, the agent, set up a refund on the first E+ seat and processed the purchase of the new E+ seat in the exit row. She gave me the tracking number on the refund and it's in the system. She also assigned the new seat and made a new transaction.
Obviously, the call center agents have the ability to do all this but many of the ones I have talked to lack the training or knowledge to do what we need them to do. It's so frustrating!
Since your flight has already occurred, I would try calling one more time and asking the agent to file the refund. I would then file a refund online under "seat assignment" and attach the transaction record from your CC company. Finally, I would dispute the charge with the CC company. I would file with united and the CC company at the same time. It's all a PITA but it's also about the principle of the thing. Good luck.
May 15th, 2012, 07:37 AM
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guess what, I got an email from UAL today saying they approved my refund request!!!
Surprisingly, what seemed to work was a suggestion of the customer service agent when I called United (but who said he couldn't do anything about the request nor give me a phone number) -- he suggested I send an email to the place on the website titled "customer feedback" or something generic like that. He said a real person actually reads those. I thought well, doesn't a real person read the actual refund request emails, also? Anyway, I had nothing to lose so did that, referencing my refund request email and FAX and ticket no., and I actually get some action within about a week.
Surprisingly, what seemed to work was a suggestion of the customer service agent when I called United (but who said he couldn't do anything about the request nor give me a phone number) -- he suggested I send an email to the place on the website titled "customer feedback" or something generic like that. He said a real person actually reads those. I thought well, doesn't a real person read the actual refund request emails, also? Anyway, I had nothing to lose so did that, referencing my refund request email and FAX and ticket no., and I actually get some action within about a week.
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