Can I cancel just a return flight on United?

Unfortunately, you cannot cancel only the return ticket on a round trip flight. Airlines typically require that both legs of the journey be cancelled together in order to receive a refund or credit for future travel.



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You can usually cancel a flight online, and many carriers let you get a refund in some capacity. For the most part, if you book a nonrefundable fare — the most common fare type — you'll receive a credit or voucher for a future flight.

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There are refundable and nonrefundable fares in every class except basic economy (first, Polaris, business, premium economy, Premium Plus, Economy Plus, etc). Consider booking nonrefundable United Airlines flights only if you have high confidence in your trip and won't need the cash equivalent on hand.

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United Airlines United does not charge change or cancellation fees for flights within the U.S. and Puerto Rico, between the U.S. and Mexico and the Caribbean, and all international flights departing the U.S. Of course, this doesn't apply to basic economy tickets, and you are still liable for any fare difference.

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Airlines may impose certain sanctions including invoicing an additional amount up to the standard fare of the one-way alternative, deletion of mileage programs, etc. But, the probability of this is minimal, because such a breach can only be identified after the flights have departed.

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Unfortunately, you cannot cancel only the return ticket on a round trip flight. Airlines typically require that both legs of the journey be cancelled together in order to receive a refund or credit for future travel.

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You need to contact your airline and explain the situation. If you're lucky, they'll remove the outbound flight from your reservation, keep the return flight, and not charge you any more. If you're really lucky, they'll do that, and then you'll have some leftover credit to use on a future flight. This is unlikely.

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Can I get a refund for my Economy Plus purchase if I no longer want it on my trip? No. Economy Plus tickets are nonrefundable unless canceled within 24 hours of purchase.

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No, but you will lose the money you paid for the return leg as your ticket will be cancelled. If you cancel the return in advance, you might not get a refund on the remainder, but you should be able to maneuver it into an airline credit/voucher.

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You can't just skip it, no, because then they'll invalidate the remainder of the itinerary. You can, however, call them prior to the first flight closing, and change your ticket to remove the first leg, paying any change fee that's due, and paying or collecting any difference in fare.

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Round-trip tickets are usually cheaper than one-ways, sometimes significantly so. NerdWallet compared fares across multiple international routes and found that, typically, buying two one-way tickets costs 20% more than a single roundtrip.

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You want to take only the first leg of the journey.
Although it's a breach of contract, you can do it. The airline can't cancel your journey anymore, as there is nothing left to cancel. But are you eligible for compensation if one of the flights is delayed or cancelled?

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The 24 Hour Cancellation Rule
Many airlines offer a 24-hour cooling-off period as a customer service policy, allowing you to cancel your flight, incurring no fees if you change your mind or otherwise need to cancel within 24 hours of booking. This policy typically applies to both refundable and non-refundable tickets.

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A simple way to change or cancel a flight without paying a fee is to do so within 24 hours of booking. After this window, the next option is to wait to see if the airline makes a change to the flight — the departure time, the aircraft, etc. — which will automatically grant you a refund if you change or cancel.

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  1. Go to My Trips to cancel your reservation and start the refund process.
  2. If your ticket was purchased in the last 24 hours, it may qualify for our 24-hour booking policy.
  3. The refund amount will vary based on the situation.
  4. Credit card refunds will be processed within seven business days of the request.


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United Airlines fully refundable fares receive the original amount in refund with no deductions of cancellation fee for specific conditions. The cancellation fee applicable on United tickets is tickets canceled outside the 24-hour policy. The difference is Economy tickets are not eligible for refunds.

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