Yes, as travel credit on most fares. Economy and higher fares change with no fee on trips that start in the US: switch to the same flight at the lower fare and United gives you the difference as a future flight credit, valid for a year.
Verified against the airline's own policy pages.
Price drop calculator
Is it worth changing your United Airlines flight for the lower fare? Enter what you paid and the new price to see what you’d get back after any change fee.
Enter what you paid and the new United Airlines fare to see if claiming is worth the friction.
The rules of the game
Four things to know about United Airlines price drops before deciding whether to claim one.
Cancel a United ticket within 24 hours of buying it and you get a full refund, Basic Economy included. Two conditions: you must have booked at least one week before departure, and you must cancel every flight for every passenger on the reservation. If the price drops in that window, book the cheaper fare first, then cancel the original. Card refunds land within 7 business days.
Economy, Economy Plus and premium tickets change with no fee on flights within the US, between the US and Mexico or the Caribbean, and on international trips that start in the US. Trips that start outside the US still carry change fees. Make the change yourself in My Trips or the United app: United says changes made over the phone might cost a fee.
A Basic Economy ticket cannot be switched to the cheaper fare. The only route is to cancel it for a partial travel credit and book again. United keeps a cancellation fee and does not publish the amount, so check the figure it shows before you confirm. It only pays when the drop is clearly bigger than that fee.
After the first 24 hours, the difference comes back as a future flight credit in your MileagePlus account, never as cash. It usually expires one year after it is issued, and your trip has to start before that date. United only reprices flights it or United Express operates, so a leg flown by a partner airline will not qualify.
After you book
Prices keep moving after you book. Most people who catch a drop do it by checking the price again and again, and sometimes they get lucky.
Option 1 · The manual way
Search your booking on the United Airlines app or website every few days. If the price falls below what you paid, the calculator above tells you whether it’s worth claiming, and these are the steps.
6 methods ranked by ease and success rate.
United Airlines change fees by fare class
Search for your flight on United Airlines and book it at the new lower fare. This locks in the price before you give up your original ticket
Go to My Trips on united.com or open the United app and find your original booking
Select "Cancel flight" and confirm. Under United's 24-hour policy you get a full refund
Card refunds arrive within 7 business days
Only for tickets bought at least one week before departure. United requires cancelling every flight for every passenger on the reservation, so rebook everyone before you cancel.
All claim methods
Search for your flight on United Airlines and book it at the new lower fare. This locks in the price before you give up your original ticket
Go to My Trips on united.com or open the United app and find your original booking
Select "Cancel flight" and confirm. Under United's 24-hour policy you get a full refund
Card refunds arrive within 7 business days
Only for tickets bought at least one week before departure. United requires cancelling every flight for every passenger on the reservation, so rebook everyone before you cancel.
Call United at 1-800-864-8331
When the system starts talking, press 0 twice to reach an agent
Tell the agent: the fare has dropped, you want to rebook at the lower fare and then cancel your original ticket under the 24-hour policy
The agent books your new ticket first (locking in the lower fare), then cancels the original and confirms your full refund
Agent handles both steps in one call, so there is no risk of the lower fare selling out. Must be within 24 hours of purchase, booked at least one week before departure, and the whole reservation must be cancelled.
Go to My Trips on united.com or the United app and open your booking
Select "Change flight", then "Edit", and search the same route and date
Pick the same flight at the lower fare and confirm. There is no change fee
United issues the difference as a future flight credit in your MileagePlus account
The difference comes back as a future flight credit, not cash. It usually expires one year after it is issued, and your trip has to start before that date. Only works on flights operated by United or United Express. Trips that start outside the US can still carry a change fee. If your flight does not show up as an option, use chat below.
Chat with United via united.com or via the app
Provide your confirmation number and say the fare has dropped, then ask the agent to do a "repricing"
The agent presses a reprice button: your original PNR and seats stay the same, and a future flight credit for the difference is issued to your account within minutes
No hold music or phone tree. Your seats and booking reference stay intact. The difference is a future flight credit, not cash. Agents only reprice flights operated by United or United Express, not legs flown by partner airlines.
Call United at 1-800-864-8331
When the system starts talking, press 0 twice to reach an agent
Provide your confirmation number and say the fare has dropped, then ask the agent to do a "repricing"
The agent presses a reprice button: your original PNR and seats stay the same, and a future flight credit for the difference is issued to your account
Use this only if My Trips and chat both fail: United says changes made by phone might carry a fee, so ask before the agent confirms.
First confirm the math: the fare drop must exceed $99 domestic / $199 international for this to be worth it
Go to My Trips or the United app and open your original booking
Select "Cancel flight". United deducts a $99 domestic / $199 international fee and issues the rest as a future flight credit in your MileagePlus account
Book the same flight again at the lower fare and apply your future flight credit at checkout
Basic Economy cannot be changed, only cancelled for a partial credit. United does not publish the fee, so check the amount it shows before you confirm. The credit cannot be turned into cash and usually expires one year after it is issued.
Option 2 · The easy way
Fares move after you book, usually when you’re not looking. Forward your United Airlines confirmation once and Plot watches the price for you. When it drops, Plot contacts United Airlines and gets the difference back for you. You don’t lift a finger.
“Plot has saved me over $1,100 in flight and hotel savings so far in 2026.”
Claims are for bookings made directly with United Airlines. Price Watch is part of Plot Pro.
With Plot
Fares can keep moving after you book. Plot is an app that keeps your trips in one place and watches the price after you book. Forward your United Airlines confirmation once, and if the fare drops, Plot contacts United Airlines for you and gets the difference back.
Forward your United Airlines booking confirmation to plans@plot.travel. That is the only thing you need to do.
Plot keeps measuring your exact United Airlines fare against the market, and reads the fine print (fare class rules, change fees, the 24-hour refund window) so a drop only counts when it's worth acting on.
Plot · now
$54 just landed in your account
Plot caught a price drop on your United Airlines flight and claimed the eCredit.
When the fare drops, Plot contacts United Airlines, has your ticket repriced, and tells you when the credit is in your account. Same seats, same booking.
For bookings made directly with United Airlines. United Airlines usually returns the difference as travel credit rather than cash, and only the fare is claimed, not seats or bags. Price Watch is part of Plot Pro.
Questions
Common questions about United Airlines price drops and refunds.
Yes, as travel credit on most fares. Economy and higher fares change with no fee on trips that start in the US: switch to the same flight at the lower fare and United gives you the difference as a future flight credit, valid for a year. Basic Economy cannot be changed, and cancelling it gives only a partial credit. Within 24 hours of booking, if you booked at least a week before departure, you can cancel any fare for a full refund and rebook.
Yes. US federal law requires airlines to let you cancel any flight within 24 hours of booking for a full cash refund, as long as the flight departs at least 7 days away. This applies to all fare types, including Basic Economy. It is the most reliable way to capture a price drop right after you book.
It depends on when you act. Within 24 hours of booking, you always get a full cash refund by law. After that window, United Airlines typically issues the fare difference as a travel credit or voucher tied to your account, not cash. The price drop calculator on this page shows what your fare gets back.
For cancellations within 24 hours of booking, United Airlines is required by law to process your cash refund within 7 business days for credit card payments and 20 business days for other payment methods. Travel credits from fare changes are typically available on your account within minutes to a few hours.
Yes. The amount depends on your fare class. Basic Economy: $99 domestic / $199 international · Economy & above: Free. If you booked at least 7 days before departure, you can cancel within 24 hours of booking for a full cash refund on any fare class. No change fee applies inside that DOT window.
Plot watches your United Airlines fare continuously after you forward your confirmation to plans@plot.travel. If you booked directly with United Airlines and the fare drops, Plot contacts United Airlines for you, gets the difference back as travel credit, and tells you when it lands. For bookings made through a travel site or card portal, we send you the exact steps instead. Price Watch is part of Plot Pro.
Still have questions? Email us
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