REFUNDS VS.REIMBURSEMENT

REFUNDS:
-refers to a return of money toa customer for a product or service they purchased from United that was not delivered, including for a ticket, seat, Wi-Fi, baggage or ancillary items.


-you can process the request when you can retrieve the PNR

Refunds of tickets and ancillary products

Our Refund department must process past-date tickets not retrievable by Contact Center agents. The customer needs to complete a refund request form online at united.com/refunds (opens in a new tab). To ensure the correct refund amount is provided, all travel on the itinerary must be cancelled or completed before a refund request is submitted. This includes downgrades from a premium cabin to economy and some partially used tickets.

-Customer Contact Center agents may review and request a refund if the customer’s e-Ticket qualifies, including ancillary charges. This applies to most refunds except a few special circumstances. 


-After a refund request is submitted, the Refund department processes them to completion by automation or a manual review. Customers may submit their request via united.com/refunds for review. When a customer requests a refund for a ticket, the itinerary must be cancelled, or travel must be fully completed.


-The refund department needs to review exceptions for refunds that require documentation, such as serious illness, Military orders, etc. Customers must submit requests and include any supporting documentation using our refund form, which can be found on united.com/refunds.

-Our Customer Care department carefully reviews requests for reimbursement for additional travel expenses due to involuntary changes or flight disruptions. This can happen when there are issues with flights that could have been managed or prevented (controllable irregular operations) such as cancellations or delays. While not guaranteed, customers may submit their request and any supporting receipts for consideration to Customer Care by going to united.com/customercare.

-It’s important to note that we never promise a customer a reimbursement of the extra expenses. Please advise the customer our Customer Care department will carefully review the request and determine if the reimbursement applies.  


Handled by the Refund Department
(after travel is complete or with supporting documentation)
-Partial refunds (see note below chart)	
-Futile trips	
-Involuntary Premium Cabin downgrade
-Ancillary fees (baggage fees, food for purchase, Wi-fi, seat fees)	
-Special Circumstances with Documentation	
-*Military orders change
-*Jury duty
-*Serious illness that prevents a customer from traveling	
-*Death of traveler, companion, or immediate family member	
-*Travel doesn't have to be complete; supporting documentation is required.

Partial refunds: Please do not quote an approximate refund amount or call the Rates Desk, the Refund department, or a Lead to ask them to determine one. Please advise the customer that to ensure an accurate refund amount our Refund department will determine it at the time of processing. 

*Occasionally, amounts need to be prorated and tax codes need to be researched to see which are applicable for a refund. This can only be done by the Refund department with accuracy and cannot be done before processing."


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REIMBURSEMENT
-refers to a repayment to a customer for unexpected out-of-pocket expenses to retailers or vendors other than united, such as in controllable IRROPS situations for flight disruption.



Out-of-Pocket expenses

Out-of-pocket travel expenses may be submitted to our Customer Care department for consideration of reimbursement after all travel has been completed. The form can be found on united.com/customercare.

NOTE:
Our REFUND department processes refunds, while REIMBURSEMENT for out-of-pocket expenses go through our Customer Care department. Reimbursement requests must be submitted through the online form on united.com.


Handled by Customer Care
Reimbursement (after travel is complete)
-Hotel stay
-Meal purchases during the flight disruption
-Car rental, transportation, and ride-share services
-Out-of-pocket expenses
-International regulatory compensation, such as EU261


EXAMPLES:
REFUND:
-applied to goods or services purchase from united
-serious illnesses
-united.com-refund request
-downgrade
-Wi-Fi did not work on a flight
-jury duty


CUSTOMER CARE
-flight delayed and requesting a reimbursement
-out of pocket expenses due to a mechanical cancellation
-toiletries bought in instances of overnight stay
-united.com/customercare



NOTE: Anything related to the Baggage Recovery Center (BRC), such as claims of stolen items, damaged luggage, damage to items inside, or luggage that has not reached the customer for more than 24 hours, can be handled on united.com/customercare > Complaint > Bags.

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HOW TO HANDLE REIMBURSEMENT:

We do not reimburse for the following:

-Pre-paid hotel expenses
-Special events that were missed due to the flight disruption such as a concert or theatre tickets
-Pet care such as overnight boarding
-Childcare

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It is always best for the customer to fill in the form directly so we can handle the case with accuracy and so all their concerns are being addressed. 

-When completed, they receive a tracking number to prove it is in the system. They can track their status within the same section and follow the progress of their request. 

-Data is collected during case creation, particularly for MileagePlus and Premier members. Agents completing the forms for the customer could affect how the case is authenticated and prioritized.

-If you need to complete a form on behalf of a customer, it is important to note that you are making the request. Example: Agent John Doe completed the form on behalf of customer Jane Smith.


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Refund Handling


Contact Center agents can process refunds using Navigator or EZR in the following circumstances:

+Retrievable PNRs that are eligible for a refund

-Including partial refunds, which the Refund department calculates

NOTE: do not attempt to calculate or quote the refund amount or call the Rates desk, Refund department, or a Lead to calculate the amount

+24-hour flexible booking policy refunds (process within 24 hours of ticketing)

+Eligible ancillary fees/Electronic Miscellaneous Documents (EMD) (Refund using WebEMD)

+Refundable tickets

+Involuntary refunds (due to IRROPS, schedule changes, etc.)
-Please always document comments within the reservation when making exceptions



Special Circumstances for Refund Requests 

Sometimes, an agent needs to refer the customer to united.com/refunds. The reservation should be cancelled before the customer submits a request. 

Examples may include:

-Past-date partial refunds, which the Refund department calculates; do not attempt to calculate or quote the refund amount
-Downgrades (including premium cabin upgrade purchases PEU/PCU) 
-Futile Trip
-Ancillary fees post travel: (example)
+Checked bag refunds
+Food for purchase onboard
+Wifi
+Economy Plus or extra legroom seat purchases (not automatically refunded 48 hours after travel)

We understand that some circumstances are beyond a customer’s control and that they may need to cancel their non-refundable ticket. The following circumstances can result in a refund request. Customers need to submit these requests with supporting documentation online at united.com/refunds. 

These include:

-Military orders changed
-Jury duty (must be actively on jury duty during scheduled travel)
-Serious illnesses or death

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How to Help our customers

Note: The Refund department CANNOT create new refund requests over the phone. 

If a ticket is eligible for a refund, a contact center agent can process it through Navigator/EZR, or the customer can go to http://www.united.com/refunds to submit a request. 

NEW REFUND REQUEST

-Customer Contact Center agents may process refunds via Navigator/EZR when the customer qualifies for a ticket refund. Agents can also process eligible ancillary refunds via WebEMD.

-The customer may also request a refund on our website, which we will discuss in the next section.

-Tickets purchased through Traditional Travel Agencies and International point-of-sale agencies must be referred to their travel agency to request a refund.

+Ancillary products purchased directly with United may be requested through a contact center agent and processed through WebMD or united.com.


CHECK THE STATUS OF AN E-TICKET

-Check the status of the E-Ticket. Remember to Display All, not just Active E-Tickets. Some status codes may include Refunded, Refund Requested, Refund Denied, or Voided. The status code of an E-Ticket will indicate if a refund was requested.

-Voided status often means the customer was not charged for the ticket, even though the account may reflect a pending charge. The charge will drop off.

-For additional guidance on E-Ticket status codes, please refer to Wingtips and search for the keywords E-Ticket status codes or select the link to Wingtips(opens in a new tab).

REFUND REQUEST HAS BEEN SUMBITTED--CREDIT CARD REFUND

-Refund submitted within the last seven business days: Advise the customer to check the refund status on united.com after seven business days from the refund request date.
+Tickets purchased outside the U.S.:  Allow up to 14 days for processing.
+Please allow up to 14 days for processing for tickets that include OA travel or cancellations.

-Refund submitted more than seven business days:
+Ask the customer for the ticket number/eight-digit Refund Request ID number.
+Check the Refund Status Tool for additional information.
+If unable to determine status or refund has not been processed:

-Contact the Refund department using the extension and provide the Refund agent with a ticket or eight-digit number.

-After consulting with the refund agent, a warm transfer may be needed. Never blind transfer (cold transfer) to the Refund desk.

REFUND REQUEST HAS BEEN SUMBITTED--CASH/CHECK REFUND

-Refund submitted within the last 20 business days: Advise the customer to check the refund status on united.com after 20 business days from the refund request date.

-Refund submitted more than 20 business days:
+Ask the customer for the ticket number/eight-digit Refund Request ID number.
+Check the refund status tool for additional information.
+If unable to determine status or refund has not been processed:

-Contact the Refund department using the extension and provide the Refund agent with a ticket or eight-digit number.

-After consulting with the refund agent a warm transfer may be needed. Never blind transfer (cold transfer) to the Refund desk.

ERROR IN REFUND REQUEST AMOUNT

-Contact the Refund department using the extension and provide the Refund agent with a ticket or eight-digit number.

-After consulting with the refund agent a warm transfer may be needed. Never blind transfer (cold transfer) to the Refund desk.

UNKNOWN CHARGE
-Check WebMD and the Receipts tool if a customer has questions about an unknown charge on their credit card statement.

-If you cannot determine the charge, refer the customer to their credit card company.

REFUND HAS BEEN DENIED

-Review the letter in the refund status tool and clarify it for the customer. You will need the customer's refund request number. Control the Conversation and assist the customer in understanding why their refund request may have been denied.

-If there isn't a letter, or you feel that the refund was processed incorrectly, you may consult with the Refund department.

-We will go over the refund status tool in the next section.

Please note: Timelines for refunds can vary from a customer's standpoint due to their banking institution or credit card company's billing cycles.


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How to Use the Refund Status Tool


When a customer calls to check the status of their refund, ask if they have one of the following:

1.An 8-digit refund request number
2.A reservation confirmation number
3.A ticket number

Note:  Customers can also review the status of their refund using their 8-digit refund request number on united.com/refunds.



The Refund Status Tool

The Refund Status Tool provides view-only access to refund status in real-time when the refund is requested online. 

You can see:

-When a refund was received.
-The current status of that refund. 

If a refund was denied, you can see:

-The denial reason.
-A copy of the letter the customer received.


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When Should You Contact the Refund Department

The Refund department does not handle anything before a refund is requested. Inquiries about fare rules and refund eligibility should be made through the rates desk or the Leads desk before a refund request is made.

On rare occasions, after you have reviewed all of your resources (the PNR, eTicket, refund status tool), and you are still unable to determine a resolution for the following (select each box to confirm your understanding):


-The status of the refund.

-The refund has not yet been processed, and it is past the normal processing time (7 business days for a credit card, 14 days for international point-of-sale tickets, and 20 days for cash or check).

-There is an error in the amount due as a refund to the customer.

-The customer requested a refund and has since received a notification to follow up with the Refund department.

-Refund department hours are from 8 am - 4:30 pm Central Standard Time (CST)

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