Is There a Way to Get a Refund or Credit for Missing a United Airlines Flight Due to a Death in the Family?

If you can't make your United Airlines flight because of a death in the family, you're eligible for a refund even if you purchased a non-refundable ticket. The procedure for making the request is simple and can be completed online in minutes. You should receive your refund within seven to 20 business days, depending on the method of payment you used to make the purchase.

If you could not make your flight with United Airlines because of a death in the family, you have our sympathies for your loss. Among the many other things you must deal with at a time like this, you need to get a refund from United Airlines for the flight you didn't take. This article will teach you what you need to know. Fortunately, the procedure is both simple and short.

United Airlines Refund Policy

All United Airlines tickets are refundable if you request the refund within 24 hours of purchasing the ticket. Outside that window, some tickets are refundable, and some are not. However, if you missed your flight because of a death in your family, United Airlines will grant a refund even for non-refundable tickets.

You will receive your refund in the same form of payment that you used to make the purchase. If you used a credit card, you should receive your refund within seven business days of making the request. If you used any other form of payment, you will get your refund within 20 business days.

Making the Refund Request

To make the refund request, follow this procedure:

  1. Go to United Airlines' home page.
  2. Sign into your United Airlines account by clicking on the Sign In icon.
  3. Navigate to United Airlines' refund request form.
  4. Click on Request a Refund.
  5. Click on Add a Trip. Find the trip you want to be refunded or click on Enter Receipt Details to find the trip by the details on the receipt.
  6. Describe your situation in the Details text field.
  7. Attach any relevant documentation with the Choose File option.
  8. Enter your email address in the How to Get Back to You section.
  9. Enter your personal details in the Your Information section.
  10. Click on Submit.

How to Check the Status of Your Request

You can check the status of your request by following this procedure:

  1. Sign into your United Airlines account.
  2. Go to United Airlines' refund request form.
  3. Click on Check Status.
  4. Enter your last name in the name text field.
  5. Enter your tracking or ticket number in the ticket text field.
  6. Click on Check Status.

Contacting United Airlines

If you need assistance, or if you have questions, you can contact a United Airlines representative for help. You can reach one on the United Airlines help forum, by email, or by phone.

Further questions?

Ask a followup or related question and we will try to provide an answer in seconds.
Christian has been writing about long hold times and customer service call center experiences since 2010. He's been featured in Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe.

Why does GetHuman Write How-to Guides for United Airlines Problems?

GetHuman has been working for over 10 years on sourcing information about big organizations like United Airlines in order to help customers resolve customer service issues faster. We started with contact information and fastest ways to reach a human at big companies. Particularly ones with slow or complicated IVR or phone menu systems. Or companies that have self-serve help forums instead of a customer service department. From there, we realized that consumers still needed more detailed help solving the most common problems, so we expanded to this set of guides, which grows every day. And if you spot any issues with our Is There a Way to Get a Refund or Credit for Missing a United Airlines Flight Due to a Death in the Family? guide, please let us know by sending us feedback. We want to be as helpful as possible. If you appreciated this guide, please share it with your favorite people. Our free information and tools is powered by you, the customer. The more people that use it, the better it gets.

United Airlines

Asked 2 years ago
Updated 2 years ago
Viewed 817,473 times
United Airlines
United Airlines refund
United Airlines death refund
Was this page helpful?YesNeeds work
Sharing is what powers GetHuman's free customer service contact information and tools. You can help!