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United’s close in booking fee sucks: Luckily THIS TRICK still works to avoid it.

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United’s close in booking fee sucks: Luckily THIS TRICK still works to avoid it.

You just found the PERFECT flight for a quick getaway vacay next week, you have the United miles to cover it, but WHAM! You get hit with a SUPER ANNOYING $75 close in booking fee. No Sweat My Pet – we’ve got you covered. Luckily A TRICK that has been around for quite some time, and documented by bloggers like Miles to Memories, STILL WORKS. Let’s take a look at how you can use this valuable trick to avoid United’s close in booking fee.

***UPDATE: LOOKS AS THO DEAL IS DEAD – IF YOU FIND SUCCESS PLEASE LET ME KNOW***

Ok…for argument’s sake let’s say I found the perfect flight to getaway next week. There’s no argument, I did. I’m off to England and This is it.

Gross…look at that $96.70 copay.

United's close in booking fee sucks: Luckily THIS TRICK still works to avoid it

If we jump 3 weeks out (it has to be more than 21 days to the hour) we see the price WITHOUT the close in fee.

Much better and $75 less.

United's close in booking fee sucks: Luckily THIS TRICK still works to avoid it

Are you seeing where this is going?

You’re going to go ahead and book the flight that is outside the close in booking fee window. AND THEN CHANGE IT.

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 4.56.57 PM

United has a 24 hour Window whereby tickets can be cancelled and changed without penalty. B-YAH! You need to log out and then back in.

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 4.59.13 PM

When you log back in you’ll see this. Click Change flight.

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 5.03.19 PM

After clicking Change Flight you should see this:

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 5.03.42 PM Or This:

Click the flight you want to change if you have more than one in your reservations.

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 5.04.36 PM

It will bring up your original booking. Voila.

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 5.01.05 PM

It will show you your original flight details…just hit continue until you see the Award Avail Calendar. Now we select the date we’d like

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 5.06.11 PM

I was allowed to change cabin, carrier, and routing as long as origin and destination remained the same

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 5.06.24 PM

A Lufthansa option later in the calendar that I could change to.Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 7.53.52 PM

 

Make sure it’s right and you’re good to go. You just saved yourself $75

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 5.06.42 PM

And because it was under 24 hours of booking…waived change fee. Go on – do a dance. You’re a rockstar.

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 5.07.17 PM

I highly recommend NOT TELLING your significant other how you read about this on the internet. Take the credit, pop the champagne you bought with your savings, and enjoy that look you’re getting – BACHICKAWOWOW! You’re a travel hacker baby – it’s sexy 😉

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Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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13 Comments

  • […] 21 days to take-off) you should know that I should have been charged $75. I wasn’t – I did this little TRICK. Saving $75 got me PRETTY PUMPED my Swiss Business Class 777-300ER Los Angeles to Zurich flight. […]

  • Gray September 26, 2017

    Still doesn’t work. Just tried it before I read the comment thread. Please update the top of the blog post to reflect the new situation

    • Miles September 27, 2017

      Gray – thanks for the update. Had a couple people find success after large swaths of reports saying it wasn’t working, but doors seems to be shut now. Post updated.

      • Peter September 5, 2019

        I had success with this yesterday

  • Jaime September 15, 2017

    🙁

  • […] This one wasn’t really too complex aside from locking down the throne seat on Swiss Business Class without paying the $200 early reservation fee. I searched with United and booked with United. I utilized, what I’ve been told is a dead deal, a trick to avoid the fee for booking within 21…. […]

  • Greg June 8, 2017

    This trick is not available anymore. It was a good several years, but finally is gone.

  • Gene May 24, 2017

    This glitch is dead as of today. I am absolutely not blaming you, as this has been extensively covered and abused! Just thought I would let you know.

    • Miles May 24, 2017

      Gene – oh no! Thanks for not blaming me 🙂 I’ve read about the trick for 2 or 3 years now. maybe it’s a glitch on a glitch 😉

  • John May 21, 2017

    I’m sure this “glitch” will be fixed very soon.

  • Sean May 20, 2017

    Seriously why post this?

  • ZO May 20, 2017

    in case anybody had any doubt as to whether or not MM had become the new MMS (aka Daraius), I give to you the BIG RED ARROWS post *SMH*

  • Sky Gladiator May 20, 2017

    Great tip! Thanks for the heads up!

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