Travel
How to cancel United Airlines
What its contract says about leaving.
We read the United Airlines terms on April 28, 2026. The company may have changed them since, and your contract may be different.
Notice and dates for leaving
- 24-hour free cancellation window
- Within 24 hours of booking, provided travel is at least 7 days away
- Baggage claim deadline
- Within 24 hours of arrival on domestic flights; within 7 days for damage on international flights under the Montreal Convention
What the contract says about leaving
- Basic Economy is non-changeable and non-refundableOutside the 24-hour DOT window, Basic Economy tickets cannot be voluntarily changed, cancelled, or refunded; United issues no flight credit. The ticket is essentially use-it-or-lose-it.
- Boarding-time enforcementIf you are not at the gate by the published cut-off (15 minutes before departure for domestic), United can release your seat to a standby passenger and treat you as a no-show (voiding the rest of your itinerary even if you are inside the airport).
This page does not explain how United Airlines handles canceling (by phone, on its website or with a form). For that, see the company's own page.
The United Airlines page we read
This is not legal advice. It is a summary, made with the help of AI, of the terms the company publishes.
Want to leave United Airlines? firmas.io shows when you can leave and what it would cost.
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