United Airlines flyer details rookie mistake that cost them almost $100 instantly
The traveler, who shared her story in a Reddit post, was booking tickets that were due to cost #295 when she realized she needed to modify the seat selection.
But without a back button, she had to cancel the cart and start over.
The same tickets had jumped $30 within minutes after entering all her flight details again.
Still hoping for a fix, she tried searching on another computer — only to see the fare rise again, this time to $362.
'On United's website, there is no 'back' button,' she wrote. 'So I basically had to cancel the cart item and redo all the steps.'
She concluded the spike, on July 31, was likely due to demand — a suspicion echoed by fellow Reddit users, many of whom shared similar experiences.
'If it makes you feel any better, I made a $500 mistake similar to that,' one traveler replied.
Others chimed in with advice and critiques.
'The system might not have released the inventory you held, back into the pool right away. Why didn't you just change the seats after booking,' a commenter wrote.
'It's a demand issue,' another added. 'If there are multiple searches for the same flight, the prices start increasing.'.
One traveler said they nearly made a $1,600 mistake by misunderstanding a change fee.
'I thought it was $320 total to move our family's return flight up by four hours,' they wrote. 'Turns out it was $320 per ticket. Thankfully, I called and got everything refunded.'
Others noted that United will often refund the fare difference in credit if the price drops after booking.
United has faced growing criticism in 2025 for several unpopular changes that have led some travelers to jump ship.
The company faced backlash after quietly reinstating a pricing policy that charges solo passengers more than those traveling in pairs or groups.
Reddit user chimedon how a quirk on United's website cost a Canadian traveler nearly $100 while booking flights for her family.
Data indicated the airline is applying at least an eight percent price hike for solo travelers on weekdays.
It also ignited fury by narrowing its check-in cutoff window.
Since June, instead of the 30-minute cutoff, all United flyers must check in for domestic flights at least 45 minutes before takeoff.
Meanwhile, United continues pushing luxury on international routes.
Its new Polaris Studio suites, launching this year on flights from San Francisco to London and Singapore.
The suites will include perks such as Cuvée Rosé and designer hoodie pajamas, and will include Wi-Fi from Starlink, a service developed by the Elon Musk 's SpaceX.
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