United Airlines Multi City Flight Change Policy: Rules & How to Change

Quick Answer Box

• United Airlines allows multi-city & complex itinerary changes at no added cost (for Main Cabin and Above)
• For tickets originating outside the United States, United Airlines does not universally guarantee free modifications.
• Basic Economy tickets cannot be changed once booked.
• Changing a multi-city or complex itinerary may require assistance.
• Skipping one leg results in cancellation of the entire trip
• You must pay the fare difference.
• United issues a credit refund when the new flight costs less.

United Airlines allows free flight changes for multi-city & complex itineraries, only when the flight originates from the USA. However, the process can be much more complicated than changing a single-flight itinerary. Travelers can contact a United agent or the OTA they used to book for an easy, hassle-free process.

What Is A Multi-City And Complex Itinerary?

Before you understand how to change a multi-city itinerary, let us understand what these terms stand for.

When you fly to three or more destinations under one single booking, it is a multi-city itinerary. For example, Los Angeles to Chicago to New York to Los Angeles as one trip under one reservation.

Remember that this is not a regular round trip, stopover, or layover. Here, all three or more distinct destinations are treated as their own flight segment, all under one combined booking.

Round-trip and one-way tickets are booked through United's standard search, where you just pick your origin, destination, and dates. Multi-city trips require using United's dedicated multi-city search tool, where you build the itinerary leg by leg, choosing each city and date individually before the system prices the whole trip as one combined fare.

The distinction matters beyond just booking, because a multi-city itinerary is priced as one bundled fare rather than several separate one-way prices. It behaves differently when you need to change it later.

Does United Airlines Charge A Fee For Multi-City Changes?

United Airlines has a no-change-fee policy for Main Cabin and above fares, whether you are booking a standard ticket or a multi-city itinerary. Only the fare difference needs to be paid.

A Basic Economy ticket cannot be changed. The only option left is to book a new flight.

To learn more, you can read our blog on United Basic Economy Change & Cancellation Rules.

If any part of your multi-city trip involves a partner airline or international route, different fare rules may apply. It is best to contact United Reservations to confirm fees and conditions.
 

Can You Change One Segment of a UA Flight Ticket Without Affecting the Whole Trip?

Yes, however, there will be some repricing for the entire trip. Even when you book a multi-city flight ticket online with United Airlines, your ticket is built under a single reservation, including all cities and stops of the route.

The fare is constructed for a multi-city booking so that the total price comes up as one combined reservation fare. The booking total cost is not constructed by adding up each leg separately.

So when you change even one leg of the booking, the total fare changes.

For minor changes to one leg, like shifting the time or date of one flight, this won't significantly affect the entire trip. But when your flight change includes adding a city or adding or removing a stop, you might have to reissue the entire ticket, and the price will be recalculated.
 

What Happens to Fare Pricing When You Change One Leg of Your UA Flight?

When you change the flight for a multi-city itinerary, the system reconstructs the fare for the whole trip based on current pricing, routing rules, and availability. Even the segments that are unchanged are not locked in at their original cost during this recalculation. This means that even an untouched segment of your itinerary might be entitled to a new price. This means even a slight, free change in a flight could cost you more than the original fare due to a price change.

Airline industry pricing behavior is often tied to a concept sometimes called married segments. Here, certain flight segments on a ticket are logically tied together for fare-construction and pricing purposes, rather than being treated as independent, separable transactions.

• Before confirming any single-leg change, always look for the full repriced total, not just the cost difference on the segment you are changing.
• Make sure a small change doesn't cost more than expected, especially if you booked during a lower fare.
• The best way to avoid added fares is to book the final itinerary, which may not require changes, or to book each leg separately to save the most.
• Separate flight changes are much easier and don't affect the cost of the full itinerary.

Step-by-Step: How to Change a UA Multi-City Itinerary?

To change your multi-city itinerary online, you can simply log in to your UA account online using a browser or mobile app.

Step 1: Log Into Your United Account
Go to united.com or open the mobile app and sign in with your MileagePlus number or username. Then click on My Trips to find your reservation details.

Step 2: Pull Up Your Multi-City Reservation
Once you enter your confirmation code, you will find the itinerary. Remember, multi-city bookings include several segments under one reservation. Review the full itinerary before making changes so you don't miss a connection.

Step 3: Select Change Flight
After reviewing the full itinerary, you can choose the change option for your trip. Make the needed modification to your leg, be it time, date, or any other amendment.

Step 4: Review Whether the Change Is Available Online
Minor adjustments such as the same route, same segments, just a date/time shift may be processed directly through the website or app. More complex changes, such as switching a city, adding/removing a stop, or anything affecting multiple segments, can be tricky and sometimes can't be completed online. For those changes, you'll need to contact United Reservations.

Step 5: Review the New Price

Check the available changes and eligibility.Review the total price for the trip, as multi-city fares are priced as one combined construction. Any change in one leg will ultimately affect the total cost of your entire itinerary.

Step 6: Confirm and Pay Any Fare Difference
Check the new total and pay the fare difference. You will receive an updated confirmation and new boarding passes by email.

Step 7: Call United Reservations If the Online Tool Can't Process It
When you are not able to complete the multi-city flight change online, call UA Reservations, or contact the OTA (online travel agency) with whom you booked the flights. Have your confirmation number ready, and ask the agent to walk you through the full repriced itinerary before confirming.

Step 8: Get Confirmation in Writing
Once your change is processed, save the confirmation showing the updated itinerary, any fare paid, and your new segment details.
 

Can A Multi-City Award Flight Ticket Be Changed?

Yes, you can easily change a multi-city ticket if booked via MileagePlus miles. It is even easier to book and change, since you pay the fare difference in miles (no cash except for taxes). When the fare difference is less than the original flight fare, you get the refund in miles redeposited into your MileagePlus account.

One thing that can create confusion is how United's multi-city search tool works for MileagePlus members. At times, the multi-city search creates two separate award bookings instead of one combined itinerary. So make sure the ticket you booked using miles is actually a multi-city ticket, not separate tickets.
 

Award vs. Cash Multi-City Change Comparison

Here are some instances where it might not be possible for you to change your multi-city flight online:

• When a part of your trip is on a partner airline, you cannot change it online. You will have to call United Reservations
• For a no-show, you must cancel before departure with no exceptions.
• If you booked a ticket using a combination of sources, such as award and cash, or your ticket has partner segments, contact United Reservations for fare rules.

International Multi-City UA flight changes also need assistance for reasons like visa and entry requirements, limited availability, and fare changes. Contact United Reservations or your travel agency for assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change just one city on my multi-city trip?

Yes, you can change one leg of your multi-city trip. Make sure to review the final fare and pay for the fare change.

Is multi-city more expensive to change than a round-trip?

No, the cost depends on the updated fare at the time of change. While the change fee is $0 for both itineraries, the final fare of your flight can sometimes be higher than the previous itinerary.

What happens if I miss one flight in a multi-city itinerary?

Missing one leg of your multi-city itinerary automatically cancels the rest of the reservation. It is better to inform the airline and cancel the flight. This preserves the chances of getting a refund credit.

Can I add a destination to an existing multi-city booking?

No, you cannot directly add a new destination or segment to an existing multi-city booking online. You need to contact UA reservations so that the agent can manually calculate the fare and make needed changes to the itinerary.

Do Basic Economy rules apply to multi-city tickets?

Yes, Basic Economy rules apply completely to multi-city tickets.

Cheapflightsfares is an independent agency and is not affiliated with United Airlines. The given policies are subject to change. It is always advisable to verify current policies published by United Airlines on their official website.