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UA Same-Day Travel Change (SDC) Fees/Questions (with Wiki) {Archive}

Old Jan 4, 2015, 2:01 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This wiki was created to distill SDC (and related standby) down to a set of rules in the hopes of benefiting others.

The official "rules" can be found here. In practice, some of the rules almost always apply, and some are more flexible.

Note there have been reports of SDC to one segment removing confirmed CPU upgrades on downline segments. If maintaining the confirmed upgrade is important then these changes should be handled with care.

Most Frequently Asked Question: When do I call/go online to make the change?
Follow this flowchart:
Question 1: Are you within 24 hours of your currently scheduled UA(*) operated flight that you're trying to change off of? If yes, continue to Question 2. If no, continue to answer 1.
Question 2: Are you within 24 hours of the first UA operated flight you're trying to change on to? If yes, continue to to Answer 2. If no, continue to Answer 1.
Answer 1: No, you cannot call/go online yet to make an SDC.
Answer 2: Yes, then you can call/go online to make an SDC.

General Baseline Rules

These are the general rules that usually apply to SDC's; falling outside these rules usually requires payment of a full change fee and the fare difference:
  • The departure time of the first segment of the old itinerary and the departure time of the first segment of the new itinerary must both be within 24 hours of the moment that the change is made.
  • Only applies to UA/UX operated flights, domestic or international. Changing from a non-UA operated to UA operated may be possible.
  • The ultimate origin and destination airports must remain the same.
  • Routing can be changed (addition, deletion, or change of connection points) but the routing rules of the original fare usually apply.
  • All remaining unflown segments in single fared itinerary are considered together (i.e., if you're flying WWW-XXX-YYY-ZZZ, you can go to a kiosk at XXX and potentially fly XXX-AAA-ZZZ or XXX-ZZZ direct).
  • SDC can be done an unlimited number of times, and can therefore be used to extend a trip indefinitely (pending availability).
  • SDC costs $75 for Members and Silvers - the fee is waived for Golds and up (plus any applicable fare difference, see below). *G's may also get free SDC, although there is no mention of this in the official rules. Once in-route, fees for an earlier connecting flight may be waived per GG SDC Line 118.
  • Non-elites on the same PNR benefit from any waived fees for SDC.
  • No fare difference is charged so long as there is availability on all of the new segments in the originally ticketed fare class. Fare class availability in all classes often opens up after T-24 and almost always opens up at T-3 unless the plane is very full.
  • SDC on bulk tickets, including United Specials, is not permitted.
  • SDC is permitted on both domestic and international itineraries.

How to SDC

SDC can be accomplished in a few different places (in rough order of likelihood of being able to get the rules bent):
  • United mobile app
  • Kiosk
  • Phone
  • On united.com, right now only the "Search Other Flight Options" button during On-Line Check-In (OLCI) works. This has spotty availability, particularly if the change would involve paying an additional fare due to fare bucket non-availability.
  • Counter/Gate (although reports are that most airport agents are not familiar with the SDC policy and may not allow you to SDC to a valid itinerary--you can try to direct them to look up GG SDC, but they often won't understand that what you're trying to do is permitted by those rules)
Please note that the United.com change flight link before checking in within T-24, is broken. The website may not show all available options and will often attempt to collect the change fee rather than the SDC fee (if any).


NB: An SDC where the original itinerary (in one direction) has three or more segments cannot be done online.


Nuances and Loose Rules

Now for the hard part: figuring out where the flexibility is in the rules. This list is compiled from the responses to people saying "Can I do X?" where X is something that is not clearly permitted by the rules. One's likelihood of success here depends a bit on the method used for the SDC.

For each item, the following codes apply:
Y = officially permitted and possible using any method
A = not permitted but perhaps possible using an agent (phone/counter), perhaps having to HUACA
A* = mixed reports of success with an agent (phone/counter),
N* = possible only if you find a very accommodating agent
N = little or no reported success.
  • Violating various non-routing fare rules (day/time, minimum stay, etc.): Y
  • Change destination to ultra-close airport (see the old S*FAR/STANDBY): A
  • Change destination to a co-terminal: N*
  • Change destination to an entirely different place: N
  • Change itinerary at the beginning to include illegal layovers (> 4 hours): N*
  • Change itinerary at the layover point (using kiosk, app, or agent) to create an otherwise illegal layover: Y
  • Change itinerary at the beginning to add a layover point not permitted by the routing rules: N*
  • Change itinerary at a layover point to add another layover not permitted (either in terms of number of segments or routing rules) by the routing rules: Y
  • Change to a flight exactly 24 hours before or after the original flight: N*
  • Change to a flight exactly 24 hours before the original flight, if the previous day's flight has been delayed: Y (based on one report)
  • Combining separately-fared segments to do SDC (e.g. XXX-YYY+YYY-ZZZ -> XXX-ZZZ): A
  • Change UA-codeshare, non-UA-metal segment to UA metal: A
  • Change from UA metal to UA-codeshare, non-UA-metal segment: N (see post 1813 for one exception)
  • Change from UA-codeshare, non-UA-metal segment to a different UA-codeshare, non-UA-metal segment: ??
  • Change on a non-UA ticketed segment: N* (with potential dire consequences)
  • Change from an upgraded flight into Y on the new flight: Y
  • Change from a GPU-upgraded flight into J/F on the new flight: A
  • Change from a CPU-upgraded flight and get confirmed into available R space on the new flight: N*
  • Change from an instrument-upgraded flight and get confirmed into available R space on the new flight: A*
  • Non-elite on different PNR benefiting from Elite's waived-fee SDC: A
  • Change at origin airport after tendering a checked bag: N
  • Change at layover airport when a bag has been checked: N

If you encounter issues with an agent (phone or counter/gate), you can ask the agent to reference GG SDC. Additionally, GG SDC line 61 specifically references that fare classes are supposed to level out 3.5 hours before departure, so you might be able to use that to your advantage if fare classes have not leveled out and you're trying to ask an agent to open up the correct inventory or force you onto the flight.

Note -- as of 11/27/2017: A datapoint indicates that UA may have updated its GG rule regarding leveling out to state the following:

Code:
EVERYDAY AWARD AND REVENUE BUCKETS ARE TO LEVEL OUT WITHIN 2H OF DEPARTURE
Standby
You may stand by if seats are not available in the purchased fare class. In these cases, the same-day change fee will apply, but will not be charged unless you are assigned a seat on your alternate flight. Changes in routing are not allowed when standing by. Standby may be requested on the day of departure at an airport kiosk or with a United representative at the airport. Once you are added to the flight standby list, you can check your real-time standby status at united.com/flightstatus or on your mobile device at mobile.united.com/info.

Instead of paying a same-day change discounted fee, can I stand by for my desired flight for free?
No. The only time you may standby for free is when the fare does not have any penalties for making changes, or when standing by involuntarily due to a flight irregularity.

Can I pay the same-day change discount fee with cash?
Cash will only be accepted by a United airport representative when the change is available to be confirmed, not for standby travel.

original posting by mgcsinc, initiated by jackal

Previous threads:
UA Same-Day Travel Change (SDC) Fees/Questions *now with WikiPost* {pre-2015 Archive}
Print Wikipost

UA Same-Day Travel Change (SDC) Fees/Questions (with Wiki) {Archive}

Old Jan 15, 2013, 6:42 pm
  #16  
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Originally Posted by chinatraderjmr
I was told they are considered the same city (NYC) for purposes of routing, SDC, etc. of course, this means nothing as I was told this by an agent who allowed me to change flights from ORD-EWR to ORD-LGA
Definitely not. EWR is carved out from a routing rules perspective to allow UA to charge a huge premium for its routes from there.

You probably had an agent who was from the UA subsidiary and assumed it was treated as NYC.
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Old Jan 15, 2013, 7:01 pm
  #17  
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Originally Posted by star_world
Definitely not. EWR is carved out from a routing rules perspective to allow UA to charge a huge premium for its routes from there.

You probably had an agent who was from the UA subsidiary and assumed it was treated as NYC.
For purposes of SDC, LGA and EWR are treated the same, but not JFK. I have many times changed from EWR to LGA but not to JFK unless it is irrops. YMMV
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Old Jan 15, 2013, 7:43 pm
  #18  
 
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I had success in December changing JFK-IAD to EWR-IAD.
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Old Jan 15, 2013, 8:08 pm
  #19  
 
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Originally Posted by njcommodore
I had success in December changing JFK-IAD to EWR-IAD.
I can confirm changing from IAD-EWR to IAD-JFK on a perfectly clear day for air travel in the northeast, coincidentally also in December. As previously stated, this doesn't seem to be standard procedure. However, in the new environment, every outcome is equally as possible as it is impossible, depending on which agent you speak to.
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Old Jan 15, 2013, 8:34 pm
  #20  
 
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The agent on the phone told me I can do SDC from LAX/EWR to LAX/JFK.
Northwest did treat all 3 airports as same NYC and I never had difficulties to do SDC so I believe UA does that too.
Thinking logically, EWR and LGA are only NYC and JFK is not NYC is more likely wrong.
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Old Jan 15, 2013, 8:40 pm
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by chinatraderjmr
I was told they are considered the same city (NYC) for purposes of routing, SDC, etc. of course, this means nothing as I was told this by an agent who allowed me to change flights from ORD-EWR to ORD-LGA
Originally Posted by anishub
For purposes of SDC, LGA and EWR are treated the same, but not JFK. I have many times changed from EWR to LGA but not to JFK unless it is irrops. YMMV
Originally Posted by ciao114
The agent on the phone told me I can do SDC from LAX/EWR to LAX/JFK.
Northwest did treat all 3 airports as same NYC and I never had difficulties to do SDC so I believe UA does that too.
Thinking logically, EWR and LGA are only NYC and JFK is not NYC is more likely wrong.
This is definitely a YMMV situation. Technically, EWR and LGA are co-terminus, but you cannot SDC to a co-terminus airport, per the rules. Case and point, I was in a high fare class LGA-IAH-LAS trying to SDC to a lower or same fare class (I don't recall) EWR-LAS but it wasn't possible.
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Old Jan 15, 2013, 9:09 pm
  #22  
 
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I'm pretty sure the rules don't allow the change, even with SDC except in irrops. That being said, I've had agents change me from LGA to either EWR or JFK quite a bit. I don't think I've ever been denied that request when speaking with them in person. Phone is a different story. (ps, I hate LGA)
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Old Jan 15, 2013, 10:16 pm
  #23  
 
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i've never been able to do a switch between JFK/EWR before. and i've tried a few times. i gave up.
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Old Jan 15, 2013, 10:52 pm
  #24  
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As one other person appropriately pointed out in this thread the OP's question is moot because SDC does not allow co-terminals. Therefore by the book the request will be denied.

It doesn't matter what UA considers co-terminal airports under the "NYC" code. In theory all three qualify.

The OP should hope for IROPS to change their flight. SFO usually has a morning fog problem, especially with earlier departures.

-RM
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Old Jan 15, 2013, 11:10 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by RobOnLI
SFO usually has a morning fog problem, especially with earlier departures.

-RM
Typically little fog at SFO this time of the year, and right now is not exception.
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Old Jan 16, 2013, 1:00 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by ExRSA
I am due to fly SFO-EWR but interested in possibly changing to SFO-JFK. Is this considered the "same routing" for SDC purposes?
No.

1. Personal experience (Want to fly DEN-SJC instead of DEN-SFO. Was told to pay $75 at DEN or fare difference from Premier Line.)

2. Even SDC within the same city pair possible, SFO-JFK is p.s. Agents tend not to allow such change (And again - personal experience, SJC-DEN-LGA to SFO-JFK).
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Old Jan 16, 2013, 1:06 am
  #27  
 
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SDC between co-terminals is technically not allowed. (Which isn't to say that it can't be done).

SDC between "Multi-airport cities" IS allowed, but there's only 2 pairs of them that UA fly to - JFK/LGA and IAD/DCA.

I've had no problems changing flights between multi-airport cities in the past (most recently just over a week ago), but I've failed on two of the three occasions I've tried to do it with EWR being involved - with the one time I succeeded being during IRROPS.

Originally Posted by garykung
2. Even SDC within the same city pair possible, SFO-JFK is p.s. Agents tend not to allow such change (And again - personal experience, SJC-DEN-LGA to SFO-JFK).
This one is definitely allowed. I've had GA's deny it in the past as p.s. is a "different class of service", but in the end I've always succeeded after a bit of pushing.
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Old Jan 16, 2013, 1:15 am
  #28  
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Originally Posted by docbert
This one is definitely allowed. I've had GA's deny it in the past as p.s. is a "different class of service", but in the end I've always succeeded after a bit of pushing.
In this case, you have a better pushing skill than I do.
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Old Jan 16, 2013, 1:48 am
  #29  
 
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From my experience no. I thought you could. When CO flew out of JFK I wanted to go out of EWR and no SDC allowed from a different airport. Only exception in Irreg Opps and they are very flexable, even flying out of airports not co-terminals.
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Old Jan 16, 2013, 4:48 am
  #30  
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Originally Posted by docbert
SDC between co-terminals is technically not allowed. (Which isn't to say that it can't be done).
Correct.

Originally Posted by docbert
SDC between "Multi-airport cities" IS allowed, but there's only 2 pairs of them that UA fly to - JFK/LGA and IAD/DCA.
Nope.

The official rules are quite clear:
Changes are only available for the exact origin and destination airport. Connection points may be changed provided the new routing is permitted by the fare purchased.
Like many others I have had success over the past year changing airports as part of the process, both with and without IRROPs circumstances. But I know every time that it is more than the rules entitle me to.
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