TH310

I booked a couple of the $60 LAX-ORD-LAX a few months ago in anticipation that I would need a few miles to keep gold status. It turned out that we had an extra trip to Europe and that put me over the top and I didn’t need the miles. But, I thought I might as well go anyway and spend some time in Chicago. The first trip was fun even though UA canceled the return trip and rescheduled us on a horrendous return back through SFO (I fixed that by calling the priority desk and getting a more reasonable flight although we still arrived 5 hours later than we had planned.)

The second trip was supposed to be yesterday (Tuesday). It was a same day turn. I decided to move it to Wednesday using the Same Day Change mechanism. Because it was a same day turn, I was having trouble as UA.com wouldn’t allow me to make a change that left less than four hours between arriving and departing ORD. (At least that is what the priority desk told me on my first call.) I could make the change if I moved my return a few hours—as far as the 24 hour limitation would allow. And then moved the departure a few hours. Sort of like building the pyramids bit by bit.

After a few changes, .com would not allow me to make changes and would not show any available flights that could be changed even WITH a payment. I called the priority desk again and requested they make the change for me. I said I was having trouble with the website. She made the change but then apparently looked again and said, “You’ve changed this ticket too many times and the computer caught you. You can only change within 24 hours from the original ticket.” Actually, everything was 24 hours from the original ticket. Then she said, “I am having a supervisor change this ticket back to its original fare class. And I’m adding a notation that this ticket cannot be changed again without the regular change fee.”

I guess I was abusing the computer system. Although, some companies might like the fact that their customers are “engaging” with the system. Especially customers that regularly fly international business class. I guess it is a point of view.

It was still not the optimum flight and I had wanted to change it one more time when we got to ORD. Now, that was out the window. After she hung up I realized that she had not assigned seats. I selected the seats myself and then tried to check in. On line check-in not available for the 730am flight. Just that I had to “go to the airport.” I lost all enthusiasm for the mile run and canceled the reservations.

I have to go back to France in November and although another J ticket might get me to Platinum I’m just not feeling much love for UA after the conversation. I’m now thinking it might be fun to try AF’s A380. Or go on TK, which I really like (even though it would take longer but I would have access to the beautiful LAX *Alliance lounge). And, I don’t seem to really get much more from being Platinum over Gold on UA.

I thought I would post as I previously thought that you could do SDC almost indefinitely as long as seats were available. Also wondering if it is really worth it to strive for Platinum or try something new.

Loren Pechtel

Same day means same day--you tried to move it to another day and got caught.

Kacee

But it really doesn't mean same day. It means 24 hours. Many of us have rolled an SDC into the next day. Some have done it multiple times.

OP didn't tell us exactly how many changes he had made to the ticket. I can see how changing both outbound and return repeatedly might raise a flag. That said, it sounds like he had the bad luck of drawing one of those overly officious agents who takes pleasure in shutting pax down.

JHake10

When using the app looking at SDC options for a Thursday EWR-SFO flight I routienly get shown some late Wednesday flight. As others mentioned it's seems to be within 24hrs (even if it's a different calendar day(. However, I'm sure the system does have triggers after many changes.

Juventini

buy one way+one way then you wont have problems doing MR next time (if there will be one)

laxmillenial

I'm a bit confused why she said this? Same Day change implies that the fare class has to be available so your fare class wouldn't have changed if you were just SDC'ing?

Furthermore, I've SDC'd a flight multiple times, my record (and I've only done this once) was SDC'ing a SFO -> LAX flight for 11 days. If your fare class is high enough, the options should show.

mherdeg

Abject nonsense. Classic "we don't know how to make this work but the easiest thing for us to do is blame the customer" stuff. The VERY BEST you can do is politely disengage then hang up and call again. UA has some customer service agents who really, really, really, really do not like customers.

Are you actually going to spend less money on UA based on this interaction? Really?

milepig

And over a $60 ticket.

thejaredhuang

Happened to me before but only after an agent at customer service called in to try a change (I had a companion that against my wishes got a split PNR). They called into UA ticketing and the operator put a note on my record to not allow any more changes. Never happened to me using the app or online.

My only advice is to never talk to a person about changes unless its absolutely needed, e.g. return flight somehow ended up before departure flight. If then call MPSC and not someone at the airport unless its a gate agent. I learned that trip that gate agents provide the best customer service on the ground.

I also felt the same way about UA as you but I got over it. This was a one time thing on one reservation and they will probably never do it again on another reservation.

MatthewLAX

No, it does not.

TH310

Yes. That is exactly what I should have done. FWIW I was very polite to the service agent, but I would have been better off saying that I needed to call back.



Sure. I like to fly and I like to be excited about flying. This agent's attitude was something of a buzzkill. For 2016, I will have to work to get to the next level (platinum). Since I am already Gold (barely) and can live without Platinum, I might have more fun flying airlines or aircraft that I haven't been on before. Yes, I might try something else since my enthusiasm was a little dampened by this agent. I'm saying this without any sort of anger or sense of revenge. But I think it is worth mention that an agent's attitude over a $60 ticket could result in the loss of a pair of J tickets to Air France or TK. I find it interesting that UA has this person working the priority desk and she is not more big-picture oriented. She certainly did not need to add the notation "no more changes without a fee." That was at her discretion.

btw, I appreciate the responses. Thanks.

COSPILOT

I wouldn't let one agents attitude influence my future purchases, but that's just me. You got a super cheap fare, be happy you scored what you got.

sbm12

It is absolutely possible that a PNR can get too long and break things in the system. Lots of changes will add length to the record and speed that process. Not that it means you cannot still operate within the rules, but it can break some of the automated systems (like SDC).

And, yes, many have used SDC to their advantage, changing over multiple days or even weeks. But to pretend that's what the policy was put in place for is disingenuous. Calling too much attention to such abuse will likely end about as well as the "free one-way" award situation did. @:-)

narvik

Possibly a more polite way would be NOT actually say you're calling back. Never know what notes the agent might write in your 'file' if you announce that you're going to call back.

thejaredhuang

I just reread the comments and I'd like to ask why does the fare amount give agents the right to justify their actions? On my trip twice I was told that you only paid XX for this ticket. A revenue ticket is a revenue ticket, it's not in my control or the agent's control how much I paid for it.