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Everything you wanted to know about the confirmed same-day change process

Everything you wanted to know about the confirmed same-day change process

 
Old Dec 30, 2005, 3:15 pm
  #1  
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Exclamation Everything you wanted to know about the confirmed same-day change process

[Moderator's Note - Thanks to the OP for writing this; as of 5/22/2008, United changed the confirmed standby fee from $50 to $75. I've updated this first post accordingly]


I've seen several posts lately that relate to the $75 confirmed standby, including one of my own. It seems that UA doesn't publicize it particularly well. So, here's my attempt to consolidate the relevant information and make it available to FT as a resource for UA passengers.

Updated: 05/22/08

United.com's information:
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,51160,00.html

What does this fee do?
It enables passengers traveling on domestic UA/UX/Ted flights to confirm a seat on a different flight from their originally ticketed one.

How much is the fee?
$75.

How can I pay the fee?
You can pay over the phone or at the airport.

When can I do this?
Within three hours of the flight you want to take. So if your original flight is at 11PM, and you want to take the 2PM, you can call at 11AM and get a seat.

What inventory does this come out of?
The confirmed standby comes out of "H" inventory.

Can I confirm more than three hours out?
Your experience may vary. Officially, no. But a helpful and willing agent may make an exception for you.

Can I change the routing?
No. The rules state you must standby for flights on the originally confirmed routing. As with some other exceptions, a nice agent may be able to do this for you.

Can I still standby for free at the gate?
Yes. You would still clear about 20 minutes out, based on the usual factors.

If I'm on a flexible ticket, does this fee apply to me?
No.

If my original itinerary involves a red-eye and a flight the next day, can I standby for flights that are all on the same day?
Yes. It is based on the day of departure from origin.

Does one fee cover multiple segments?
Yes. However, you must be able to confirm all segments at the same time.

Does my status influence my ability to confirm a seat?
No. If you have $75 and a seat is available, it's yours. Inventory management controls the availability of seats, not Mileage Plus.

Is this fee per person, or per PNR?
It is per person. If you have two people traveling on the same PNR, and two seats are available, you pay $150.

Does this replace the missed flight policy?
No. The "flat tire rule" is still in place. See reply #30 by rcs85551 for the relevant UA profile.

======================
I hope the above is helpful. Please let me know of any inaccuracies or omissions.

Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; May 22, 2008 at 11:53 pm Reason: UA Now Charges $75
Phoenician Aviator is offline  
Old Dec 30, 2005, 3:22 pm
  #2  
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Thanks! Good info. Welcome to FT! Cheers.
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 3:25 pm
  #3  
 
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Thanks! This is very helpful. I'm hoping a moderator might add this to the FAQ.
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 3:25 pm
  #4  
 
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Thanks for your work. Let me add the applicable S*FAR/CONFIRM SAME DAY reference:

Code:
             CONFIRM SAME-DAY FLIGHT CHANGE                                     
             (WITHIN/BETWEEN U.S. 50 STATES)                                    
                                                                                
             OVERVIEW............. S*R.G                                        
             CSR ATO PROCEDURES... S*R.C                                        
             RSSR PROCEDURES...... S*R.R                                        
             TERMS AND CONDITIONS. S*R.M                                        
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
OVERVIEW:                                                                       
  EFFECTIVE 14NOV05...CONFIRMED SAME-DAY FLIGHT CHANGE                          
  OFFERS CUSTOMERS TRAVELING ON DOMESTIC FLIGHTS                                
  (WITHIN/BETWEEN 50 UNITED STATES) THE OPPORTUNITY TO                          
  CONFIRM SEATING ON AN ALTERNATE FLIGHT WITHIN 4 HOURS                         
  OF RSSR OR CSR CONTACT FOR 25.00USD.                                          
                                                                                
 CSR ATO PROCEDURES:                                                            
 1. CUSTOMER MAY CONFIRM ALTERNATE FLIGHT WITHIN 4 HOURS                        
    OF CSR CONTACT.                                                             
    EXAMPLE 1: CUSTOMER WITH A 6PM FLIGHT CAN CONFIRM A                         
               1PM FLIGHT IF CSR CONTACT IS MADE AS EARLY                       
    EXAMPLE 2: CUSTOMER WITH A 7AM FLIGHT ARRIVES AT THE                        
               AIRPORT 9AM...CSR CAN CONFIRM A FLIGHT                           
               BETWEEN 9AM-1PM.                                                 
 2. CUSTOMER ASKS TO FLY ON ALTERNATE FLIGHT THAN BOOKED                        
    IN PNR.                                                                     
 3. TO DETERMINE CAPACITY/AVAILABILITY OF FLIGHT...USE                          
    FASTAIR *AVAILABILITY LOADS*. DO NOT OVERBOOK FLIGHT                        
    (CABIN CAPACITY MINUS 1).                                                   
 4. ONLY OFFER IDENTICAL ROUTING: SAME DESTINATION AND                          
    SAME CONNECTION CITY. CONNECTING DOWNLINE FLIGHTS                           
    MAY BE OFFERED/CONFIRMED.                                                   
    EXAMPLES: CLE X/ORD LAX...CANNOT OFFER CLELAX NON-STOP                      
              CLE X/ORD LAX...CANNOT OFFER CLE X/DEN LAX                        
              CLE X/ORD LAX...CAN OFFER CLEORD AND ORDLAX                       
              CLE X/ORD LAX...CAN OFFER CLEORD OR ORDLAX                        
 5. IN CUSTOMER PNR...CANCEL OLD FLIGHT AND CONFIRM NEW FLIGHT.                 
    - BOOK TO CABIN CAPACITY MINUS 1.                                           
      EXAMPLE: ECONOMY CABIN HAS 100 SEATS...ONLY BOOK TO 99...                 
      EVEN IF AVAILABILITY INDICATES SEATS AVAILABLE TO                         
      SELL. FULL FLIGHTS OR FLIGHTS WITH ONE EMPTY SEAT                         
      MUST *NOT* BE OFFERED.                                                    
    - BOOK IN SAME CABIN (SAME BOOKING CODE IF AVAILABLE OR                     
      ECONOMY BOOK H/BUSINESS BOOK C/FIRST BOOK F)                              
    - DO *NOT* REVAL ETKT. DO NOT *TICKET VERIFY* PNR ATFQ.                     
    - CHECK CUSTOMER AND BAGGAGE ON NEW FLIGHTS.                                
 6. PROCESS THE CONFIRMED SAME-DAY FLIGHT SALE ON SST:                          
    FASTAIR: SPECIAL CHARGES MENU (CTRL F2/OPTION 8)                            
             BASE:  23.25                                                       
             TAX:    1.75US                                                     
             TOTAL: 25.00                                                       
   NOTE: DO NOT USE PNR UNITED FIELD/UF TO PROCESS                              
         CHARGE. AMOUNTS ARE NOT TRACKED APPROPRIATELY                          
         AND TAXES MUST BE INDICATED. USE SST...                                
         FASTAIR: SPECIAL CHARGES MENU (CTRL F2/OPTION 8).                      
                                                                                
 RSSR PROCEDURES:                                                               
 1. CUSTOMER MAY CONFIRM ALTERNATE FLIGHT WITHIN 4 HOURS                        
    OF RSSR CONTACT.                                                            
    EXAMPLE: CUSTOMER WITH A 6 P.M. FLIGHT CALLS IN AT 1 P.M.                   
    (THEIR LOCAL TIME). RSSR CAN CONFIRM A FLIGHT -IF AVAILABLE-                
    FOR FLIGHTS LEAVING BETWEEN 1 P.M. TO 5 P.M.                                
 2. RSSR MUST BE ABLE TO REBOOK IN SAME BOOKING CLASS OR                        
    H-CLASS.                                                                    
    EXAMPLE: IF A CUSTOMER IS HOLDING V-CLASS AND V-CLASS                       
    IS AVAILABLE THE RSSR WOULD REBOOK IN V-CLASS..IF NOT                       
    THEN BOOK IN H-CLASS. DO NOT BOOK IN ANY CLASS BETWEEN                      
    V OR H..IT IS EITHER THE BOOKING CLASS OR H-CLASS.                          
 3. COLLECT THE $25.00 FEE THROUGH THE UNITED FIELDS.                           
    (LOCATED IN THE REVALIDATE MENU)                                            
 4. **DO NOT** REVALIDATE OR REISSUE ETKT. THE AIRPORT                          
    HAS A PROCESS IN PLACE WHICH WILL ASSIST CUSTOMERS                          
    CHECKING IN AT THE EASY CHECKIN UNITS OR AT THE COUNTER.                    
 5. YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ASSIGN A CUSTOMER A SEAT. DUE                        
    TO THE TIME FRAME IT MAY BE UNDER AIRPORT CONTROL.                          
    PLEASE ADVISE THE CUSTOMER A SEAT WILL BE ASSIGNED                          
    AT THE AIRPORT.                                                             
 6. PLEASE SEE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ADDITIONAL                              
    INFORMATION  S*R.M                                                          
                                                                                
 TERMS AND CONDITIONS:                                                          
  * VALID ON UA/UAX/TED OPERATED FLIGHTS                                        
  * VALID WITHIN/BETWEEN THE 50 UNITED STATES                                   
  * 25.00USD IS NON-REFUNDABLE                                                  
  * NOT VALID ON DOMESTIC SEGMENTS THAT ARE PART OF                             
    AN INTERNATIONAL ITINERARY                                                  
  * FEE IS ONE-WAY CHARGE INCLUDING CONNECTIONS. CONFIRMING                     
    ONE FLIGHT...TWO FLIGHTS...OR THREE FLIGHTS ON A                            
    ONE-WAY ITINERARY WILL COST ONLY 25.00USD.                                  
  * UA*S SAME-DAY STANDBY FOR FREE REMAINS AN OPTION FOR                        
    CUSTOMERS. UA*S MISSED TRIP POLICY REMAINS IN EFFECT.                       
    SEE:   S*FAR/STANDBY                                                        
  * CUSTOMERS WITH FULLY REFUNDABLE TICKETS (MOST F/C/Y/B/M                     
    TYPE FARES) MAY MAKE FLIGHT CHANGES WITHOUT CHARGE.                         
  * CONFIRMED SAME-DAY FLIGHT WILL BE OFFERED ON ECU/ECO                        
    IN EARLY 2006.
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 3:33 pm
  #5  
 
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Am I reading correctly that you cannot do this if the routing is different? In other words, I can't be booked on SEA-ORD-IAD and do a confirmed standby for the SEA-IAD flight that leaves 2 hours earlier?
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 3:34 pm
  #6  
 
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Originally Posted by rcs85551
* CONFIRMED SAME-DAY FLIGHT WILL BE OFFERED ON ECU/ECO IN EARLY 2006.
^
Hopefully, however, the units/site will still allow (free) standby as well.

Great posts, Phoenician Aviator and rcs85551. Thanks.
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 3:36 pm
  #7  
 
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Originally Posted by Lpas
Am I reading correctly that you cannot do this if the routing is different? In other words, I can't be booked on SEA-ORD-IAD and do a confirmed standby for the SEA-IAD flight that leaves 2 hours earlier?
That is the way I read it.
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 3:38 pm
  #8  
 
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Originally Posted by Dromomaniac
Hopefully, however, the units/site will still allow (free) standby as well.
From the S*Profile:
UA*S SAME-DAY STANDBY FOR FREE REMAINS AN OPTION FOR CUSTOMERS. UA*S MISSED TRIP POLICY REMAINS IN EFFECT.
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 3:55 pm
  #9  
 
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Originally Posted by Dromomaniac
That is the way I read it.
CSR's seemed to be happy to book me into other routing (DEN or IAD) had there been availability. Not that this was the right or wrong policy -- just that they would have.
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 4:05 pm
  #10  
 
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Originally Posted by rcs85551
* CONFIRMED SAME-DAY FLIGHT WILL BE OFFERED ON ECU/ECO IN EARLY 2006.
So, what exactly does this mean?
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 4:27 pm
  #11  
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Thanks to rcs85551 for adding the UA profile. Very helpful! ^

I've updated the list to include the question about changing routing.
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 4:34 pm
  #12  
 
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Originally Posted by robb
So, what exactly does this mean?
I assume it means that Easy Chicken - units and online versions - will be equipped to handle confirmed changes under this new policy, sometime early in 2006. Hopefully this gives us the flexibility to get confirmed changes at the airport without having to necessarily stand in line and seek out an agent. Yes, even the RCCs have lines much of the time!

Originally Posted by rcs85551
From the S*Profile:
UA*S SAME-DAY STANDBY FOR FREE REMAINS AN OPTION FOR CUSTOMERS. UA*S MISSED TRIP POLICY REMAINS IN EFFECT.
But will the machines and Website still give that option, or will they push the $25 option when this is not necessary? If I know a flight is empty, I'm not going to pay $25 just for a "confirmed" change.
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 5:12 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by Dromomaniac
But will the machines and Website still give that option, or will they push the $25 option when this is not necessary? If I know a flight is empty, I'm not going to pay $25 just for a "confirmed" change.
If logic is a part of UA's IT planning ( ), then both options should be available.

Northwest's kiosks offer this option already, and I believe they offer you the choice of confirmed or "wait at the gate."
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 6:15 pm
  #14  
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Very nice and useful information! ^
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Old Dec 30, 2005, 6:32 pm
  #15  
 
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Fantastic thread, thanks so much for the information!!!
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