Nov 17, 2019, 2:13 am
Last edit by: Prospero
Same Day Change (SDC) is known as Free Change on the Day (FCOD) within BA. It is available on Plus and CE revenue tickets, single and return, so long as they are not complicated. It is not available on Avios tickets, redemption tickets issued to other frequent flyer schemes, to open jaw tickets, on carriage (tickets with connections) or any other sort of complexity. Also previously changing a ticket with SDC (FCOD) may make it ineligible for SDC, for example if it now becomes open jaw.
You can change the ticket online, via the Contact Centre or at the airport, but see the thread for details and experiences. You can change only after local midnight - up to one hour before departure - for the leg concerned, and only on to another flight on the same route, you can't switch arrival or departure airport at all. If you want to switch a LHR-NCE to LGW-NCE you would have to pay the fare difference and change fee, though in that example it wouldn't necessarily be a huge cost. If there is bad weather or operational problems BA may allow SDC/FCOD anyway, and that does allow a change to airports.
You can change the ticket online, via the Contact Centre or at the airport, but see the thread for details and experiences. You can change only after local midnight - up to one hour before departure - for the leg concerned, and only on to another flight on the same route, you can't switch arrival or departure airport at all. If you want to switch a LHR-NCE to LGW-NCE you would have to pay the fare difference and change fee, though in that example it wouldn't necessarily be a huge cost. If there is bad weather or operational problems BA may allow SDC/FCOD anyway, and that does allow a change to airports.
FAQ: Same Day Changes (SDC) and Free Change on the Day (FCOD) on BA tickets
Dec 18, 2022, 9:35 pm
#586
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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On the Previous Design, the Change Booking / Change Date/Time of My Flight appears on my version of MMB and appears to work online. Some bookings tend not to work well for online changes, various causes are noted upthread.
Dec 21, 2022, 6:41 pm
#587
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.8MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
A traveling companion and I are flying UA on a TATL flight to LHR (arriving at T2, of course) around 11:15am on a Wednesday in mid January, and then we are looking to book a flight on BA from LHR to EDI later that afternoon (departing from T5, of course). I was just looking at the BA website, and I noticed that they have an 'Economy Plus' option which seems to allow for FCOD. Is that correct? We would prefer to take the flight that departs at 13:50, but I'm not sure if we'll clear immigration, collect bags, transfer to T5, recheck bags, clear security, and make it to the gate in time. If I book the 13:50 flight in Economy Plus, will we be able to change to the 16:40 flight if need be, and is that change free? It looks like this can be done the day of departure, up until 1 hour before departure. Is that correct? I'm assuming this doesn't require any sort of payment for fare difference to the new flight, right? As it is right now, the 13:50 flight is roughtly half the cost of the 16:40 flight, so I'd rather pay for that one, of course. Would this work for me? Or is there a catch to this that I'm unaware of?
Dec 22, 2022, 12:14 am
#588
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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It would work - the only catch is if the later flight is full on the day then you won’t be able to swap! That can be the case with EDI flights. Or I guess if your UA flight is late and you miss the hour before cut off (I always do a change with more than an hour just in case!). You will also need to be careful of time to check in bags - an hour will not be long enough to get between terminals and check in bags. I normally only do this when HBO. However, to answer your question - yes that should be able to do it as you described without any need for extra payment.
regards
aks120
regards
aks120
Dec 24, 2022, 7:17 am
#589
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 112
SDC on future award flights continue to show old flight information
I did an online change to my award flight recently. It was for an earlier same day flight. Everything looks good and I got a confirmation from BA. However, the app continues to show my old flight (prior to change) although in manage trip, it was shown correctly with the new flight. Is this something I need to be concerned about? Just seems a little weird.
Dec 24, 2022, 7:23 am
#590
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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This functionality is for day of travel changes and doesn't apply to redemption tickets or to changes made before the day of travel. There is usually a change fee for amending redemptions, but there are sometimes customer guidance in place which allows a free change. If you don't see a ticket number in the BA app, and you've left it a few days, then you better call up.
Jan 6, 2023, 3:32 pm
#591
Join Date: Jan 2023
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Silver, CX Silver
Posts: 18
SDC/FCOD validity for Club Europe DUB-LHR connection as part of an ex-EU booking
I have a ex-EU Club World/Club Europe booking from DUB-LHR-SAN in a few months' time. The DUB-LHR leg is an evening flight, followed by the LHR-SAN leg on the next day. I am aware that SDC/FCOD does not apply to long-haul tickets, but would I be able to SDC/FCOD the short-haul Club Europe DUB-LHR leg?
Also, the DUB-LHR leg was booked in Class J (in contrast to the LHR-SAN leg booked in Class I). Since J is BA's most flexible Club booking class, would that entitle my DUB-LHR short-haul leg to SDC/FCOD anyway regardless of the fact that it is part of a wider booking that involves a long-haul LHR-SAN leg?
Also, the DUB-LHR leg was booked in Class J (in contrast to the LHR-SAN leg booked in Class I). Since J is BA's most flexible Club booking class, would that entitle my DUB-LHR short-haul leg to SDC/FCOD anyway regardless of the fact that it is part of a wider booking that involves a long-haul LHR-SAN leg?
Jan 6, 2023, 4:24 pm
#592
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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If it's one booking then it's still a longhaul with a connection and both factors rule out FCOD. That said the cost of moving that first flight may not be too bad, but the fare will be recalculated and may add up to a stiff increase. Essentially you are trying to make an inflexible ticket flexible, and that is usually expensive. On the other hand there is a chance that your flight may get retimed or changed, which may at that point allow you to flex the ticket a bit, depending on exactly what happens. I'd give that a greater than 50% chance of happening. Welcome to Flyertalk and welcome to the BA forum, it's good to see you here.
Jan 6, 2023, 4:32 pm
#593
Join Date: Jan 2023
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Silver, CX Silver
Posts: 18
If it's one booking then it's still a longhaul with a connection and both factors rule out FCOD. That said the cost of moving that first flight may not be too bad, but the fare will be recalculated and may add up to a stiff increase. Essentially you are trying to make an inflexible ticket flexible, and that is usually expensive. On the other hand there is a chance that your flight may get retimed or changed, which may at that point allow you to flex the ticket a bit, depending on exactly what happens. I'd give that a greater than 50% chance of happening. Welcome to Flyertalk and welcome to the BA forum, it's good to see you here.
Feb 1, 2023, 1:43 pm
#594
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 828
Just a quick one. I've got a JER-LHR booked on 11th. It's the evening flight and I'd like to go earlier in the day (but not enough to pay the current cost of the change, £150). I'm booked in economy plus so eligible for FCOD.
The earlier flights are already looking very busy (mostly Y0, one Y2, and that's about it). So there's a good possibility that I won't be able to FCOD at midnight. That said I doubt from experience that the flights will go out totally full. I don't live too far from JER (I suppose it's hard to live far on a small island...) so if I can't change at midnight, is there any value in going to JER and asking at the desk? Or will their answer always be the same as the published availability?
The earlier flights are already looking very busy (mostly Y0, one Y2, and that's about it). So there's a good possibility that I won't be able to FCOD at midnight. That said I doubt from experience that the flights will go out totally full. I don't live too far from JER (I suppose it's hard to live far on a small island...) so if I can't change at midnight, is there any value in going to JER and asking at the desk? Or will their answer always be the same as the published availability?
Feb 1, 2023, 1:50 pm
#596
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 828
It's fully booked but from experience fully booked JER-LHRs don't tend to go out --quite-- full (it's the sort of route where a couple of people always decide on the day that they're not going especially if they booked a few months ago at a cheap price). My query was whether there's any prospect of taking an unused seat by going to the airport. I think the answer may well be no but just wondered.
Feb 2, 2023, 4:39 pm
#598
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold (and other non-status plastic)
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Quick question... SDC is only valid on "uncomplicated" return tickets... Does something like LHR-EDI-LCY count as "uncomplicated", or is it considered to be open jaw? i.e. would I be able to SDC on one or either segment (and it's only on the desktop website, right?)
Feb 2, 2023, 4:44 pm
#599
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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That's LON-EDI return, so that's OK for FCOD so long as it's not a Basic ticket. However you aren't able to switch airports with the new flight, you have to leave from Heathrow and end up at City.
Feb 11, 2023, 2:31 am
#600
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 828
What’s the likeliest situation when, on the day of a flight, seats are still showing as blocked but not occupied (and are not for sale)? Looking at today’s BA 1345 which I’d like to FCOD to but has no availability, and I can see 14C and 21F blocked out - assume it’s unlikely to be faulty seats although not impossible. Guess the other reason would be that they need a couple of seats to transport crew?
