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FAQ: Same Day Changes (SDC) and Free Change on the Day (FCOD) on BA tickets

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Old Nov 17, 2019, 2:13 am
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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.
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FAQ: Same Day Changes (SDC) and Free Change on the Day (FCOD) on BA tickets

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Old Jul 22, 2020, 5:35 pm
  #406  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
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Originally Posted by BAeuro
So my plan is to book on the BA app just a straight day trip LHR-ZRH. It does let you pick Basic on the outbound and Plus on the return.

If I did mix them, do you think I’d still have a good chance of being able to do FCOD online? Don’t won’t to overcomplicate things and mess it up.
Yes, that should be fine, so long as nothing else changes between booking and travel dates.
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Old Jul 23, 2020, 9:03 am
  #407  
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London, UK
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Do you know what call centre is open at midnight? Just in case online doesn’t work.
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Old Jul 23, 2020, 9:05 am
  #408  
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Originally Posted by BAeuro
Do you know what call centre is open at midnight? Just in case online doesn’t work.
USA, which probably gets Newcastle. But remember this is subject to availability, if the new service sells out you can't transfer. So always book the service you can use.
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Old Jul 23, 2020, 10:24 am
  #409  
 
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
USA, which probably gets Newcastle. But remember this is subject to availability, if the new service sells out you can't transfer. So always book the service you can use.
Thank you.

I think there will be space but I wouldn’t be too fussed if I couldn’t change.
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Old Jul 23, 2020, 12:49 pm
  #410  
 
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
USA, which probably gets Newcastle. But remember this is subject to availability, if the new service sells out you can't transfer. So always book the service you can use.
There hasnt been any nightshift in newcastle for about a year. So it will be India.
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Old Jul 23, 2020, 1:12 pm
  #411  
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If I upgrade an short-haul eco ticket to business using the cash offer on BA's website, will the ticket become eligible for SDC?
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Old Jul 23, 2020, 1:17 pm
  #412  
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Originally Posted by rickroll
If I upgrade an short-haul eco ticket to business using the cash offer on BA's website, will the ticket become eligible for SDC?
Welcome to Flyertalk and welcome to the BA forum rickroll. Formally the answer is no, the POUG (as we call them) makes the ticket inflexible, though a full fare upgrade would normally be OK for Free Change on the Day. You can remove the POUG, revert back to the original ticket, lose the money on the POUG and then change for free. Sometimes agents at airports just whack it through anyway in CE, but you can't rely on that, and the best advice is not to do a POUG if you suspect the FCOD facility may be used. Typically a POUG can be done after moving to the new flight, even after check-in, so that's tactically the better way of doing things.
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Old Oct 8, 2020, 8:34 am
  #413  
 
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Is the FCOD currently borked (or maybe I'm using it wrong)

Tried to change a flight weekend just gone and whilst it was showing you can change your flight for free, the system came back with an additional fare requirement and the details of who was paying it (this was from the UK so don't think there should have been any time difference unless the system gets confused between GMT and BST), so I didn't proceed as the amount was circa Ł420.

Should have picked up the phone but really didn't want to deal with a call centre at half past midnight.
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Old Oct 8, 2020, 8:37 am
  #414  
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As mentioned upthread, it sometimes shows an additional fare at the first screen, which then vanishes on the confirmation screen. Also if you have previously made changes to the ticket or some other complexity then the keyword for FCOD may have dropped out and thus MMB doesn't spot the change. You would then have to ring up to get that to work. Finally it depends a bit on the specifics, if you had a connecting flight, for example, FCOD doesn't apply.
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Old Jan 4, 2021, 3:58 am
  #415  
Shl
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: BA Gold/ Star Alliance Gold
Posts: 401
Hi all, some quick questions on this topic:

I have a LIN-MAD-BOG return ticket in J.
BA Ticket Stock, Operated by IB
Due to COVID this has already been moved now to the latest possible dates within ticket validity.
I don't want to take a voucher as we want to protect the fare.

Questions:
1. Does this ticket allow for SDC at all?
2. If so, could we move it outside of ticket validity, say to next year?

Thanks for your thoughts
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Old Jan 4, 2021, 5:23 am
  #416  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON
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Originally Posted by Shl
Hi all, some quick questions on this topic:

I have a LIN-MAD-BOG return ticket in J.
BA Ticket Stock, Operated by IB
Due to COVID this has already been moved now to the latest possible dates within ticket validity.
I don't want to take a voucher as we want to protect the fare.

Questions:
1. Does this ticket allow for SDC at all?
2. If so, could we move it outside of ticket validity, say to next year?

Thanks for your thoughts
SDC stands for same day change so I doubt this applies here. I'm afraid if you don't want to fly this one you'll have to ask for an FTV, or if any flight gets cancelled a refund.
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Old Jan 4, 2021, 5:44 am
  #417  
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Originally Posted by Shl
1. Does this ticket allow for SDC at all?
2. If so, could we move it outside of ticket validity, say to next year?
SDC or FCOD to give the official BA title only applies to point to point tickets, so you definitely can't use it here, and there are also some restrictions on FCOD for IB flights. Generally you can't move outside the 1 year ticket validity, but can ask for FTV. However a lot hinges on whether this is a codeshare flights or IB prime flight. If the ticket is IBnnnn Sold as BAnnnn then that's a codeshare, and BA's policies apply. If it is IBnnnn only then IB's policies apply and BA is a travel agent. In that scenario it was probably a travel agent ticket anyway, so they would be your first port of call.
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Old Jan 7, 2021, 5:02 am
  #418  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: Aegean Airlines Silver, British Airways Gold, Virgin Atlantic Silver
Posts: 1,740
Am I able to do a free same day change on a one-way ticket on Comair between CPT and JNB?

thanks - stay safe -)
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Old Jan 7, 2021, 5:17 am
  #419  
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Originally Posted by gallagher
Am I able to do a free same day change on a one-way ticket on Comair between CPT and JNB?

thanks - stay safe -)
Comair aren't on the same FCOD system. However currently I understand they are not charging the usual 400 ZAR change fee, plus at airports they tend to be flexible if stuff happens.
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Old Jan 8, 2021, 11:44 am
  #420  
Shl
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: BA Gold/ Star Alliance Gold
Posts: 401
Originally Posted by alex67500
SDC stands for same day change so I doubt this applies here. I'm afraid if you don't want to fly this one you'll have to ask for an FTV, or if any flight gets cancelled a refund.
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
SDC or FCOD to give the official BA title only applies to point to point tickets, so you definitely can't use it here, and there are also some restrictions on FCOD for IB flights. Generally you can't move outside the 1 year ticket validity, but can ask for FTV. However a lot hinges on whether this is a codeshare flights or IB prime flight. If the ticket is IBnnnn Sold as BAnnnn then that's a codeshare, and BA's policies apply. If it is IBnnnn only then IB's policies apply and BA is a travel agent. In that scenario it was probably a travel agent ticket anyway, so they would be your first port of call.
Many thanks alex67500 and corporate-wage-slave for the feedback.Somehow I did not get the alerts on your replies, thus the late response.
Looks like I have to refund these then, sadly ...
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