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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 Apr 1, 2022, 8:52 am
  #481  
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Maybe it is something that has already been addressed (if so, apologies) but, whereas I understand that SDC is not meant to be available for open-jaw tickets, nonetheless, when you book one, the "review your flight" booking screen does say that SDC is "free until 1 hour before departure" (see picture).

Given this, I don't quite see how BA could refuse the SDC and charge for the change when it says that it is available when you book it. Am I missing something?

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Old Apr 1, 2022, 9:16 am
  #482  
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No it can be available for open jaws. Basically if you are seeing basic and plus fares being shown when booking, you should get SDC if picking plus. This should be the case for one way, simple returns, and simple open jaw returns. In your example if you book the plus option you will have SDC.

Also it should be noted in the "Your ticket conditions" on the fare quote page. It should state:

Changes to your ticket
Time/date changes permitted at any time for the difference in fare. Free changes on the day of departure provided changes are for same date/cabin/route/airport. Changes subject to availability.
Where it definitely doesn't get offered is connections, so on say a MAN-LHR-DUS rtn booking you wouldn't see basic and plus offered, and there wouldn't be an ability to pick an SDC fare.
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Last edited by KARFA; Apr 1, 2022 at 9:22 am
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Old Apr 1, 2022, 9:37 am
  #483  
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Ah, excellent. Thanks, Karfa. I was under the mistaken impression that anything other than a simple oneway or return ticket precluded SDC.
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Old Apr 16, 2022, 2:50 pm
  #484  
 
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If I am returning to a different co-terminal as in LHR-EDI-LCY, does this constitute an "open jaw" that excludes the ticket from FCOD? I would think not.

I may want to move to an earlier LHR-EDI on the day. I understand that I can't change either direction to a different LON airport, but I think it's okay that the two directions are different.

I booked this by searching for a return from LON (all airports) to EDI, and both segments are marked Economy Plus. I booked it this way because it's cheaper than the two singles.

Can anyone confirm that this is eligible for FCOD and is not considered "complicated"?

EDIT: I see that KARFA says open jaws are not excluded from FCOD in the first place, contrary to the thread wiki. Perhaps someone should edit the wiki?
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Old Apr 16, 2022, 2:54 pm
  #485  
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Sorry I misread that as a change of airport. Switch airports isn't allowed, but if the ticket was issued to the same airport that you wish to change, that's OK. So same route, different time. It's not actually an open jaw, since both airports are in LON.
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Old Apr 16, 2022, 2:56 pm
  #486  
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Old May 15, 2022, 8:51 am
  #487  
 
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Is same day change generally always allowed as long as there is a seat being sold in your booked cabin (for the same route)?

I am booked CDG-LHR at ~7am and would much prefer to change to a later flight which is now significantly more expensive. I'm a few hours away from CDG so I have a very early wake up call to make the 7am flight - and would only want to wait up/wake up at midnight to make the change if I'm confident I'll be able to actually change (based on available seats in Y fare buckets using Expertflyer the night before).
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Old May 15, 2022, 10:56 am
  #488  
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Yes, so if in EuroTraveller, you would need at least Y1 to be allowed a FCOD, and as you know that's a dynamic factor, Y9 now could be Y0 in a few hours, so there are no guarantees. However if you think your projected flight is not full and it won't change then so long as you have a non-messed up ticket, no strange payment processes, FCOD should therein work via MMB after midnight local time relative to departure. In addition to EF, you can also look at the seat map, fares on the route, which booking class they are going in, and whether there is redemption availability. Bear in mind the moving curtain, so if CE is filling up, they may push back the curtain and just 2 rows knocks out 12 ET seats.
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Old May 15, 2022, 1:24 pm
  #489  
 
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Yes, so if in EuroTraveller, you would need at least Y1 to be allowed a FCOD, and as you know that's a dynamic factor, Y9 now could be Y0 in a few hours, so there are no guarantees. However if you think your projected flight is not full and it won't change then so long as you have a non-messed up ticket, no strange payment processes, FCOD should therein work via MMB after midnight local time relative to departure. In addition to EF, you can also look at the seat map, fares on the route, which booking class they are going in, and whether there is redemption availability. Bear in mind the moving curtain, so if CE is filling up, they may push back the curtain and just 2 rows knocks out 12 ET seats.
Thanks, very helpful. I'd forgotten to factor in the moving curtain!
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Old May 23, 2022, 12:07 am
  #490  
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So I have a flight LCY-EDI//GLA-LHR in revenue CE

Can't find the option for Same Day Change online. Indeed can't find an option to make any changes at all, only cancel.

Can I do this by calling up?

Thanks
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Old May 23, 2022, 12:14 am
  #491  
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Originally Posted by Swiss Tony
So I have a flight LCY-EDI//GLA-LHR in revenue CE

Can't find the option for Same Day Change online. Indeed can't find an option to make any changes at all, only cancel.

Can I do this by calling up?

Thanks
Just go to Change This Booking on the BA App or or ba.com. If it’s the same day, the price will just show £0 if there’s availability. There’s no special section for same day changes.
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Old May 23, 2022, 12:22 am
  #492  
 
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Yes, so if in EuroTraveller, you would need at least Y1 to be allowed a FCOD, and as you know that's a dynamic factor, Y9 now could be Y0 in a few hours, so there are no guarantees. However if you think your projected flight is not full and it won't change then so long as you have a non-messed up ticket, no strange payment processes, FCOD should therein work via MMB after midnight local time relative to departure. In addition to EF, you can also look at the seat map, fares on the route, which booking class they are going in, and whether there is redemption availability. Bear in mind the moving curtain, so if CE is filling up, they may push back the curtain and just 2 rows knocks out 12 ET seats.
Are you sure it’s local time in practice? I tried this a few weeks ago from MAD at a few minutes past midnight and it still hadn’t updated to FCOD.
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Old May 23, 2022, 12:25 am
  #493  
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Under MMB I have the following options..

Change seats
Add bags
meal options
request assistance
print itin
print email e-ticket
add on business no
cancel booking

Then a string of "extras" and "information"

What am I missing????

edit

OK by logging into the old app, change/cancel booking came up.

But they can't do anything online because it includes a surface sector.....
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Old May 23, 2022, 1:33 am
  #494  
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Originally Posted by jonas123
Are you sure it’s local time in practice? I tried this a few weeks ago from MAD at a few minutes past midnight and it still hadn’t updated to FCOD.
My experiences are that it generally does change at midnight local time, maybe plus a few minutes, but usually it works. I've tended to load up the booking from fresh after midnight rather than reload just the change screen but I've no idea if that is relevant. But I am pretty sure it is local time since I did a HEL once (so not recently), and that's a 2 hour difference.
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Old May 23, 2022, 1:35 am
  #495  
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Originally Posted by Swiss Tony
But they can't do anything online because it includes a surface sector.....
Phone call should be able to do this, I wouldn't rely on GLA to do it, but they can since it's not a ticket reissue for them.
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