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
Jul 16, 2018, 1:22 am
#121
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: CX Macro polo Silver, AA platinum
Posts: 84
If anyone knows that booking Economy Plus with Avios+Money is still applicable to the same day change on BA?
cause I know that redemption ticket cannot be granted same day change, how about buying ticket with Avios?
cause I know that redemption ticket cannot be granted same day change, how about buying ticket with Avios?
Jul 16, 2018, 2:22 am
#122
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,871
It is only revenue tickets where you are given the option of basic and plus and can have SDC for the plus fare - part paying the revenue ticket with avios would affect SDC if it applied to that ticket.
Jul 16, 2018, 2:40 am
#123
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: CX Macro polo Silver, AA platinum
Posts: 84
for reward tickets whether paying the full avios rate or reducing the avios by paying some extra cash (avios & money) there is no way to buy basic or plus fares so SDC doesn't apply.
It is only revenue tickets where you are given the option of basic and plus and can have SDC for the plus fare - part paying the revenue ticket with avios would affect SDC if it applied to that ticket.
Jul 16, 2018, 2:51 am
#124
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,871
ohh i think i didn’t describe my situation clearly. BA allows me to book flight with avios to deduct some price. 500Avios can deduct Ł5, 1250avios can deduct Ł10 and so on... If i use 500Avios to deduct Ł5, if that i still applicable to change my flight on the same day?
Aug 13, 2018, 3:26 am
#125
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Posts: 85
Long term lurker(ish) here - so apologies if this has already been covered in another thread.
Needed to do SDC on both legs of LHR-CPH-LHR ticket last week. Managed to do so on the outbound with no issues on the app (other than refreshing every few hours from midnight until 7 am until some availability came up!)
On the return however, despite online booking showing availability for the number of seats required on all CPH-LHR flights yesterday, the 'Change my flight' option on MMB only showed the flight we were booked on and no others (despite the date tab above showing "From +Ł68") after midnight Denmark time. This is the same on BA.com and the app.
The agent on the US Gold line insisted that Plus fare merely waives the Ł60 charge, but fare difference would still apply and finally agreed to check with her manager after it was clear we wouldn't budge. She then proceeded to change our flight for free, however in such a convoluted way that meant new ticket numbers had to be issued (after about an hour of her ringing up another department to get this done) and the fare class changing to B from L.
Obviously appreciate the extra Avios and tier points although I'm slightly confused why the issue with changing the flights online came up, as well as why new e-ticket numbers were required when doing the change over the phone?
Needed to do SDC on both legs of LHR-CPH-LHR ticket last week. Managed to do so on the outbound with no issues on the app (other than refreshing every few hours from midnight until 7 am until some availability came up!)
On the return however, despite online booking showing availability for the number of seats required on all CPH-LHR flights yesterday, the 'Change my flight' option on MMB only showed the flight we were booked on and no others (despite the date tab above showing "From +Ł68") after midnight Denmark time. This is the same on BA.com and the app.
The agent on the US Gold line insisted that Plus fare merely waives the Ł60 charge, but fare difference would still apply and finally agreed to check with her manager after it was clear we wouldn't budge. She then proceeded to change our flight for free, however in such a convoluted way that meant new ticket numbers had to be issued (after about an hour of her ringing up another department to get this done) and the fare class changing to B from L.
Obviously appreciate the extra Avios and tier points although I'm slightly confused why the issue with changing the flights online came up, as well as why new e-ticket numbers were required when doing the change over the phone?
Aug 13, 2018, 3:33 am
#126
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,695
I suspect that after the first change, the ticket was a bit mangled so as to lose the keywords (part of the internal ticketing architecture that governs what agents can see and do) that facilitate SDC. I don't think I use SDC that often, but on a few cases where I used it on the outbound then the inbound tends not to work. Now I retain screenshots of SDC on booking, so the last time I said to the agent "go ahead and charge me, I'll claim it back later", then when she got to the end of the process the final line said zero anyway. Going from one fare bucket to another isn't unusual, though if the keywords were in place I think what happens is that artificially extra availability is automatically created in the original buckets even though the flight may only be Y1 B0 etc. But if the booking is mangled then the only alternative is for the ticket to be reissued into the higher buckets and you then have to call up BAEC to remove your unwanted Avios and Tier Points.
Aug 13, 2018, 3:44 am
#127
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Posts: 85
I suspect that after the first change, the ticket was a bit mangled so as to lose the keywords (part of the internal ticketing architecture that governs what agents can see and do) that facilitate SDC. I don't think I use SDC that often, but on a few cases where I used it on the outbound then the inbound tends not to work.
Still, regardless of the lack of sleep that comes with the midnight countdown (and the resulting phonecalls) - we've saved north of Ł700 with this facility and still managing to avoid the dreaded 6:05 am flight back from CPH. So I'm happy to go through it all again next time..
Aug 13, 2018, 9:38 am
#128
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,655
Long term lurker(ish) here - so apologies if this has already been covered in another thread.
Needed to do SDC on both legs of LHR-CPH-LHR ticket last week. Managed to do so on the outbound with no issues on the app (other than refreshing every few hours from midnight until 7 am until some availability came up!)
On the return however, despite online booking showing availability for the number of seats required on all CPH-LHR flights yesterday, the 'Change my flight' option on MMB only showed the flight we were booked on and no others (despite the date tab above showing "From +Ł68") after midnight Denmark time. This is the same on BA.com and the app.
The agent on the US Gold line insisted that Plus fare merely waives the Ł60 charge, but fare difference would still apply and finally agreed to check with her manager after it was clear we wouldn't budge. She then proceeded to change our flight for free, however in such a convoluted way that meant new ticket numbers had to be issued (after about an hour of her ringing up another department to get this done) and the fare class changing to B from L.
Obviously appreciate the extra Avios and tier points although I'm slightly confused why the issue with changing the flights online came up, as well as why new e-ticket numbers were required when doing the change over the phone?
Needed to do SDC on both legs of LHR-CPH-LHR ticket last week. Managed to do so on the outbound with no issues on the app (other than refreshing every few hours from midnight until 7 am until some availability came up!)
On the return however, despite online booking showing availability for the number of seats required on all CPH-LHR flights yesterday, the 'Change my flight' option on MMB only showed the flight we were booked on and no others (despite the date tab above showing "From +Ł68") after midnight Denmark time. This is the same on BA.com and the app.
The agent on the US Gold line insisted that Plus fare merely waives the Ł60 charge, but fare difference would still apply and finally agreed to check with her manager after it was clear we wouldn't budge. She then proceeded to change our flight for free, however in such a convoluted way that meant new ticket numbers had to be issued (after about an hour of her ringing up another department to get this done) and the fare class changing to B from L.
Obviously appreciate the extra Avios and tier points although I'm slightly confused why the issue with changing the flights online came up, as well as why new e-ticket numbers were required when doing the change over the phone?
Aug 13, 2018, 9:55 am
#129
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Exec Gold; Accor Le Club Gold
Posts: 122
I'm looking at a CE flight from Malaga to London as the return part of a long weekend trip. There's a flight just after midnight in the early hours of Monday morning that's very cheap (BA2723 at 00:25).
I was thinking I would then Same Day Change it but don't know how to manage a same day change for something that will be before the midnight London time trigger time. When I price it up on ba.com the conditions include the same day change option. Any advice?
I was thinking I would then Same Day Change it but don't know how to manage a same day change for something that will be before the midnight London time trigger time. When I price it up on ba.com the conditions include the same day change option. Any advice?
Aug 13, 2018, 10:00 am
#130
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,695
I'm looking at a CE flight from Malaga to London as the return part of a long weekend trip. There's a flight just after midnight in the early hours of Monday morning that's very cheap (BA2723 at 00:25).
I was thinking I would then Same Day Change it but don't know how to manage a same day change for something that will be before the midnight London time trigger time. When I price it up on ba.com the conditions include the same day change option. Any advice?
I was thinking I would then Same Day Change it but don't know how to manage a same day change for something that will be before the midnight London time trigger time. When I price it up on ba.com the conditions include the same day change option. Any advice?
Sep 2, 2018, 10:12 am
#132
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: Hhonors Diamond, IHG Platinum, BA Silver
Posts: 260
Am thinking of booking a 02:30 flight PMI-LGW with a view to changing to an evening flight operated by TItan.
Any potential pitfalls here?
Also the previous poster mentions a midnight London trigger time - does that apply?
Any potential pitfalls here?
Also the previous poster mentions a midnight London trigger time - does that apply?
Sep 2, 2018, 10:17 am
#133
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,695
You will find this difficult, it's a risk basically. You can only change the ticket at midnight PMI time, and then you have until 01:30 to fix the ticket to the evening flight, assuming there is availability. And if it doesn't work you probably need to take the 02:30 flight or lose it entirely. Furthermore the Titan factor may be the sort of thing which prevents it working online, though I've no doubt it can be sorted via the Contact Centre. On the other hand BA's computers may all be working swimmingly on the night in question.
Oct 19, 2018, 8:13 am
#134
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 96
I'm booked on a BCN-LGW flight in a few days and may wish to change on to the later flight. I'm in Club Europe, but it's an Iberia issued ticket (starting 075), flight numbers showing as IBxxxx on booking and in BA app, booking class R.
Will I be able to change this fare either online or via call centre? Or have I sacrificed the right to same day changes by not booking a BA ticket?
Will I be able to change this fare either online or via call centre? Or have I sacrificed the right to same day changes by not booking a BA ticket?
Oct 19, 2018, 9:33 am
#135
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: BA Gold, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 305
Just a related question/observation/rant - why is BA so "stingy" when it comes to the SDC?
First of all, as evidenced by this threat, the rules seem to be ridiculously complex. I understand that this would be related to revenue protection which is fine.
When it comes to the actual day itself however, if I show up at the airport early and there are seats available after check-in closed, why are they not more flexible? I travel out of AMS often and, if not on a fully flex Y ticket, there is literally zero chance to convince check-in or gate staff to be let on an earlier flight.
Surely it must be BA's (commercial) objective to get everyone who's booked on that day out of AMS and into LHR (in this case, for example). Am I missing something or would shifting people to earlier flights where easy and possible not contribute to this? Same applies to other outstations with frequent flights.
If it was such an issue for revenue management/protection, why do Qantas and US carriers do this so well?
First of all, as evidenced by this threat, the rules seem to be ridiculously complex. I understand that this would be related to revenue protection which is fine.
When it comes to the actual day itself however, if I show up at the airport early and there are seats available after check-in closed, why are they not more flexible? I travel out of AMS often and, if not on a fully flex Y ticket, there is literally zero chance to convince check-in or gate staff to be let on an earlier flight.
Surely it must be BA's (commercial) objective to get everyone who's booked on that day out of AMS and into LHR (in this case, for example). Am I missing something or would shifting people to earlier flights where easy and possible not contribute to this? Same applies to other outstations with frequent flights.
If it was such an issue for revenue management/protection, why do Qantas and US carriers do this so well?
