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
Mar 7, 2018, 11:05 am
#76
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SDC almost certainly won't apply here given the longhaul, so the change fee would apply. Obviously the connection is protected if you are late to LHR. You can only avoid the change fee if your flight timings have changed since the original booking, even if the change is small.
Mar 7, 2018, 11:25 am
#77
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 681
Thanks for the quick replies!
You say ANY change in schedule? Because the other day I did notice a strike-out/update of the original departure time. I think it changed by only a few minutes — would that qualify? Funny, I don’t see that change notation anymore. Guess I can call BA and see what they say...
You say ANY change in schedule? Because the other day I did notice a strike-out/update of the original departure time. I think it changed by only a few minutes — would that qualify? Funny, I don’t see that change notation anymore. Guess I can call BA and see what they say...
Mar 7, 2018, 11:31 am
#78
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Before calling check your original reservation or e-ticket emails with the current MMB, at the risk of stating the obvious.
Mar 26, 2018, 5:47 pm
#79
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A little extra data in case it helps anyone...
I can't generally change my corporate TA issued tickets online, and anyway had already checked in for my 07.30 trip. Trying to do SDC when the UK office opened at 6am seemed a little risky, but a call to BA in New York after midnight UK (but before US close at 1am UK) had me offloaded and moved to a later flight with no fuss or phaff ^. The agent was aware of the same day change rule or saw it in the booking rules, although they presumably don't get a lot of call to use it in US.
I can't generally change my corporate TA issued tickets online, and anyway had already checked in for my 07.30 trip. Trying to do SDC when the UK office opened at 6am seemed a little risky, but a call to BA in New York after midnight UK (but before US close at 1am UK) had me offloaded and moved to a later flight with no fuss or phaff ^. The agent was aware of the same day change rule or saw it in the booking rules, although they presumably don't get a lot of call to use it in US.
Mar 28, 2018, 4:11 am
#80
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: London
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Early morning flight to Brussels. Uber to the airport, as I'm exiting the car the driver says please make sure you've got all your belongings, phone, passport, wallet. Right then I knew I'd left my wallet at home.
This was an avios booking to schlep over to BRU as positioning for an ex-EU to the US. I spoke to the ticketing agent, and she very kindly rebooked me on the midday service instead, no charge. I didn't know if they would do that, I asked if I needed to book another ticket but I think she might have taken pity on me. Even asked me if I wanted window or aisle
I'm back at LHR now cavorting with the great unwashed in Galleries Club South
and very happy to be so.
This was an avios booking to schlep over to BRU as positioning for an ex-EU to the US. I spoke to the ticketing agent, and she very kindly rebooked me on the midday service instead, no charge. I didn't know if they would do that, I asked if I needed to book another ticket but I think she might have taken pity on me. Even asked me if I wanted window or aisle
I'm back at LHR now cavorting with the great unwashed in Galleries Club South
and very happy to be so.
Mar 28, 2018, 6:46 am
#81
Join Date: Sep 2017
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Corporate travel, including Amex and Expedia Business (Egencia) certainly works, though for complex reasons connected with "know your passenger", you need to make changes via BAEC and BA.com rather than the App, otherwise you'll get stuck on "please confirm the credit card number" question.
On Amex public, I have no direct experience, but I would be fairly confident that also works. Expedia I have my doubts in terms of online management, but if it was correctly sold as a Plus fare (or the limited number of CE tickets with this option) then at worst it could be changed at the airport. If pushing out to a later service than booked then you best telephone a BA contact centre at least an hour before the original departure.
On Amex public, I have no direct experience, but I would be fairly confident that also works. Expedia I have my doubts in terms of online management, but if it was correctly sold as a Plus fare (or the limited number of CE tickets with this option) then at worst it could be changed at the airport. If pushing out to a later service than booked then you best telephone a BA contact centre at least an hour before the original departure.
Mar 28, 2018, 7:14 am
#82
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BA, though I guess Egencia could also do it. Don't do an online check in until you're on a flight you are OK with. Try changing it online first, after midnight local time, by logging in fully into your BAEC account via BA.com in preference to the App, then going via your Bookings list to the booking in question. Select only the flight in question, don't take the "change both flights" option. It's possible you can change it directly from there, but if you are asked for a credit card number (and it doesn't work) then you'll have to call in to a Contact Centre or do it at the airport. You must leave a full hour before either the new flight or the old flight, which ever comes first, after that time it isn't possible to make changes. After you have made the changes, if you do it online, you may need to wait a while for the auto ticketing to take place - check-in / seat selection won't work during that process. If you call in, they will want your passport number.
Mar 28, 2018, 9:06 am
#84
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Same day flight change BA
Mar 28, 2018, 10:26 am
#85
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. They always have done so far.If only an hour or two before departure or out of office hours I call BA direct. Because it's a TA booking I then have to go through the extra security checks with passport number and expiry date, but never failed yet. Our TA doesn't put passport details in domestic bookings, but they can be checked against BAEC profile if you have them there. If they aren't anywhere you may have trouble.
Final option is to do the change at airport of course.
Mar 28, 2018, 10:27 am
#86
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If you are booked under BA Holidays' span of control then no, SDC doesn't apply. You can call the specific BAH hotline and see if they will move you for other reasons (e.g. delays, risk of mis-connects) but outwith special circumstances, normally they will want a change fee.
Mar 29, 2018, 10:23 am
#87
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: BRU
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If you are booked under BA Holidays' span of control then no, SDC doesn't apply. You can call the specific BAH hotline and see if they will move you for other reasons (e.g. delays, risk of mis-connects) but outwith special circumstances, normally they will want a change fee.
Thanks for the help!
Mar 30, 2018, 1:08 am
#88
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I am taking a bit of a risk, booking the last flight back to LHR from DUB, because it is saving over £150 (on what is now a £300 trip). I am hoping to change on the day to an earlier flight. At worst it will be a long evening in the Lounge. This is the penultimate sprint to retain GGL for another year.
Mar 30, 2018, 5:54 am
#89
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: BRU
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I asked the question that Golfmad refers to above. I got one of the GGL angels to run a dummy booking for me; the option for SDC disappears as soon as you add a car to the booking. She told me that the flight tickets book into a different fare class, which does not allow SDC. This was in CE to Dublin, with an Avis rental car. It is a significant disadvantage for BA Holiday bookings IMHO.
I am taking a bit of a risk, booking the last flight back to LHR from DUB, because it is saving over £150 (on what is now a £300 trip). I am hoping to change on the day to an earlier flight. At worst it will be a long evening in the Lounge. This is the penultimate sprint to retain GGL for another year.
Mar 30, 2018, 11:59 am
#90
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So I have another question on same-day changes for free. I appreciate it may not be answerable.
Is every non-HBO fare a plus fare? Basically, I book all of my work flights through our corporate TA portal and am usually faced with 3 options; HBO, Plus and our corporate negotiated fare which permits a bag.
I've never been refused a same-day change for free so I am assuming that our corporate fare is effectively also a plus fare - does that seem sensible??
Is every non-HBO fare a plus fare? Basically, I book all of my work flights through our corporate TA portal and am usually faced with 3 options; HBO, Plus and our corporate negotiated fare which permits a bag.
I've never been refused a same-day change for free so I am assuming that our corporate fare is effectively also a plus fare - does that seem sensible??