Per the FAQ: (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/10993890-post55.html)

I'm trying to depart today about 20 hours before my scheduled departure. THe rule says you can 'standby' when your original fare code is not available. With most fare buckets opening up ~3hrs before a flight, It would be easy to confirm my MCO-IAH flight. However, factoring in the 2.5 hours to IAH and the schedule of onward flights to SDF, the connection won't hit the 3hr mark at the time I'm trying to leave MCO.. Will they let me go as far as IAH and try my luck to continue from there today- I would stay at IAH at my own risk. Or will they say they can only clear me to IAH if they can also clear me to SDF?

thanks.

Do the same rules apply for a same day change for a later flight?

Yes.

If you cannot confirm the new flight before your scheduled departure time I'm pretty sure you cannot just go standby at that point but otherwise the rules are the same.

Can I SDC on an all-CO metal award ticket booked with United miles?

Sorry if this has been answered already somewhere else, but I cannot find the answer.

If I same day change to a flight that is a longer routing, do I earn original ticketed EQM or actual BIS EQM? As an example, traveling DEN to SJO thru IAH is 2428 EQM, but if all the stars align, and I could possibly SDC to a DEN to SJO thru EWR for a BIS of 3831 EQM what would my OnePass account be credited. Would it also work in reverse, netting less EQM??

You would earn what you fly.

Yes, but as stated before, they can only rebook you for free if the agent sees availability in the same fare bucket, and, as mentioned, other fare bucket seats are not "released" for stand-bys until ~ 3 hours before flight time.

I did this recently, and was advided by the person on the elite line to:

CANCEL my reservation for a 9:30 AM flight, call up 3 hours before the redeye flight I wanted shortly after midnight. Since my flight itinerary was "cancelled", I had to call in and give my conf. # and it took them a second to "find" my old res. and re-book me as a standby.

The good news? I still got upgrades on both legs home...

Hmmm, I did the same day change to a later flight this past weekend but was not informed of the 3-hour rule by the elite line. It got particularly complicated because I booked my flight with a MeetingWorks code and the elite line couldn't make any modifications to the reservation. Originally they said they could make the same day change with only the same day change fee. (I was within a 24-hour window, not a 3-hour window.) However, they then saw my ticket was booked with the code and they said only the MeetingWorks dept was allowed to make changes to my reservation. Unfortunately, the MeetingWorks reps had left the office by the time I called. The elite line was able to cancel my reservation and I rebooked the next morning with a MeetingWorks rep but had to pay a fare difference along with the same day change fee. They made no mention of a 3-hour rule. Although I'm not sure if my fare bucket would have been available even with the 3-hour rule - all of the flights only had a few seats left.

I SDC'd yesterday. No problem at all. Not a mention of a fee. Actually I was lucky that I called when I did. 10 minutes later and all would have been gone due to a 735 going tech at the gate in ATL.

I'm surprised that you had a problem SDCing w/a MeetingWorks code -- I did not have that problem & was tkted w/the same code, and was able to SDC on-line when the alternate flts were offered to me. I have had to deal with the MeetingWorks reps when I've had to make a change to a tkt outside the 24 hr window.

Maybe it's because the flts you were looking to change to -- were already very full, as you pointed out! I don't find that the '3-hr rule' necessarily applies to every flt, as I've seen some flts where the fare buckets open up at the 24 hr mark!^ Of course, as you experienced, the situation can change at any given moment!

Deleted - Got related info in the thread.

I am little confused on the policy for SDC.

Scenario 1 already happened: I was trying to change my flight from a 1 PM to a 6 PM and was told several times that I had to pay the difference in fare class... is this true?

Scenario 2 upcoming: This coming Monday I have an early flight. I might finish up work in time on Sunday to take the last flight back (about 12 hours earlier). Can I do a same day change? The cost should be $50 right? Should I not check in at T-24? How can I get through security the night before my flight if I need to get to the airport for SDC?

Thanks!
NDtraveler

#1: There was probably no availability in your fare class, at the time you called (& thus you would be subject to the fare difference), & clearly, you couldn't wait until the 3-hr window to see if the appropriate fare bucket would open up!

#2: At the T-24 mark, you can do OLCI & see if there is availability on other flts (there would be a tab that says 'other flight options') with availability in your fare class. If there is not availability on the flt you are looking to SDC to -- call the elite desk & ask them to see if there are seats available, which will give you an idea of how many seats might potentially be available when the fare buckets do open up (T-3 or earlier). Then you will need to keep checking back to see if the SDC option (in your fare class) becomes available. If you go to the airport (the day before) -- any changes would be made at a check-in desk -- before security!

Apologies to bump up this old thread, but I want to confirm my understanding of all the posts and FAQ I've read:

If I am flying A-B-C (departing A@8AM and B@10AM on Thu) - and I want to extend only my layover at B for a few hours or a day, it appears possible, correct?

In other words, can I call @ 24hr mark for the B-C segment to Same Day Change to a later flight (say departing B@5PM instead, or possibly even the next day @8AM Fri)?

If it is possible, I'm presuming a call at Wed@5PM would work to get on flight B@5PM on Thu.

Also, to extend it further, can I make an additional change afterwards to push B@8AM on Fri (make a second call on Thu@8AM)?

Presuming that the same fare class is available at the time of call.

Thanks in advance.