I had the same thing happen to me just now. I first began the online check-in process to look at my options, then decided to cancel the check-in process. Then I called the elite desk to verify my information. Then I checked-in, and confirmed my new flights. I then went to the pda site and I am not at the standby list!!! Do you know if I must go to the gate agent, or can I do it at the airport counter of my origin city? There are three seats open and I want to be processed with the last EUA run.

The list that you see on the PDA has nothing to do with the EUA run. The EUA run will see you and your status correctly if you have a confirmed seat on the plane, which you do. The PDA list is ONLY for the gate upgrades, and you can be added to the list by the front counter, PC, service center or gate.

I am implying from the website that as long as there is up to 1 connection (two flights), you can do one fee and try to pick earlier flights for the connecting as they seem to mention if there are 3 or more, you can also do it with one fee, but have to contact airport or reservation center.

You can even re-route...

Rasheed

CO refused me a SDC within 12 hours on an international flight saying the same class of service was unavailable.

As expected, this issue died pretty quickly after comments like "other airlines will follow", "pay the fee and be happy" "oil price is through the roof" bla bla bla, etc.

Well, contrary to what hard core CO fans on this forum predicted, this ridiculous fee is still unique only to CO.

This fee needs to go for Golds and Plats, why do I feel I'm alone having this opinion on the CO forum

You aren't the only one of the opinion. Still, many folks have decided that the broader time-frame for changes makes it palatable. I'd rather it be zero for top elites, too, but there are many other fees that I'd rally against with more effort than this one.

You aren't alone, and this fee caused me to alter my general travel plans. (note: I wasn't someone who booked at a lower fare and stood by for an earlier flight that was a higher fare, I was simply someone who transited EWR. -- 'nuff said)

I am actually a bit of a fan the same day change fee and have used it on almost half of my trips since its inception. I think it’s great you can leave early or stay late without the uncertainty of having to go to the airport and hope there is a seat. This certainty is worth the $25 I pay as a platinum.

On the other hand, I think a fee to change connecting flights is a big load you know what. If your flight gets in to IAH, EWR, CLE early and you can get an earlier fight to your final destination you should be able to do that, for free, and without the hassle of the paper (err computer) work involved in collecting this fee.

With flights every hour or so to many destinations from hub cities, I regularly arrive in time to get on an earlier flight home. My daughter flies home from Texas Tech LBB-IAH-CRP on CO express and she cannot book a 25 minute connection, but can always make it. As a silver, she has to fork over $50 to avoid 90-120 minutes wasted in IAH. I guess the fee is a good revenue generator for CO. On the other hand, there has to be some value to CO in opening a seat for possible sale on a later flight by filling what would be an empty seat on an earlier flight. Additionally, the goodwill of getting someone like me home early for free is priceless.

Was the flight full? If so, they probably won't open up all fare buckets 12 hours out.

I fall into this category, at least to some extent. For every time my blood boils at having to pay a ridiculous $25 fee to get on a better connection, there's a time when I'm thrilled to only pay $25 to leave the night before. I'd probably feel differently if I was silver or below and had to pay $50.

I just got caught by this too. The same-day flight change policy as stated on CO's website makes no mention whatsoever of the requirement that the same fare class be available, so I expected to be able to make the change (I saw there was availability) and arranged my ride to the airport accordingly.

The website is very misleading. I should have done my research on flyertalk rather than continental.com

In contrast, the current weather waivers for free changes are quite clear on the website that the same fare class must be available. To me this reinforced further that there must be no fare class requirement on the same day change because it was not mentioned.

Yes....$50 is pretty hard to swallow...I don't do it unless it involves leaving the day before.

I think the flight ended up being full but that's not what they said; they said "no same fare class". I wish they would clarify/confirm all of this.

If the flight is full they will not open up all the fare classes, as there will be nowhere to put the passengers. In those cases you can still standby but not be confirmed.

I've been reading through this and am now fairly confused.

Looking to buy 2 tix CLE-LAS-CLE. (me a gold and dergon_gf a silver)

The red eye on the return is a significantly cheaper "I" fare than the cheapest available midafternoon, an "O" fare, by about $85.

If I were to book the red-eye el cheapo could I confirmed stand-by for the earlier flight? What would be the fees?


And as a sidebar....what is the success liklihood on a flight out from Vegas on a Sunday to have seats available to do so?

Thanks