Same Day Change questions
 

If I am booked in BF on an LHR-EWR-IAH flight, am I understanding it correctly that if I call within 12 hours of my flight I can change to non-stop LHR-IAH (if available of course) for only $50 (vs. the $300 change fee they would charge if I did it today)?

Please say "yes".

Second question: Is there a local London tel # somewhere on Continental.com in case I do want to call before my flight out of LHR to try Same DAy Change?

Thanks

Yes and no. You can call within 24 hours of your scheduled departure, but the flight you are trying to switch to has to be within 12 hours of the scheduled departure. In short, start calling at T-24, not T-12. Oh yeah, forgot: in addition to the timing rules, the seat on the flight you are switching to must be in the same fare bucket. Likely not a problem for BF, but I just called about this yesterday, so the rules are fresh in my mind.

"same fare bucket"
 

My BF seat was purchased under a special winter BF promotion. If there are no more of those promotional BF seats the day before (likely) then is same day change at $50 not going to happen?

thanks

seems to me that the OP is on a discounted BF fare that is not refundable, otherwise they wouldnt have to do SBY, so availablity might be very limited if CO has it at all in the same bucket

Actually there maybe an R fare open (that is the fare bucket used for the promos) the only option is to call and find out. You can do a dummy search on co.com and see what comes up

same fare bucket
 

Well I have done the dummy search and there are seats today on the non-stop for my departure date at my same fare, but my concern is that there will not be any of those promo seats (R fare?) 3 weeks from now when I want to make the "same day change". Is the consensus that if no more promo BF seats are available 24 hours before I fly I won't be able to do a same day change for $50?

Why not search for that bucket on your day of travel?

Because it doesn't matter now what the buckets say for 3 weeks for now. The OP either has to pay the change fee and any fare difference now and know that they will be getting the seat or wait until T-12h form the new flight and find out then. Looking at buckets between now and then doesn't really accomplish much. And if there are no R seats available then the SDC won't work. The good news is that CO is supposed to be opening up all the revenue buckets if there are sufficient unsold seats. I know that they are doing so in most cases in Y; I do not know about BF as I haven't been flying much of that lately.

You are right sbm12. When I say I did a dummy search I meant I did a search today for availability on my departure date.

Nice to know that The good news is that CO is supposed to be opening up all the revenue buckets if there are sufficient unsold seats. as you say. Not sure if I want to gamble or just be sure today (for the price of $300) that I am on the non-stop.

Sometime in the last year I showed up at the airport (booked in "R" DEN-IAH-EWR-LHR) and, knowing that there was DEN-IAH-LHR availability, simply asked the agent if I could change. No problemo/no cost. Being Plat probably helped.

I just don't remember if it was before or after the $25/$50 SDC rules went into effect.

ETA: It was last November.