Same-Day Flight Change Debacle
 

I was booked in F on the morning flight out of FLL, today, but, wanted to get out last night, and, since the last flight of the day was on an ATC hold, I took my chances. I got to the airport, tried to make the change and the rep. wouldn't let me switch for $25---she wanted the standard $150 change fee. I explained to her the Same-Day Flight Change rules, and, showed her my Gold Elite card to get the discount, telling her that I can switch within 12 hours of my flight. (6:35 AM changed to 8:10 PM the night before) I had to call the Elite Desk who then told the woman how to get it through, and, the worst part is that when I first got to the desk, she told me there was three seats left for an upgrade and I would get it because everyone else was silver, but, after this fiasco, first class was booked full. If this happens again, is there something I could have done that would have sped up this disastrous process?

What part is the disaster? That you missed an upgrade that you weren't certain to get anyways? Hardly a "disaster" in my book.

Also, the rule is that the new flight has to be within 24 hours of the original, not 12. The 12 hour issue is that you can only change within 12 hours of the new flight.

As for making the change more easily, just do it online or through the elite line. Both of those avenues can process the change as well and I've rarely had issues with them not understanding the rules.

Not really a disaster, but the bad thing is that the FLL agent did not know the correct procedure. The OP should not have had to explain it to the agent.

The rule....
 

The same-day flight change /sdc/ program allows customers
17 who are within the 24 hour check-in window for their
18 flight to confirm a seat on an alternate flight for a
19 discounted fee. The new flight must be scheduled to
20 depart within 12 hours of the customers request.

OMG :eek: What a disastrous disaster :D ;)

Totally disastous disaster indeed, Silly me, I figured your plane crashed and you died.

While disaster was probably not the best choice of words, I can see how CO's poor training could be frustrating.

I would file a case with customer care, stating you missed out on an upgrade due to poor agent training. Then, settle for a voucher or an upgrade cert.

CO's poor training should cost them.

Hey goldelite8, since everyone else is piling onto you for your thread title, here I go... ;)

What is a "Sheraton Gold" listed in your profile? Do you mean "Starwood Gold"? :confused: :D

Did you attempt to make this change at the kiosk machine or only with a ticket agent?

I'm also having a problem with same day flight changes. I am currently booked for a flight late Friday evening. I would like to change to a mid morning flight. The flight that I want to take is about 11 hours out, so it should be within the 12 hour window. When I go to the OLCI, I am presented the option to change to an early morning flight for $25. This isn't an option for me because I have to sleep a little bit before driving 2 hours to the airport.

I called the elite line to try to get another option. The rep I talked to said I could get the flight I wanted for the difference between that flight and my unused travel plus a change fee. (I forget the exact amount, but it was between $180 and $250.) She said this was because the flights I wanted to change to did not have the same fare buckets as my original flights. I'm booked L/L and the flights I want are Y/B. But the early flights are also Y/B. I told her that and that the OLCI would allow me to change to those flights. She told me it was a glitch and I shouldn't be able to get that price.

Should I accept the higher price to get the flights I want (and try to fight it after the fact), call back to try to get someone else (how many people do they have working this late at night?), or what?

Thanks for your help.

Edit:
The flights (the ones I want and the ones I don't want) are now showing as U/U fare classes. Either way, I thought the fare class was moot when doing the same day flight changes.

Your booking class is needed for the $25/$50 SDC. Otherwise the agent was right -- change fee + fare diff.

I don't think the booking class needs to be the same to do a SDC. How many W and lower fare class seats are available 12 hours from a flight? Would those people never be able to take advantage of SDC? And if the fare class has to match, why was I offered (through OLCI) an earlier flight that was not in the same class that I booked in?

I kept checking the OLCI to see if it would offer any additional flights and it did. I was able to select the first flight that I wanted. The connecting flight is a little tight (no time for lunch), but I'll live. It's interesting that it opened up about 10 hours out. It may or may not have had something to do with the connecting flight, as that one is still more than 12 hours out.

Usually fare class doesn't matter because at T-12 CO opens up all fare classes up to capacity. The problem is you usually can't confirm the change until t-12 FROM THE DEPARTURE OF YOUR LAST CONNECTION when they open up the fare classes on that flight.

Occasionally, CO.com will show a Y seat and you won't be able to change into it or PDA.CO.COM/Info (standby) will show AVAILIBLE and you can't confirm. I'm assuming those are seats they are willing to oversell or capacity has been reduced on a COEX due to weight and balance issues.

If the fare class is not available you are still eligible to standby for the earlier flight. I am not sure if that can be done over the phone or only at the airport. In such a case you only pay the fee if you actually clear.

It absolutely does. See farenthold's post for the relevant information. See also: