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Same Day Confirmed - Co Terminal Changes (Consolidated Threads)

Same Day Confirmed - Co Terminal Changes (Consolidated Threads)

Old Mar 7, 2018, 12:31 pm
  #1  
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Same Day Confirmed - Co Terminal Changes (Consolidated Threads)

Hi all,

As a DM I've in the past successfully done co-terminal switches between JFK and LGA (book a ticket XXX-JFK, and then hop on the XXX-LGA which departs 30' earlier/later whatever). This has both times worked at the gate of the XXX-LGA airport.
I think, I got on both times still put on the upgrade list and upgraded (don't recall).

I read FLL/MIA is in the same set-up, and so are some other combos DCA/IAD, MDW/ORD, etc...
Does anyone know
- how far in advance you can make these changes?
- if it always gets you a confirmed seat and back up the upgrade list?
- if this works when you're flying with a companion in the same PNR?

Asking as a DM360, so would assume to be able to get the most out of it.
Thanks in advance!
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Old Mar 7, 2018, 12:41 pm
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If the airports in question are on the official co-terminal list then ...

1) how far in advance? I assume you're referring to same day confirmed. Anything further out than this would be a ticketing change and would depend on the rules of your ticket (typically $200 change fee + fare difference). Same day confirmed can be done 24 hours in advance of your original flight.
2) Same day confirmed is confirmed. Yes. And you are back on the upgrade list. The only thing that I can think of is if you cut something crazy close and did a change < 1 hour to departure (not sure if they'd even allow it, but maybe you showed up at LGA by mistake and convinced them to switch you). In which case maybe the upgrade list would have already cleared...
3) I'm not 100% sure, but yes, I think it works.
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Old Mar 7, 2018, 12:48 pm
  #3  
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Originally Posted by azeckel
If the airports in question are on the official co-terminal list then ...

1) how far in advance? I assume you're referring to same day confirmed. Anything further out than this would be a ticketing change and would depend on the rules of your ticket (typically $200 change fee + fare difference). Same day confirmed can be done 24 hours in advance of your original flight.
2) Same day confirmed is confirmed. Yes. And you are back on the upgrade list. The only thing that I can think of is if you cut something crazy close and did a change < 1 hour to departure (not sure if they'd even allow it, but maybe you showed up at LGA by mistake and convinced them to switch you). In which case maybe the upgrade list would have already cleared...
3) I'm not 100% sure, but yes, I think it works.
Very helpful!
I'll give it a try by calling 24hrs in advance, but with the SDC I'll probably be subject to the "fare class must be available" given it are economy tickets. At the gate I've had the benefit of even skipping that rule...

Thanks for the quick response!
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Old Mar 7, 2018, 12:52 pm
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Originally Posted by mayhem
Very helpful!
I'll give it a try by calling 24hrs in advance, but with the SDC I'll probably be subject to the "fare class must be available" given it are economy tickets. At the gate I've had the benefit of even skipping that rule...

Thanks for the quick response!
As a 360 member you'll probably have a great deal of success having them bend the rules for a SDC if it's just a fare class availability issue so I would always default to that option whenever possible.

For standby, co-terminal changes are technically not allowed - but I've done it before and it didn't seem like a big deal (and I'm a lowly DM).
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Old Mar 7, 2018, 12:53 pm
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I've done a lot of SDC recently. Some even between LGA and JFK. I haven't run into fare class availability at all on economy tickets. Even when I'm pretty sure my purchased fare class is less than what was being sold on delta.com. I'm not sure why - could be corporate agreement, being diamond, or just dumb luck.
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Old Mar 7, 2018, 12:54 pm
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Originally Posted by ethernal
For standby, co-terminal changes are technically not allowed - but I've done it before and it didn't seem like a big deal (and I'm a lowly DM).
It's an unwritten "rule" that DM can SDC co-terminals. I've done it many times.
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Old Mar 7, 2018, 12:55 pm
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Originally Posted by mayhem
Very helpful!
I'll give it a try by calling 24hrs in advance, but with the SDC I'll probably be subject to the "fare class must be available" given it are economy tickets. At the gate I've had the benefit of even skipping that rule...

Thanks for the quick response!
Yes, the co-terminal benefit is just an extension of SDC that is offered to DMs. It doesn't exempt you from any of the other conditions of SDC (obviously, sometimes agents will let things slide).

If you do it at the gate you're more likely getting what's effectively a same day standby (SDS).
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Old Mar 7, 2018, 12:57 pm
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Originally Posted by azeckel
It's an unwritten "rule" that DM can SDC co-terminals. I've done it many times.
I said standby, not SDC. I was responding to his comment about fare class availability. I've been able to do a same day standby at a co-terminal airport even though I've read here elsewhere that this is forbidden (even for DM who would be eligible for a SDC to co-terminals).
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Old Mar 7, 2018, 2:59 pm
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Originally Posted by azeckel
I've done a lot of SDC recently. Some even between LGA and JFK. I haven't run into fare class availability at all on economy tickets. Even when I'm pretty sure my purchased fare class is less than what was being sold on delta.com. I'm not sure why - could be corporate agreement, being diamond, or just dumb luck.
Keep in mind that even if you have a V fare and Delta.com is selling (say) expensive M tickets, you might be able to SDC if there are still tickets left in the V bucket, but aren't being sold due to advance purchase requirements.
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Old Mar 7, 2018, 3:12 pm
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Originally Posted by ethernal
I said standby, not SDC. I was responding to his comment about fare class availability. I've been able to do a same day standby at a co-terminal airport even though I've read here elsewhere that this is forbidden (even for DM who would be eligible for a SDC to co-terminals).
Good to know. I'm not sure I'd feel great about standing by without a confirmed seat at a different airport, though.

Keep in mind that even if you have a V fare and Delta.com is selling (say) expensive M tickets, you might be able to SDC if there are still tickets left in the V bucket, but aren't being sold due to advance purchase requirements.
That does make sense, though most of my fares have been K+. But yes, what they are selling doesn't necessarily equate to what fare buckets are open.
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Old Mar 7, 2018, 3:18 pm
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Originally Posted by hi55us
Keep in mind that even if you have a V fare and Delta.com is selling (say) expensive M tickets, you might be able to SDC if there are still tickets left in the V bucket, but aren't being sold due to advance purchase requirements.
This is one of the big reasons to have an expertflyer subscription - to be able to assess your ability to SDC to a given flight.
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Old Mar 7, 2018, 11:53 pm
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Originally Posted by azeckel
2) Same day confirmed is confirmed. Yes. And you are back on the upgrade list. The only thing that I can think of is if you cut something crazy close and did a change < 1 hour to departure (not sure if they'd even allow it, but maybe you showed up at LGA by mistake and convinced them to switch you). In which case maybe the upgrade list would have already cleared...
IME you aren't always added to the upgrade list, so it's prudent to double check afterward.
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Old Mar 8, 2018, 6:20 am
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Originally Posted by mayhem
- if this works when you're flying with a companion in the same PNR?
I was told recently by the Twitter team that this benefit does not extend to companions. I called into the DM line and they performed the change anyway. I believe they ended up splitting our PNR at that point and actually ended up screwing all kinds of stuff up (I delayed boarding because I "didn't have an active reservation"). But hey, got on the flight.
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Old Mar 8, 2018, 6:36 am
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I would have to think as a 360 you should not have issues, even with a companion. You'll just have to wait to the T-24h mark to request the co-terminal change. As long as it is a confirmed seat then you should get on the upgrade list as well.
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Old Mar 8, 2018, 7:40 am
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Originally Posted by rylan
I would have to think as a 360 you should not have issues, even with a companion. You'll just have to wait to the T-24h mark to request the co-terminal change. As long as it is a confirmed seat then you should get on the upgrade list as well.
Great - lets see how far these 360 perks take me.
If it works, I'll in effect turn a $400 JFK-FLL-JFK ticket into a LGA-MIA-LGA ticket that was $1,000...

I'll let you guys know how it goes
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