Feb 27, 2013, 5:45 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This wiki was created to distill SDC (specifically not standby) down to a set of rules in the hopes of benefiting others.
The official "rules" can be found here. In practice, some of the rules almost always apply almost, and some are more flexible.
Note there have been reports of SDC to one segment removing confirmed CPU upgrades on downline segments. If maintaining the confirmed upgrade is important then these changes should be handled with care.
Most Frequently Asked Question: When do I call/go online to make the change?
Follow this flowchart:
Question 1: Are you within 24 hours of your first originally scheduled UA(*) operated flight that you're trying to change off of? If yes, continue to question 2. If no, continue to answer 1.
Question 2: Are you within 24 hours of the first UA operated flight you're trying to change on to? If yes, continue to to answer 2. If no, continue to answer 1.
Answer 1: No, you cannot call/go online yet to make an SDC.
Answer 2: If the answer to both questions is yes, then you can call/go online to make an SDC.
General Baseline Rules
These are the general rules that usually apply to SDC's; falling outside these rules usually requires payment of a full change fee and the fare difference:
How to SDC
SDC can be accomplished in a few different places (in rough order of likelihood of being able to get the rules bent):
NB: An SDC where the original itinerary (in one direction) has three or more segments cannot be done online.
Nuances and Loose Rules
Now for the hard part: figuring out where the flexibility is in the rules. This list is compiled from the responses to people saying "Can I do X?" where X is something that is not clearly permitted by the rules. One's likelihood of success here depends a bit on the method used for the SDC.
For each item, the following codes apply:
Y = possible using any method
A = possible using an agent (phone/counter), perhaps having to HUACA
A* = mixed reports of success with an agent (phone/counter),
N* = possible only if you find a very accommodating agent
N = little or no reported success.
If you encounter issues with an agent (phone or counter/gate), you can ask the agent to reference GG SDC. Additionally, GG SDC line 61 specifically references that fare classes are supposed to level out 3.5 hours before departure, so you might be able to use that to your advantage if fare classes have not leveled out and you're trying to ask an agent to open up the correct inventory or force you onto the flight.
The official "rules" can be found here. In practice, some of the rules almost always apply almost, and some are more flexible.
Note there have been reports of SDC to one segment removing confirmed CPU upgrades on downline segments. If maintaining the confirmed upgrade is important then these changes should be handled with care.
Most Frequently Asked Question: When do I call/go online to make the change?
Follow this flowchart:
Question 1: Are you within 24 hours of your first originally scheduled UA(*) operated flight that you're trying to change off of? If yes, continue to question 2. If no, continue to answer 1.
Question 2: Are you within 24 hours of the first UA operated flight you're trying to change on to? If yes, continue to to answer 2. If no, continue to answer 1.
Answer 1: No, you cannot call/go online yet to make an SDC.
Answer 2: If the answer to both questions is yes, then you can call/go online to make an SDC.
General Baseline Rules
These are the general rules that usually apply to SDC's; falling outside these rules usually requires payment of a full change fee and the fare difference:
- The departure time of the first segment of the old itinerary and the departure time of the first segment of the new itinerary must both be within 24 hours of the moment that the change is made.
- The ultimate origin and destination airports must remain the same.
- Routing can be changed (addition, deletion, or change of connection points) but the routing rules of the original fare usually apply.
- All remaining unflown segments in single fared itinerary are considered together (i.e., if you're flying WWW-XXX-YYY-ZZZ, you can go to a kiosk at XXX and potentially fly XXX-AAA-ZZZ or XXX-ZZZ direct).
- SDC can be done an unlimited number of times, and can therefore be used to extend a trip indefinitely (pending availability).
- SDC costs $75 for GM's and Silvers - the fees is waived for Golds and up (plus any applicable fare difference, see below). *G's may also get free SDC, although there is no mention of this in the official rules.
- Non-elites on the same PNR benefit from any waived fees for SDC.
- No fare difference is charged so long as there is availability on all of the new segments in the originally ticketed fare class. Fare class availability in all classes often opens up after T-24 and almost always opens up at T-3 unless the plane is very full.
- SDC on bulk tickets, including United Specials, is not permitted.
- SDC is permitted on both domestic and international itineraries.
- The proposed remaining itinerary must be operated by United or United Express®, and the ticket number must begin with 016. (see nuances below)
How to SDC
SDC can be accomplished in a few different places (in rough order of likelihood of being able to get the rules bent):
- United.com “change flight” link before checking in, within T-24. (Many have reported recently that this has problems and attempts to collect the full fare difference and $200 change fee.)
- "Search Other Flight Options" button during OLCI. (This has spotty availability, particularly if the change would involve paying an additional fare due to fare bucket non-availability.)
- United mobile app
- Kiosk
- Phone
- Counter/Gate (although reports are that most airport agents are not familiar with the SDC policy and may not allow you to SDC to a valid itinerary--you can try to direct them to look up GG SDC, but they often won't understand that what you're trying to do is permitted by those rules)
Nuances and Loose Rules
Now for the hard part: figuring out where the flexibility is in the rules. This list is compiled from the responses to people saying "Can I do X?" where X is something that is not clearly permitted by the rules. One's likelihood of success here depends a bit on the method used for the SDC.
For each item, the following codes apply:
Y = possible using any method
A = possible using an agent (phone/counter), perhaps having to HUACA
A* = mixed reports of success with an agent (phone/counter),
N* = possible only if you find a very accommodating agent
N = little or no reported success.
- Violating various non-routing fare rules (day/time, minimum stay, etc.): Y
- Change destination to ultra-close airport (e.g. JFK-> LGA; see the old S*FAR/STANDBY): A
- Change destination to a co-terminal (e.g. JFK -> EWR): N*
- Change destination to an entirely different place: N
- Change itinerary at the beginning to include illegal layovers (> 4 hours): N*
- Change itinerary at the layover point (using kiosk, app, or agent) to create an otherwise illegal layover: Y
- Change itinerary at the beginning to add a layover point not permitted by the routing rules: N*
- Change itinerary at a layover point to add another layover not permitted (either in terms of number of segments or routing rules) by the routing rules: Y
- Change to a flight exactly 24 hours before or after the original flight: N*
- Change to a flight exactly 24 hours before the original flight, if the previous day's flight has been delayed: Y (based on one report)
- Combining separately-fared segments to do SDC (e.g. XXX-YYY+YYY-ZZZ -> XXX-ZZZ): A
- Change UA-codeshare, non-UA-metal segment to UA metal: A
- Change from UA metal to UA-codeshare, non-UA-metal segment: N (see post 1813 for one exception)
- Change from UA-codeshare, non-UA-metal segment to a different UA-codeshare, non-UA-metal segment: ??
- Change on a non-UA ticketed segment: N* (with potential dire consequences)
- Change from an upgraded flight into Y on the new flight: A
- Change from a CPU-upgraded flight and get confirmed into available R space on the new flight: N*
- Change from an instrument-upgraded flight and get confirmed into available R space on the new flight: A*
- Non-elite on different PNR benefiting from Elite's waived-fee SDC: A
If you encounter issues with an agent (phone or counter/gate), you can ask the agent to reference GG SDC. Additionally, GG SDC line 61 specifically references that fare classes are supposed to level out 3.5 hours before departure, so you might be able to use that to your advantage if fare classes have not leveled out and you're trying to ask an agent to open up the correct inventory or force you onto the flight.
original posting by mgcsinc, initiated by jackal
UA Same-Day Travel Change (SDC) Fees/Questions *now with WikiPost* {pre-2015 Archive}
Nov 4, 2011, 12:04 pm
#211
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,345
So two weeks ago, I tried seeing what I could SDC for on a UA-stock, CO-operated ticket. UA and CO both pointed fingers at each other. The LAX employees tried claiming they didn't even have a SDC policy (and obviously, they knew better than I since they "work there." 
) even after I tried showing them the .bomb page on it, so YMMV.
) even after I tried showing them the .bomb page on it, so YMMV.-RM
Nov 4, 2011, 5:21 pm
#212
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9630/5.0.0.975 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)
Follow up to my little rant from last night (and slightly contradicting the post above) but my ticket wason CO stock so I called them and asked if they could handle the SDC since it was their fare. It took the agent 45 minutes, mostly because I was already checked in so CO had trouble taing back control of the ticket and also because there was an OAL segment in the ticket, but the agent eventually did get it changed. Made for a much better experience today in the end.
Follow up to my little rant from last night (and slightly contradicting the post above) but my ticket wason CO stock so I called them and asked if they could handle the SDC since it was their fare. It took the agent 45 minutes, mostly because I was already checked in so CO had trouble taing back control of the ticket and also because there was an OAL segment in the ticket, but the agent eventually did get it changed. Made for a much better experience today in the end.
Nov 4, 2011, 6:18 pm
#213
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton GLD, Marriott Plat, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 2,872
Nov 17, 2011, 6:21 am
#214
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,970
I have a UA ticket for a mileage run fully in the US - outbound fully on UA (segments 1 & 2) and return (segments 3 & 4) on CO and segment 5 on UA. I am 1K on UA.
Questions:
1 - I am assuming stand-by outbound is not a problem - UA ticket, UA flights?
2 - Can I OLCI on UA at T-24 and move to earlier flights without a fee?
3 - If not and I call UA at T-3 (for segment 1) on the outbound, would they be able to clear me on both segments even though segment 2 is outside the window?
4 - I guess at the same time I will be placed on the WL for F upgrade?
5 - On the return, would switching metal be possible? (I want to do UA BOS-SFO instead of CO BOS-IAH-SFO.)
6 - If I check a bag, how would that work if they can't clear me all the way?
7 - I suppose you can OLCI and get a seat after the agent confirms the change?
Thanks.
Questions:
1 - I am assuming stand-by outbound is not a problem - UA ticket, UA flights?
2 - Can I OLCI on UA at T-24 and move to earlier flights without a fee?
3 - If not and I call UA at T-3 (for segment 1) on the outbound, would they be able to clear me on both segments even though segment 2 is outside the window?
4 - I guess at the same time I will be placed on the WL for F upgrade?
5 - On the return, would switching metal be possible? (I want to do UA BOS-SFO instead of CO BOS-IAH-SFO.)
6 - If I check a bag, how would that work if they can't clear me all the way?
7 - I suppose you can OLCI and get a seat after the agent confirms the change?
Thanks.
Nov 17, 2011, 10:48 am
#215
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,373
Where exactly did you find this option? Is it using the "Standby"/"Change Flight" options during the check-in process?
Nov 17, 2011, 10:49 am
#216
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: PDX
Programs: kayaker
Posts: 851
2 - Can I OLCI on UA at T-24 and move to earlier flights without a fee?
3 - If not and I call UA at T-3 (for segment 1) on the outbound, would they be able to clear me on both segments even though segment 2 is outside the window?
4 - I guess at the same time I will be placed on the WL for F upgrade?
5 - On the return, would switching metal be possible? (I want to do UA BOS-SFO instead of CO BOS-IAH-SFO.)
6 - If I check a bag, how would that work if they can't clear me all the way?
7 - I suppose you can OLCI and get a seat after the agent confirms the change?
Thanks.
Nov 17, 2011, 2:40 pm
#217
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K/MM, MC Life Plat, HH Gold
Posts: 722
Yes, using the iPhone app. Believe it worked on the web as well. Odd that I've not seen it reported by others and not had a chance to try it again, yet, so maybe it was some kind of test that I just happened to catch.
Nov 19, 2011, 3:18 pm
#218
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NYC: UA 1K, DL Platinum, AAirpass, Avis PC
Posts: 4,599
If I am traveling on a US Airways issued Dividend Miles award, but entirely on United metal....can I use United same day change?
Free or paid. Just want to know if they can alter the time of the flight day of departure. I know US has that restriction on no changes to tickets after departure.
Free or paid. Just want to know if they can alter the time of the flight day of departure. I know US has that restriction on no changes to tickets after departure.
Nov 19, 2011, 3:21 pm
#219
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton GLD, Marriott Plat, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 2,872
If I am traveling on a US Airways issued Dividend Miles award, but entirely on United metal....can I use United same day change?
Free or paid. Just want to know if they can alter the time of the flight day of departure. I know US has that restriction on no changes to tickets after departure.
Free or paid. Just want to know if they can alter the time of the flight day of departure. I know US has that restriction on no changes to tickets after departure.
Nov 19, 2011, 3:35 pm
#220
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NYC: UA 1K, DL Platinum, AAirpass, Avis PC
Posts: 4,599
Nov 19, 2011, 3:38 pm
#221
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton GLD, Marriott Plat, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 2,872
I think your best bet is to contact US.
Nov 19, 2011, 3:44 pm
#222
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NYC: UA 1K, DL Platinum, AAirpass, Avis PC
Posts: 4,599
Looks like I couldn't do it even if it was on UA ticket stock.
Chalk that one up that we hope aligns the Continental way...
Nov 22, 2011, 6:55 pm
#223
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: UA 1k
Posts: 1,208
What is this UA rule of no later flights for standby or same day change? I've done that many times before?
Nov 22, 2011, 8:47 pm
#224
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: BD, DL, UA, AA, Marriott, SPG
Posts: 1,131
I'm currently on a CO operated flight and want to SDC on to an earlier UA operated flight. I'm guessing I have to try to SDC three hours before the UA operated flight, correct?
Any way to do it online or is it phone or airport only?
Thanks!
Any way to do it online or is it phone or airport only?
Thanks!
Last edited by piyush; Nov 22, 2011 at 9:18 pm
Nov 22, 2011, 11:37 pm
#225
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,345
-RM