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}
May 18, 2011, 5:58 am
#16
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Before you guys all go out of your way to praise this move, allow me to dampen the celebration a little...On CO, SDC was free BUT only possible if CO still had seats for sale in the fare bucket you had originally purchased. I can't tell you how many times I was locked out of being able to do SDC. Think about it...with today's capacity in the market and demand, especially in hub markets, how many cheap fares are still being sold close to day oif departure?
May 18, 2011, 6:22 am
#17
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AA LT Plat, UA 1k/1mm+, National EE, IC Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,605
They also open up all the seats close to departure so if there are seats available it will clear. And if there are no seats available you can still stand by at the airport and even if the G bucket never opens up you can clear at the gate. Given the habit CO has of opening up all the seats in all the buckets a few hours out from departure I don't see it as any worse than the UA approach of only permitting the request within a few hours, and it has the potential up-side of if the flight is wide open the seats will be available much farther out. On a recent EWR-SAN flight I was booed on the 9pm-ish on Saturday evening. When I logged in around 8:30pm to look there were seats in G open on every flight for Sunday. On UA I would have had no choices to change that flight; on CO I had 6 options.
If I am wrapping up a meeting early and want to get on an earlier flight, then yes, CO's system has marginal utility for me (and even then, how is opening up the flights much different from going on standby at the airport knowing you'll leave later that day anyway?).
But with my travel patterns, I would still prefer paying $50 and being able to get confirmed and upgrades waitlisted at T-24.
On AA in 2010, I had to do a lot of SDC because I had to be flexible with my work schedule for a variety of reasons. So I SDC'd every week for 6+ months. I'd say that I was able to get the flight I wanted 90+% of the time (the rest of the time I would have to fly through ORD instead of DFW) and I scored virtually 100% on upgrades on those SDC'd segments. If CO could duplicate that kind of performance, I'd be willing to pay for it.
May 18, 2011, 6:49 am
#18
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Assuming AAA-BBB is operated 5x daily at 7a, 10, 3p, 6p and 9p and you're in AAA. If you are booked on the Friday 3pm flight then your SDC window opens at 3pm on Thursday. At noon on Thursday (if not earlier) the inventory for the 3pm flight is going to open up. You can also see the 6pm and the 9pm flight loads and know if you have a chance of getting on those flights and react accordingly. On UA you have no choice but the 7 and 10 am flights and you would only be able to try for those at 4am and 7am, respectively.
And you always have the option of paying for a flexible fare or paying the change fee.
The CO plan is tremendously more flexible than the UA plan in terms of flight options available. The inventory thing can be a problem in some scenarios, especially if on a connecting itinerary, but there are still way more opportunities available in general.
May 18, 2011, 7:08 am
#19
formerly FrequentFlyKid
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Programs: United Global Services, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, National Executive Elite
Posts: 981
Same Day Standby
Couple of questions regarding same day standby (confirmed or otherwise):
If I am on a UA ticket may I select UA numbered flights operated by CO to standby on? Also, does the routing necessarily have to be the same?
For example, if I am booked on UA through ORD but there is a nonstop flight operated by CO and there are seats, may I standby for that flight for the $75?
Thank you.
If I am on a UA ticket may I select UA numbered flights operated by CO to standby on? Also, does the routing necessarily have to be the same?
For example, if I am booked on UA through ORD but there is a nonstop flight operated by CO and there are seats, may I standby for that flight for the $75?
Thank you.
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; May 18, 2011 at 7:17 am Reason: moved into appropriate thread
May 18, 2011, 7:38 am
#20
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AA LT Plat, UA 1k/1mm+, National EE, IC Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,605
Assuming AAA-BBB is operated 5x daily at 7a, 10, 3p, 6p and 9p and you're in AAA. If you are booked on the Friday 3pm flight then your SDC window opens at 3pm on Thursday. At noon on Thursday (if not earlier) the inventory for the 3pm flight is going to open up. You can also see the 6pm and the 9pm flight loads and know if you have a chance of getting on those flights and react accordingly. On UA you have no choice but the 7 and 10 am flights and you would only be able to try for those at 4am and 7am, respectively.
And you always have the option of paying for a flexible fare or paying the change fee.
The CO plan is tremendously more flexible than the UA plan in terms of flight options available. The inventory thing can be a problem in some scenarios, especially if on a connecting itinerary, but there are still way more opportunities available in general.
And you always have the option of paying for a flexible fare or paying the change fee.
The CO plan is tremendously more flexible than the UA plan in terms of flight options available. The inventory thing can be a problem in some scenarios, especially if on a connecting itinerary, but there are still way more opportunities available in general.
Sometimes I wish we could just call each other through a built in skype feature....it's obvious I am misunderstanding you and vice versa...
May 18, 2011, 7:52 am
#21
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
If I am on a UA ticket may I select UA numbered flights operated by CO to standby on? Also, does the routing necessarily have to be the same?
For example, if I am booked on UA through ORD but there is a nonstop flight operated by CO and there are seats, may I standby for that flight for the $75?
For example, if I am booked on UA through ORD but there is a nonstop flight operated by CO and there are seats, may I standby for that flight for the $75?
May 18, 2011, 7:55 am
#22
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond, UA 1K MM, SPG Plat For Life, Marriott Plat, Nexus/GlobalEntry
Posts: 9,198
A couple other changes I noticed for UA flyers..
1. It now explicitly says if you do a same day change you can change your routing/connection point, but only at the airport.
2. For 2P's and below... they have increased the unconfirmed standby fee from $50 to $75. Sucks for them.
I don't see that anywhere... it still says "United flight".. I don't think they'd switch you to a CO flight. Not yet anyway.
1. It now explicitly says if you do a same day change you can change your routing/connection point, but only at the airport.
2. For 2P's and below... they have increased the unconfirmed standby fee from $50 to $75. Sucks for them.
I don't see that anywhere... it still says "United flight".. I don't think they'd switch you to a CO flight. Not yet anyway.
Last edited by iluv2fly; May 18, 2011 at 9:35 am Reason: merge
May 18, 2011, 8:32 am
#23
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Ambassador/Plat, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 590
Same-day travel changes
Confirmed same-day travel changes
On the same day of travel as your scheduled itinerary, if eligible seats are available, you can confirm a seat on an alternate United® or Continental® flight departing within three hours of the time of your request. Confirmed same-day changes involving only United flights may be completed online, by phone through United Reservations or at the airport. Confirmed same-day changes that switch from a United flight to a Continental flight may only be completed at the airport. A fee may apply in each direction of travel, as follows:
Confirmed same-day travel changes
On the same day of travel as your scheduled itinerary, if eligible seats are available, you can confirm a seat on an alternate United® or Continental® flight departing within three hours of the time of your request. Confirmed same-day changes involving only United flights may be completed online, by phone through United Reservations or at the airport. Confirmed same-day changes that switch from a United flight to a Continental flight may only be completed at the airport. A fee may apply in each direction of travel, as follows:
May 18, 2011, 9:29 am
#24
Formerly known as iahsumr
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 520
Looks like a mostly good change for you frequent flyin' folks, but just got more expensive for us "couple trips a year" folks. So, thumbs down from me. 
May 18, 2011, 9:52 am
#25
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 396
I remember the huge thread after UA started the standby fee and only exempted 1K's. This is a huge deal. I can't wait to get the eye roll from agents when I ask to be switched to a connecting flight from a nonstop. 
May 18, 2011, 9:54 am
#26
formerly FrequentFlyKid
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Programs: United Global Services, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, National Executive Elite
Posts: 981
What about online check-in? If I wanted to take the first flight out at, say 6:00AM, I would have to be at the airport when the ticket counter opened?
Last edited by In The 216; May 18, 2011 at 10:01 am
May 18, 2011, 10:36 am
#27
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Programs: UA-1K/Life UC, AA-EXP, AF-Plat
Posts: 202
For United:
I remember that I could use both confirm/standy option even if I miss the flight previously (within same day). Missed trip provisions are still good, however.
I also noticed route change is permitted only if confirmable, no standby.
(confirm) if changing to a flight that departs later than your originally scheduled flight, the standard change fee policy will apply.
Standby flights ... must depart earlier than your originally scheduled flight.
Standby flights ... must depart earlier than your originally scheduled flight.
I also noticed route change is permitted only if confirmable, no standby.
May 18, 2011, 11:03 am
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
Free ELR seating, no bag fees (extended to others), minimum 500 miles, plus a 25% to 100% bonus. When you compare what I pay to fly versus someone with no status, I wonder why more "few trips a year" folks don't try to add one more flight.
Now, with this (as a CO Gold/UA 1P) no SDC fees. Another reason...
May 18, 2011, 11:51 am
#29
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: WAS
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold Elite, CZR 7*, MGM Plat
Posts: 159
Good catch on the no SDC for flights that leave after the originally scheduled flight. It wasn't going to help me with the three hour limitation, but I am trying to take a later flight this Sunday. When I saw there were changes to SDC I was hopeful they would help me out..alas not in this instance. I need to get in the habit of booking the later flights and SDCing to earlier flights if necessary. It will probably save me money at the cost of convenience and the risk of getting back later than I really want.
May 18, 2011, 3:13 pm
#30
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
Good catch on the no SDC for flights that leave after the originally scheduled flight. It wasn't going to help me with the three hour limitation, but I am trying to take a later flight this Sunday. When I saw there were changes to SDC I was hopeful they would help me out..alas not in this instance. I need to get in the habit of booking the later flights and SDCing to earlier flights if necessary. It will probably save me money at the cost of convenience and the risk of getting back later than I really want.
Alternate flights must be scheduled to depart within three hours of your request.
Alternate flights must be scheduled to depart within three hours of your request. For United flights departing more than three hours after your request, or if changing to a flight that departs later than your originally scheduled flight, the standard change fee policy will apply
But I do like this part as if the original fare AAA-BBB-CCC was less expensive than AAA-DDD-CCC but the latter was more desirable in terms of time, RDM's and EQM's:
You may change your connection city only if requesting the change at the airport