Better to Change Before or After First Flight?
Oct 10, 2013, 8:58 am
#1
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Better to Change Before or After First Flight?
I have an upcoming trip to Asia...
I'm upgraded to business on the return and a paid P class on the outbound. I'm still taking my original outbound flight, I just need to come home 2-3 days earlier than planned.
I know of the change fees, and am fine with that, but is there any incentive for me making the changes now versus after I'm already in China? (I can call the US 1K line through Skype, so agents aren't an issue).
If I wait until a day or two before, I know I'm more likely to find R availability again.
FWIW, dummy bookings of 1-way fares price out about the same if I book 2 weeks ahead or if I book 2 days ahead. (Based on history, I know that loads can change those numbers if W or V sells out sooner).
Any thoughts as to strategy would be greatly appreciated!
I'm upgraded to business on the return and a paid P class on the outbound. I'm still taking my original outbound flight, I just need to come home 2-3 days earlier than planned.
I know of the change fees, and am fine with that, but is there any incentive for me making the changes now versus after I'm already in China? (I can call the US 1K line through Skype, so agents aren't an issue).
If I wait until a day or two before, I know I'm more likely to find R availability again.
FWIW, dummy bookings of 1-way fares price out about the same if I book 2 weeks ahead or if I book 2 days ahead. (Based on history, I know that loads can change those numbers if W or V sells out sooner).
Any thoughts as to strategy would be greatly appreciated!
Oct 10, 2013, 9:24 am
#2
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I would think before the flight, you could reprice the entire ticket as an RT, which has to be cheaper than paying for the RT initially and then the 1-way?
(On the assumption that international one-ways are not half of the RT price).
(On the assumption that international one-ways are not half of the RT price).
Oct 10, 2013, 9:30 am
#3
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It's usually cheaper to change once you've begun travel because they do not reprice the entire ticket. Unless of course there's nothing but Y/B left, in which case you're going to upfare signicantly. So part of your calculus has to be fare class availability. How's it look?
Apart from that, to me the upgrade availability would be the main issue. That's going to be heavily dependent on the specific itinerary (and your willingness possibly to change routings to snag R). So there's not going to be one "correct" answer here in the abstract.
Apart from that, to me the upgrade availability would be the main issue. That's going to be heavily dependent on the specific itinerary (and your willingness possibly to change routings to snag R). So there's not going to be one "correct" answer here in the abstract.
Oct 10, 2013, 9:59 am
#4
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It's usually cheaper to change once you've begun travel because they do not reprice the entire ticket. Unless of course there's nothing but Y/B left, in which case you're going to upfare signicantly. So part of your calculus has to be fare class availability. How's it look?
Apart from that, to me the upgrade availability would be the main issue. That's going to be heavily dependent on the specific itinerary (and your willingness possibly to change routings to snag R). So there's not going to be one "correct" answer here in the abstract.
Apart from that, to me the upgrade availability would be the main issue. That's going to be heavily dependent on the specific itinerary (and your willingness possibly to change routings to snag R). So there's not going to be one "correct" answer here in the abstract.
In addition, there are many flights that are rather wide open in Y (and even J) on the dates I want to go.
While I do have 2 conflicting schools of thought above, I had thought about both of these, just not sure which one is correct. Thank you both so far for the input!
Oct 10, 2013, 10:15 am
#5
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Provided that a) you are not making any changes to the outbound, b) that both your outbound and return are on the same ticket, and c) your new return qualifies for the same fare as your old one, then there is no disadvantage to making the change now as it will reprice using the same logic in both of the scenarios you describe but you may have access to better inventory today. If not, you should probably wait. If you wait, you may also get a fee-free change due to a schedule change or IRROPS.
Last edited by Sykes; Oct 10, 2013 at 10:54 am Reason: Clarification
Oct 10, 2013, 10:28 am
#6
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The risk here is the P fare on the outboard may no longer be available, and you'll need to reprice the entire itinerary if you make the change before taking the first leg. In this case, I would wait and change after travel has begun.
Oct 10, 2013, 10:40 am
#7
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The agent eventually came back and said, "You're not going to want to change...It's asking for an add/collect of $9,000.
Sorry to bother y'all, but thanks for the comments...Maybe I can serve as an example for future situations like this!
Oct 10, 2013, 10:53 am
#8
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Code:
REPRICE USING FARES IN EFFECT WHEN TKT WAS ISSUED
PROVIDED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET-
1. NO CHANGE TO 1ST FLIGHT COUPON
2. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL
MUST BE DOMESTIC
3. UA FARES ARE USED
4. PUBLIC FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED FARE IS IN
PUBLIC TARIFF. PRIVATE FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED
FARE IS IN PRIVATE TARIFF
5. NEW TKT HAS EQUAL OR HIGHER VALUE THAN PREVIOUS
TKT
6. ALL RULE AND BOOKING CODE PROVISIONS ARE MET
7. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM ORIGINAL TKT DATE TO
DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT
Oct 10, 2013, 11:07 am
#9
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Provided that there is no change to the "P" fare portion of the ticket AND your new return qualifies for the same fare as the original return (same booking code, same restrictions, etc.), the following rule applies (standard on most UA fares):
Speaking from personal experience, generally the website prices these types of changes correctly, but it usually takes some work to get a UA agent on the phone to price the change correctly.
Code:
REPRICE USING FARES IN EFFECT WHEN TKT WAS ISSUED
PROVIDED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET-
1. NO CHANGE TO 1ST FLIGHT COUPON
2. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL
MUST BE DOMESTIC
3. UA FARES ARE USED
4. PUBLIC FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED FARE IS IN
PUBLIC TARIFF. PRIVATE FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED
FARE IS IN PRIVATE TARIFF
5. NEW TKT HAS EQUAL OR HIGHER VALUE THAN PREVIOUS
TKT
6. ALL RULE AND BOOKING CODE PROVISIONS ARE MET
7. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM ORIGINAL TKT DATE TO
DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT
Oct 10, 2013, 11:13 am
#10
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Nah, #2 just says that if you're flying on an international ticket, if you only have domestic coupons left (e.g. you fly SMF-LAX-PVG-SFO-SMF, and try to change the ticket while you're sitting in SFO, then all of the rest of the ticket must remain domestic).
Dec 14, 2017, 6:20 am
#11
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Nah, #2 just says that if you're flying on an international ticket, if you only have domestic coupons left (e.g. you fly SMF-LAX-PVG-SFO-SMF, and try to change the ticket while you're sitting in SFO, then all of the rest of the ticket must remain domestic).