Jan 4, 2015, 2:01 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This wiki was created to distill SDC (and related 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, 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 currently 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: 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):
Please note that the United.com “change flight” link before checking in within T-24, is broken. The website may not show all available options and will often attempt to collect the change fee rather than the SDC fee (if any).
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 = officially permitted and possible using any method
A = not permitted but perhaps 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.
Note -- as of 11/27/2017: A datapoint indicates that UA may have updated its GG rule regarding leveling out to state the following:
Standby
You may stand by if seats are not available in the purchased fare class. In these cases, the same-day change fee will apply, but will not be charged unless you are assigned a seat on your alternate flight. Changes in routing are not allowed when standing by. Standby may be requested on the day of departure at an airport kiosk or with a United representative at the airport. Once you are added to the flight standby list, you can check your real-time standby status at united.com/flightstatus or on your mobile device at mobile.united.com/info.
Instead of paying a same-day change discounted fee, can I stand by for my desired flight for free?
No. The only time you may standby for free is when the fare does not have any penalties for making changes, or when standing by involuntarily due to a flight irregularity.
Can I pay the same-day change discount fee with cash?
Cash will only be accepted by a United airport representative when the change is available to be confirmed, not for standby travel.
original posting by mgcsinc, initiated by jackal
Previous threads:
UA Same-Day Travel Change (SDC) Fees/Questions *now with WikiPost* {pre-2015 Archive}
The official "rules" can be found here. In practice, some of the rules almost always apply, 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 currently 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: 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.
- Only applies to UA/UX operated flights, domestic or international. Changing from a non-UA operated to UA operated may be possible.
- 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 Members and Silvers - the fee 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. Once in-route, fees for an earlier connecting flight may be waived per GG SDC Line 118.
- 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.
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 mobile app
- Kiosk
- Phone
- On united.com, right now only the "Search Other Flight Options" button during On-Line Check-In (OLCI) works. This has spotty availability, particularly if the change would involve paying an additional fare due to fare bucket non-availability.
- 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)
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 = officially permitted and possible using any method
A = not permitted but perhaps 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 (see the old S*FAR/STANDBY): A
- Change destination to a co-terminal: 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: Y
- Change from a GPU-upgraded flight into J/F 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
- Change at origin airport after tendering a checked bag: N
- Change at layover airport when a bag has been checked: N
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.
Note -- as of 11/27/2017: A datapoint indicates that UA may have updated its GG rule regarding leveling out to state the following:
Code:
EVERYDAY AWARD AND REVENUE BUCKETS ARE TO LEVEL OUT WITHIN 2H OF DEPARTURE
You may stand by if seats are not available in the purchased fare class. In these cases, the same-day change fee will apply, but will not be charged unless you are assigned a seat on your alternate flight. Changes in routing are not allowed when standing by. Standby may be requested on the day of departure at an airport kiosk or with a United representative at the airport. Once you are added to the flight standby list, you can check your real-time standby status at united.com/flightstatus or on your mobile device at mobile.united.com/info.
Instead of paying a same-day change discounted fee, can I stand by for my desired flight for free?
No. The only time you may standby for free is when the fare does not have any penalties for making changes, or when standing by involuntarily due to a flight irregularity.
Can I pay the same-day change discount fee with cash?
Cash will only be accepted by a United airport representative when the change is available to be confirmed, not for standby travel.
original posting by mgcsinc, initiated by jackal
Previous threads:
UA Same-Day Travel Change (SDC) Fees/Questions *now with WikiPost* {pre-2015 Archive}
UA Same-Day Travel Change (SDC) Fees/Questions (with Wiki) {Archive}
Oct 24, 2018, 1:21 pm
#4486
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: TX
Programs: MP Platinum 1.97MM
Posts: 33
I have an upcoming SIN-SFO-ORD-AAA itinerary with the SIN-SFO segment 10:00am-9:35am, and the connecting SFO-ORD leaving at 12:52p, with connect ORD-AAA departing 9pm. I understand from this thread that to do SDC to the previous day's 10:20pm SIN departure I would need to call in rather than online due to there being three segments in the itinerary. A complicating factor is that I had bought up to a P fare on the SFO-ORD segment, but the SIN-SFO and ORD-AAA are still in L class.
Two questions then: (1) Am I correct in understanding that as long as the 10:20pm previous day departure is within the 24 hour time period of the original departure, it doesn't matter that the 12:52pm and 9pm departures for the later connections are outside the 24 hour time period for doing SDC? (2) If there is not availability for SFO-ORD-AAA in the appropriate fare classes, but there is, say, wide open availability in P and L for, say, SFO-MCO-AAA, (and this routing shows as a possible new booking for SIN-AAA for this 10:20pm departure on this date, does this seem like it is viable to call in to see about the SDC after the original 10am departure time? I'm not clear on whether three segments, with segments in two different fare classes, might disable SDC possibility through a different connecting city.
Two questions then: (1) Am I correct in understanding that as long as the 10:20pm previous day departure is within the 24 hour time period of the original departure, it doesn't matter that the 12:52pm and 9pm departures for the later connections are outside the 24 hour time period for doing SDC? (2) If there is not availability for SFO-ORD-AAA in the appropriate fare classes, but there is, say, wide open availability in P and L for, say, SFO-MCO-AAA, (and this routing shows as a possible new booking for SIN-AAA for this 10:20pm departure on this date, does this seem like it is viable to call in to see about the SDC after the original 10am departure time? I'm not clear on whether three segments, with segments in two different fare classes, might disable SDC possibility through a different connecting city.
Oct 24, 2018, 1:24 pm
#4487
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
Two questions then: (1) Am I correct in understanding that as long as the 10:20pm previous day departure is within the 24 hour time period of the original departure, it doesn't matter that the 12:52pm and 9pm departures for the later connections are outside the 24 hour time period for doing SDC? (2) If there is not availability for SFO-ORD-AAA in the appropriate fare classes, but there is, say, wide open availability in P and L for, say, SFO-MCO-AAA, (and this routing shows as a possible new booking for SIN-AAA for this 10:20pm departure on this date, does this seem like it is viable to call in to see about the SDC after the original 10am departure time? I'm not clear on whether three segments, with segments in two different fare classes, might disable SDC possibility through a different connecting city.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 24, 2018 at 8:29 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
Oct 24, 2018, 1:39 pm
#4488
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,418
(1) Am I correct in understanding that as long as the 10:20pm previous day departure is within the 24 hour time period of the original departure, it doesn't matter that the 12:52pm and 9pm departures for the later connections are outside the 24 hour time period for doing SDC?
(2) If there is not availability for SFO-ORD-AAA in the appropriate fare classes, but there is, say, wide open availability in P and L for, say, SFO-MCO-AAA, (and this routing shows as a possible new booking for SIN-AAA for this 10:20pm departure on this date, does this seem like it is viable to call in to see about the SDC after the original 10am departure time? I'm not clear on whether three segments, with segments in two different fare classes, might disable SDC possibility through a different connecting city.
(a) By the book, if you change your SFO-ORD segment at all, you will revert to Economy (L class) and the upgrade fee is forfeit. This is part of the terms and conditions of the upgrade fee.
(b) You can SDC into available L space in any legal routing from SIN to AAA. Generally speaking, this would be 2-3 connections online at CONUS hubs (including the SFO connection) depending on the particular connection, but this depends on your choice of AAA and the particular fare rules.
Those are the rules. However, when using an agent to do an SDC, you may additional have options including anything that sounds "reasonable" to an agent. This may vary by agent. For example, you might be able to fly an earlier SFO-ORD that has P space available, and preserve your upgrade. You might be able to route via MCO if it is a speedy routing to get you home with only one stop after SFO and isn't many more miles. This is all about "selling" your choice to the agent.
Oct 24, 2018, 5:05 pm
#4489
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
Oct 25, 2018, 2:53 am
#4490
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,412
Those are the rules. However, when using an agent to do an SDC, you may additional have options including anything that sounds "reasonable" to an agent. This may vary by agent. For example, you might be able to fly an earlier SFO-ORD that has P space available, and preserve your upgrade. You might be able to route via MCO if it is a speedy routing to get you home with only one stop after SFO and isn't many more miles. This is all about "selling" your choice to the agent.
The UA search engine is capable of coming up with many itineraries that aren’t technically eligible for SDC. This is especially true if doing an award search, but it’s true on a revenue search as well.
This will be hit-or-miss. Upgrading a segment doesn’t actually create a broken fare, because it doesn’t refare anything; it’s just a sticker applied to a single leg. Certainly, an agent would be able to keep OP on an all-L itinerary, at the cost of forfeiting the upgrade.
Oct 26, 2018, 12:45 pm
#4491
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
I know SDC to flights exactly 24 hours earlier isn't generally possible unless there's a delay of the earlier flight, and I know standby is generally same-day only, but there have been occasional reports of people being successful with both.
I have AAA-IAD-SFO-SIN coming up (changed from my original YYZ origin); if at all possible, breaking up the trip with a longer layover in SFO would be great. Anyone had any luck with this sort of thing lately? Thanks.
I have AAA-IAD-SFO-SIN coming up (changed from my original YYZ origin); if at all possible, breaking up the trip with a longer layover in SFO would be great. Anyone had any luck with this sort of thing lately? Thanks.
Oct 26, 2018, 12:52 pm
#4492
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,852
I know SDC to flights exactly 24 hours earlier isn't generally possible unless there's a delay of the earlier flight, and I know standby is generally same-day only, but there have been occasional reports of people being successful with both.
I have AAA-IAD-SFO-SIN coming up (changed from my original YYZ origin); if at all possible, breaking up the trip with a longer layover in SFO would be great. Anyone had any luck with this sort of thing lately? Thanks.
I have AAA-IAD-SFO-SIN coming up (changed from my original YYZ origin); if at all possible, breaking up the trip with a longer layover in SFO would be great. Anyone had any luck with this sort of thing lately? Thanks.
Oct 26, 2018, 1:18 pm
#4493
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,345
I know SDC to flights exactly 24 hours earlier isn't generally possible unless there's a delay of the earlier flight, and I know standby is generally same-day only, but there have been occasional reports of people being successful with both.
I have AAA-IAD-SFO-SIN coming up (changed from my original YYZ origin); if at all possible, breaking up the trip with a longer layover in SFO would be great. Anyone had any luck with this sort of thing lately? Thanks.
I have AAA-IAD-SFO-SIN coming up (changed from my original YYZ origin); if at all possible, breaking up the trip with a longer layover in SFO would be great. Anyone had any luck with this sort of thing lately? Thanks.
Keep in mind that you can't SDC SFO-SIN until you are shown as boarded in IAD. Or you can try to SDC the entire ticket before you depart AAA if the right fare class is available on all segments. International layovers can be 24 hours so you can stop in SFO as long as the next flight you are ticketed on leaves within 24 hours to SIN. But generally it's easier and more likely to just SDC once you board the plane at IAD.
-RM
Oct 26, 2018, 1:40 pm
#4494
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
I have read many of your posts regarding your trip to Singapore. It's a great town enjoy, I hope you get a shower and you'll find the American Express lounge after arriving at the international terminal at SFO and if you want any help with the SDC why don't you tell us what AAA is transparency will always help
Anyway, AAA = ROC. The flight exactly 24 hours earlier is the only one that would get me to SFO at a reasonable hour, as opposed to a 2:00 am hotel check-in. (There are flight options 27 to 30 hours earlier, but that's probably a bridge way too far, even for an accommodating agent.) I don't like my chances of this, but I figured I'd toss it out there. Thanks.
Considering SFO now has two daily flights to SIN then SDC'ing should be quite easy. You just need availability on the "earlier" next day flight to create your layover. Then you can SDC again to the "later" next day flight and so on. As for any reports of this being successful, it's all down to availability on the day you're flying. This SDC situation is no different than SDC'ing an SFO-LAX segment.
Keep in mind that you can't SDC SFO-SIN until you are shown as boarded in IAD. Or you can try to SDC the entire ticket before you depart AAA if the right fare class is available on all segments. International layovers can be 24 hours so you can stop in SFO as long as the next flight you are ticketed on leaves within 24 hours to SIN. But generally it's easier and more likely to just SDC once you board the plane at IAD.
-RM
Keep in mind that you can't SDC SFO-SIN until you are shown as boarded in IAD. Or you can try to SDC the entire ticket before you depart AAA if the right fare class is available on all segments. International layovers can be 24 hours so you can stop in SFO as long as the next flight you are ticketed on leaves within 24 hours to SIN. But generally it's easier and more likely to just SDC once you board the plane at IAD.
-RM
EDIT: Obviously, I could take the original outbound flights to SFO and then try to SDC the SFO-SIN for a later SIN arrival, but that would require changing several hotel reservations, which I'd rather not do (and might not be possible). I should have mentioned that in my comment above.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 26, 2018 at 4:24 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
Oct 28, 2018, 8:38 pm
#4495
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: United 1K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum; Hyatt Diamond/GLOB
Posts: 738
SDC for mileage run insanity
I've scoured this thread for my insane question, and I cannot find it, probably because it involves mileage run insanity.
Due to a blip in my work travels, I'm going to come up short for 1K this year but will be traveling normally next year and do not want to drop down to Platinum.
So, I found a good fare for an IAH-SFO-SIN-SFO-IAH with something like a 16-hour turnaround at the SIN airport. Now, my schedule has gotten goofy, and I need to push the mileage run back a week. It is conceivable that someone could SDC a flight indefinitely, but I'm going to run into the situation where my changed outbound flight will arrive later than my scheduled return flight.
There is a ton of availability on these flights, so no real worry about not being able to SDC, but if I move the outbound more than 12 hours later, I'll be scheduled to arrive in SIN after my scheduled departure back to SFO.
Will UA recognize that I have an impossible reservation and not let me SDC the outbound that creates the impossible reservation?
Could the system initially allow it only to have it flagged later and potentially cancelled?
I'm going to need to do this for seven straight days. If it's a hassle or a potential for a cancellation by UA, I'll just pay the change fee.
Due to a blip in my work travels, I'm going to come up short for 1K this year but will be traveling normally next year and do not want to drop down to Platinum.
So, I found a good fare for an IAH-SFO-SIN-SFO-IAH with something like a 16-hour turnaround at the SIN airport. Now, my schedule has gotten goofy, and I need to push the mileage run back a week. It is conceivable that someone could SDC a flight indefinitely, but I'm going to run into the situation where my changed outbound flight will arrive later than my scheduled return flight.
There is a ton of availability on these flights, so no real worry about not being able to SDC, but if I move the outbound more than 12 hours later, I'll be scheduled to arrive in SIN after my scheduled departure back to SFO.
Will UA recognize that I have an impossible reservation and not let me SDC the outbound that creates the impossible reservation?
Could the system initially allow it only to have it flagged later and potentially cancelled?
I'm going to need to do this for seven straight days. If it's a hassle or a potential for a cancellation by UA, I'll just pay the change fee.
Oct 28, 2018, 10:22 pm
#4496
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: NY
Programs: AA: ExPlat & 3MM; UA: 1k; KL: Plat 4 Life; Hyatt: Plat; SPG, Marriott, Hilton: Gold
Posts: 2,708
Flying EWR-NRT-SIN and back in a few weeks. Used GPUs on the EWR-NRT and back. The NRT-SIN and back on NH so no upgrades.
Questions I couldn’t find answer for on thread:
* Will SDC only offer flights where R space available and I get upgraded or will it look for W space instead?
* Would SDC could route me where all 4 flights are on UA?
Questions I couldn’t find answer for on thread:
* Will SDC only offer flights where R space available and I get upgraded or will it look for W space instead?
* Would SDC could route me where all 4 flights are on UA?
Oct 28, 2018, 10:34 pm
#4497
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH, YYC
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 753
I've scoured this thread for my insane question, and I cannot find it, probably because it involves mileage run insanity.
Due to a blip in my work travels, I'm going to come up short for 1K this year but will be traveling normally next year and do not want to drop down to Platinum.
So, I found a good fare for an IAH-SFO-SIN-SFO-IAH with something like a 16-hour turnaround at the SIN airport. Now, my schedule has gotten goofy, and I need to push the mileage run back a week. It is conceivable that someone could SDC a flight indefinitely, but I'm going to run into the situation where my changed outbound flight will arrive later than my scheduled return flight.
There is a ton of availability on these flights, so no real worry about not being able to SDC, but if I move the outbound more than 12 hours later, I'll be scheduled to arrive in SIN after my scheduled departure back to SFO.
Will UA recognize that I have an impossible reservation and not let me SDC the outbound that creates the impossible reservation?
Could the system initially allow it only to have it flagged later and potentially cancelled?
I'm going to need to do this for seven straight days. If it's a hassle or a potential for a cancellation by UA, I'll just pay the change fee.
Due to a blip in my work travels, I'm going to come up short for 1K this year but will be traveling normally next year and do not want to drop down to Platinum.
So, I found a good fare for an IAH-SFO-SIN-SFO-IAH with something like a 16-hour turnaround at the SIN airport. Now, my schedule has gotten goofy, and I need to push the mileage run back a week. It is conceivable that someone could SDC a flight indefinitely, but I'm going to run into the situation where my changed outbound flight will arrive later than my scheduled return flight.
There is a ton of availability on these flights, so no real worry about not being able to SDC, but if I move the outbound more than 12 hours later, I'll be scheduled to arrive in SIN after my scheduled departure back to SFO.
Will UA recognize that I have an impossible reservation and not let me SDC the outbound that creates the impossible reservation?
Could the system initially allow it only to have it flagged later and potentially cancelled?
I'm going to need to do this for seven straight days. If it's a hassle or a potential for a cancellation by UA, I'll just pay the change fee.
You probably dont want to risk this happening, because you’ll have to make the change quickly and (maybe) expensively. You might be better off just paying the change fee and moving it to the dates you can make it.
Oct 28, 2018, 11:21 pm
#4498
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,856
Flying EWR-NRT-SIN and back in a few weeks. Used GPUs on the EWR-NRT and back. The NRT-SIN and back on NH so no upgrades.
Questions I couldn’t find answer for on thread:
* Will SDC only offer flights where R space available and I get upgraded or will it look for W space instead?
Questions I couldn’t find answer for on thread:
* Will SDC only offer flights where R space available and I get upgraded or will it look for W space instead?
No SDC with only place you back in your purchased cabin, you will have to reapply the GPUs.
GS instruments cleared into PN can SDC to PN. But PZ (the new R) cleared segments will not do this.
SDC can only be used to select UA flights. Additionally SDC can only be handled by the app / online if there are no non-UA flights in the direction of travel. Such as EWR-NRT-SIN and NRT-SIN is NH, SDC will not be offered by the app. An agent might be willing to provide an all UA EWR-XXX-SIN routing
Oct 28, 2018, 11:43 pm
#4499
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,418
Oct 29, 2018, 8:19 am
#4500
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
Just pay the change fee. If you're lucky, it's only $120. But the itinerary will reprice if you change before flying the outbound.