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}
Nov 18, 2018, 2:32 pm
#4576
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
People are confusing SDC and changes where an agent has waived the $200+ penalty.
SDC does not permit co-terminals (I'm presuming that's what OP means by "sister") and it has other requirements. This is not to suggest that with the right agent in the right circumstances, an agent won't make the change and waive the change fee.
If you are asking for planning purposes, you have to expect to be offered the change for change fee + fare difference and then make a decision.
SDC does not permit co-terminals (I'm presuming that's what OP means by "sister") and it has other requirements. This is not to suggest that with the right agent in the right circumstances, an agent won't make the change and waive the change fee.
If you are asking for planning purposes, you have to expect to be offered the change for change fee + fare difference and then make a decision.
Nov 18, 2018, 3:41 pm
#4577
formerly 1984SW
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
To pick up where I left off (with a MID-IAH-SFO-SAN itinerary on 06-Nov and trying to do a SDC). I was educated here that a 3-segment SDC (usually?) won't work. When I checked the app at 500am on the morning of my 815am departure, a slew of $0 itineraries had opened up, but regardless of which one I selected, I got an error message (all my screenshots got wiped out...) saying something about could not complete the transaction and to call UA. So I called the Premier Desk and was told I would have to pay large add collects since my original booking was P and the new itins were Z and/or C/D. At the airport I got an *excellent* check-in agent who knew her stuff. By the time she finished, I was checked in MID-IAH-IAD-SAN and the flights now even showed up as P. Wow. Great for some of those extra PQMs I need.
Fast forward to the LAS-IAH-MID (two segment connection) trip on 17-Nov the and again the app offered a slew of $0 alternate itins, but all of them popped an error saying the transaction could be complete and to call UA. Again, I called the Premier Desk and the agent, working with the Help Desk, said there was no way to rebook any of those $0 alternates without $1000+ add collects. What's up with that error message that keeps me from completing the transaction on the app???
At the LAS check in counter I again got a cooperative agent but by that time the flights I wanted were all full.
Is there something "special" about international Itineraries that I'm experiencing? Or, what factor can/should I be aware of with my SDC attempts? Why can airport check-in agents do it but the Premier Desk, and even the Help Desk, cannot?
Fast forward to the LAS-IAH-MID (two segment connection) trip on 17-Nov the and again the app offered a slew of $0 alternate itins, but all of them popped an error saying the transaction could be complete and to call UA. Again, I called the Premier Desk and the agent, working with the Help Desk, said there was no way to rebook any of those $0 alternates without $1000+ add collects. What's up with that error message that keeps me from completing the transaction on the app???
At the LAS check in counter I again got a cooperative agent but by that time the flights I wanted were all full.
Is there something "special" about international Itineraries that I'm experiencing? Or, what factor can/should I be aware of with my SDC attempts? Why can airport check-in agents do it but the Premier Desk, and even the Help Desk, cannot?
Nov 18, 2018, 3:52 pm
#4578
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,362
To pick up where I left off (with a MID-IAH-SFO-SAN itinerary on 06-Nov and trying to do a SDC). I was educated here that a 3-segment SDC (usually?) won't work. When I checked the app at 500am on the morning of my 815am departure, a slew of $0 itineraries had opened up, but regardless of which one I selected, I got an error message (all my screenshots got wiped out...) saying something about could not complete the transaction and to call UA. So I called the Premier Desk and was told I would have to pay large add collects since my original booking was P and the new itins were Z and/or C/D.
What was your fare class on this trip? Could you see that fare class when you did an advanced search? Were you connecting to the same IAH-MID flight you were already on (I remember you saying it's a once-daily flight?)
No; at least, there shouldn't be.
Last edited by jsloan; Nov 18, 2018 at 4:16 pm
Nov 18, 2018, 4:05 pm
#4579
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: BOS/SIN
Programs: DL PM, OZ Diamond Plus, BA Silver
Posts: 1,799
One data point regarding free SDC for *G and SDCing into p.s.: switched BOS-LAX (in Z) to BOS-SFO-LAX on the app for $0 with no issues whatsoever, although no BOS-EWR-LAX options appeared despite Z availability on BOS-EWR and EWR-LAX. Hence I suspect the app hasn't been updated to recognize BOS-SFO as p.s., but that might just be speculation on my part (also rules of the original fare didn't allow BOS-LAX via SFO, so not a fare rule issue I /think/)
Nov 18, 2018, 4:10 pm
#4580
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,416
Yes, but that's really not what I was referring to. I was responding to the comment that OP might be able to SDC to a co-terminal based on the fare rules. The fare rules don't matter - you can't SDC to a co-terminal.
Nov 18, 2018, 4:15 pm
#4581
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: NY
Programs: AA: ExPlat & 3MM; UA: 1k; KL: Plat 4 Life; Hyatt: Plat; SPG, Marriott, Hilton: Gold
Posts: 2,707
Nov 18, 2018, 4:36 pm
#4582
formerly 1984SW
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
To pick up where I left off (with a MID-IAH-SFO-SAN itinerary on 06-Nov and trying to do a SDC). I was educated here that a 3-segment SDC (usually?) won't work. When I checked the app at 500am on the morning of my 815am departure, a slew of $0 itineraries had opened up, but regardless of which one I selected, I got an error message (all my screenshots got wiped out...) saying something about could not complete the transaction and to call UA. So I called the Premier Desk and was told I would have to pay large add collects since my original booking was P and the new itins were Z and/or C/D. At the airport I got an *excellent* check-in agent who knew her stuff. By the time she finished, I was checked in MID-IAH-IAD-SAN and the flights now even showed up as P. Wow. Great for some of those extra PQMs I need.
OK, so you go into the app, check in / tap on the itinerary that's already checked in, select the "Take an earlier flight" or "view alternate flights" banner, and then it gives you a bunch of options that don't actually work? When you say "$0 flights," you're talking about the buttons that say "Confirmed Seat ($0)"?
Yes, I was connecting to the same IAH-MID flight, but as I understood it, a seat still had to be available for sale on the flight in order to make the change, (which it was.) Is that understanding incorrect, as well?
Nov 18, 2018, 4:43 pm
#4583
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,362
I hope I'm not getting confused yet again. I thought that on the app, if any fare bucket in the same cabin were available, the upfare was waived. Or, are you only saying that once an agent is involved an add collect applies if there's no P space available. I was irrationally hoping that the Help Desk would know that the app behaved that way and would accommodate my change.
Oh, no. You mean I was doing it wrong? I was clicking on the "Change Flight" button below the recap of my itinerary on the app. When I did that, it would display several flight options with varying add collects, with several showing "$0" instead. When I clicked on one of the schedules with "$0" in front of it to select it, when I proceeded to do the change, I got the error message saying to call UA.
Tap on "Travel options" and then look for a blue banner that looks like an ad and says something about "other flight options" or "earlier flights." (Even though it says "earlier," later flights will be available too). If you don't see that banner, it means that there aren't any SDC options currently available.
Nov 18, 2018, 5:54 pm
#4584
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
Fast forward to the LAS-IAH-MID (two segment connection) trip on 17-Nov the and again the app offered a slew of $0 alternate itins, but all of them popped an error saying the transaction could be complete and to call UA. Again, I called the Premier Desk and the agent, working with the Help Desk, said there was no way to rebook any of those $0 alternates without $1000+ add collects. What's up with that error message that keeps me from completing the transaction on the app???
At the LAS check in counter I again got a cooperative agent but by that time the flights I wanted were all full.
Is there something "special" about international Itineraries that I'm experiencing? Or, what factor can/should I be aware of with my SDC attempts? Why can airport check-in agents do it but the Premier Desk, and even the Help Desk, cannot?
At the LAS check in counter I again got a cooperative agent but by that time the flights I wanted were all full.
Is there something "special" about international Itineraries that I'm experiencing? Or, what factor can/should I be aware of with my SDC attempts? Why can airport check-in agents do it but the Premier Desk, and even the Help Desk, cannot?
Nov 18, 2018, 6:46 pm
#4585
formerly 1984SW
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
Oh, well.
Nov 18, 2018, 6:48 pm
#4586
formerly 1984SW
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
Are you saying that you think the agent on the Premier Desk should have changed my itinerary for a $0 charge/fee when I advised her I had seen it on the app as $0?
Nov 18, 2018, 7:16 pm
#4587
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,362
, but I promise that the app requires availability in the same fare class in order to make an SDC.Standby doesn't require fare-class availability, but SDC does. However, you can't change routing when flying standby, and it can be extremely difficult to standby into the premium cabin. They'll typically run upgrades before standby customers.
Nov 18, 2018, 7:37 pm
#4588
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
No, I was just saying that some agents don’t know much, if anything, about SDC, both on the phone and at the airport. If you’re trying to SDC, there’s same-fare availability, and the agent starts talking about fees, it’s best to politely hang up and try another agent.
Nov 18, 2018, 10:10 pm
#4589
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,881
on a different flight with availability in the chain, but not your fare class. They will charge the SDC fee (waives for gold and above) as well as the fare difference.
Nov 19, 2018, 1:25 pm
#4590
formerly 1984SW
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
Okay, got it: For SDC, you need same fare bucket as you are currently booked on. So, the airport agents were "breaking the rules" to help me, apparently?