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}
Mar 26, 2019, 8:19 pm
#5116
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
Mar 27, 2019, 8:52 am
#5117
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
You might get some additional routing options, especially if you are already at a connecting point.
Mar 29, 2019, 2:30 am
#5118
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 127
Anyone else notice odd behavior by the in app SDC function recently? Flying EWR-SFO yesterday afternoon, the app only presented non-stop SDC routings for the same date despite many reasonable one stop options with plenty of availability in my fare class.
There were also several non stop flights the following day well within the 24 hour window with plenty of inventory that were not being displayed in the app.
There were also several non stop flights the following day well within the 24 hour window with plenty of inventory that were not being displayed in the app.
Mar 29, 2019, 2:50 am
#5119
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: SFO
Posts: 181
Anyone else notice odd behavior by the in app SDC function recently? Flying EWR-SFO yesterday afternoon, the app only presented non-stop SDC routings for the same date despite many reasonable one stop options with plenty of availability in my fare class.
There were also several non stop flights the following day well within the 24 hour window with plenty of inventory that were not being displayed in the app.
There were also several non stop flights the following day well within the 24 hour window with plenty of inventory that were not being displayed in the app.
Mar 29, 2019, 9:19 am
#5120
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
They tweak the in-app SDC all the time; I think they're still trying to make it work the way they want. In other words, I suspect incompetent,e not malice.
In the meantime, you can call to make changes that are within policy.
Mar 30, 2019, 3:17 pm
#5121
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,346
Does anyone have experience with SDC'ing through flights when you take the first leg but want to SDC the second?
Currently booked on UA 1213 which is LGA-ORD-SFO. I'm continuing on from SFO but there are plenty of other flights I could take out of ORD (including an earlier one through SFO). Can I SDC once I board in LGA or am I forced to take the continuation of UA 1213 to SFO as scheduled?
PS - I'm referring to doing this through the app. I'm sure I can do it via the 1K line but would like the technology to work if possible so I can avoid calling.
Thanks,
RM
Currently booked on UA 1213 which is LGA-ORD-SFO. I'm continuing on from SFO but there are plenty of other flights I could take out of ORD (including an earlier one through SFO). Can I SDC once I board in LGA or am I forced to take the continuation of UA 1213 to SFO as scheduled?
PS - I'm referring to doing this through the app. I'm sure I can do it via the 1K line but would like the technology to work if possible so I can avoid calling.
Thanks,
RM
Mar 30, 2019, 5:32 pm
#5122
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: 66,857
Mar 30, 2019, 5:49 pm
#5123
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 593
Can you same day change when you used the flight coupon? OP is on a through flight so his flight coupon would be LGA-SFO. He wants to SDC at the stop over point even though he does not have a ticket ORD-SFO.
Mar 30, 2019, 11:39 pm
#5124
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Alaska Gold 75K, AA EXP, United 1K
Posts: 472
Anyone know what My options are in this situation?
i booked AAA-BBB-CCC-AAA. AAA-BBB is a red eye departing the night before and the remaining segments are all the following day on the same record locator. My destination is BBB and connecting through CCC to get back home yielded the best fare. I’d like to SDC on a later flight from BBB back to AAA.
I usually have no problems doing this but given my time at BBB was <4 hours, I’m worried it might actually be ticketed as a flight from AAA to CCC with a connection in BBB. Any tips on whether/how I can SDC for the BBB-AAA flight? App/Kiosk/Gate agent/1K line? Wait until I arrive at BBB?
And how I can I check what fare basis I’m actually on assuming that impacts whether/how this can be done?
i booked AAA-BBB-CCC-AAA. AAA-BBB is a red eye departing the night before and the remaining segments are all the following day on the same record locator. My destination is BBB and connecting through CCC to get back home yielded the best fare. I’d like to SDC on a later flight from BBB back to AAA.
I usually have no problems doing this but given my time at BBB was <4 hours, I’m worried it might actually be ticketed as a flight from AAA to CCC with a connection in BBB. Any tips on whether/how I can SDC for the BBB-AAA flight? App/Kiosk/Gate agent/1K line? Wait until I arrive at BBB?
And how I can I check what fare basis I’m actually on assuming that impacts whether/how this can be done?
Mar 30, 2019, 11:45 pm
#5125
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SEA/ORD/ADB
Programs: TK ELPL (*G), AS 100K (OWE), BA Gold (OWE), Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 7,763
Does anyone have experience with SDC'ing through flights when you take the first leg but want to SDC the second?
Currently booked on UA 1213 which is LGA-ORD-SFO. I'm continuing on from SFO but there are plenty of other flights I could take out of ORD (including an earlier one through SFO). Can I SDC once I board in LGA or am I forced to take the continuation of UA 1213 to SFO as scheduled?
PS - I'm referring to doing this through the app. I'm sure I can do it via the 1K line but would like the technology to work if possible so I can avoid calling.
Thanks,
RM
Currently booked on UA 1213 which is LGA-ORD-SFO. I'm continuing on from SFO but there are plenty of other flights I could take out of ORD (including an earlier one through SFO). Can I SDC once I board in LGA or am I forced to take the continuation of UA 1213 to SFO as scheduled?
PS - I'm referring to doing this through the app. I'm sure I can do it via the 1K line but would like the technology to work if possible so I can avoid calling.
Thanks,
RM
If you want to make this type of change, I would recommend calling prior to departing LGA.
Mar 31, 2019, 1:14 am
#5126
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
I usually have no problems doing this but given my time at BBB was <4 hours, I’m worried it might actually be ticketed as a flight from AAA to CCC with a connection in BBB. Any tips on whether/how I can SDC for the BBB-AAA flight? App/Kiosk/Gate agent/1K line? Wait until I arrive at BBB?
And how I can I check what fare basis I’m actually on assuming that impacts whether/how this can be done?
And how I can I check what fare basis I’m actually on assuming that impacts whether/how this can be done?
You can't see the fare construction after purchase, but you can get an idea by looking at the fare classes on your receipt. If BBB-CCC has a different fare class than CCC-AAA, you have a fare break at CCC. If all flights are the same fare class, you'd have to call to ask, and it may take a couple of tries before you find someone who understands your question well enough to answer it.
Apr 1, 2019, 4:40 pm
#5127
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,219
I had not previously appreciated that you could SDC in the middle of a trip. I have a flight in July that is SYD-SFO-ORD-CDG. I am in PZ for SYD-SFO and ORD-CDG. On the waitlist for PZ SFO-ORD and suspect the upgrade is unlikely as between two hubs. Obviously I would like to fly SYD-SFO-CDG but do not want to lose Polaris for the TATL and TPAC legs.
1. If I check in at SYD and then try to SDC to SFO-CDG will they honor the PZ for SFO-CDG?
Separately I would like to drop a bag off in SAN before proceeding to CDG. Summer in CDG and winter in SYD.
2. Can I delay the SFO-ORD-CDG legs by 24 hours even if I have already taken the first leg.
Not sure if this makes a difference but the SYD to CDG is the return part of the ticket.
TIA.
1. If I check in at SYD and then try to SDC to SFO-CDG will they honor the PZ for SFO-CDG?
Separately I would like to drop a bag off in SAN before proceeding to CDG. Summer in CDG and winter in SYD.
2. Can I delay the SFO-ORD-CDG legs by 24 hours even if I have already taken the first leg.
Not sure if this makes a difference but the SYD to CDG is the return part of the ticket.
TIA.
Apr 1, 2019, 4:48 pm
#5128
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
Technically, that would create a stopover; it may be possible, but there's no guarantee.
Apr 1, 2019, 4:57 pm
#5129
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,219
Apr 1, 2019, 5:14 pm
#5130
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531