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}
Dec 23, 2019, 11:51 pm
#6046
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: 66,854
Dec 24, 2019, 8:39 am
#6047
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: TX
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 729
Has the PZ thing been worked out? If I have been upgraded to PZ on a route that is serviced by a mix of planes, some with a front cabin and some without, will the app offer me flights with no PZ inventory if my originally booked fare bucket opens up? If not, does calling help?
Well I see there are a lot of conflicting reports in this thread but I can give you this data point:
I am on IAH-CRP on an XN original fare now upgraded to PZ.
There are three earlier flights today, a 175 and two on a 145 (so no first class cabin). Current inventory:
ERJ175: PZ8, XN0, X0 - Being offered to SDC
ERJ145 #1 : XN2 X0 - Not being offered on app or online.
ERJ145 #2 : XN3 X1 - Not being offered on app or online.
So i have no idea what the current status of the SDC of PZ fares is.
Merry Christmas!
Well I see there are a lot of conflicting reports in this thread but I can give you this data point:
I am on IAH-CRP on an XN original fare now upgraded to PZ.
There are three earlier flights today, a 175 and two on a 145 (so no first class cabin). Current inventory:
ERJ175: PZ8, XN0, X0 - Being offered to SDC
ERJ145 #1 : XN2 X0 - Not being offered on app or online.
ERJ145 #2 : XN3 X1 - Not being offered on app or online.
So i have no idea what the current status of the SDC of PZ fares is.
Merry Christmas!
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 24, 2019 at 3:15 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member
Dec 24, 2019, 9:27 am
#6048
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,939
I SDC'd from PZ to a flight with PZ available yesterday. It put me in Y. It did clear me +1 to PZ an hour or so later. Wasn't too worried as it was PZ9.
Dec 24, 2019, 12:42 pm
#6049
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
Dec 24, 2019, 10:19 pm
#6050
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: TX
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 729
I can confirm that this is ABSOLUTELY NOT what happened today. I could ONLY sdc my PZ flight into flights that had PZ space and flights with my underlying fare class were unavailable for SDC.
Dec 24, 2019, 10:27 pm
#6051
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: 66,854
It looks like it is requiring the PZ but you end up in the originally purchased fare class. So best to call and use an agent, but PZ will be lost.
Dec 24, 2019, 10:29 pm
#6052
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: TX
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 729
i did not process the SDC into the one flight being offered however in the “flight details” of the SDC it did clearly say that the new flight would have been “PZ” and “United first”. Further, expert mode showed my underlying fareclass as XN0 with PZ8, and yet it was offered. But since I did not process it I can’t answer your question precisely.
Dec 25, 2019, 12:05 am
#6053
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
Almost all the datapoints I've seen seem to support a "rebook into original fare class for revenue tickets but PZ for award tickets" paradigm - would be really interested to see if anybody has a contradictory experience.
Dec 25, 2019, 1:43 am
#6054
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
txaggiemiles: Your experience didn’t match mine from yesterday; it definitely could be an XN->PZ thing, though. I was on a T->PZ fare. And, you’ve hit on one of the many reasons that this behavior irritates me: having to call to SDC.
Dec 25, 2019, 11:06 am
#6055
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LGA
Programs: UA
Posts: 15
SDC Best Approach
After reading a majority of the threads I understand that there are a ton of options, but the key is that at some point UA releases seats back into most fare classes which saves you having to pay the difference in fare price. Given the timing of that the release what is the better approach or which situation would you rather be in:
If your ideal flight is:
DCA -ORD Friday night
Would you rather have purchased a Thursday night flight and then change to Friday afternoon/morning and then again to Friday evening as the window expands?
Or
Would you rather have purchased a Saturday morning flight, and then change it to Friday night at the beginning of the check in window?
If your ideal flight is:
DCA -ORD Friday night
Would you rather have purchased a Thursday night flight and then change to Friday afternoon/morning and then again to Friday evening as the window expands?
Or
Would you rather have purchased a Saturday morning flight, and then change it to Friday night at the beginning of the check in window?
Dec 25, 2019, 11:54 am
#6056
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
However, all else isn’t necessarily equal. If I could travel on Thursday, or Friday morning — understanding that it’d be inconvenient, and I’d rather not — but I can’t travel Saturday morning (e.g., I wouldn’t get to ORD in time for whatever I’m going there to do/see/etc.), then I’d take the Thursday flight.
And if Friday night is the only flight I could actually take, I’d just monitor fares and buy that one, eschewing the possibility of SDC. (Also: if the fare goes down more than $50 in the next 30 days, you can call and get the fare adjusted, less a $50 administrative fee; you’ll get the difference in an electronic travel credit).
My reasoning is simple: it doesn’t take much to make SDC impossible: bad weather in DC or Chicago could do it easily, for example.
Dec 25, 2019, 4:32 pm
#6057
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,414
That’s definitely not what I saw the last time there was a glitch, but I’d hardly be surprised if UA found some new way to break things.
txaggiemiles: Your experience didn’t match mine from yesterday; it definitely could be an XN->PZ thing, though. I was on a T->PZ fare. And, you’ve hit on one of the many reasons that this behavior irritates me: having to call to SDC.
txaggiemiles: Your experience didn’t match mine from yesterday; it definitely could be an XN->PZ thing, though. I was on a T->PZ fare. And, you’ve hit on one of the many reasons that this behavior irritates me: having to call to SDC.
Dec 26, 2019, 11:12 am
#6058
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA: 1K. Hilton: Diamond. Marriot: Gold. AA: Gold
Posts: 51
I recently spoke to the premier desk about same day (i.e. within 24 hour) international flight changes. I wanted to make sure what the agent told me was correct and that I was not being passed along incorrect information.
I was told for United metal to United metal, the rules are the same as domestic correct. The change fee is waived. And if there is an available seat within the same fare class or below, the change can be made without paying a fare difference. I was told that doing same day changes from United metal to another carrier such as Lufthansa metal is very difficult and will incur a change fee on top of a fare class difference. Lastly, I asked about changing from another carrier such as Lufthansa metal to United metal, and was told once again that a change fee would be placed on top of a fare class difference. She told me that change fee is $160 and this is true from all statuses gold to 1k.
Is the information the agent passed along correct or are there subtleties not highlighted or pointed out?
I was told for United metal to United metal, the rules are the same as domestic correct. The change fee is waived. And if there is an available seat within the same fare class or below, the change can be made without paying a fare difference. I was told that doing same day changes from United metal to another carrier such as Lufthansa metal is very difficult and will incur a change fee on top of a fare class difference. Lastly, I asked about changing from another carrier such as Lufthansa metal to United metal, and was told once again that a change fee would be placed on top of a fare class difference. She told me that change fee is $160 and this is true from all statuses gold to 1k.
Is the information the agent passed along correct or are there subtleties not highlighted or pointed out?
Dec 26, 2019, 11:59 am
#6059
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: 66,854
.... I asked about changing from another carrier such as Lufthansa metal to United metal, and was told once again that a change fee would be placed on top of a fare class difference. She told me that change fee is $160 and this is true from all statuses gold to 1k. ...
If an agent is not willing to do SDC, then it would be change fee and fare differential -- try a different agent in that case.
So the info you got was strictly correct but there may be some wiggle room on the partner to UA change.
Dec 26, 2019, 12:25 pm
#6060
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
I don’t know where $160 came from. If SDC from a non-UA tto an all-UA itinerary is possible and allowed, the fee would be the same as any other SDC — $0 for Gold or higher, and $75 otherwise. If SDC is not possible — because you’re not on a 016 ticket, or because there is still a non-UA flight on the new itinerary, or because the agent decides to enforce the policy as written,, you’d pay whatever the change fee is for that fare. $160 isn’t a value that I recognize — I’m not sure if UA sells many (or any) fares with a $160 fee.