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 19, 2015, 8:37 am
#766
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,484
Can I SDC into a different cabin on a different routing? I'm flying sea-den-phl next week in W, there's a better scheduled routing via sea-iah-phl available, which I know I can SDC into, but can I also select First while doing that? (Currently the "change flights" option online lets me select sea-iah-phl in First, for the $200 fare difference + $200 change fee.)
(Doing this would be useful as it would get me an additional 2000PQM which I'll need to reach Gold for next year.)
(Doing this would be useful as it would get me an additional 2000PQM which I'll need to reach Gold for next year.)
You may be able to accomplish the same earlier and for free by referencing GG OVS BUYUP.
This is all best accomplished by phone.
Nov 21, 2015, 7:49 pm
#767
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 5
United same day change questiom
Family of 4 travelling tomorrow AM hoping to get on the redeye. The change fee as I am gold is waived for the party, but the fare difference is huge as they have about 10 seats left, all in either B or Y class. One agent told me that woth 3 hours to go, they sometimes change those unsold seats to match up against any fare class which would allow us to change. Has anyone ever heard that before? Any chance that it might actually happen for LAX to CUN tonight?
One other question. If we don't get that and have to stay on our original itinerary, what is the best to do with regard to splitting the booking for a chance to get on the CPU list for my wife and I keeping the kids in coach? It only lets me split. Can I do it at the gate?
Any thoughts on either are welcomed!
Thanks in advance
One other question. If we don't get that and have to stay on our original itinerary, what is the best to do with regard to splitting the booking for a chance to get on the CPU list for my wife and I keeping the kids in coach? It only lets me split. Can I do it at the gate?
Any thoughts on either are welcomed!
Thanks in advance
Nov 21, 2015, 7:57 pm
#768
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,861
Family of 4 travelling tomorrow AM hoping to get on the redeye. The change fee as I am gold is waived for the party, but the fare difference is huge as they have about 10 seats left, all in either B or Y class. One agent told me that woth 3 hours to go, they sometimes change those unsold seats to match up against any fare class which would allow us to change. Has anyone ever heard that before? Any chance that it might actually happen for LAX to CUN tonight? ...
At check-in you will be offered the opportunity. If you don't split, you will not be on the gate waitlist.
Nov 21, 2015, 10:23 pm
#769
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,029
...they have about 10 seats left, all in either B or Y class. One agent told me that woth 3 hours to go, they sometimes change those unsold seats to match up against any fare class which would allow us to change. Has anyone ever heard that before? Any chance that it might actually happen for LAX to CUN tonight?...
Nov 22, 2015, 8:54 am
#770
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHI
Posts: 501
How close up to departure can one SDC?
Can one SDC after checking in?
I've got a flight I'd like to be VDB from, but do not want to end up on the flight. I suspect a GA could rebook me much later on (1 day), pending successful VDB, as well?
Can one SDC after checking in?
I've got a flight I'd like to be VDB from, but do not want to end up on the flight. I suspect a GA could rebook me much later on (1 day), pending successful VDB, as well?
Nov 22, 2015, 12:20 pm
#771
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,861
I have done 1 hour prior to new flight, about 2 prior to old flight.
yes
You will not know about VDB until 20 or so minutes before departure. But if there was a later flight available for SDC then it should be available for a VDB person.
yes
You will not know about VDB until 20 or so minutes before departure. But if there was a later flight available for SDC then it should be available for a VDB person.
Nov 22, 2015, 10:09 pm
#772
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: NJ
Programs: UA-plat, HH-Diamond, Marriott-gold
Posts: 212
scheduled ewr-lax koa next week and didn't realise how close the conx time was in LAX..We are on UA758 Dec 3rd 6am. Do you think they would let us take late flight out to lax night before and we would get a hotel? Trying to avoid a stressfull 32 min rush with grandma.. I am gold and this is the flight that makes me platinum!! Also 2 of us are on mileage tix and one is fare paying..thanks in advance for any help, thoughts or ideas!!
Nov 23, 2015, 6:37 am
#773
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,861
scheduled ewr-lax koa next week and didn't realise how close the conx time was in LAX..We are on UA758 Dec 3rd 6am. Do you think they would let us take late flight out to lax night before and we would get a hotel? Trying to avoid a stressfull 32 min rush with grandma.. I am gold and this is the flight that makes me platinum!! Also 2 of us are on mileage tix and one is fare paying..thanks in advance for any help, thoughts or ideas!!
Nov 26, 2015, 5:19 pm
#774
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,471
How to use the app for SDC?
I feel like a bit of a dummy, but I've just tried out the app (android) for the first time, and I can't figure out how would one possibly change flights from within it.
I see tabs like
I think I've tapped on all of the buttons in every heading, and I don't see anything like 'Change Flights' or similar. I have a ~T-20 flight, but I did already check in. Does the app not handle already checked-in flights? From other comments, it sounds like it should be possible to still use it.
I see tabs like
Code:
Home | Boarding Passes | Flight Status | My Reservations | United Clubs | MileagePlus
Nov 26, 2015, 5:34 pm
#775
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: AC E50k, A3*G, UA*S, MR Titanium, HHonors Gold, Carlson Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 3,669
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BB10; Touch) AppleWebKit/537.35+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/10.3.1.2576 Mobile Safari/537.35+)
Under my reservations, if there are eligible flights to which you can change, you'd see the button "flight options" underneath the relevant reservation
Originally Posted by fumje
I feel like a bit of a dummy, but I've just tried out the app (android) for the first time, and I can't figure out how would one possibly change flights from within it.
I see tabs like
I think I've tapped on all of the buttons in every heading, and I don't see anything like 'Change Flights' or similar. I have a ~T-20 flight, but I did already check in. Does the app not handle already checked-in flights? From other comments, it sounds like it should be possible to still use it.
I see tabs like
Code:
Home | Boarding Passes | Flight Status | My Reservations | United Clubs | MileagePlus
Nov 26, 2015, 5:49 pm
#776
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,471
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BB10; Touch) AppleWebKit/537.35+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/10.3.1.2576 Mobile Safari/537.35+)
Under my reservations, if there are eligible flights to which you can change, you'd see the button "flight options" underneath the relevant reservation
Under my reservations, if there are eligible flights to which you can change, you'd see the button "flight options" underneath the relevant reservation
Nov 27, 2015, 4:12 am
#777
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,019
So, not every flight will have optional eligible flights.
Nov 27, 2015, 5:39 am
#778
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,471
I see, thanks. So if there's no valid alternative, the button is just not there? (After web searching it looks like there is no equiv. fare class/rules flight.)
Nov 27, 2015, 8:02 am
#779
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
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As mentioned in the wiki, if the leg you are checking in for has more than two segments, the automated SDC tools will not work. You would need to speak with an agent to process a SDC if you have three or more segments.
Nov 27, 2015, 6:48 pm
#780
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,471
