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}
Feb 7, 2018, 12:07 pm
#3286
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
There’s no way UA benefits in that scenario, as the partner miles cost way less than the lounge access and UA is giving you extra miles if you’re flying less than 500 miles and scoring the 500 PQM minimum.
Feb 8, 2018, 12:22 am
#3287
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
I note that SDC via app still seems to be incredibly loose.. for SFO-MSP I was offered SFO-IAD-MSP and SFO-EWR-MSP (also x/IAH), none of which are permissible by the routing rules. On a CPUed G fare, or might have considered it.
Feb 8, 2018, 12:33 am
#3288
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: ICN
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 224
I agree. I had LAS-LAX in P and was offered LAS-IAH-LAX. When I got to IAH I was offered IAH-MCO-LAX or IAH-SEA-LAX. If United offers it can you get in trouble for accepting it?
Feb 8, 2018, 1:49 am
#3289
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,958
Iad-RDU
i was offered connection flights through EWR, ORD, DEN and IAH for IAD-RDU (a very short hop). I would have take it if IAD-SFO-RDU were offered. Lol.
Feb 8, 2018, 7:20 am
#3290
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Madrid
Programs: IB+ Emerald (Platino), M&M Senator (Gold), Meliá Rewards Platino, NH Platinum
Posts: 436
What makes me doubt is the "back-routing" or whatever you call it. For example, once I was flying IAH-DEN-ORD. Once scanned my boaring pass in IAH, they offered me DEN-IAH-ORD for DEN-ORD (I mean going back to IAH from DEN and fly to ORD). I didn´t fly it, but it makes me wonder if they would have cancelled the ticket or something...
Feb 8, 2018, 12:05 pm
#3291
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
I think "your computer offered it" is a 100% defensible argument. My bigger problem is that the extra PQMs don't help since they added the PQD requirement, unless I look at lifetime miles..
Feb 8, 2018, 12:07 pm
#3292
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Madrid
Programs: IB+ Emerald (Platino), M&M Senator (Gold), Meliá Rewards Platino, NH Platinum
Posts: 436
Feb 9, 2018, 10:08 pm
#3293
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: ICN
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 224
Yeah, it’s depressing they don’t give rdms based on flight distance anymore. I’m trying to reach lifetime 1K before United decides remove the PQD waiver for foreign residents.
Feb 9, 2018, 10:34 pm
#3294
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Madrid
Programs: IB+ Emerald (Platino), M&M Senator (Gold), Meliá Rewards Platino, NH Platinum
Posts: 436
I have to correct myself. The Miles and More negative (revenue based) changes only affect the tickets issued by LH, SN, OS and LX. If the ticket is UA (016-XXXXXXXXX), the miles earnings won´t change
Feb 9, 2018, 10:38 pm
#3295
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Tri Valley Area Northern CA
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 579
I had 2 one way tickets available for check in. One was upgrade (CPU) and the other was waitlisted for a (CPU) upgrade. The upgraded itinerary did not show any SDC flight options (via app), even through there were plenty of flights wtih the original fare class G. The other, not upgraded itinerary, showed plenty of flight options (via app). As a new GS, I was upgraded using a PN fare class and the app only looks for PN class. Of course, I could always call in to change flights (back to economy).
I believe as a 1K, that if I was upgraded (CPU), that the app would show SDC options in Economy. Of course, I was rarely upgraded (via CPU), however, I vaugely remember it going to R class.
Tonight, the app offered a SDC on an (CPU from G fare) upgraded flight (to PN class). What was interesting, on the offered fligtht, there were no economy tickets available (i.e. PN1, Y0). I thought if you originally bought an economy ticket, you had to go back to that fare class to SDC.
Feb 10, 2018, 4:15 am
#3296
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: ICN
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 224
I think I am starting to regret doing so many SDCs as I am sitting here at SFO at 3 am. What should have been an hour flight will now be almost 48 hours.
Feb 10, 2018, 7:24 am
#3297
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Houston/DC
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 564
You can accept it. It´s what they offer.
What makes me doubt is the "back-routing" or whatever you call it. For example, once I was flying IAH-DEN-ORD. Once scanned my boaring pass in IAH, they offered me DEN-IAH-ORD for DEN-ORD (I mean going back to IAH from DEN and fly to ORD). I didn´t fly it, but it makes me wonder if they would have cancelled the ticket or something...
What makes me doubt is the "back-routing" or whatever you call it. For example, once I was flying IAH-DEN-ORD. Once scanned my boaring pass in IAH, they offered me DEN-IAH-ORD for DEN-ORD (I mean going back to IAH from DEN and fly to ORD). I didn´t fly it, but it makes me wonder if they would have cancelled the ticket or something...
Feb 10, 2018, 7:46 am
#3298
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
Feb 10, 2018, 8:04 am
#3299
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: ICN
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 224
Original LAX-LAS. Changed to LAX-DEN-IAD-SFO-ORD-LAS. Have to be in Vegas tonight so I can’t really squeeze in anymore changes at ORD. I don’t think I’ll want to fly for a couple of months.
Feb 10, 2018, 8:26 am
#3300
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
wow! That's some routing did you change the route at each intermediary point? I think you set a Flyertalk record from taking 500 miles to 8093 (you are my hero)
Last edited by Flying Machine; Feb 10, 2018 at 8:34 am