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}
May 22, 2018, 12:52 pm
#3826
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,455
May 22, 2018, 2:06 pm
#3827
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Florida
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,917
I'm contemplating a one-way UA-award ticket (016 ticket with 3 segments) for NBO-ADD-LHR-ORD, where NBO-ADD and ADD-LHR segments are on Ethiopian Air, and LHR-ORD segment is on UA. My layover time in LHR is a few hours, I want to stay in LHR longer so I will want to do a SDC on this flight. Can I assume that once I have flown the Ethiopian Air segments, I can do a SDC on the LHR-ORD portion? And because this is a 3-segment ticket, do I need to call to do the SDC or can I do it online once the LHR-ORD segment is the only one remaining?
And if I end up doing a 2nd SDC and my stay in LHR ends up being over 24-hours, would there be a tax (APD) issue?.
And if I end up doing a 2nd SDC and my stay in LHR ends up being over 24-hours, would there be a tax (APD) issue?.
Last edited by BangkokTraveler; May 22, 2018 at 2:11 pm
May 22, 2018, 4:00 pm
#3828
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
1. It is possible that you can do this online, but there is the likelihood that you are going to have to pay a good deal of money unless your original fare bucket is still available. Remember that you must pay any fare difference, it is only the change fee which is either waived or reduced to $75.
2. If you SDC to >24 hours, not only will you trigger APD, but you will refare as a stopover from the connection you currently have and the refare will price NBO-LHR + LHR-ORD. It is not forgone that this is more expensive than the connection, but it generally is and may be vastly so.
2. If you SDC to >24 hours, not only will you trigger APD, but you will refare as a stopover from the connection you currently have and the refare will price NBO-LHR + LHR-ORD. It is not forgone that this is more expensive than the connection, but it generally is and may be vastly so.
May 22, 2018, 5:11 pm
#3829
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
1. It is possible that you can do this online, but there is the likelihood that you are going to have to pay a good deal of money unless your original fare bucket is still available. Remember that you must pay any fare difference, it is only the change fee which is either waived or reduced to $75.
2. If you SDC to >24 hours, not only will you trigger APD, but you will refare as a stopover from the connection you currently have and the refare will price NBO-LHR + LHR-ORD. It is not forgone that this is more expensive than the connection, but it generally is and may be vastly so.
2. If you SDC to >24 hours, not only will you trigger APD, but you will refare as a stopover from the connection you currently have and the refare will price NBO-LHR + LHR-ORD. It is not forgone that this is more expensive than the connection, but it generally is and may be vastly so.
2. While your statement is technically accurate — the APD should apply in this case, and UA should recalculate the fare as an NBO-LHR award plus an LHR-ORD award — in fact, the app is well-known for allowing stopovers that would otherwise not be allowed by the fare rules. As to whether or not the APD would be correctly recalculated, I’d defer to anyone who’s tried it. I’d be more surprised if the app got it correct than if it got it wrong.
OP: If you do not have checked luggage, you will be able to SDC on the app as soon as your ADD-LHR coupon is lifted. In theory, that could be as early as while you’re still on the ground at ADD — I don’t know whether ET’s boarding systems are real-time or if they batch the entire flight.
If you do have checked luggage, you’d need to find a UA rep at LHR to make the (first) change and to pull your bag for you. This isn’t going to be a task they’ll relish, but it is within the rules.
May 23, 2018, 11:45 am
#3830
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 1,039
Hoping to do a SDC for a redeye SFO-AUS flight 5/24 that leaves at 11:45PM and switch to a flight that leaves 5/25 sometime before 11AM. If I go to check-in for my flight this evening, will there be available flights for 5/25, or does the flight you want to switch to have to be within 24 hours of departure?
May 23, 2018, 11:54 am
#3831
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
Hoping to do a SDC for a redeye SFO-AUS flight 5/24 that leaves at 11:45PM and switch to a flight that leaves 5/25 sometime before 11AM. If I go to check-in for my flight this evening, will there be available flights for 5/25, or does the flight you want to switch to have to be within 24 hours of departure?
May 23, 2018, 12:00 pm
#3832
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
As @fumje said, both the old and new departure times must be within 24 hours of the current time. You can go ahead and check in at 11:45pm tonight for your 11:45pm flight tomorrow, and then at 11am tomorrow you can check the "Switch Flight" option in the app and see if the SDC option for the 11am flight on Friday becomes available. 
Good luck! ^
Good luck! ^
May 23, 2018, 12:37 pm
#3833
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Florida
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,917
OP: If you do not have checked luggage, you will be able to SDC on the app as soon as your ADD-LHR coupon is lifted. In theory, that could be as early as while you’re still on the ground at ADD — I don’t know whether ET’s boarding systems are real-time or if they batch the entire flight.
Thanks for the replies, Often1 and jsloan. And interesting info about the coupon.
May 23, 2018, 2:29 pm
#3834
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
I'm contemplating a one-way UA-award ticket (016 ticket with 3 segments) for NBO-ADD-LHR-ORD, where NBO-ADD and ADD-LHR segments are on Ethiopian Air, and LHR-ORD segment is on UA. My layover time in LHR is a few hours, I want to stay in LHR longer so I will want to do a SDC on this flight. Can I assume that once I have flown the Ethiopian Air segments, I can do a SDC on the LHR-ORD portion? And because this is a 3-segment ticket, do I need to call to do the SDC or can I do it online once the LHR-ORD segment is the only one remaining?
And if I end up doing a 2nd SDC and my stay in LHR ends up being over 24-hours, would there be a tax (APD) issue?.
And if I end up doing a 2nd SDC and my stay in LHR ends up being over 24-hours, would there be a tax (APD) issue?.
1. Since OP mentioned an award ticket, the fare difference isn’t going to apply; it’ll just be a question of whether or not there is award space available.
2. While your statement is technically accurate — the APD should apply in this case, and UA should recalculate the fare as an NBO-LHR award plus an LHR-ORD award — in fact, the app is well-known for allowing stopovers that would otherwise not be allowed by the fare rules. As to whether or not the APD would be correctly recalculated, I’d defer to anyone who’s tried it. I’d be more surprised if the app got it correct than if it got it wrong.
OP: If you do not have checked luggage, you will be able to SDC on the app as soon as your ADD-LHR coupon is lifted. In theory, that could be as early as while you’re still on the ground at ADD — I don’t know whether ET’s boarding systems are real-time or if they batch the entire flight.
If you do have checked luggage, you’d need to find a UA rep at LHR to make the (first) change and to pull your bag for you. This isn’t going to be a task they’ll relish, but it is within the rules.
If it does offer and you select the option, your ticket will go into a funk and refuse to do anything until an agent fixes it. But if you must confirm the change, it may not be a bad idea to try pushing it through and leave it in limbo until you can have someone clean it up.
May 24, 2018, 1:07 am
#3835
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 6
I'm trying to switch to a direct SFO-PHL that is 10 hours later than what's booked, which has ~15 open seats, but none in my fare class. Big fare difference charge right now, and no clue when availability in my class may open. If it's not at least T-12h, I'm out of luck. Anything I can do to help my odds?
May 24, 2018, 1:13 am
#3836
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
Pray? Inventory tends to level out, but it may be too late to help.
May 24, 2018, 2:12 am
#3837
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
I'm trying to switch to a direct SFO-PHL that is 10 hours later than what's booked, which has ~15 open seats, but none in my fare class. Big fare difference charge right now, and no clue when availability in my class may open. If it's not at least T-12h, I'm out of luck. Anything I can do to help my odds?
The only way to improve your odds is to broaden your parameters. Would you be willing to consider a one-stop alternative? If it’s nonstop or nothing, and there aren’t any other intermediate flights, there’s nothing you can do except pay the fare difference or take your original flight. However, if there’s availability on SFO-IAH-PHL, you can book that, with the intention of flying it if necessary and SDC’ing again to the nonstop if possible.
May 24, 2018, 7:04 am
#3838
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 6
Welcome to FT!
The only way to improve your odds is to broaden your parameters. Would you be willing to consider a one-stop alternative? If it’s nonstop or nothing, and there aren’t any other intermediate flights, there’s nothing you can do except pay the fare difference or take your original flight. However, if there’s availability on SFO-IAH-PHL, you can book that, with the intention of flying it if necessary and SDC’ing again to the nonstop if possible.
May 24, 2018, 7:19 am
#3839
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: NYC, BLR, LHR, SIN and a few others
Programs: UA 1K 1.01 MM
Posts: 1,245
being offered a confirmed SDC from SIN-LAX-EWR to SIN-SFO-EWR for $0, it’s a better connection and gets me to EWR earlier, while It shows that 8 seats in the business cabin are available on flight status, the seat map is grayed out, I am in an E seat on original, I called and they said airport had control. I assume taking it will
mean I get a seat, but no way of knowing which till I get to checking or the gate? Arrival would go from 10:59pm to 7:24pm, connection is shorter so probably not much time in SFO Polaris lounge anyway, but don’t think the time saving is worth having to be in a climb or be climbed over seat. Would want to know it would be in D/E before changing. Any advise?
mean I get a seat, but no way of knowing which till I get to checking or the gate? Arrival would go from 10:59pm to 7:24pm, connection is shorter so probably not much time in SFO Polaris lounge anyway, but don’t think the time saving is worth having to be in a climb or be climbed over seat. Would want to know it would be in D/E before changing. Any advise?
May 24, 2018, 7:47 am
#3840
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,344
Thanks. Checking this morning, a lot of inventory has opened up on one-stop flights that wasn't available last night. Remembering from some past experience, I rebooked as SFO-IAD-PHL, since I believe it booked me into a slightly different fare class. This flight is 1h after the direct, so I can look much closer up to the departure time now, and was also hoping it might now show as as no fare difference, unfortunately now when I search for SDC, I get an error and no available flights whatsoever. The first SDC seems to be fully ticketed, so I'm not sure what's up with the search now telling me nothing is available. Will wait an hour or two and hope it clears up...
being offered a confirmed SDC from SIN-LAX-EWR to SIN-SFO-EWR for $0, it’s a better connection and gets me to EWR earlier, while It shows that 8 seats in the business cabin are available on flight status, the seat map is grayed out, I am in an E seat on original, I called and they said airport had control. I assume taking it will
mean I get a seat, but no way of knowing which till I get to checking or the gate? Arrival would go from 10:59pm to 7:24pm, connection is shorter so probably not much time in SFO Polaris lounge anyway, but don’t think the time saving is worth having to be in a climb or be climbed over seat. Would want to know it would be in D/E before changing. Any advise?
mean I get a seat, but no way of knowing which till I get to checking or the gate? Arrival would go from 10:59pm to 7:24pm, connection is shorter so probably not much time in SFO Polaris lounge anyway, but don’t think the time saving is worth having to be in a climb or be climbed over seat. Would want to know it would be in D/E before changing. Any advise?
Arrive at SIN a bit earlier than you normally would so that you have a better selection of seats available.
-RM