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 11, 2019, 12:26 pm
#4936
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 19
What's the difference between "Change Flights" and "Search for other Flights(on Check-in page)"? I'm trying to do SDC but Change Flight doesn't show me any free options while "Search for other Flights" do.
If I want to change the second leg while I'm en-route in first leg, how do I do it in app or web? Can I still see the Check-in page after take-off?
If I want to change the second leg while I'm en-route in first leg, how do I do it in app or web? Can I still see the Check-in page after take-off?
Feb 11, 2019, 2:01 pm
#4937
Join Date: May 2012
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,098
What's the difference between "Change Flights" and "Search for other Flights(on Check-in page)"? I'm trying to do SDC but Change Flight doesn't show me any free options while "Search for other Flights" do.
If I want to change the second leg while I'm en-route in first leg, how do I do it in app or web? Can I still see the Check-in page after take-off?
If I want to change the second leg while I'm en-route in first leg, how do I do it in app or web? Can I still see the Check-in page after take-off?
You can change the second leg once you scan your BP for the first leg, I've done it in the air many times since you get free united.com access if your wifi works. The check in page is still available all the way until you scan your BP for the last leg, I can't seem to figure out how to do it on the new site without manually entering my res # though.
Feb 11, 2019, 2:35 pm
#4938
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Houston/DC
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 564
On the website, just go to "My trips" on the front page & attempt to change seats on your existing reservation (the one you are already checked in for). The next screen will tell you that you cannot use that screen as you are already checked in, but will have a link just above the seat map that will send you to the check in screen where the SDC link will be visible if options are available.. This is the work around on the website that seems to get you there the quickest.
Feb 11, 2019, 3:33 pm
#4939
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K/MM, AA GLD
Posts: 1,708
For Q1, You can attempt to change as soon as UA sees that your first segment is underway (so ideally, after boarding ICN-SFO). I'm not sure if there will be a bit of lag between when you scan your boarding pass and when UA sees it. You don't have to wait until clearing immigration though. SFO-IAD-ATL could be a possibility.
Q2 isn't going to happen. SDC won't give you double connect options. You will have to stick to ATL-SFO-NRT-ICN.
Q2 isn't going to happen. SDC won't give you double connect options. You will have to stick to ATL-SFO-NRT-ICN.
Feb 11, 2019, 4:30 pm
#4940
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,460
I would be very very careful about trying to change SFO-DEN-ATL until like 10-15 minutes after ICN-SFO has arrived as I'm not sure exactly when OZ will fully transfer control of the ticket back to UA. I ran into a fun time doing an SDC in PEK after my domestic Air China flight had landed but apparently before they fully finished processing everything. UA mobile app was able to switch my reservation around but completely unable to reissue the ticket (and the UA airport supervisor and contract staff had no idea that SDC was even a possibility), making me call in to get things synced back up and on my way.
So anyway, you are right about the moral that it is a manual process to SDC with partner segments anywhere near the changed segments.
Feb 14, 2019, 12:54 pm
#4941
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 5
I have international outbound flights SFO-HND-HKG (HND-HKG is UA-coded NH-operated).
Would it be possible to SDC to a nonstop UA-operated flight SFO-HKG? Thanks.
Would it be possible to SDC to a nonstop UA-operated flight SFO-HKG? Thanks.
Feb 14, 2019, 1:27 pm
#4942
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,460
- Change UA-codeshare, non-UA-metal segment to UA metal: A
Feb 17, 2019, 4:16 pm
#4943
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 572
Original trip: TPA-IAD
Already used SDC and changed it to TPA-IAH-IAD
Question: Can I further SDC the 2nd leg (IAH-IAD) to IAH-xxx-IAD ??? if so should I do it before getting to IAH or after landed in IAH ?
Thanks!
Already used SDC and changed it to TPA-IAH-IAD
Question: Can I further SDC the 2nd leg (IAH-IAD) to IAH-xxx-IAD ??? if so should I do it before getting to IAH or after landed in IAH ?
Thanks!
Last edited by UAFAM; Feb 17, 2019 at 4:38 pm
Feb 18, 2019, 2:49 am
#4944
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
Please don’t do this if you are seated in first class.
Feb 18, 2019, 5:41 pm
#4945
Join Date: Nov 2004
Programs: UA 1K (Million Miler). AA Gold (lifetime 1 Million). TK Elite Gold
Posts: 894
Itinerary: EWR-SFO-CTU snd CTU-SFO-EWR booking class G. How may I be able to SDC domestic flights to include 1 or 2 connections? Any suggestions? Thanks.
Feb 18, 2019, 7:12 pm
#4946
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: 66,850
You will have to use an agent for the other situations and you will need G availability which may be limited until a few hours prior to departure for any segment. So stringing a long internation leg with the domestic segment may be challenging to find the needed G availability. Also, phone agents may push back using SDC to mileage/PQM run.
Feb 19, 2019, 2:15 am
#4947
Join Date: Nov 2004
Programs: UA 1K (Million Miler). AA Gold (lifetime 1 Million). TK Elite Gold
Posts: 894
Generally the app will not handle SDC to add segments with 2 or more segments already. You best "app" best will be the return SFO-EWR done after you board in CTU.
You will have to use an agent for the other situations and you will need G availability which may be limited until a few hours prior to departure for any segment. So stringing a long internation leg with the domestic segment may be challenging to find the needed G availability. Also, phone agents may push back using SDC to mileage/PQM run.
You will have to use an agent for the other situations and you will need G availability which may be limited until a few hours prior to departure for any segment. So stringing a long internation leg with the domestic segment may be challenging to find the needed G availability. Also, phone agents may push back using SDC to mileage/PQM run.
Thanks for the advice. What about making a SDC on the outbound EWR-SFO, if G fare is available?
Feb 19, 2019, 5:29 am
#4948
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
Feb 19, 2019, 9:39 am
#4949
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Global Services 1MM,, AA Exec Plat. Hilton Honors Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 606
If traveling on a 'Z' fare internationally with 2 connections, will SDC be made available so long as 'Z' is showing available on the non-stop? (or does UA have measures in place that prevent you from moving from multiple connections to non-stops?)
Feb 19, 2019, 10:00 am
#4950
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
If all flights are UA-operated, there should be no problem. The app might not show it, but an agent will be able to process that.