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}
Apr 3, 2019, 4:09 pm
#5146
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,094
I am now 100% convinced UA has changed SDC rules at least via the mobile app. Yesterday I was flying East Coast - IAH - West Coast. (For those following my questions on this thread and others I already SDC'd from LGA-SFO-xxx to route via another hub altogether). I was on a paid Z fare.
Upon boarding in LGA I attempted to SDC from the hub I was flying through. The ONLY flight that would show up from that point on was the later non-stop to my destination. Meanwhile, several connections had availability but were no offered. In addition, several flights the next day had availability and also were not offered.
So it means one or more of the following are true:
1. You can only SDC once through the app now. Since I had already SDC'd away from the LGA-SFO flight that would count as one SDC.
2. You can no longer SDC to the following day.
3. You can no longer SDC to add an additional connection. One and done.
I truly don't know which of the above are true at the moment but given the past SDC changes I've noticed it could be a combo of all three.
And, yes, my routing rules allowed connections in ANY airport (EWR/WAS/ORD/IAH/DEN/SFO/LAX).
-RM
Upon boarding in LGA I attempted to SDC from the hub I was flying through. The ONLY flight that would show up from that point on was the later non-stop to my destination. Meanwhile, several connections had availability but were no offered. In addition, several flights the next day had availability and also were not offered.
So it means one or more of the following are true:
1. You can only SDC once through the app now. Since I had already SDC'd away from the LGA-SFO flight that would count as one SDC.
2. You can no longer SDC to the following day.
3. You can no longer SDC to add an additional connection. One and done.
I truly don't know which of the above are true at the moment but given the past SDC changes I've noticed it could be a combo of all three.
And, yes, my routing rules allowed connections in ANY airport (EWR/WAS/ORD/IAH/DEN/SFO/LAX).
-RM
Apr 3, 2019, 5:33 pm
#5147
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 127
A few days ago I was only offered non stop SDC options EWR-SFO. Today, the app would allow me to SDC SFO-LAS to SFO-LAX-LAS so that part seems to be working correctly.
However, it will not show me any options tomorrow despite plenty of availability.
However, it will not show me any options tomorrow despite plenty of availability.
Apr 3, 2019, 5:49 pm
#5148
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Houston/DC
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 564
I imagine they are working on some programming maintenance right now & we may have to suffer thru it. Hopefully they don't change the current "rules" to SDC and we can still make SDC's outside of the calendar day of our originally scheduled flight. This is HUGE for me from a business standpoint. I am constantly tweaking my flights based on my fluid business schedule.
If the trade off is that I can only see the options on that APP for the calendar day of the flight & any other valid SDC options (day before/after) need to be called in, I can live with that.
Apr 3, 2019, 7:25 pm
#5149
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 69
I had a flight tonight (April 3) originally booked in G, but got upgraded to PZ. Knowing that the mobile app is only showing same-day SDC options, I opened my trip on united.com to look at options for tomorrow (April 4). Several business class changes were available for $0. Interestingly, to change to economy it was $200+. The flight I actually needed to change to didn't have business available, and it was $0.63 fare difference for an available economy seat (also in G). Last week I had to change to a flight with a ~$7 fare difference. These amounts seem very odd, and I'm wondering why it isn't just $0 for the same fare class.
Worse yet, I tried performing another search on united.com to verify the options if I needed to change back to an evening flight (April 3), and got this error:
"Attempt limit exceeded
We're sorry, but you have exceeded the number of attempts allowed. If you require assistance, please contact Web Support within the U.S. and Canada at 1-800-825-2296, or elsewhere contact International Web Support."
This is garbage and forces people to occupy call center employee time for making a simple change. They need to restore the old functionality on the mobile app, and not have these restrictions on united.com.
Worse yet, I tried performing another search on united.com to verify the options if I needed to change back to an evening flight (April 3), and got this error:
"Attempt limit exceeded
We're sorry, but you have exceeded the number of attempts allowed. If you require assistance, please contact Web Support within the U.S. and Canada at 1-800-825-2296, or elsewhere contact International Web Support."
This is garbage and forces people to occupy call center employee time for making a simple change. They need to restore the old functionality on the mobile app, and not have these restrictions on united.com.
Apr 3, 2019, 9:46 pm
#5150
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
* Distributed Denial of Service (attack). It's a coordinated attack where a network of computers makes synchronized calls to a target website, overwhelming it with traffic and forcing it to deny service to everyone, including legitimate users.
Apr 3, 2019, 10:38 pm
#5151
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,341
I already had a connection. I was not allowed to SDC to another connection after my original flight. SNA-EWR to SNA-DEN-EWR would still fall within the parameters I have set out.
-RM
Apr 4, 2019, 9:37 am
#5152
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
Technically, those are not "SDC" options...those are options to change your flight to another flight. SDC is "Same Day Change", meaning your flight is on the same day (or, technically, you're within 24 hours of your flight).
Apr 4, 2019, 9:52 am
#5153
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Naples - Chicago - Park City
Programs: UA 1K Million Miler, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, Amex Plat
Posts: 290
So it means one or more of the following are true:
1. You can only SDC once through the app now. Since I had already SDC'd away from the LGA-SFO flight that would count as one SDC.
2. You can no longer SDC to the following day.
3. You can no longer SDC to add an additional connection. One and done.
-RM
1. You can only SDC once through the app now. Since I had already SDC'd away from the LGA-SFO flight that would count as one SDC.
2. You can no longer SDC to the following day.
3. You can no longer SDC to add an additional connection. One and done.
-RM
Apr 4, 2019, 10:22 am
#5155
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,341
I believe @RobOnLI was mainly talking about the app, not .com or 1K line. See his original post (bolding is mine)
-RM
Apr 4, 2019, 10:50 am
#5156
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 127
Not sure what you are referring to but it was most certainly an SDC. All flights were within the 24 hour window.
Apr 4, 2019, 10:54 am
#5157
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
I think I misread your post. I thought you were saying that a few days ago you were looking at options to change your flight that was scheduled for yesterday. I see now that you were referring to changing the flights scheduled a few days ago. Sorry for the confusion! ^
Apr 4, 2019, 11:57 am
#5158
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Naples - Chicago - Park City
Programs: UA 1K Million Miler, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, Amex Plat
Posts: 290
@mpiotrow is correct. I said via the app. I also specifically said I could probably call the 1K line and have them make any SDC changes. But the app is limiting per my outline above and so far no one has disproved it.
-RM
-RM
Apr 4, 2019, 12:36 pm
#5159
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Houston/DC
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 564
I told the agent that the App was not showing options other than "same day" and that we were having to call in for the day before/after options (in the 24 hour window). She made a comment about "job security" and laughed
Apr 4, 2019, 3:29 pm
#5160
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,094
Number 3 CAN be correct. You took it out of context. I said "additional" connection. SNA-EWR is not a connection, that's a non-stop flight. You added one connection.
I already had a connection. I was not allowed to SDC to another connection after my original flight. SNA-EWR to SNA-DEN-EWR would still fall within the parameters I have set out.
-RM
I already had a connection. I was not allowed to SDC to another connection after my original flight. SNA-EWR to SNA-DEN-EWR would still fall within the parameters I have set out.
-RM