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}
Jul 13, 2019, 3:37 pm
#5506
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,849
Consensus seems to recommend calling as the way go with this type of itinerary. Success is quite possible, was for me in the past. YMMV
Jul 13, 2019, 4:14 pm
#5507
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,954
Jul 13, 2019, 4:29 pm
#5508
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
If there aren't any available options, it doesn't display the link. Otherwise, you'll see it as a link during the check-in flow, or when reviewing your checked-in itinerary on the app. It says something like "Choose an alternate flight" or "Take an earlier flight." It looks sort of like an ad, at least on the app.
Jul 13, 2019, 4:31 pm
#5509
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
Yes, it's the ad-like link I'm used to seeing. It is now showing up and I'm presented with 1 flight. UA6296 1740-2009. 7/14. Shows Z class available, but if I look at the seat map preview it's all greyed out. What's the deal there - if I changed to that flight what seat would I get?
Jul 13, 2019, 5:41 pm
#5510
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
Good to know, and yes I can see you're correct about 1D and 2C. Thanks for all of your help today!
Jul 15, 2019, 8:14 pm
#5511
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SAN
Posts: 148
So is it possible to sdc from SFO- Tokyo NRT to SFO - HND?
All flights are pure United....
Thank you
All flights are pure United....
Thank you
Jul 15, 2019, 8:18 pm
#5512
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,954
Jul 15, 2019, 8:29 pm
#5513
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
OP: You can call and ask, but absent a delay of some kind, expect that you'll need to keep your original airport.
Jul 16, 2019, 7:33 am
#5514
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
Why dont I see SDC options to fly day before scheduled flight?
Tomorrow 7/17 I'm flying DFW-DEN-PHX (UA5870 0730-0829, UA2273 0920-1017) on a L fare.
Checking in right now, I'm offered 3 SDC options all flying tomorrow (the day of my scheduled flight). I see no options at all to 1 day earlier (today 7/16).
Doing a normal flight search for DFW-PHX 7/16 shows lots of options with L fare bucket availability.
So why is it I'm not offered any of that as a $75 SDC option?
Checking in right now, I'm offered 3 SDC options all flying tomorrow (the day of my scheduled flight). I see no options at all to 1 day earlier (today 7/16).
Doing a normal flight search for DFW-PHX 7/16 shows lots of options with L fare bucket availability.
So why is it I'm not offered any of that as a $75 SDC option?
Jul 16, 2019, 8:14 am
#5515
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: United-1k, Marriott-Lifetime Plat
Posts: 111
Singapore trip with a Standby question
Hello!
Tomorrow on a 7:50a flight from Denver to SFO (upgraded via GPU) on my way to Singapore which leaves at 11:25. I would have roughly a 1:30 in sfo. i cleared on the SIN portion when booking.
There is a 6a from Denver that would give me another two hours to relax in the Polaris lounge in sfo.
Question.... I don’t want to risk losing the GPU from SFO-SIN by calling 1k desk or doing it through the app. Can I just standby for the 6a flight or would you just recommend staying on the 7:50 flight? Don’t really care about the upgrade to SFO from Denver.
just going for meetings so no checked bags either.
Tomorrow on a 7:50a flight from Denver to SFO (upgraded via GPU) on my way to Singapore which leaves at 11:25. I would have roughly a 1:30 in sfo. i cleared on the SIN portion when booking.
There is a 6a from Denver that would give me another two hours to relax in the Polaris lounge in sfo.
Question.... I don’t want to risk losing the GPU from SFO-SIN by calling 1k desk or doing it through the app. Can I just standby for the 6a flight or would you just recommend staying on the 7:50 flight? Don’t really care about the upgrade to SFO from Denver.
just going for meetings so no checked bags either.
Last edited by bwg03; Jul 16, 2019 at 8:24 am
Jul 16, 2019, 8:19 am
#5516
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SAN
Posts: 148
Tomorrow 7/17 I'm flying DFW-DEN-PHX (UA5870 0730-0829, UA2273 0920-1017) on a L fare.
Checking in right now, I'm offered 3 SDC options all flying tomorrow (the day of my scheduled flight). I see no options at all to 1 day earlier (today 7/16).
Doing a normal flight search for DFW-PHX 7/16 shows lots of options with L fare bucket availability.
So why is it I'm not offered any of that as a $75 SDC option?
Checking in right now, I'm offered 3 SDC options all flying tomorrow (the day of my scheduled flight). I see no options at all to 1 day earlier (today 7/16).
Doing a normal flight search for DFW-PHX 7/16 shows lots of options with L fare bucket availability.
So why is it I'm not offered any of that as a $75 SDC option?
feel like SDC on earlier days may not work so "automatic"
i saw only DFW-IAH-PHX has L availability at DFW 2:15pm and 4:14 pm departure
Jul 16, 2019, 8:36 am
#5517
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,217
Call the 1K desk. You will not lose the UG on the international portion.
Polaris lounge @sfo is worth the extra time.
I am on the same SFO-SIN flight as you tomorrow and on the 6.15am flight from SAN but I chose the earlier flight not for the Polaris lounge but because I do not want a flight delay into SFO to cause me to miss the flight.
I would ask for the 1K desk for the earlier DEN-SFO flight so you do not misconnect
Polaris lounge @sfo is worth the extra time.
I am on the same SFO-SIN flight as you tomorrow and on the 6.15am flight from SAN but I chose the earlier flight not for the Polaris lounge but because I do not want a flight delay into SFO to cause me to miss the flight.
I would ask for the 1K desk for the earlier DEN-SFO flight so you do not misconnect
Jul 16, 2019, 8:56 am
#5518
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
Call the 1K desk. You will not lose the UG on the international portion.
Polaris lounge @sfo is worth the extra time.
I am on the same SFO-SIN flight as you tomorrow and on the 6.15am flight from SAN but I chose the earlier flight not for the Polaris lounge but because I do not want a flight delay into SFO to cause me to miss the flight.
I would ask for the 1K desk for the earlier DEN-SFO flight so you do not misconnect
Polaris lounge @sfo is worth the extra time.
I am on the same SFO-SIN flight as you tomorrow and on the 6.15am flight from SAN but I chose the earlier flight not for the Polaris lounge but because I do not want a flight delay into SFO to cause me to miss the flight.
I would ask for the 1K desk for the earlier DEN-SFO flight so you do not misconnect
Jul 16, 2019, 9:11 am
#5519
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: United-1k, Marriott-Lifetime Plat
Posts: 111
Call the 1K desk. You will not lose the UG on the international portion.
Polaris lounge @sfo is worth the extra time.
I am on the same SFO-SIN flight as you tomorrow and on the 6.15am flight from SAN but I chose the earlier flight not for the Polaris lounge but because I do not want a flight delay into SFO to cause me to miss the flight.
I would ask for the 1K desk for the earlier DEN-SFO flight so you do not misconnect
Polaris lounge @sfo is worth the extra time.
I am on the same SFO-SIN flight as you tomorrow and on the 6.15am flight from SAN but I chose the earlier flight not for the Polaris lounge but because I do not want a flight delay into SFO to cause me to miss the flight.
I would ask for the 1K desk for the earlier DEN-SFO flight so you do not misconnect
I called and made the switch. Feel much better with a long layover but no worries of missing the flight. Lost the upgrade but don't care when I have it on the SFO-SIN portion.
Jul 16, 2019, 7:53 pm
#5520
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,210
SDC from F to Premium Transcontinental Service
Can a flight be SDC'ed from regular F to Premium Transcontinental Service, i.e. if original flight is EWR to SEA via DEN, any reason I can't SDC to EWR to SFO to SEA, thereby getting the Premium Transcontinental Service product?