Jan 24, 2020, 7:24 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
By 2023, UA has returned to the more traditional pre-COVID schedule update process. There are still some closer in changes but far less than during the COVID era.
UA publishes a schedule for 330 days in advance (called Beginning of Schedule) andin the past would make tweaks quarterly and things would be fairly settles 3-4 months out. Updates would occur Friday evening / Saturday morning (Chicago time). Routine additions could occur anytime.
Present updates are every Friday and sometimes mid-week usually focused on the next month and farther out.
Check Your UA Itineraries for Schedule Changes and what to do after one
20 Oct 2021
However, during the COVID era, UA has gone to a more dynamic and shorter-term setting of schedule (as has the other carriers). Presently UA, while UA is still publishing a schedule for 330 days in advance it reflects pre-COVID operational levels and is considered just a placeholder schedule. Then 3-5 weeks prior to a month, UA makes a major update of that month's schedule.
Examples (Major updates)
The October 2020 schedule was updated 4-5 September 2020
The November 2020 schedule was updated 2-3 October 2020
The December 2020 schedule was updated 30-31 October 2020
Holidays can move the major date a week earlier or later.
Weekly updates are still generally done over night Friday-Saturday (Chicago)
UA does not publish a summary of most schedule changes but a variety of sources below do and summaries / links of those sources can be found in this thread & wiki.
Always crosscheck with UA's Travel Notices , Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel waivers and information, www.united.com/coronavirus as the situation is dynamic
Other Resources and Statistics
Archive: COVID19 UA-Schedule {Archive}
new Archive : UA-Schedule changes {Archive}
UA publishes a schedule for 330 days in advance (called Beginning of Schedule) and
Present updates are every Friday and sometimes mid-week usually focused on the next month and farther out.
Check Your UA Itineraries for Schedule Changes and what to do after one
Examples (Major updates)
The October 2020 schedule was updated 4-5 September 2020
The November 2020 schedule was updated 2-3 October 2020
The December 2020 schedule was updated 30-31 October 2020
Holidays can move the major date a week earlier or later.
Weekly updates are still generally done over night Friday-Saturday (Chicago)
UA does not publish a summary of most schedule changes but a variety of sources below do and summaries / links of those sources can be found in this thread & wiki.
Always crosscheck with UA's Travel Notices , Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel waivers and information, www.united.com/coronavirus as the situation is dynamic
Other Resources and Statistics
- CDC Travel Notices (Worldwide)
- US State Department Advisories (Search or Click "Date Updated" to Sort by Date)
- US State Department - COVID-19 Country Specific Information
- John Hopkins' Incident Map
- Worldometer Statistics
- WHO Page on Covid-19
- IATA Latest Travel Document News
- UA's Page to Query TIMATIC Database (an IATA database with the current documentation and entry requirements worldwide
Archive: COVID19 UA-Schedule {Archive}
new Archive : UA-Schedule changes {Archive}
UA System Schedule changes
Jun 22, 2023, 7:49 am
#92
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: Aeroplan SE, AA ExecPlat
Posts: 184
I had a schedule change on an award ticket EWR-IAH-SYD that was booked for 80K one-way for that week in March 2024 that was offered at this low price in United I. (All UA)
The website is offering a one-time change limited to +/- 1 day, but it seems free changes must be in the same "class" - I assume that's "I" which is non-existent obviously for Australia fares...
(When I try to change the date or time same day all reprices using UA metal are in the 250-400K range)
Would calling or texting yield better results?
The website is offering a one-time change limited to +/- 1 day, but it seems free changes must be in the same "class" - I assume that's "I" which is non-existent obviously for Australia fares...
(When I try to change the date or time same day all reprices using UA metal are in the 250-400K range)
Would calling or texting yield better results?
Jun 22, 2023, 7:52 am
#93
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
I had a schedule change on an award ticket EWR-IAH-SYD that was booked for 80K one-way for that week in March 2024 that was offered at this low price in United I. (All UA)
The website is offering a one-time change limited to +/- 1 day, but it seems free changes must be in the same "class" - I assume that's "I" which is non-existent obviously for Australia fares...
(When I try to change the date or time same day all reprices using UA metal are in the 250-400K range)
Would calling or texting yield better results?
The website is offering a one-time change limited to +/- 1 day, but it seems free changes must be in the same "class" - I assume that's "I" which is non-existent obviously for Australia fares...
(When I try to change the date or time same day all reprices using UA metal are in the 250-400K range)
Would calling or texting yield better results?
Jun 27, 2023, 7:42 pm
#94
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 94
Just had a schedule change on LH flights (not UA codeshares) that I booked through UA. This is part of a cash ticket. UA now doesn't reflect the seats I selected on LH, even though the LH site shows them. Is this normal, or should I be concerned?
Jun 27, 2023, 7:57 pm
#95
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: 66,821
what was the timeframe of the changes?
Jun 28, 2023, 5:55 am
#96
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,017
10% of the time does UA show my LH seats (at all or correctly). Whatever LH shows is correct.
Jul 26, 2023, 6:10 pm
#98
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,017
o.k., the expected August EWR changes are hitting my account tonight.
In addition I am getting January domestic changes already.
What's up with changes on a Wednesday????
In addition I am getting January domestic changes already.
What's up with changes on a Wednesday????
Jul 26, 2023, 8:43 pm
#99
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,679
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/united-airlines-details-temporary-newark-flight-cuts-2023-07-26/
Jul 27, 2023, 9:35 am
#100
Used to be MBS PremExec
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Saginaw, MI (MBS)
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Marriott Titanium w/Lifetime Plat, Hilton LIfetime ♢, National Exec, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,722
They've been doing Wednesday/Friday updates starting at about 7PM Eastern since at least the start of the pandemic. Wednesday is generally a little less drastic than Friday, but exceptions have existed--and with something as major as the EWR cuts, this is such an exception.
Aug 11, 2023, 3:40 pm
#101
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Wesseling, NRW, Germany
Programs: UA *S , MR LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,940
Has United's schedule change frequency become quite a bit lower than pre-pandemic? I was used to get schedule changes on long-out booked flights monthly at least in the past until about two month before flights-date, but for my recent trip which I booked in February for October, so far I only had one schedule change. I normally always book the cheapest option I can find to my destination and then change to the actually-desired routing and times once a change occurs, but this time I was really sweating it until that one single change came about...
Greetings - Dirk
Greetings - Dirk
Aug 11, 2023, 4:04 pm
#102
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Has United's schedule change frequency become quite a bit lower than pre-pandemic? I was used to get schedule changes on long-out booked flights monthly at least in the past until about two month before flights-date, but for my recent trip which I booked in February for October, so far I only had one schedule change. I normally always book the cheapest option I can find to my destination and then change to the actually-desired routing and times once a change occurs, but this time I was really sweating it until that one single change came about...
Greetings - Dirk
Greetings - Dirk
David
Aug 11, 2023, 5:15 pm
#103
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,133
I'm sure that was tongue-in-cheek, but I suspect that's basically it. Their scheduling algorithms have likely improved to the point where they can reduce the number of large schedule changes that allow this kind of abuse. Of course, the next step would be to follow Air Canada where your only choices are to accept the change or cancel. In my experience, they don't allow free changes regardless of how large or onerous the schedule change is.
Aug 11, 2023, 6:34 pm
#104
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,017
I just got hit with a ton of schedule changes.
October - EWR-BOS going from lie-flat 752 to 73M
December - TATL schedule change
January - TATL schedule change
February - TPAC schedule change
October - EWR-BOS going from lie-flat 752 to 73M
December - TATL schedule change
January - TATL schedule change
February - TPAC schedule change