Booked a couple weeks ago on YOW-DEN-PDX on 11/30. Checking tonight, the DEN-PDX segment is completely oversold.

Would consider changing the flights to YOW-ORD-LAS on 11/28, catch a show, then LAS-SFO-PDX on 11/30 -- flights are wide open and cheap on the website for both routes.

Alas, the system can't handle the thought of "adding a flight", so I figure, no worries -- I'll just change YOW-ORD-LAS and find my own way back up to PDX -- and even then, going from an oversold flight on a busy Monday to an empty flight on a Saturday night it insists on charging $185 change fee.

It's just too bad the systems aren't able to recognize when a change is much higher value to United, since I wouldn't even pay a dime to make the change.

FYI:
DEN-PDX is overbooked.
It can't be oversold until the number of passengers checked in exceeds the number of seats on the aircraft.
Volunteer and possibly score a bump voucher.
Good luck

Yes, change fees $%#@, but altering the date a routing......

Have you ever thrown a party? Did a few people not show up who said they would?

Alas, it doesn't make sense for UA to change your ticket without you paying for it.

How does WN rationalize ticket changes without fees?

I can't think of any other industry in the world that would refuse to trade an NPV $3000 item for a $500 item.

I can't think of any other industry in the world that would allow unused capacity to spoil in real time, with the ability to move capacity forward, knowing full well the high probability of being over capacity later.

Any industry that behaves that way would simply have to be perpetually fighting bankruptcy because of the severe inefficiencies being implemented... Oh, wait, never mind.

Irrationality and legacy carriers in the US seem to be closely linked together. It is not just UA. I worked for a competing carrier long before the nickle and diming started. I got written up for allowing a family who had their luggage and money stolen return from Florida to London at Christmas time. They were on an oversold flight and were moving to a nearly empty one. They even agreed to have a friend go to the counter at Heathrow to pay the change fees--back when there were only paper tickets. My former airline would have saved themselves from bumping off passengers from a very high yield flight, had extra revenue from the change fees paid while the passengers were on their way to the airport, and filled 4 seats on an otherwise empty flight. My supervisor wanted to have the passengers pay in Florida with money they did not have and refused to budge. Sorry not allowed, let the passengers camp out at the beach--we don't give a sh*t about them. I don't know how people can work at legacy carriers now. For me, once the customers were relegated to the position of burden/pain in the a*s, it was time to find a new career and I am so glad that I did