ejross

We all know UA uses change fees as a way of making money at the expense of the traveling public but sometimes they are absurd. I have a ticket BKK-NRT-IAD-HPN. I wanted to change the IAD-HPN leg to an earlier flight and was quoted a change fee of $400. I could just throw the ticket for that segment away and purchase a new, one way ticket from IAD-HPN for $210 plus tax. Ridiculous.

mre5765

The absurdities of the airline "business" allow sites like FT to exist.

1KHI

Stand-by for earlier domestic flights is free with gate agents.

confirmed same day travel changes are $75 (might not apply to you since you have a domestic itinerary).

Try again with gate agent.

http://www.united.com/page/article/1,,52142,00.html

davef139

Dont forget unconfirmed standby isn't free anymore, well I think for 1k it is.

emcampbe

Standby is $50, charged if you are able to board the aircraft you are standing by for. I'm not saying that there aren't gate agents who, if you are lucky, may put you on standby without charging you. However, that's certainly not UA policy, as the policy is to charge the standby fee no matter where this is requested.

cordelli

they are what they are, and it's not just United charging change fees for ticket changes.

It's sort of the definition of a non refundable ticket.

fastair

What was the price difference between the restricted ticket you bought and the completely unrestricted ticket that allows unlimited free changes and depending on the exact flights, last seat availability? In most cases, it is more than the change fee,. There was a day in the past where non refundable tickets did not allow changes at all, and some tickets still are that way. You could look at the glass half empty, or half full, in relation to the other alternatives.

RS250Racer

So if you are non 1K and miss a flight, no matter what it is going to cost you to standby for the next one?

fastair

No, refundable tickets have no penalty either, and even if booking class isn't available to rebook, standby on them is also free. Also GS have fee waived (there are GS who are not 1k.) Then all of he BP5A (misconnected/dis-serviced) passengers also have no fee charged.

zrs70

Alas, there was also a day when ua didn't charge a change fee on international changes if the new ticket was more than the original!

uastarflyer

That's not the definition on WN - and they're advertising that on NFL games now. Very good comparison advertising.
I once changed a PDX-SIN to SMF-SIN weeks after purchase. Difference in fare? $9/ticket. Net of all change fees? $9/ticket. Those were the good days.

fastair

True they are...watched the 1st 1/4 of the Bears game on TV and saw the commercials, listened to the 2nd 1/4 on the radio on the way to work and heard the UA commercials. Edge in commercials goes to WN, no question, but the little "asterisk" on their advertising is a bit misleading. Bags fly free? Well up to 2 bags of size and weight. Not all bags fly free, but the message is that bags fly free, not a few smaller, light bags fly free. Same with this. Doesn't WN require buy up to current day fares for all changes? I may be living in the past, but if I recall correctly, and their policy hasn't changed, that was the way they used to be/may still be. Standby/changes after dptr, are they free,or do they require a complete refare at current prices? I didn't hear them mention that in the commercial, maybe their policy has changed, or maybe the policy is the same and one must buy up from discounted to unrestricted. o question the average flyer will pay less for bags on WN, and that in many cases, the change fee of UA may be more than the fare difference on WN, but their ads make it seem like one pays nothing on WN no matter what, and that is far from the truth.

TA

I agree with the half-full/half-empty idea. On many airlines in fact, there are classes of tickets that you don't get to change, period. So customers "ought" to feel lucky that they have choice at all.

But then, people in general are not good at seeing things in an absolutely positive light when the relative change has been negative...

At least the OP didn't bring out the argument that it costs UA almost nothing to make the change.

N1120A

Don't forget "flat-tire rule" changes.

1) WN's weights are the same as UA (not to mention every other US airline). Also, I think they may have been the last to go to 50 pounds from 70.

2) WN's commercials are actually remarkably clear that you might pay a fare difference. One of the lines is something along the line of "you mean other airlines charge a fee above the fare difference?"

3) WN's refare policies for changes are the same as other airlines, just without taking a pound of flesh for it. If your $19 fare is still available on the new flight, you don't pay anything. If the difference is $20, you pay $20, not $170.

1KHI

It's true. Though I haven't seen a single agent who doesn't do it for me when asked nicely (not a 1K). On the other hand, the OP is going through IAD where many people complain about many not very friendly GA.

In any case, I think the OP can standby/confirm on the same day for no more than $75, which should be less than what he was quoted.