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Going home a day early: A successful use of United's no change fee policy

Nov. 12, 2021
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3 min read
United 737 EWR
Going home a day early: A successful use of United's no change fee policy
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Editor's Note

This story was updated with new information.

All it took was $3.97 to fly home a day early.

A recent trip on United reminded me just how important it is to take full advantage of U.S. airlines' no change fee policies, a pandemic-era development that seems set to stick around.

As TPG’s newest reporter, I had been spending the week meeting some of the team in our New York office and was supposed to return home to Houston on Friday. But my plans changed: A check of the weather forecast for Friday spooked me, and I immediately got the sense that my Friday afternoon flight would be severely delayed or even canceled.

I simply went on the United app and found several free or inexpensive options for an alternate flight. I chose inexpensive: a whopping $3.97. I paid for it with my United Explorer Card, which will earn me 8 MileagePlus miles (enough for, well, not much of anything). Soon after, I was on my way to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) a day early. As a MileagePlus Premier 1K member, I was even able to select one of the best Economy Plus seats on United’s 737-800s for free: 7F, a bulkhead that features under-seat storage.

United stunned the industry in August 2020 when it announced it was permanently eliminating change fees for domestic and close-in international destinations on non-Basic Economy tickets, and its competitors quickly matched the policy with certain variations. Before this development, the change I made would have cost $203.97, including a $200 change fee. The change was a customer-friendly move that eliminated an important segmentation device (the change fee) that often provided the airline’s lucrative business customers incentive to purchase a more expensive, flexible fare.

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Another option for changes is United’s same-day change (SDC) policy, which becomes available 24 hours before your original flight is scheduled to depart. A confirmed change is free for MileagePlus Premier members, and $75 for everyone else, while standby options are available at no charge. Had I waited for the SDC window to open for my original Friday flight time, however, I would not have made it to EWR in time for the Thursday flight I ended up taking.

More: A comprehensive guide to United Airlines’ new same-day flight change policy

While a fare difference could be quite high, making a change not worth it, it’s important to always check your flight change options to see what’s available. With airline pricing and availability being highly dynamic, persistence could very well lead to a positive outcome like I had.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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