can you change your flight departure time without incurring fees?

[ngvenice]

Hi, I booked my trip through the Disneyworld website including my flight (Continental). I booked a late flight due to issues w/ DH's job but now we can leave on an earlier flight. So far I've paid only what was required of me to pay and my final payment is due in Oct. Can I change my departure to an earlier time without any fees incurred?

 

[drew64]

No, your airline tickets would already have been issued.

To change your outbound flight, you would have the penalty (usually $150) deducted from your current ticket amount and the difference applied to the new fare when priced today. You would then owe the difference.

 

[tkldisney]

If they make a major time change in your flight, you can call (w/most airlines) and make changes without the fee.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

Most airlines will allow you to fly standby for an earlier flight on the same day for no fee. Not much fun to hang around an airport all day but you could try calling the day before & if you get a nice reservation agent they might at least tell you if all the other flights are sold out or if it looks like there might be a possibility of going stand-by.

 

[MAH4546]

Most airlines will allow you to fly standby for an earlier flight on the same day for no fee. Not much fun to hang around an airport all day but you could try calling the day before & if you get a nice reservation agent they might at least tell you if all the other flights are sold out or if it looks like there might be a possibility of going stand-by.

Free stand-by is gone and done unless you have elite status with the airline.

 

[Nebraska_Disney]

I have elite status w/ United and I can't fly standby for free w/ that anymore either. I can't speak for other airlines, but on United even premiere exec does not have this anymore

 

[kaytieeldr]

can you change your flight departure time without incurring fees?

Yes, IF you purchased refundable or other unrestricted tickets. Chances are, though, like the rest of us you bought the least expensive/most restricted tickets - so as others have said, unless the airline makes a major change to your flight time (or if it's AirTran and they've made any change, or if it's Southwest and you understand you'd be required to pay any difference in airfare), no, you can't change without incurring fees.

 

[ngvenice]

thanx for the answers, oh well I guess it was not meant to be, just figured I could get some serious park time on my arrival date. But Im going to Disneyworld so I'm ecstatic no matter what!

 

[Lewisc]

You booked your flights through WDW. Disney is your TA. You need to check with Disney.

 

[NancyIL]

I have elite status w/ United and I can't fly standby for free w/ that anymore either. I can't speak for other airlines, but on United even premiere exec does not have this anymore

My husband and two co-workers flew home from NY earlier this week. They had a long layover in Chicago, but my husband was able to fly standby on American for free because of his platinum status. His co-workers would've had to pay $50 to fly standby, so they waited for their scheduled flight.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Many times we have flown standy on Continental for an earlier flight without any additional charges. Depends on how full the flight is that you want to fly on.
In fact when you check on at the self serve kiosk for Continental there is an option on there to change flights with no added fee and we are do not have a special flyer status ie Elite, Premier or any thing of that sort.

Or you can just have a ticket agent do it for you.

 

[DebbieB]

With the legacy carriers like Continental, there is a difference between same day change and standby. If they can confirm a seat on the earlier flight, it's considered a same day change and they will charge you (usually $50 if you don't have a certain status level). If there are no seats to confirm, they may allow you to standby for free. I did this with American last year and ended up 22 on the standby list for a full 70 seat plane. Needless to say, I didn't get on but my luggage did! The ironic part is they ended up bumping a couple of people for weight and balance.

http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/reservations/samedaychange.aspx

 

[NancyIL]

I know the OP is on Continental, but this is American's standby policy: http://www.aa.com/i18n/utility/FAQs/reservations_FAQ.jsp#Same-Day Travel Changes

Correction to my post above: my husband's co-workers would've had to pay $50 for a confirmed seat on an earlier flight - but there were none available.