Continental Airlines announces new policy for same-day flight changes

Continental Airlines today announced a new policy allowing customers to make changes to flights within 24 hours of their original scheduled departure for a discounted change fee. Within the 24-hour “same-day” period, customers with restricted tickets may change to another flight departing within 12 hours for the discounted fee. Continental previously allowed customers to choose from flights departing within three hours.

Continental’s fee for same-day flight changes represents a significant discount off the change fees that normally apply to restricted tickets. The fee will be $50, or $25 for Continental’s OnePass Platinum and Gold Elite members. This fee will apply to all itineraries wholly operated by Continental, including Continental Express, Continental Connection and Continental Micronesia. Travelers with unrestricted tickets, or fares without penalties for making changes, may make changes free of charge, if seats are available.

If there are no seats available to be confirmed, customers may still standby. In these cases, the fee is still applicable, but will only be charged if a seat is cleared on the earlier flight.

The same-day change option is available 24 hours before the original scheduled flight and remains available until that flight is closed for check-in. Inside of this timeframe, customers may select another flight that departs earlier, later, or even on a different day, so long as it departs no more than 12 hours from when the request is made.

Same-day flight changes may be confirmed when checking in at continental.com, by contacting the Continental Airlines reservations office, at any airport kiosk or with a Continental airport representative.