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Standby Flights

Rules for standing by
Plus tips for maximizing your chances

Here you'll find the general rules for standby travel. Plus you'll learn the secrets of maximizing your chances of getting on a standby flight.

Although you no longer can buy cheap "standby fares" for travel in the U.S., with the exception of AirTran's young adult standby (below), you can stand by for more convenient flights. That means you can book the cheapest fare possible for the days you wish to travel and then often stand by for better flights.

Even if you've bid on a cheap Priceline ticket, most airlines allow you to stand by for flights that are more convenient for you without extra charge or for a nominal fee.

Standby rules

Standby flight rules vary by airline, but the following are the most common if you want to stand by for free: (Some airlines like Delta and Southwest have different rules, which are discussed later.)

• You must stand by for flights on the same airline (or sometimes its partner).
  
  
• You must stand by on the same dates as your reserved flights. (But, most airlines will allow you to change dates for a fee, unless you’re traveling on a Hotwire or Priceline ticket.)
  
  
• You must travel either via the same connection point as on your ticket, or nonstop between your origin and destination. Most airlines will reissue your ticket for other routings, but you'll have to pay extra.
  
  For example, that United Airlines ticket you got from priceline.com has you leaving Orlando for Los Angeles via Chicago/O’Hare in the early afternoon, but you’d rather arrive earlier.
  
  You can stand by for earlier United flights via Chicago for free, but you cannot use flights from Orlando to Los Angeles via Denver unless you pay to change your ticket.
  
  Very importantly, you can stand by for non-stop flights on United from Orlando to Los Angeles. In this case, the airline does not have to reissue your ticket. It merely counts the two legs of your original booking toward the one non-stop flight.
  

Tips for standby success

If you plan to stand by, we urge you to:

• Pack lightly and don’t check any luggage.
  
  If you do not check luggage, you have a better chance of getting on the flight. The way this works is that the airline's decision about which standby passenger/s will get on the plane is usually made at the last minute. Very often, there is not time to transfer your checked bags to your standby flight. Thus, those without checked luggage are given priority.
  
  
• Stand by for earlier flights only. Thus, if you fail to get on, you can always use your confirmed reservation—you won't lose your confirmed booking until told you can board a standby flight.
  
  
• Call the airline before going to the airport to check standby chances. It’ll tell you if flights are already overbooked (have more reservations than seats) and possibly suggest alternatives.
  
  Or—usually easier—check online for empty seats, but do this only on your airline’s website. Expedia, Travelocity, and other third-party vendors usually don’t have access to last-minute availability for flights within four to six hours or so of departure.
  
  Online, input your origin, destination and date and then check if multiple seats are available on your desired flight. Do not complete the booking.
  
  
• If you’re traveling via a connection point, be sure there are lots of alternatives for your connecting standby flight.
  
  Hubs at Chicago, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Denver, Houston, Cleveland, New York/JFK, and Dallas are often great places to stand by because they offer so many flights to each destination, but Sacramento and Austin probably aren't.
  
  
• Arrive at the airport as early as you can before the flight you want to stand by for.
  
  If you don’t have a boarding pass, use a check-in kiosk (computer for automatic self-check in) to obtain your boarding pass for your reserved flight, which you’ll need in order to go through security. Then go to the departure gate for your intended standby flight, and ask to be put on the standby list. Be upbeat and cheerful.
  
  If there are no kiosks to save time, ask to be put on the standby list at the regular check-in counter.
  
  If the gate agents for your intended standby flight have not shown up yet, go to any customer service desk or gate agent who is not busy, and ask to be put on the list for your flight.
  
  The sooner you’re on the list, the better your chances.
  
  
• Don’t wander away from the gate area. If you don’t hear your name, someone else may get your seat.
  
  If you need to use the washroom, tell the gate agent that you’ll be out of touch for a moment.
  
  
• If you don’t hear your name as departure time approaches, reconfirm that you’re on the list. Departure time is a stressful period for gate agents, and they may accidentally overlook you. Here again, practice patience and your winning personality with these pressured agents.
  

What are your chances?

Usually good, if you check ahead as suggested.

I nearly always get on standby flights, which is a major reason why I don’t mind using super cheap Priceline.com Air "Name your own price" tickets, which don’t allow me to pick the departure times.

However, you have to consider the weather and season. The number of people traveling with you makes a difference, too.

For example, you are less likely to succeed on stand by on the first and last days of major school holidays. Getting out of Orlando or Las Vegas on any Sunday can be tough, too.

Also, when Hurricane Rita closed the Continental Airlines hub in Houston, all passengers booked to connect there were rerouted through other hubs. A blizzard can have the same impact, even when it’s on the other side of the country.

Delta Airlines same day travel changes

Some airlines allow you to confirm alternative flights on the same day as your original reservation for a small fee, without waiting until the last minute.

On Delta, you can do this within 3 hours of the scheduled departure time of your new flight for a fee of $25, if seats in your fare class are available.

You can change to nonstop flights or to any routing or flight allowed by your fare, as long as you travel to the original destination you booked in Canada, the 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands.

This is a nice system.

What about Southwest Airlines standby?

Southwest Airlines (which is not used by Hotwire or Priceline) uses a different standby procedure.

On Southwest, if there is a fare difference between what you paid for your booked flight and your desired standby flight, you’ll nearly always have to pay the difference, which, if you booked a cheap ticket in advance, can cost a lot. Southwest will only charge you when it can confirm you on the new flight.

The exception is if you miss your flight, but are able to arrive at the airport within 2 hours of scheduled departure. Then, Southwest will probably not charge you extra to take the next available flight.

Unlike other airlines, Southwest never charges penalties for canceling a trip. The full value of your cancelled Southwest trip applies toward a new ticket within one year, as long as you let Southwest know in advance that you are not traveling, and you save your original confirmation number.

In summary, Southwest is not so good for standby, unless you’re traveling on a higher fare ticket, but good for other changes.

AirTran's "AirTran U" standby

If you're aged 18 through 22, you qualify for AirTran's standby flights.

You do not have to be a student. However, advanced purchase fares may be cheaper if your route requires connecting flights. See the link for details.

Good luck!

See also Priceline Airfare Savings Strategies.

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