Flying Standby?
Kilgore_Trout
Posts: 7,334
Anyone ever fly standby before? I've heard this is a great $ saver for students but I'm not really familiar with how it works - especially these days when you cant get to the gates without a ticket. I'm trying to get from Chicago to Atlanta to visit some friends and don't have much to spend. Do I just call the airlines the day of and see if they have openings on flights? Any good websites? THANKS 
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I travel a lot for work (couple times per week) and every once and a while...if I miss my flight, if I get their early and want a earlier flight, etc. I'll get put on the standby list.
Fortunately for me because I'm a frequent flier, my name often gets put at the top of the list
Also, check Southwest. They often have sweet summer deals, and most of their flights aren't sold out so standby is much easier to do.
http://seanbriceart.com/
Yeah, you'll have to be there.
Standby really is a gamble. You can get some sweet deals if it works out, or you can literally spend an entire day in the airport with no success.
I should mention that because of the economy and fuel prices, there are far fewer flights between cities now which unfortunately results in much fewer stand-by seats being available.
They really make sure those planes are jammed packed to get the most bang for their buck!
The standby rate really depends on the airline and where you're going.
Your best best is to do it on "off-hours". Anything in the morning...forget about it! The corporate travelers and vacationers have those seats reserved waaaay in advance.
I'd suggest for an early afternoon or late night as your best bet for a stand-by deal.
Even then be sure to check flight schedules and get there really early! If the airline has many flights going to your destination you are probably going to have a much better shot too as there are bound to be open seats, people missing their flights, etc.
So I'd check with Expedia, etc. to see what airline has the most flights to your destination. Pick them and get there really early to be first on the list.
http://seanbriceart.com/
Yeah, just hit up the airport bar between flights!
Just be sure to be at the gate when they start boarding the plane. If they call you and you're not around, they'll give you like 2 minutes to get to the podium before moving on to the next name.
It also helps if you know anybody that works in the airline business. Flying standby is wonderful thing but there is that chance you can get bumped at the last min. Had that happen last year but it worked out. Best of luck to you.
We had to "list" for a flight about 24 hours in advance, meaning we had to call the airline to get our name on the standby list for the flight we wanted. It can be done online now, I believe. Not sure if this was just for employees, but you should probably look into whether or not this is something you should do. If it is, do it as far in advance as possible.
Then, get to the airport really early and check in not only with the ticket agent, but also with the attendant at each gate. Check in at the gate early, before heading off to the airport bar, and then get back early before they start boarding. Sit somewhere where the gate agent can see you - just as a reminder to him/her that you are there and anxious to get on that flight. They are in a hurry to get everyone on board and don't want to wait for anyone to mosey on up there at their own leisurely pace. Also, it goes without saying, but be really nice to all the airline people.
Your best bet is to try to get on the red-eye - like, 5 AM - flight. Not only are these flights less likely to be full, but you have more opportunities to get out that day if you try starting with the first flight. (If there are 6 flights that day & you start with the first one, you'll have 6 chances; if you start with the 4th one you'll only have 3 chances.) Remember, standby lists for subsequent flights will not only include those who list for those flights, but also everyone who wasn't able to get on every flight before them - so your chances generally get slimmer as the day goes on. I would also recommend picking a day that typically has less air travel.
Also, we had to dress nicely when we flew standby. They said it was because, since we were flying on employee passes, we were representing the airline. If the choice was between putting a nicely-dressed person on the plane or one who looked like a bum, they would choose the nicely-dressed person. This probably doesn't apply to you, but I would at least shower just in case.
The worst gamble about flying standby wasn't spending an entire day (in uncomfortable shoes, with all our luggage) in an airport going from one gate to the next and possibly never even getting out, it was getting to a connecting airport and not getting out of THERE. So if you're short on money for a hotel, you might consider whether or not you have friends to stay with (or wouldn't mind spending the night in the airport, which I would actually recommend) in the towns in which you might have a layover. This is just a worst case scenario - but it did happen to me at least a few times over 25 years. Again, though, this is just my experience flying on my grandpa's passes; maybe it's different for other standby passengers.
Anyway, I hope this helps. Good luck on your trip and have a great time!
http://seanbriceart.com/