Standby / Stand-by on Day Before Ticketed Flight (consolidated)
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Milwaukee
Programs: AAEXP 3+MM, Marriott Plt and Plt for life, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 414
Stand-by a day early? Can it be done?
I have a flight out of ORD tomorrow that was cutting it close for a meeting. Now the weather looks bad tomorrow at ORD so I am guessing there will be delays.
I called EXP desk to see about changing my ticket to today and she said that it was up to the airport but that I might consider saving the $450 difference and go stand-by tonight.
It is wide open but I thought that stand-by had to be day of original flight.
She did say it was up to the airport to allow me or not.
Does anyone have any first hand knowledge of standing by the day before a scheduled flight?
I called EXP desk to see about changing my ticket to today and she said that it was up to the airport but that I might consider saving the $450 difference and go stand-by tonight.
It is wide open but I thought that stand-by had to be day of original flight.
She did say it was up to the airport to allow me or not.
Does anyone have any first hand knowledge of standing by the day before a scheduled flight?
Last edited by dstan; Oct 27, 2009 at 11:35 am Reason: updated thread title and restored OP title
#2
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: (insert city name here) hotel
Programs: AA - ExPlat 1MM Marriott - Platinum, Hertz - Presidents Circle
Posts: 483
did it last week. Best they could do was the $150 change fee.
#3
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EP 3MM, UA Silver, Bonvoy LT TIT, Hyatt Explorist, HH Silver, Caesars PLT
Posts: 7,259
#4
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Tulsa OK USA
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 620
I know my husband has done it and not had to pay the change fee, but I expect it depends on the mood/attitude of the TA. The reason I remember was that he did it the evening before the infamous institution of the liquid/gel ban. Got home before that mess started. The next day, when we learned about the ban (which was instituted with no advance warning), we figured he was the luckiest guy in the world.
#5
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Darien, CT
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 64
I did it out of LHR a few months ago, I think they charged me $250.00 but it was worth it to get home a day earlier.
#6
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GA
Programs: VA-PLT, QF-GLD, DL-GM, UA-ex1K, AA-exPLT, HH-DM, IHG-PLT, MR-GLD
Posts: 8,242
If you explain it is due to weather and possible issues the next day, they might be more likely to say yes. It's good for AA if they can reduce loads on a day with irregular operations.
#7
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NY/CA
Programs: AA-EXP, HH
Posts: 170
Last week my experience was 3 EXP desk phone trys to no avail.... just the change fee AND the new fare basis.... then in person at LAX the same reply... over $500 extra.... then one more try with a different TA and she was good enough to find a $150 option.... I think she just knew how to massage the system.... but just the $150 change fee got me on standby and home on the redeye - better than a wasted 7 hr stay at a low cost hotel so I GRATEFULLY took it!! [Lesson - perseverance and good fortune].
#8
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: AA Platinum, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 1,177
AA sometimes allows you to change days without penalty when extremely bad weather is forecast. Every time I have noted that they have done this, a notice in red is posted on aa.com stating that bad weather may affect upcoming flights.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Posts: 10,571
Last week my experience was 3 EXP desk phone trys to no avail.... just the change fee AND the new fare basis.... then in person at LAX the same reply... over $500 extra.... then one more try with a different TA and she was good enough to find a $150 option.... I think she just knew how to massage the system.... but just the $150 change fee got me on standby and home on the redeye - better than a wasted 7 hr stay at a low cost hotel so I GRATEFULLY took it!! [Lesson - perseverance and good fortune].
#10
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The World!!!
Programs: Some of them not all ...
Posts: 1,532
I have a question related to this thread and it is better not to start a new one.
I will be flying to LAX from MIA on december the 12 and back on the 13th. The thing is I arrive at LAX around 11:20 pm on the 12 and my return flight is on the 13th at around 10pm. As I am doing a mileage run and want to go back to MIA and not pay for a hotel in LAX ($199 all in MEX-MIA-LAX-MIA-MEX), can I stand by for a return trip that instead of being nonstop has to stop in DFW? My original return is nonstop LAX-MIA and I want to stand by the same day on the LAX-DFW-MIA flights. The LAX-DFW flight departs on the 13th at 0:15, I think, and the first non stop to MIA on the 13th departs at 06:00. So doing it with a stop in DFW will let me get into LAX and then back 1 hour later on the 13th to MIA and not spend money on a hotel.
How should I do this, who should I aproach, call center, airport ticketing, gate agent? Can it be done for free or at least for 25 USD confirmed.
Other thing is that AA changed my flights more than 2 hours as they cancelled plenty of flights and reskeduled me on other flights. I havent talked to them, but I asume I can ask them to change my flights for free even if it means changing a return to a 20 hour earlier flight, but on the same date.
Help will be appreciated. Thanks
I will be flying to LAX from MIA on december the 12 and back on the 13th. The thing is I arrive at LAX around 11:20 pm on the 12 and my return flight is on the 13th at around 10pm. As I am doing a mileage run and want to go back to MIA and not pay for a hotel in LAX ($199 all in MEX-MIA-LAX-MIA-MEX), can I stand by for a return trip that instead of being nonstop has to stop in DFW? My original return is nonstop LAX-MIA and I want to stand by the same day on the LAX-DFW-MIA flights. The LAX-DFW flight departs on the 13th at 0:15, I think, and the first non stop to MIA on the 13th departs at 06:00. So doing it with a stop in DFW will let me get into LAX and then back 1 hour later on the 13th to MIA and not spend money on a hotel.
How should I do this, who should I aproach, call center, airport ticketing, gate agent? Can it be done for free or at least for 25 USD confirmed.
Other thing is that AA changed my flights more than 2 hours as they cancelled plenty of flights and reskeduled me on other flights. I havent talked to them, but I asume I can ask them to change my flights for free even if it means changing a return to a 20 hour earlier flight, but on the same date.
Help will be appreciated. Thanks
#11
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 795
Other thing is that AA changed my flights more than 2 hours as they cancelled plenty of flights and reskeduled me on other flights. I havent talked to them, but I asume I can ask them to change my flights for free even if it means changing a return to a 20 hour earlier flight, but on the same date.
#12
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 135
never tried this, but can't you check in? and then use the boarding pass to try to go standby on a flight just under 24 hours before?
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
I have a flight out of ORD tomorrow that was cutting it close for a meeting. Now the weather looks bad tomorrow at ORD so I am guessing there will be delays.
I called EXP desk to see about changing my ticket to today and she said that it was up to the airport but that I might consider saving the $450 difference and go stand-by tonight.
It is wide open but I thought that stand-by had to be day of original flight.
She did say it was up to the airport to allow me or not.
Does anyone have any first hand knowledge of standing by the day before a scheduled flight?
I called EXP desk to see about changing my ticket to today and she said that it was up to the airport but that I might consider saving the $450 difference and go stand-by tonight.
It is wide open but I thought that stand-by had to be day of original flight.
She did say it was up to the airport to allow me or not.
Does anyone have any first hand knowledge of standing by the day before a scheduled flight?
#14
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NY/CA
Programs: AA-EXP, HH
Posts: 170
My thought had been a Motel 8 or the like... but to rest my head for just 5 hrs, at any price, didn't fly with me (plus I probably would have slept past takeoff time). I was returning LHR-LAX-JFK - so I was frazzled already and figured it best to get back to JFK early.
#15
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Southeast of Disorder..or Vegas!
Programs: AA Platinum
Posts: 15
Can you fly stand by the day before your ticketed return flight on AA?
Yeah, I know this is probably a dumb question, but my brain is fried from long, exhausting work days. I was unable to find the answer via the search function.
Anyway, I have a returned scheduled flight for the 25th. But I found out I have to be at my next job in another state on the 25th, so I need to fly back home a day early to take care of business, then fly off to my next assignment on the 25th.
Will AA charge me the $125 change fee, or some outrageous fee to return home a day early? I pay for my own travel, then deduct from my taxes, as I am freelancer. My ticket is booked in Q and I am Gold, if that helps.
Thanks for the help, advice, etc.
Anyway, I have a returned scheduled flight for the 25th. But I found out I have to be at my next job in another state on the 25th, so I need to fly back home a day early to take care of business, then fly off to my next assignment on the 25th.
Will AA charge me the $125 change fee, or some outrageous fee to return home a day early? I pay for my own travel, then deduct from my taxes, as I am freelancer. My ticket is booked in Q and I am Gold, if that helps.
Thanks for the help, advice, etc.