If I have a nonstop flight booked PHL-ORD, can I standby for a slightly earlier PHL-PIT-ORD connection (which gets me in slightly later). The flights are wide open, so will they clear me onto both segments at once or do I have to standby again when I get to PIT: will the check-in agent look at me funny or give me any trouble about this? Think I'll be flagged as a security check?

Unless you can get an agent to clear you all the way through, I never recommend that anyone change their routing when standing-by because you no longer have a confirmed seat to get to your reservation, which could be problematic in the event of flight irregularities, in this instance PIT-ORD.

So, if you stand by on another earlier flight, do you get the mileage flown on the original itinerary, or the new one? i.e. if I'm supposed to fly direct to Philly, but I route through PIT on standby instead, do I get credit for both segs?

You should get credit for both segs, which is the only reason I'm even asking the question --I just want to get out more, if you know what I mean http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

You'll definitely get the mileage for what you fly.

Cool beans. Good to know if I have a bit of extra time on my hands one day before Oct 31st. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

given the thunderstorms in chicago today, i think i'd be crazy to do this. even though i'd really like to get out more http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

You'd definitely get what you're looking for by adding this segment, but Beckles is right about losing the confirmed seat. Doing so when you're following a flight path with many departures, it's probably worth trying, but I've flown to ORD on US many times. It just does not have frequent enough service that I'd chance it as many times the planes are full or delayed.

update!

so yesterday i show up at phl for my flight to chicago and it's showing 2 hours delayed, later, actually than the next *scheduled* ord departure. the check-in counter and usairways club tell me that the later (now earlier) flight to ord and connections through pit are oversold and they can't do anything. so i call the chairman's desk and they say they can put me in coach through pit, but first is now full: this would get me there an hour earlier (that is, if the pit-ord flight runs on time...). doesn't sound too promising and don't want to sit on the tarmac for hours in coach so i decide to sit tight and wait for my original flight.

on a whim, i decided to walk down to the gate where the pit flight was leaving from, i go up to the gate agent who tells me the same thing, that the pit-ord segment is oversold so unless i want to go to pit and go standby to ord,can't do anything. based on everyone's advice here, i decided this is not a good idea.

so i chat a little bit more w/the gate agent and start to walk back to my original gate. as i'm walking away, she calls me back and says, "i just saw a seat open up!," grabs the seat and issues me confirmed boarding passes (upgraded!) for phl-pit-ord and ushers me onto the plane.

for all those who love to rag on phl gate agents this lady was a gem and definitely gets a gold star.

turned out to be a good move. i was able to "get out more", and in spite of some further delays in pit the original philly flight i was booked on was scheduled to arrive nearly two hours after i was happily stepping off the plane in chicago.

this is why i love usairways!

other observations:
* i once again noticed that pit gate agents can be really mean... the one on my pit-ord flight almost yelled at me when i asked if i could switch 1F to a non-bulkhead seat.
* the trail-mix stuff in the pit usair club is really pretty good.
* the lady who does shoe shines on the A concourse in pit is really funny. when i told her i was from philly, she went on and on about what a great city it was and how she'd love to live there http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kv99:
update!
* the trail-mix stuff in the pit usair club is really pretty good.
</font>

Whatever happened to that snack mix?? They dont offer it in F or Y anymore...i think it was made by kingnut...it was my fav....oh well