Same Day Standby Upgrades?

Old Oct 18, 2014, 7:01 pm
  #1  
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Same Day Standby Upgrades?

I am booked on an SFO-MSP-CLT trip on Monday departing SF at 6:50am on a T fare. Due to work, I now need to leave later in the day and am eyeing a SFO-ATL-CLT flight that departs SF at 11:55am. I don't think same day confirmed will be an option as I am in a T fare. Questions:

1. If I request a same day standby on my proposed SFO-ATL-CLT, can i also get added to the upgrade list if my standby clears? Anything I should do to ensure that happens?

2. How likely are PM members able to get on through standby? Since I must do standby for a later flight, what happens if I do standby and nothing opens up? (Since i must go later, I will have missed my originally ticketed flight)

Thanks!!! This is an awesome forum.
BlueSeat is offline  
Old Oct 18, 2014, 7:37 pm
  #2  
 
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My experience has been standbys are not eligible for upgrades. Under the new rules, one GA patiently explained to me that I cleared standby and to not be upset because if I HAD been on the the upgrade list (list contained 10 passengers) I would have been at the top and would have snagged that last FC seat. But the rules said standbys don't go on the upgrade list.

My many years of travel have taught me to only standby for a later flight if I can live with the possible consequence: not flying at all that day. Only once have I gone standby for the last flight of the day. I didn't clear and I asked myself, "what were you thinking?"
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Old Oct 18, 2014, 7:59 pm
  #3  
 
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Typically, this is what will happen - you will appear on the UPG & StandBy list simultaneously (if you look at the monitor).

However, you can't clear UPG until you are a passengers on the flight. Assuming you are on STANDBY list to begin with - they must clear the UPG to clear up seats in Economy. If you get seat assignment and still a seat in 1st class you might make it but typically they have cleared all UPG (including Silver) before you are assigned a seat so just hope you get an EC seat.
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Old Oct 19, 2014, 12:25 am
  #4  
 
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Same Day Standby Upgrades?

You can't change routing with SDS. you MUST go through MSP unless you can do SDC
suvayanr is offline  
Old Oct 19, 2014, 12:33 am
  #5  
 
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If you SDC, you can get placed on the UG list. If you SDS, you ordinarily would not clear until after all UGs have been given, nor do you appear on anything but the SDS list. I spent all yesterday on SDS lists (four IAH-ATL flights that went out full), and only appeared on the SDS list, not the UG list. Only pax with confirmed seats appear on the UG list. For the last flight of the day, where I did have a confirmed seat, I was on and cleared the UG list.

I do SDC or SDS at least two or three times a week, as my MO is to purchase a ticket on the last flight of the day and head to the airport when I'm done, hoping to get an earlier flight. This week alone, I did this for five different flights. (RDU-ATL on Tue, did get SDC UG; ATL-MEM on Wed, see below; MEM-ATL on Thu, did not get UG on SDC; ATL-IAH on Thu, different PNR, did get UG on SDC; HOU-ATL, did SDC to later flight, got UG, but tried to SB for several earlier flights)

But...

This past Wednesday, I did get the seldom seen SDS UG on an early morning ATL-MEM flight! After clearing security early, I saw another flight to my destination was presently boarding in T. Everyone's BPs had been scanned, but people were still lined up in the Jetway waiting to get on the plane. My expectation was a middle seat in the back, if anything, but the GA put me in the last open F seat instead, without my asking. It must have just been the cut-off time and someone who was supposed to have been in F must have not shown. I was the last pax to board the plane. (And GA R***** H*** was the recipient of my last JWD cert.)

As someone who does much SDC and SDS, this might have been the second time in the past couple years I've cleared into F. It's definitely a rare exception.

Last edited by CJKatl; Oct 19, 2014 at 12:47 am
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Old Oct 19, 2014, 12:59 am
  #6  
 
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If anyone could clarify that would be great. If I SDS for a later flight, and don't make it, and have to fly the next day, does DL charge fare difference? Or is the flight free? TIA
Quinlanty is offline  
Old Oct 19, 2014, 1:19 am
  #7  
 
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Originally Posted by Quinlanty
If anyone could clarify that would be great. If I SDS for a later flight, and don't make it, and have to fly the next day, does DL charge fare difference? Or is the flight free? TIA
Per the rules: DL will charge the fare difference and the change fee.

Actual Practice: DL seems to liberally waive these fees. Yesterday, the GA in IAH waived the fees for the two non-status people who weren't going to be able to SDS for later flights after showing up late for their assigned flights. Neither was going to fly out before today, but both changes were made, while I was standing in line for assistance, without fees.

Personally: I've done SDS to later flights a few times and, luckily, always gotten a seat, but I only do it if when I call DL in the morning, the flights seem open and the weather across the country is good. Even if you are flying FLL-DTW, a storm in AZ could disrupt a flight using a plane that's supposed to be in FLL later in the day, setting a plane load of IRROPs impacted passengers ahead of you on the SDS list.
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Old Oct 19, 2014, 7:23 am
  #8  
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If you SDS, you can't really be on the upgrade list until your standby clears. Typically, the GA will clear upgrades first, then standbys, so it's too late. (If it's a flight with so few medallions that upgrades don't fill F, you have a chance. It might also be possible for a GA to clear (some) standbys prior to clearing all upgrades. I won't say that chocolate has anything to do with that.)
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