I don't really see how GA's will have time to explain this fee to each standby pax, take a credit card, wait for a receipt to print, have people sign, then print boarding pass, etc. while trying to finalize and close the flight.

I wonder how much the additional revenue that GA's actually do charge at $50/seat will be offset by planes leaving later as GA's go through the standby list one-by-one to try to fill the plane before it departs.

Also, I always though it was in UA's best interest to send a pax on an earlier flight with an empty seat, as they now have an opportunity to sell the later seat for revenue. What are they gaining when a standby refuses the $50 fee and a plane goes out with empty seats?