Glad to see the standby method worked for grandma. As I noted, Aeroplan tickets have the same status on standby as full-fare purchased tickets, so being accommodated on this basis depends on the number of open seats on the aircraft and your Aeroplan elite level status. Once the flight is under control of the gate agents, there are no distinctions. It is amazing what too many AC staff don't know. But one can only learn from firsthand experiences... Congratulations on graduating too.