Originally Posted by
rsteinmetz70112
I have never understood the severely restrictive standby policies. The old idea was that once an empty seat leaves it is gone forever. It was only available if there was an empty seat.
If you move that empty seat to a later flight you might be able to sell it, you might be able to avoid the paying someone to take a later flight.
Here's why standby policies are onerous: the airlines charge more for desirable peak flights (supply vs demand). So, savvy travelers used to book the next "off-peak" flight at a much lower fare and "standby" free for the earlier flight. As a result, airline loses difference between the higher fare and the lower fare.
That's why there are strict standby rules. BTW, WN has the MOST strict standby rules. If your flight isn't showing a significant delay, you can't standby without paying the fare difference. Using your logic, if US is a garbage airline, then WN is a flying garbage dump.