Originally Posted by drsh99

Does anyone know why AA charges $300 for the privilege of standing by for an earlier flight from Heathrow? Today is spring daylight savings in the UK, so I figured some folks would miss the earliest LHR-ORD flight and I could stand by to get home earlier. This would give AA the bonus of opening up my seat on my midday confirmed flight, which is overbooked.

fyi, this is the email I sent AA customer service from my seat in the Admirals Lounge (I'm Plat, flying discount economy today).
Dear Sir or Madam,
In hopes of getting home sooner from a business trip today, I called the Platinum Aadvantage desk to ask about standby on the 7:45 am flight from Heathrow to Chicago (AA99). I have a confirmed seat on AA87. I was told that the flight was full, but I could try anyway. I had provided my Aadvantage number and gave my origin and destination information. At no point was I told that I would have to *pay* for the privilege of attempting to standby. Here are my next encounters with AA agents:
1. Priority check-in: "there is a 300 *pound* charge to change your ticket, go to the ticket agent in section F"
2. Ticket agent in section F (name deleted), whose uniform was visibly dirty and was very curt): 'there is a 300 *dollar* charge to change your ticket.'
I decided not to spend the money, so I went to the Admirals Club lounge, but gave it a last shot
3. Admirals Club personnel: 'we believe there is a $300 charge, but let's see what we can do'
4. Final result, delivered by Admirals Club personnel: 'sorry, there is a $300 charge, but that is not for changing your ticket, it is for *standing by*, in other words, you will pay $300 and have no guarantee of a seat.
To say that I was very annoyed that the Aadvantage desk did not inform me of these charges so that I could choose to get a full night's sleep and take my planned flight is an understatement.

The policy to charge for standby is stupid beyond belief.