Originally Posted by
gpicur
As I have no clue how many of the 48 standbys were actually revenue passengers
There were dozens of non-revs attempting to travel that route, that day. They would all show up on the standby list below any revenue standbys. No way (that I know of) to tell who's a revenue standby vs. non-revenue standby from the standby list that is available on the monitors, UA App, and web site.
There's also an issue with the way the computer handles non-rev listings that sometimes results in the standby listings being rolled-over to later flights that the non-rev is not trying to get on. This can result in a large number of entries on the standby list, again below all the revenue standbys, that don't really exists.
Originally Posted by
smartinez
On my flight a lot of uniformed crew boarded and filled up all the remaining seats and the FA next to me said she was coming home from a training.
A crewmember going to/from training, or deadheading to/from an out-of-base assignment, will not show up on the standby list. They'll have positive-space bookings and will be at the bottom of the upgrade list, if applicable.
Originally Posted by
jmanirish
It's my understanding that United (most airlines?) don't offer VDB in order to clear a standby list - regardless of the reason the pax is on it.
Generally true but some passengers at the top of the standby list can be people who hold a confirmed reservation on the flight but lack a seat assignment in an oversold situation. I believe that the volunteers go on the standby list as well, right below those who are confirmed without a seat. (This is getting well beyond my area of expertise, though)
The standby list makes a lot more sense on the agent's screen where you can see all the priority codes that go along with each passenger.