Originally Posted by
WineCountryUA
There is a huge difference between policy and practice, Until recently it was explicitly stated as same day but a few have been successful and gotten the day before -- but it was not policy and dependent on the agent, very YMMV. And having to be at the airport requires a flyer with lots of flexibility (and no checked bags). So not a real option for many.
Standby the day before (but within 24 hours) has always been the policy. Sometimes you had to educate agents about it, or they would be confused by ambiguous text in the full policy, but that's been the policy as long as I can remember.
Not sure what you're saying re: have to be at the airport, that's like, kind of the definition of standby..? I don't think anyone would try and standby the day before their flight unless they.... wanted to fly the day before their flight. Which you need to be at the airport to do.
Originally Posted by
charlesonmission
Aren't these statement in contrast to each other (sorry, not sure I understand). In my scenario, the flights are IAD-LGA (United), JDK-HND-SYD (ANA). Are you saying I could or could not try to standby the IAD-LGA flight the day before? I'm currently on the earliest IAD-LGA flight do of there is, so no need to try standby the day of. Regardless, I want to be 100% certain that United doesn't mess with my ANA flights.
I think it comes down to how you're ticketed. You can buy a fare IAD-NYC, then buy another fare NYC-SYD, and the second could happen to depart 15 hours after the first. Or you can buy a IAD-SYD fare that happens to have a 15-hour connection in New York. So if you paid $X IAD-LGA and then $Y JFK-HND/SYD that just happens to be on the same ticket #, I think you're good. If you paid a $Z IAD-SYD fare, not so much. (Basically, can you check in for JUST the IAD-LGA segment? If so, then I think normal SDC applies. If not, then I don't think you'll be able to do anything.)
(Elaborating, if you were flying IAD-LGA 8/21, and JFK-HND 8/23, you could for-sure SDC IAD-LGA, because you can't buy IAD-SYD as one fare with >24 hour connection. But at 8/22 and 8/23, is it because you have the same situation just closer, or because you bought a IAD-SYD fare?)