Originally Posted by rkm
I'm booked on a 7am flight but would prefer to fly at, say, 4pm that day. Is this still possible under AA's current standby policy? In particular, how can I make sure that my itinerary isn't automatically canceled when I don't show up at 7am?
Best I could find on this topic was
this four-year old thread. More recent experiences would be sincerely appreciated.
Same day standbys are allowed.
To keep your ticket "alive" call before your scheduled departure and notify AA of your intentions.
AA just started a confirmed standby program if the next flight is within 3-4 hours of your original flight. It's $25 and certain inventory has to be available. I really don't know all the details but I'm sure aa.com has the info.
And remember, doing a later flight standby is always risky. If you have a cheapo ticket and if the later flight(s) are full and you can't get on any before midnight, your ticket becomes worthless. As a standby you are at the bottom on any waitlist.