Dave_C

Apologies, newbie question, but how does the Aerspace benefit of standby for an earlier flight work? It would be LHR-DUB in my case. Is it done online? From midnight on the day only? Staff at the airport manually? Subject to a particular booking code? Etc etc.

Thanks in advance!

Teplane

You have to go to the airport on the day and ask to switch to an earlier flight. If there’s a seat, it’s yours at no extra cost.I usually request it in the lounge or at the gate. The gate can add you to the flight up until they close boarding, so go right there if there’s a flight about to leave.

If you call the call centre normal procedure is to charge you the fare difference, so this really is a benefit to use at the airport only.

If there is no aerspace seat available, you can sit in a regular seat with no free food or drink, but no refund as you asked to switch. You’ll still get aerspace tier points though

ROKNA

And this only works at airports which are 'online'

So all IE, UK (with EI mainline service), AMS, all US/CA

gjc31

Greetings from the lounge at BHX! Arrived at airport to find flight I am booked on to DUB delayed by approx 2 hours. The earlier flight also delayed. My ticket, I believe, allowed for standby for earlier flight, so when that one called the gate I trotted over to ask if it would be possible to switch. The gate attendant just refused, point blank. End of. I’m not sure that she was actually EI staff - and was quite rude at one point.

Does anyone know what the actual criteria is for getting standby on earlier flight? Would it make a difference if the earlier flight was Emerald?

Teplane

My experience is that the outstation check in staff, if they aren’t EI, simply don’t know they can do this or have even been instructed by emerald not to allow it, even through standby is a feature of every fare type other than saver

I put in a call to the Concierge line, and to their credit, one time they contacted the airport team involved and told them how to do it. Next time I was there the agent told me they’d been trained and it was actually in the manual all along. They still REALLY don’t like doing it though, and always refuse repeatedly unless you insist, as it seems very error prone and they worry about blowing up the reservation.

In effect, they sell a fare benefit at a price premium up front and then provide no way to use it at most airports. I’ve been refused point blank as it they are “not allowed to move people between flights ever”” several times and the response from the EI team after complaining has always (other than the time above) been of the “I’m sorry you feel that way, standby seats are not always available etc” type even though the flights were half empty and issue was refusal to do it rather than availability

all that said, my understanding is that the place to ask is the check in desk or an EI lounge and not the departure gate. Even in Dublin, I’ve seen gate staff turn away people asking to join a flight after boarding has commenced (unless concierge or platinum - another unpublished benefit maybe). This seems entirely reasonable to me given the need for the agent to focus on getting the plane away and not fielding queries like these

gjc31

Agreed. They’re doing a lot of work at BHX and I popped out right by the security entrance rather than by the check in desks as previously - I didn’t know that both flights were delayed until I emerged the other side. Clearly the gate crew were keen to get everyone boarded although it hadn’t actually started boarding at this point. It’s not something I would generally try to do but as both flights were delayed it seemed reasonable to try. As it was my flight was only delayed by around 40 mins in the end so not the end of the world!

mccartje

I think in practice at LHR for example they will allow you to switch to an earlier flight regardless of fare type if there are seats available obviously, not sure if its status dependent but I know my other half got it when silver on a saver fare.

mailliW

A few months ago, on a saver fare, I was permitted to switch to an earlier flight at the gate after the gate agent received permission, which I assumed was from the crew.

irishguy28

Which airport?

mailliW

SNN
I was booked on 388. After clearing security noticed that 386 was delayed so chanced my arm and requested change to delayed 386 at gate.