The consistent inconsistency of AC continues... the 'cute' little notation we all received on our July Aeroplan statements which refers to the Elite guide for 2002 (and 2001) standby policy is being usurped by the nonsense rules of no standby on N, L or Q fares since last October. However, this completely UNTRUE!!! AC CIC 805/30 refers to no standby for N, L or Q fares which the exeption of the L5FLEX and LFLEW fares on some Jazz routes. This company can never, ever get these things right, can it? Can you imagine trying to convince an agent that one L fare is fine but another isn't? Good luck I say.

And quote the CIC #.

They seem to be taking the standby issue seriously. Today's London Free Press has a Jazz ad offering two online fares YXU-YTO: the "Super Low" @ 10 day+ advance purchase, $50 change fee, & "Same-day standby unavailable" -- $49 o/w; and the "Business Flex" @ 5-9 day advance purchase, no change fee, & "Same-day standby available" -- $69 o/w.

So now the possibility of doing a standby is a selling point.

I do appreciate the cheap fares, though. They're better than Via 1

Can anyone, anywhere, point me to a fare tariff that actually excludes same day standby? I check the rules regularly, and I've never seen an AC fare rule that disallowed same-day standby, in any fare class.

Go to travelocity and get a fare listing for YYZ-YVR, the lowest fare LLECONO1:

Expedia doesn't list the standby rules (don't know why) but Travelocity does. Most domestic L fares are NO standby but there are some exceptions.

I could never undertstand why AC no lomger allows standbys on some fares.

If seats are available, why not fill it? Make the customers happy!! And AC has a good chance of making more money by selling the seats of the original resrvation later.

Are they stupid or something? Or is it their way of nickel and diming its customers? I have no problem of flying standby on any fares on US based airlines, and that explains why I no longer fly AC including 10 trans- Pacific and trans-Atlantic flights per year. They sure know how to piss its best customers off.

From the chat with Rupert:

I really don't agree with what he said. Standbys are processed after everyone confirmed are loaded on and usually right before the flight closes, I just don't see how that effects premium paying passengers.

Simply more nickel and diming. Otherwise, why does this rule only applies to domestic flight? Stupid IMO.

with the new rules of matching baggage with passengers on domestic flights it would be a logistical nightmare especially on high frequency routes...ie yyz-yul/yyc-yvr. but having said that they do offer standby on the jazz flex fares between yyc-yeg but maybe they are thinking that the same day business guy will not have any luggage.

I can accept the argument about logistics if someone is travelling with checked luggage, but RD's explanation makes no sense. In fact, the opposite is true. As Empress points out, standbys are processed after the flight is closed, so there is no chance of losing a paying customer. It is possible that there will be someone who paid a higher fare also standing by, but that can be solved by giving that individual priority (just like SEs are given priority for comp u/gs when a flight is overbooked ). Realistically, it seems unlikely that this will be an issue most of the time. Once someone has taken that earlier flight, then his seat is available for sale to a premium fare pax on the later flight.
SO, it does come down to a money grab. It also is a real irritant to FFers. If you combine the fact of there being no standby with the lack of a reasonable justification for denying it, and then throw in the fact that there are some L fares that do allow standy (I think websavers fall into this category) but that most gate agents are not aware of this and therefore will follow the general rule, then you have a perfect recipe for yet another less than happy AC cusotmer. Oh yes, I forgot. This rule only applies to doemstic flights, so the argument that the standbys can't be processed for operational reasons loses even more credibility.
This is yet one more area where a simple concession by AC -- same day standby for pax without checked bags -- could generate an enormous amount of good will at zero financial cost.



[This message has been edited by Academic (edited 08-08-2002).]

"They seem to be taking the standby issue seriously. Today's London Free Press has a Jazz ad offering two online fares YXU-YTO: the "Super Low" @ 10 day+ advance purchase, $50 change fee, & "Same-day standby unavailable" -- $49 o/w; and the "Business Flex" @ 5-9 day advance purchase, no change fee, & "Same-day standby available" -- $69 o/w.

So now the possibility of doing a standby is a selling point."

And that's the point. As tickets become cheaper, the benefits ascribed to them decrease. AC is actually making it more flexible for the consumer to buy exactly the benefits they want for their travel plans. If you know you are likely to standby for an earlier flight, then you pre-pay for the privilege. If you are a leisure traveller who just wants to get from one city to another, and only want a seat with minimal Aeroplan points, then you have that option too.

I think we have to get our heads around this new reality. Buying air travel is like buying a car. Once you choose the brand, you move on to the options. The more of these options we want, the more the ticket costs. Right up to a fully flexible, front cabin, Exec Class seat.

Let's face it, airline travel has become a commodity, and buying the right ticket is like confronting the myriad of choices one must make at the Safeway each time you want to buy an item: consider how many variables we have when selecting toilet paper or detergent or breakfast cereal...

Obviously this approach requires education and public disclosure, neither of which is in wide circulation. And simplifying the vast array of fare codes so there aren't two types of L fares!

Ever the rationalist, SH. You're right, of course, if standby privileges are just one more item of flexibility that factors into the cost of a ticket. However, there has been no effort to educate the public about this, just weasel words and gate agents who look down their noses at you for being presumptuous enough to ask for a standby. EVen the gate agents don;t seem to know why the rule is there, only that they are supposed to enforce it.

But it still comes down to nickel and diming. The net gain in revenue surely cannot be that great. Who is going to pay perhaps several hundred dollars to potentially save a couple of hours? If AC is emphasising customer service and asking their agents to smile more, it would be nice if the agents were smiling because they were able to help. A smiling refusal could be interpreted as a sneer.

Not allowing standby creates animosity and emphasizes the "we don't care" approach to service. It cannot be making a lot of money for them and more likely is causing defections to WJ out here.

I always think that when we go standby for an earlier flight, we're actually doing AC a favor. Earlier flights are going out with empty seats anyways, if they let us on after all the confirmed passengers are processed, they are freeing up a seat on the later flight for 'premium passengers'. Allowing standby costs them nothing.

SH, then how do you explain why they only disallow standby on domestic flights!?

Shareholder, you always appear to be the AC apologist and on this topic you're missing the main point - consumer (and employee) confusion is created by all of these stupid rules which have no rational explanation. If my flight at 5 pm is delayed until 5:30 pm and the 4 pm is leaving in the next few minutes, why should I not be able to get an empty seat on that one, especially if I am not checking luggage? As someone else asked, why would this rule only apply to certain domestic routes?

To use the possibility of allowing standby as a selling point would be a valid explanation if it was consistent accross the AC route network. Not only is standby disallowed only on domestic flights, it's on selected domestic flights with competitors that offer high frequency.

YVR-YYC Fare basis: N7WOW - same day standby allowed
- WestJet competes on this route, offers relatively high frequency and allows for same day standby (always)

YVR-YHZ Fare basis: LLECONO1 - same day standby not allowed
- JetsGo offers flights in this market, but only one a day, so standby on JetsGo is not possible.

YVR-YYG Fare basis: LLECONO1 - same day standby not allowed
- No competition

Same day standby is also allowed on transborder flights (with competition from US carriers) as well as other international flights.

It looks to me that AC is only to nickel and diming where it can (where there is no/weak competition).