Standby List - How is it ordered?
 

Searched for standby priority and standby order prior to asking.

What is the standby priority for AS?

I'm assuming AS elites are at the top of any list.

What comes next? Time checked in? or time standby was requested?

I believe after MVP Gold and MVP, it goes by time checked-in, which is the same way AA works. Also, there are probably provisions made for distressed passengers or those who missed earlier connections.

Having been an MVP Gold for 3 years, I have never - ever cleared for a stand by upgrade. I've never heard any called either.

Thanks for the answer.

On Thursday, I'll be doing an ORD-LAX-SEA on AA and AS and am tempted to try to do it earlier in the day, i.e. get out of ORD prior to afternoon and thus wondered where I would be in the standby situation in LAX on AS. It'll be dicey for me. :)

I am a lowly, MVP- and I have cleared for first class stand by (when waitlisted at time of booking normally 14 to 21 days in advance) about 50/50 as long as I am not on planes with normally high numbers- i.e.- Friday night or Sunday night. It happens more often when I am traveling alone, but my husband and I have had good luck too. I have even been seated in coach, and brought up to first when someone has not shown up.

So, it happens- just have to think a little ahead as to what flights to book- and hope for the best.

For long flights, we will normally use miles and upgrade at the time of booking. For us, that makes life easier all the way around.

rlb

It is always worth a try. As you know you keep your comfirmed flight unless you clear the list. There are enough planes out of LAX that your chances are fairly good. Gold and then MVP would have priority even if they show up at the last minute, which I have done many times and cleared the standby list. In fact, I use to standby all the times and always cleared the list but that was with status. Check loads for that day but even if the plane is full they still will clear a few standby passengers as AS rarely has to bump on most routes on your average day. Where things will get sticky is if something happens, a plane is delayed, cancelled, etc. But you are more than free to standby UNLESS it is a one-way or the return of a mileage award but still the GA might let you take an earlier flight if space is avaialble. Tickets on last minute packages such as Expedia, Last Minute Travel, Site59, etc. will most likely not let you standby even if seats are available.

I have, once, just recently. I was shocked! First time ever! It was LAX-SEA. They had 4 open FS seats and upgraded MVPG/MVP that asked at the gate. Glad I asked. Other than that, I swear the upgrade list is random with a super-top-secret algorithm that they override and just choose who they want to...

I crapped out today, watching 3 planes leave without being able to standby.

I checked in last night on aa.com, but I can't help but wonder if I didn't get checked in on AS's system until I was in LAX.

Needless to say, I was way behind in the list - having no AS status, and the planes were very full. Not that big of a deal, but a learning experience.

My primary mission was to escape ORD prior to the inevitable afternoon delays....

I am resurrecting this thread because it sort of applies to what we want to do. We are flying home from Wellington NZ on Dec 14. We arrive LAX at 10:30 am and are ticketed on a 3:55 p.m. flight up to SEA. There is a 1:30 flight that we would like to stand by for. Seatcounter is showing good availability at this point.

Since we are going to be able to check in all the way to Seattle from WLG, is it possible to get on AS's standby list for that earlier flight when we check in with Qantas? I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask here ;) If nothing else, would AS see that we were checked in from WLG (hopefully putting us up a bit on the list ... and I am MVP, but not Gold).

Thanks.

Are you checking bags? If so, they won't let you standby because of the codeshare since they won't ask the other airline to pull your bags in advance so they can put them on your earlier AS flight.

Theoretically, instead of rechecking your bags at TBIT, you could schlep them over to Terminal 3 (not that far of a walk) and see about getting on the 1:30 flight to SEA.

We are checking bags but already have planned to drag them over to AS's terminal to see if we can standby for the 1:30 flight. So my original question still applies ... will Qantas be able to put us on the AS standby list, or will at least AS see we've checked in at WLG?

Thanks so much for your help.

There are some glitches in the standby system.....
 

Was booked on the AS flight from SEA to GEG, wanted to switch to an earlier QX flight. The AS check in person said I was listed as standby on the next QX flight, and gave me a standby card, which showed my MVPG status on it.

QX boarded, then started calling for standbys. As the gate agent was boarding the standbys, I showed my standby card to her and asked whether I was on the list. She said "yes", but I didn't find out until the aircraft was full that somehow my name made it onto the list, but not my gold status.

QX customer service apologized, and put me on the next flight positive space.

Back in June 07 I flew from MNL to HKG on Cebu Pacific, then HKG to LAX on CX and LAX to SEA on AS.
In MNL they checked the bags all the way through to SEA.
However, you have to claim them in TBIT at LAX and go through customs/immigration.
I was also trying for an earlier flight from LAX to SEA, so as you leave TBIT, they ask when your next flight is.. if you tell them more than an hour or so, then they direct you outside and you walk/take the shuttle to your proper terminal (AS is right next to TBIT, so it's like a 5 minute or less walk).
I checked in at the AS counter and they tore off the Cebu tags and replace them with the AS bag tags.
I don't think that Quantas can put you on the standby list at LAX