trekker954

same day or 24 hours prior and can it be over the phone request or must be in person?

For example, I am already ticketed for Monday on direct domestic flight at 3 pm. There is an 8:30; 9:30 and 2 p.m. flight with open seats. I now want to get on the earliest flight I can.

Can I call Xplat desk on Sunday evening and get put on a standby list, or must I wait until after midnight, and/or is this benefit only available once I show up at the airport????

anyone know the rules.
Thanks, Linda

Antarius

It can be done over the phone or at the airport. I am pretty sure you can call the night before (within 24 hours) and have them add you to the standby list.

trekker954

Can they clear me right away if their are seats? Can they also put me on the upgrade list. I guess I need a seat in coach first though.

brp

Do you mean "standby" or "Confirmed Flight Change?" Two different things with different rules and fee structures. Check out the FAQ (where it says "Please check here first") as the basic information about these much-discussed topics can be found there.

Cheers.

Antarius

as brp mentioned, Same day standby (free) and CFC (75 USD) are different things.

The former simply puts you on the standby list. You will clear it at the gate if there is space. The latter is an actual confirmed flight change and you get a seat/BP for the earlier flight.

FINASTORY

And...from my recent experiences over the past month or so, Same day standby (free) / CFC cannot be done the day before (even if less than 24 Hrs). It has to be done the day of travel. I tried this over the phone and at the airport. the rule seems to have changed in the past few months. Bcos earlier, I was able to do this without any issue.

aamilesslave

CFC can be done the day before when the desired flight is within 24 hours but only for a same day flight change (the following day). So, if I'm booked on a 11am flight tomorrow, I can call today after 2pm to change to a 2pm flight tomorrow.

Same day standby is cleared at the gate. There is no way (and no benefit) to getting on the list prior to arrival at the airport. Status and check in time is what determines the position on the list.

And to further clarify, same day standby is available to all elites (and certain other pax including Choice Plus and Fully Flexible fares), not just EXP.

Exec_Plat

OP never mentioned confirmed flight change...someone else did and everyone else felt the need to amplify.

OP asked "can they clear me right away".. this means "can they clear [my request for standby] right away"

If OP was asking about a CFC he would not have uised the term 'cleared' as clearing how you get off standby.

Caryry on

brp

Since the comments about "24 hours prior" and "over he phone" don't apply to standby, the original question created the confusion that some tried to clear up.

Cheers.

trekker954

Sorry for the confusion. Yes, I was looking for the "free" option. Stand-by.

Even though domestic and with TSA pre check, I'm planning on getting to the airport by 6:15 a.m. (for my 3:30 p.m flight - yikes- lets hope not). hoping to get on the 8:25 or 9:35 am. flight. I'll check availability on Sunday afternoon.

So in order to get thru TSA, I guess I'll have to print my 3:30 boarding pass, or maybe just check in at the counter. I will only have carry on. I think that is the only way this will work anyway.

310mrl

To add some color to the discussion - yrs you an be cleared immediately onto the flight. I did it last night.

I was flying from SFO to LAX ticketed on the 8:10PM. I got to the airport at 4:45PM fully intending to standby on the 5:40PM flight. I had already checked in on my iPhone, but went to the ticket counter before clearing security to have the agent out my name on the list and see what the loads looked like. I'm fully aware I could have just gone through security with my current mobile boarding pass and asked the gate agent to put me on the list, but I assumed it would be a fairly chaotic scene as there was fog in SF and delays were rampant.

I went to the first class check in, told the agent I wanted to standby, and he immediately cleared me onto the flight in MCE. Handed me a boarding pass.

Upon arriving to the gate, I was correct. It was absolute chaos at the gate with a standby list easily 15 people long.

I got a ticket an hour before the flight, at the checkin. Others didn't get cleared at the gate. Your mileage may vary.

pandaren

You should try this option. If you can immediately clear into the flight then you can ask them to add you to the upgrade list as well. If other EXPs has already cleared upgrade earlier you'll jump to the top of the list. But you cannot be on the standby and upgrade list at the same time. So try to clear upgrade list before getting to the gate. Good luck!

nbevan

I cleared the list for an earlier flight at check in and was given a new BP (as I recall without a seat number), but the gate would not put me on the upgrade list. Is there anything I should have down differently? (Fortunately I got the upgrade anyway as it was a very lightly loaded early Sunday morning flight.)

aamilesslave

Even after you clear and have a boarding pass, you're technically still standby and will be behind all others on the upgrade list, regardless of their status. I've encountered this many times.

The GA should have still put you on the upgrade list and let the computer sort things out. But we all know that GAs don't always do what they should.

trekker954

I wonder if I should call at midnight tomorrow night and see if explat desk will check me in and put me on standby list for that 8:30 flight. If they can't clear me, I'll go to the first class checkin counter at the airport at 6:15 before going thru TSA precheck. I'll try it all. The 9:30 flight is one of those 763s, so I'd imagine I'll get on that flight for sure and would probably have a better chance of getting an upgrade.

I love all the good advice we share here on flyer talk.