CO's same day standard practice?
 

I have cheap CO tickets one-way from PBI-SEA via IAH on Saturday evening. I am CO Gold.

I want to go home Saturday morning instead of Saturday night.

Does CO predictably allow free same-day standby when flying out of the ticketed airport via the same hub?

Can I use predictably use FLL or MIA for departure instead of PBI?

Can I predictably use a different hub?

Thanks!

Wouldn't you have to fly standby on each segment? e.g. PBI-IAH then IAH-SEA? That sounds like a potentially dreadful way to spend the day.

I don't think you can switch airports.

you can definetely standby on the same day. you will have to clear the pbi-iah flight and then iah-sea sperately but if the flights are wideopen, they may clear you on both at check-in. you will not be eligible for upgrades until you first clear into coach.

you can call CO the night before and see how the flight loads look and if it'd be wise to standby.

there is a chance youll get to iah and then sit around all day because you didnt get on the earlier flight.

CO also has a confirmed same day standby program for $50 (i think), but im not sure how well it works.

It is $25. Three hours before the departure time of every flight CO basically dumps inventory back in to all the buckets, assuming they are going to make the confirmed standby option available. You basically buy a seat on the earlier flight. My experience suggests that if there are enough seats that they dump the inventory then you'll probably make it on your own without paying, but if there are irrops or something else in the interim time you would have a confirmed seat, not a standby if you pay.

The term "confirmed standby" is a misnomer. It is actually a $25 change fee within 3 hours of the earlier departure, assuming availability.

S.

Does this mean that one could also buy a deeply discounted fare from scratch at the airport, if one was willing to chance the above happening for a last-minute trip?

No. The advance purchase and minimum stay restrictions still exist, preventing that. Basically it makes it easier for them so that they can confirm you in to your original ticket class when making the change, but no loopholes.