Flyingmama

Now that I am home after spending two and a half days trying to get out of Gatwick to Atlanta, I am curious as to how Delta determines the priority list for standby passengers.

My daughter and I were confirmed on Delta 9 on Sunday, but the train out of Wales ran late, causing us to be 5 minutes late for check-in at Gatwick, so we were denied boarding. We were put on the standby list for every flight after that, but always fell to the bottom of the priority list because - we were told - of our fare class.

The problem was compounded by a series of flight cancellations and delays on other airlines Sunday, causing many passengers to miss their Delta flights. By Monday morning the standby list for the four daily Atlanta flights stood at 107 - with us at the bottom.

We were told by various agents at Gatwick that our status was the result of having K class tickets - yet other standby passengers with fare classes even lower than ours went out ahead of us. We got quite friendly with a lot of our fellow standbyees since we all kept meeting up at gate after gate, and naturally we compared notes on fare class and priority list status.

By Tuesday morning Delta tried telling us that all the revenue passengers left over from Sunday had been accommodated and were gone - which obviously wasn't true because we were still there. In fact, we were the only ones still there from the Sunday group of standbys.

We did get out eventually on Tuesday - on separate flights. And I suspect that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't had a total meltdown at the gate. But I am still left wondering why we kept getting bumped lower than the L, U and T fare passengers who missed their original flights for various reasons. I can understand being bumped off by higher fare classes and medallions, but by L, U and T fares?

Were we being punished for having a discounted K class fare? Because we missed the flight because of a train delay rather than a flight delay? Or because I didn't have a high enough SkyMiles status to warrant Delta's attention?

Anyone have any ideas on how Delta figures the priority list? When asked, the Gatwick agents would only shrug their shoulders and blame the computer.

ecaarch

One of the experts here can provide better specifics than I, but a Medallion on standby would of course move ahead of a non-Medallion. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that this always holds regardless of fare class.

You also had the unfortune of having this occur at LGW where many of those working the Delta flights are not Delta employees but rather employees of SeviceAir. In general, the ServiceAir people are rather indifferent, not overtly hostile, but also not exceptionally helpful. They are "just doing my job" type people. That indifference works against a pax in a situation like yours, but it benefits the pax trying to bring 3 roll-aboards on the plane.

djlandkpl

I think it goes:

Medallion Status
Current day travel disruptions
Ticket value

The passengers from the flights that were delayed/cancelled were given higher priority because you missed the flight.

TravelWeary

In ATL I watched many non-status fliers placed further up on the stand-by list get on flights before me after we all had missed a flight due to weather and had to stand by for the same full flights. At the time I was Silver, and it took me two missed flights and about 4 hours before I caught on that these non-status fliers were being placed ahead of me on the stand-by list. (Don't they know we talk to each other since it's the same passengers running from gate to gate???) The board even showed the order as status counting first. I went up and complained and finally managed to get a flight home.

UABigBird

I think it's

Current day travel disruptions
Medallion Status
Ticket value

But by default, unless you get a nice GA, everyone has equal disruption status. This is only there so that the GA can override the list for anyone in particular, and cite their policy.

jeffreyt

There are some really good threads here in the DL forum on this subject, with priority code order listing, of standbys and how they are processed. It's worth it to use the search function for this one, so you are armed with good information going in.

NOLA Flyer

I found this thread in a search (closest to my question), and thought I'd add some additional info to this. I was protected on a later flight from ATL-MSY Friday morning due to an IRROPS that cancelled my flight DL697 (PIT-ATL-MSY) last Thursday night (in midroute). I was flying standby for an earlier flight Friday morning (on a rebooked Y class fare and being PM) I was 13th in line for a seat. I asked the GA why I wouldn't be at the top of the line on standby (and explained I was on a Y fare and was PM), but he told me that there were other Y class fares ahead of me, so it all came down to the timestamp. I met a couple of people who were on the standby list on Y fares AND were listed AHEAD OF ME, but they had no elite status (which supports the timestamp theory).

The GA insisted that it all came down to timestamp, and my Elite status had no bearing on standby. (why am I PM?)

Also, there was a UA Elite flyer who was able to get a seat assignment (whereas I was on standby).

In the end, I DID make it on the flight, and was able to get the last FC seat on the plane. ^

So, my question is: what is the priority in regards to standby status??

fschmidt

Does the fact that I have checked luggage vs carry-on only affect my location on the list?

jfulcher

Checked luggage makes no difference at all.

The standby list for coach is as follows:

HKR - Medallion with a confirmed seat with no seats available
HKI - Non-Medallion affected by IRROPS with a confirmed seat with no seats available
HK - Non-medallion with a confirmed seat with no seats available
HKV - Medallion or Non-medallion who volunteers to be bumped is moved here
(All 4 of these categories apply if you have a Seat Request card that says confirmed on it)

B1R - Medallion standby irrops without a confirmed seat
B1 - Non-Medallion standby irrops without a confirmed seat
The rest of the standbys are by status & fare class (status first, fare class 2nd)


That's the way I understand the priority for coach.

NOLA Flyer

That helps, but using these classifications-I was B1R, and the rest (assumably) were B1s.... There was a couple who were on my original cancelled flight (coming from Venice, IT in BE), standing by for the same flight I was trying to get on who were standby listed at # 6 and # 8, and I was listed at #13. They had no Medallion status, and we were both Y class due to IRROPS. I should not have been behind them. Fortunately, I was able to make the flight in one of the last seats (and was able to clear the upgrade ahnd get FC once I cleared standby)-but I should have been near (or at) the top of the list.

DeltaPurser

These are the standby priority codes used:


1 HKFR SAME AS HKF ONLY EP/PM/GM/MM/FO
2 HKF CONFIRMED PASSENGER FOR WHOM THERE IS NO AVAILABLE SEAT IN THE FIRST CLASS CABIN.
3 HKCR SAME AS HKC ONLY EP/PM/GM/MM/FO
4 HKC CONFIRMED PASSENGER FOR WHOM THERE IS NO AVAILABLE SEAT IN THE BUSINESS CLASS CABIN.
5 HKDL CONFIRMED CREWMEMBER OR MECHANIC WITHOUT SEAT ASSIGNMENT.
6 HKR SAME AS HK ONLY EP/PM/GM/MM/FO
7 HKI USE ONLY WHEN PAX HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY AN IROP.
8 HK CONFIRMED PASSENGER FOR WHOM THERE IS NO AVAILABLE SEAT INCLUDING CONFIRMED PS / PS-Y PASSENGERS.
9 HKV CNFRMD PASSENGER WHO IS WILLING TO DEPLANE OR GIVE UP THEIR SEAT ON AN OVERSOLD FLT.
10 A1R SAME AS A1 BUT EP/PM/GM/FO/MM ONLY
11 A1 CFMD FULL FARE PSGR DESIRING CLASSCHANGE ON SAME FLT. INCLUDES PAID F/FFY FARES /SEGMENT UPG/ ALL UPG CERTIFICATES WITH FULL F/C/Y AND B06 FARE TICKETS
12 EP EXECUTIVE PARTNER ON DISCOUNT FARE OR FF EARNED FIRST CLASS TKT CONFIRMED IN COACH AND DESIRING UPGRADE.
13 PM PLATINUM MEDALLION ON DISCOUNT FARE OR FF EARNED FIRST CLASS TKT CONFIRMED IN COACH AND DESIRING UPGRADE.
14 PMOA AEROMEXICO PAX SEGMT UPGR -PLATINO
15 GM GOLD MEDALLION ON DISCOUNT FARE OR FF EARNED FIRST CLASS TKT CONFIRMED IN COACH AND DESIRING UPGRADE.
16 GMOA AEROMEXICO PAX SEGMT UPGR - ORO
17 FO MEDALLION LEVEL ON DISCOUNT FARE OR FF EARNED FIRST CLASS TKT CONFIRMED IN COACH AND DESIRING UPGRADE.
18 SM NON-ELITE SKYMILES MEMBER ON DSCNTFARE OR FF EARNED FIRST CLASS TKT CONFIRMED IN COACH AND DESIRING UPGRADE. ALLIANCE PARTNER AUTHORIZED UPGRADE.
19 SBUP *PAID STBY UPGRADE PROGRAM*
20 A2 DEATH/EMERGENCY
21 B1R SAME AS B1 BUT EP/PM/GM/FO/MM ONLY* AM/AF/KE * SKYTEAM ELITE MEMBERS
22 B1 INCONVENIENCED OR MISHANDLED BY DL - INCLUDES DL OVERSALE/DESIRINGTHRU/MISCON/CXLD/MISCON FROM DL/OA FLT WITH CNFMD DL SPACE.
23 C OAL INCONVENIENCED/MISHANDLED/ OVERSOLD WITH FULL /F/FN/Y/YN/B06 FARE

Robert Leach

I see and generally understand the list of standby codes offered by DeltaPurser above, but most deal with either a) confirmed passengers with no seat assignment or b) confirmed coach passengers desiring an upgrade.

It may be, but I am not sure this is the same hierarchy as that which would be used for an unconfirmed passenger who simply wants to get on the plane.

Stated another way, is there a separately published priority order for those standing by for a flight (any seat on the plane) versus those confirmed passengers standing by for a seat assignment or upgrade?

El Perro

DeltaPurser's post in English:

• People confirmed on the flight (HK) who don't have a seat
• Upgrades by status
• Paid upgrades (no status)
• Emergency Standby
• Inconvenienced Elite Customers (doesn't matter if you are PM, GM, etc. they are all treated the same)
• Inconvenienced Non-Elite Customers
• Inconvenienced Other Airline customers whose carrier couldn't accomodate them and paid Delta the full Y fare to standby behind all these other people
• People looking to change flight who are confirmed on another flight
• Non Revs (S1A, S1B, S1R, S2A, S2B, S2C, S3A, S3B, S3C, S4A, S4B, S4C, S4D - too dang complicated to explain)

All things being equal the time you checked in or were put on the list is the tiebreaker. Note that if a GM gets on the list before a PM that the GM has priority as they are treated equally for standby purposes.

However, this is NOT the case for rebookings - the automated rebooking system has a different score for each status level as well as for each fare class.

MikeMpls

What's an "EP"? I'm guessing "MM" is a milllion miler. Apparently they give million milers in a jam some priority even w/o elite status, which is a nice gesture for long-term loyalty.

mtparadis

According to that chart "EP" is Executive Partner. Not that that actually answers your question.