Another Standby Question
 

OK - I searched all the the S/B info in this forum and now I'm just more confused.

Here's the situation:

A person is leaving one city and connecting thru Atlanta with a 3 hour layover - they are not even a Delta FF member - let alone elite.

They get into ATL and find that there's an earlier connecting flight to their distination.

Can they stand by for free on this one? Or does it cost $$ to do so?

This is the outbound trip if that makes a difference.

Airlines should work more like my brain - slow and simple!

I believe this would cost $25 under the new scheme.

Presuming this to be correct, however, why pay $25 in ATL when you can pay $25 before you even leave, and get advanced confirmation AND seat assignment?

The $25 fees will begin March 1 (if they go into effect at all). Right now, standby continues to be free -- at least it has been for me!

Bruce

Did I recall correctly that the fees are waived for some or all medallions?

I thought there was a $100 standby fee? I'm a SM, so maybe they waive the fee for gold plus?

Here's the complete history:

In September 2002, Delta announced $100 standby fees effective January 1, 2003. Shortly thereafter, they said that the fee was for a confirmed seat within 3 hours of the new flight's departure time (if available, of course), not standby, and standby as we know it is gone on cheaper fares. In December, they announced a postponement of the effective date to January 15, 2003.

Later, they announced a new "industry-leading product" (barf): the previously announced 3-hour-in-advance confirmed seat would cost only $25; the fee would be waived for GMs and PMs; and it would be effective March 1, 2003. They never said what the rules would be during January 15 - February 28, 2003 (the "period of darkness" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ).

I flew standby -- the "old" way, with no perceptible differences -- on January 23, January 26 and February 3, 2003. Nobody asked me for any money (which is a good thing, because they wouldn't have gotten any!).

Bruce

[This message has been edited by bdschobel (edited 02-07-2003).]

Hey, I have a question... how does one standby for a flight in a place like BOS where one needs a boarding pass to get through security?

Two ways:

1. Get a boarding pass for your ticketed flight and go through security with that. Then get on the standby list on the inside.

2. Get on the standby list at the ticket counter. They will issue a "seat request" card that seems good enough to get through security.

Bruce