What does "First Class Stand-by" mean?
 

I have a flight out of CVG to SEA tomorrow. I made reservations months ago and selected seats in row 11. When I got my online check-in it showed my seats in row 11.

Tonight I am looking at my itinerary for tomorrow. For the CVG-SEA segment it shows us in class of service First (V). in the next column it says "Stand-by". When I scroll down to check seat assignments I have them for all of my flights except for that segment. There are no seats assigned to us on that segment my itinerary page from delta.com. and I am not permitted to make any seat assignments for us.

There are no seats in FC, and there have not been seats in FC on this segment for several days. Is this some new standard policy to put Medallion members on First Class and Stand-by? In the past we have just retained our coach class and then gone into the lottery at the gate.

I don't know what this means. Do I need to pack a lunch?

standby means your upgrade has been requested. Most of the time, you will have to pack your lunch.

It means that you play the gate dance for a first class upgrade. You should still see your original seats for that segment too. This has always been the way mine show up.

My upgrade is always "requested". Yesterday when we flew SEA-JAX it was "requested" on each segment, but we always had seat assignments in coach and there was never anything in the class of service column except coach.

Tonight we have First class in the class of service column, then Stand-by in the next column, and below where we should see our seat assignments for that leg, and only that leg, we have no assigned seats.

I am packing a lunch, but it would be nice to know if there is any chance that we might be upgraded. We have had some success with upgrades on the CVG-SEA segment in the past. In fact, I think we have been upgraded on this segment every time we have flown on it. In the past, however, the upgrade was confirmed, not "stand-by".

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8330/4.3.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

There are 2 F seats still available for tomorrows flight. Of course more seats could open up if people mis connect or change their travel plans.

When you book a flight as an elite member, you are put on the "requested" list for a first class upgrade. When you checki-in for the flight, this "request" goes to the "standy-by" mode and no seat is shown since you are "standing by" for that first class seat. You should still see an additional line, showing your original coach seat assignment, which says "confirmed". Thus the same flight, AFTER online check-in, should have two lines for the same flight segment - one which is "confirmed" in coach" with a seat assignemnt and one which is "standby" in first class with no seat assignment.

Your original seat on this particular flight may have disappeared because something else may have happened in this particular reservation- a plane change. Thus, you may still have a seat but it may not be showing.

If I were you, I would call SMS and ask what happened to the original coach seat assignment is on the flight and make sure that you have one so that you are not in the dreaded "midle seat"..... unless you personally requested it!

Good luck!!

also make sure that you dont have a duplicate segment. Sometimes you'll see your original fare class segment CVG-SEA, and then below will show you on FC Stand-by. You're seas selections will be in the original classed segment, and none in the FC SB..
This basically means you didnt get the upgrade in your window and wait for the gate.