Standing by for earlier flight
 

I'm scheduled on PHL-BOS tomorrow leaving at 2:00 pm, but would like to try and stand by for the flight leaving at 10:36 am.

Is there any good way to check seat availability and predict how successful this would be? Also, from a logistical perspective, do I just go through security with the 2 pm boarding pass and go to the gate of the earlier flight, or is there a way to get on the standby list before the gate opens? How early would you recommend going to the airport?

I'm aware I could call at midnight tonight at pay $50 to do a same day change but am specifically wondering about standby.

Thanks!

B6 allows you to waitlist preflight at the airport. You can go to the counter and do so. But, it does mean that you may well be checking in around 9:00 AM for what might turn out to be a 2:00 PM flight.

You may list standby at the airport prior to your original flight. Standby travel cannot be done over the phone.

As long as you're not checking any bags, you can standby for an earlier flight at no charge. If you are checking bags, the bags may or may not make it onto the earlier flight. If you already checked your bags, then they will most likely NOT pull them from the later flight.

If you want a confirmed change. I think the change fee is $50.

I almost always check a bag with JetBlue, so I've never attempted to standby for an earlier flight since I'd be stuck at the destination waiting for my bag anyway.

Actually, the bags are checked onto the earlier (standby) flight so that if you do make it, the bags will be with you. If you don't make it, the bags will be awaiting your arrival in the JetBlue baggage service office at the destination. The only time the bags will be pulled are on international flights, as the bag must fly with the traveler.

Doesn't that depend on whether you ask to stand by before or after you check your bags?

Lets say I checked a bag in BOS for BOS-JFK-JAX and arrive at JFK at 2PM. My JFK-JAX flight departs at 3:30PM, but there is an earlier flight that leaves at 2:40PM. If I ask to standby on the 2:40PM flight, would they have time to pull the bag to load it onto the earlier flight?

Although the times above are fictional, it is a true story based on my attempt to stand by for an earlier flight. The agent at the Just Ask desk said that although I would be able to make the flight, my bag would not arrive until the later flight did.

I'm assuming that if you check a bag for a booked flight, then standby onto the earlier one with very little wiggle room before boarding, they're probably not going to track down your bag to pull it.

I was booked on LAX-BOS-IAD in June of this year, but when I arrived in BOS, changed my flight to DCA, which was earlier, instead of IAD. They found my bag fine and it arrived with a big green 'REROUTE' sticker on it.