Standby possible if I have a checked bag?
 

I am trying to board an earlier flight to CA today and was told by the gate agent that I can't do this if I have a checked bag. Is this true? I've done this several times before but not sure if rules have changed or he just didn't want to do it.

from what I remember if it’s a tight connection and/or there’s not enough time to reroute the bag this is true. I believe it’s just policy no law domestically.

its a 3 hour wait for my flight, 2 hour foe the earlier flight so I think maybe he just didn't want to do it.

Ill go check with another agent.

Thanks!

Once the bag is checked It's difficult for them to retrieve it from the baggage system. I've had some success in the past but generally even if that agree it often fails and the bag stays on the original flight.

rsteinmetz70112's right! Once your checked bags had go through inline baggage screening system and if your bags is cleared. The bags will go into baggage handling system and they will put on your flight. Your bags cannot have standby flight. If you arrived in your final destinations city. You go to baggage claim. See if your bags is here. if not, your bags will put on next flight. You must go to baggage service office right away. They will find your bags. You have wait at airport. When your bags is arrived. They will called you the name.

Every time I have flown standby they threw my bags on the standby flight and if I made it great, if not i just picked them up from the baggage office once I arrived since they beat me there. Hopefully that hasn't changed.

...what you can't do is have your bags actually follow you.

It is entirely dependent on the location and staffing at the time. The primary issue is locating the bag and physically moving it to the new preload for the new flight. There may or may not be time and that takes into account staffing at that point.

Bottom line is you cannot depend on this and the variables such as how many minutes to departure for the standby flight may make all the difference. Remember that if WN does agree to this and then fails, it is obligated to deliver your bag when it does arrive, a very expensive process.

It was the practice at least some time ago that if it was a direct flight (even with a stop) there was a good chance that they'd put the bag on the first flight regardless of how the passenger was ticketed.

I've signed "Voluntary Separation" statements many times in the past on WN (forget the exact circumstances) presumably relieving them of this obligation and they write V/S on your baggage tags. Why not do this every time? Why not have a set, consistent and published policy for this benefit as it must come up many times every day? And I've had my bags follow me many times MDW to MCI.

Because that waiver is meaningless under DOT rules if the bag goes missing and the passenger has interim expenses or, as rarely but sometimes happens, the bag gets lost somewhere. All comes down to resources at the moment. Thus, there is no policy to require it and offer it as part of the ticket contract.

I think this is actually the crux of many customer service issues across large organizations, especially airlines. I definitely appreciate consistency in policies and there is a lot to be said for a consistent customer experience. On the other hand, going the extra mile, above and beyond, or whatever you want to call it usually means deviating from a policy to help a customer in an specific circumstance. Not everything can be accounted for in a published policy - thus, the published policy is likely going to be more restrictive and customer unfriendly if it excludes events that cannot happen 100% of the time. I see both sides of the coin from both the customer and the employee side.

Again, I don't disagree on your point but what you are asking for may actually lead to unintended worse outcomes.

Simply isn't true. This is a voluntary seperation, meaning you are agreeing to be placed on another flight even though bag might not. Also the waiver only concerns bag delivery. You're agreeing that airline won't have to pay for delivery if it comes in on original flight. If it doesn't come in on original flight they will deliver it. If it gets lost, you'll still be paid. Etc...

An ambitious or no set/written policy should be fine for special, odd, one off requests (waivers and favors) but isn't this a published and promoted benefit?

If you dangle a worthwhile carrot, people are going to qualify and bite. If you want to actually deliver the benefit, you have to expect all permutations of its use, i.e., a percentage of people are going to have bags already checked in. Make them sign a voluntary separation agreement and be done with it. Shouldn't give WN a total out if they lose or beat up the bag.

"Problem" solved. If you wait for Lawyers and Risk Management (insurance) people to approve or say yes to every possible thing that can go wrong, little would ever get accomplished in this world.