What is reservation waitlisting?
 

So, for a while now, I've noticed that one of the *G and *S benefits is "priority reservations waitlisting," which United describes thusly: "when there aren't any seats left on your preferred flight, gives you a higher priority should a seat become available prior to day of departure."

I've been curious about what that actually means. Outside of the award, upgrade, or standby context, does waitlisting exist? Can you waitlist for a paid ticket? In Y class only, or in other fare classes as well? Is this some kind of thing from the olden days of air travel?

As always, apologies if this is described somewhere else and I've missed it.

Yes, wait lists exist. However, they are not as common as they once were. On US carriers, most fare buckets do not allow wait listing. In overseas markets, I've often confirmed a seat in one class on a given flight and waitlisted a lower class only to have the lower class clear. Last did this on SAH-CAI.

SB is prevalent in IRROPS and status helps immeasurably in those situations.

There is a difference between stand-by and waitlist. With stand-by clears at the airport. Wait list clears generally from several days to several months prior to flight date.

SB's clear from a WL. And, it can't be generalized. They clear when there's space and the carrier does a sweep.

i booked a saver award in y to PEK. to get the saver return, i had to book air china. i wanted to waitlist for the saver united flight but was told by an agent that on international bookings where another carrier is part of the reservation that waitlisting was not allowed. is that true? she even confirmed this with her supv.

My post wasn't about standby, which is well-known and the subject of a separate priority on the list of *G and *S benefits. I was asking about this illusive "reservations waitlisting," which seems to only be relevant in a very narrow set of circumstances.