Booked a connecting flight, standby at the airport for non stop?
 

Quick question... I was always under the impression that if I booked say SEA - SFO - LAX, I could get to the airport and standby for a nonstop SEA - LAX. I frequently get agents trying to waitlist me for the flight (which from my understanding means ill only get on if the same fare class opens up), when what I really want is to standby meaning I'll get on the standby list and will get on the flight on a space available basis after everybody has boarded if I clear, regardless of care classes.

I saw this on the united website (bolding is mine):

Does this mean I cannot standby for the nonstop?

Thanks in advance.

correct BUT you can do a Same Day Change for the non-stop. Same fee and less worry.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-wikipost.html

Same-day flight changes

Fare classes tend to be a non-issue day of travel

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I've been able to standby for a nonstop many times. Never had an issue. I have had an issue trying to change do a different one stop routing - they don't want you to get stuck at an intermediate destination

The problem with the same day change is that it only allows you to do that if the same fare class is available correct?

In this particular case, the non-stop is booked full anyway so it won't let me do a same-day change. However there could be no shows or whatever... And those are the seats that I'm thinking are my best shot. It seems there is no way to do that with the new united :(

I've had mixed results. Some agents say it cannot be done, and then I walk to customer service and 5 keystrokes later, a standby card comes out.

Correct. Some agents will let you standby, but know that they're doing you a favor; it's not allowed according to the rules.

Summary:

It can be done.

Many agents will do it.

It's against the rules.

You can do SDC. Set an expertflyer alert. Space really does often open up, even if right now it's Y0.

I do it almost monthly. I have never had a problem. It has been harder to have them add you to a flight with a connection. Let's say you have a little extra time and you want to have an In-N-Out burger in SFO on your way to Seattle from let's say the East Coast. Can't say I've ever done that though :)

For that, there's SDC. And that's a totally valid use of it. :)

hmm, i have not had any issues in changing the connecting city using SDC. have done it a number of times.

The policy being discussed was standby.

I had trouble doing this. All flights out of PWM had been cancelled due to low cloud cover, and I was forced to ride the bus (on my dime) to BOS in the middle of the night, where United had set up a connecting itinerary back to SFO via ORD, much later in the day. I asked the ticket agent to put me on the standby list for the first nonstop of the day. He wasn't able to do it, nor could the first United Club agent make it happen. A second UC agent did something like a long sell, which took quite a while. Eventually I got my standby card and proceeded to the gate. I was the only standby passenger, and barely made it on this overbooked Monday morning flight. Finally, the gate agents had trouble reconciling the change and asked me to proceed on board without retaining a boarding pass stub.

Booked a connecting flight, standby at the airport for non stop?
 

SDC allows a change of routing - standby does not.

Theory being (I think) that with a routing change, you may not get on the second leg. The what happens. Of course, going from a connection to a nonstop doesn't have that risk, which is why you probably find agents willing to do it.

For an SDC, of course since it is confirmed, a routing hangs isn't an issue.

this is exactly right, but another case where UA has written its rules so tightly that they defy logic (technically disallowing SBY from a connecting to a non-stop).

IIRC, fare buckets are supposed to "level out" at T-3hrs to departure, so if a seat is available in any fare class it should technically be available for SDC even if you are in a lower fare bucket...