SFnFlaGuy

Tomorrow Saturday 8/18, I'm on a Saver Award, 12.5K miles, from EWR-RDU-SFO tomorrow afternoon at 310pm. There's a non-stop 777 at 305pm non stop EWR-SFO.

Would it be possible to stand by for that flight given that my original flight is departing at the same time? I have a checked bag too.

They said the bag wouldn't be a problem, it's just that I need to standby for a flight that leaves before my original flight.

I tried to do a free SDC since I'm gold...but the 5pm flight that had the space available is no longer available and none of the non-stops had space at that level.

Thanks!

M/

oskidunker

SFnFlaGuy

They told me that it's free to stand by since I'm Gold....I can actually do a SDC if the space was there but it isn't. I'm just asking to see if standing by for a flight 5 minutes before mine is worth it and if it is possible. So far the non-stop looks like it has space available....

cfischer

That is going to be a problem

docbert

The flight you're trying to get on is currently J2 Y2 B2. ie, it's already most likely overbooked. Short of a number of mis-connects, the odds of a Gold getting onto that flight via standby is at best very low - especially given that every flight before it tomorrow is actually worse...

SFnFlaGuy

Thanks! Yes I just saw that change just now....gosh the availability has been changing drastically for tomorrow's flights. The 5pm has saver space at 430pm...by the time I called back at 5pm to be within the 24 your period, it's gone.

At the time that I posted this thread, the 305pm showed a bunch of seats available...now it's gone too.

Oh well....I'm so tempted to just do the 60K business award at this point....but I'll just hang tight....a couple hours delay isn't too bad due to a connection..just hope everything is on time.

drewguy

A 777 starts boarding 50 mins before departure, whereas a single-aisle is 35 mins. So you may have more time to clear the non-stop list that the 5 minute departure difference. (Although I suppose they run the list right up until the doors close)

jsloan

The standby list is cleared 15 minutes prior to departure.

OP: The concern isn't whether or not you can stand by for a departure that's 5 minutes earlier; of course you can (without the bag). The concern is what happens if you don't clear; unless the RDU flight happens to be departing from the next gate, you're going to be sprinting around EWR with less than five minutes to make your flight.

Standing by with a checked bag is going to be tricky. While there's no positive bag match on domestic flights, UA still prefers that passengers travel with their checked luggage. The fact that you're trying to change routing is an issue, as it would be difficult for the bag room to get your bag from the SFO staging area to the RDU staging area in time to get it onto the plane.

Realistically, if you try this, you're going to need to get an idea from the gate agent about your chances of getting on the flight around the time check-in closes, which means you're relying on a UA gate agent doing you a favor. In Newark. While trying to board a 777.

FWIW, I would fly via RDU before I would fly 6 hours in a 10-across 777, especially on standby (meaning likely a middle, E- seat).

narvik

Aye...THIS!

Repooc17

Yeah, does it have to be a 772? given the frequency of TCON flights, can you standby for an earlier 752 nonstop?

Often1

OP wants to change his routing. Thus, neither SDC or SDSB are available to him. If an agent does this for him, it will be via a plain old change with the fee and possibly fare difference waived. It will also involve UA's willingness to voluntarily separate OP from his bag.

A larger question for OP is what good this does even if it all works. The bag will have been checked onto the connecting route and will almost certainly have been loaded onto that aircraft by the time OP clears onto the second aircraft. Thus, OP will still have to either wait at SFO or head back out to collect his bag, all depending on his schedule.

sbm12

From the UA T&C:
Change of routing is absolutely permitted for SDC.

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...ay-change.html

SFnFlaGuy

Thanks for the replies everyone! And yes, they did permit me to to SDC or do SDSB if I wanted to. SDC wasn't possible since, by the time I was within the 24 hours of the only available flight in XN class at 5pm was sold out. So my only option was standby. They also offered me a free SDC to another connecting flight through DTW that left earlier and got there later...ummm...no thanks! lol (So change of routing, and deletion or change of connection, is permitted)

I actually got an agent on one of my calls that insisted that free SDC was not available for Award Tickets...I just politely said..thanks I'll keep my flight....hung up and called back.

Anyways, in the end, I decided to keep my EWR-RDU-SFO flight and not even bother with standby. Besides, I got to keep my reservation at Classified so I could try it at least once.

Surprisingly, I might clear the upgrade EWR-RDU...Yay! lol I have a comfortable 7F in E+ on the A320 RDU-SFO. As long as everything is on time, then it won't be too bad getting in an hour later than if I took the non-stop 305pm EWR-SFO non-stop.

Thanks again for the feedback! I tend to obsess about these tiny non-issue things whenever I have to deal with them. They also asked me if I wanted to VDB for my flight...go figure...I said $400 but not gonna count on it.

I'll just enjoy the experience.

M.

docbert

You realize you could have just paid the $25 change fee and changed onto that flight before the 24 hour mark, right?

jsloan

The poster that suggested that a change of routing on SDC was prohibited was incorrect, as sbm12 pointed out. I didn't want to get into change-of-routing on standby, because I think it's mostly at an agent's discretion. It's technically against policy to change routing on standby, but it's within policy to waitlist for a nonstop business/first class award when confirmed on a connecting flight, which turns into the same thing, so... I would imagine that most agents would OK standby by to remove a transfer, though; the reason that you're not allowed to stand by for an alternate routing is that they don't want you to get stuck in some random hub with no confirmed onward ticket. (Of course, there's at least one poster on the board who has insisted that UA allows this regularly, and also allows you to stand by for a flight after your original one, so.. I think I'll stick with YMMV.