Learned something new today... Hubby and I are on flight 547 YYZ-LAS tomorrow. This has a stop in ORD. Tried to go standby on earlier flights with the same routing, but different flight numbers between the originating and connecting flights. Was told by the 1K desk that since there is just one coupon, cannot go standby, even with the exact same routing. The reason we wanted to do this is because first appeared more likely on the earlier flights. We are waitlisted.

I did not know this , so guess that there are others that do not, so wanted to share the info with my fellow FTers.

Oh well... No biggie. Get to sleep a bit longer in the morning.

Also, the 1K desk told me that they no longer see where we stand on the waitlist because a 1K member was told that they were first on the waitlist and when they called the upgrades at the gate he was not called and apparently he punched a gate agent. WOW

So, they took away access to the phone agents to see the standings on the waitlist.

I wonder if that was Mr Pillows!!!!! But isn't he GS, not 1K???

That seems weird to me. I recently was able to standby for earlier flights with a connection just fine. But apparently there is something to do with the one flight number? Seems like a bogus rule.

Did your original flight and the connecting flight have the same number, so there was just one coupon?

Just because the 1K desk says you can't standby for the earlier flights doesn't mean it's true. The flight coupon thing can be an issue but it certainly can be overcome by an airport agent if they are willing to create an extra coupon for you. I have done it before. The issue is that it's a small to medium amount of typing for them so it's possible some agents will say no. But if you really want to fly earlier I would go to the airport and request it and I bet you will be successful.

And as for the story of someone getting punched.. I think that's a line of BS the agent gave you as an excuse. Since the beginning of time many agents have refused to give out wait list position over the phone...either because it's not allowed by policy, or because some don't have access to it or just don't know how to look it up. It's doubtful there's been a sudden change.

I thought the same thing, so I called back again and was told that they do not have access to where everyone is on the waitlist anymore. They just see it alphabetically. I even asked if the other people on the list were 1K, GS or lower... She said she could not see that.

i agree. if that happened, we would have heard about it. it would've been on the news or some fter would've seen it and posted it. i think its made up

Basically what you were told was correct. You have a direct flight with 1 coupon. If you were to checkin in YYZ, you would get a boarding pass and a reboarding pass. An agent cannot just create a coupon so one can fly sb.

If an agent were to get around this, it would create a ppbm issue. BTW, are you checking bags? If so, for your benefit, stick with what you have.

The reason for 'no-waitlist' for earlier flight may have nothing to do with 1 coupon rule, but more to do with 'International Travel' as YYZ may be considered International for stand-by purpose.

In purely domestic iteneraries, the GA or CS agents can do it if there is an 'irrops' and they can create an additional coupon with a 'sup' giving an 'over-ride'. I have done it a couple of times (on domestic).

As said above, what you were told was correct...but, the phone agents will always tell you that. If its important to you, go to the aiport and they will do it for you most likely

I've gone on standby routings that are different than what I've booked countless times by having the airport agent and/or the RCC folks make the changes for me - i.e. LAX-BOS vs LAX-IAD-BOS. As long as you are nice about it, willing to be flexible, etc. it usually works out.

That being said, I never ever ever check bags, so the flexbility is there, so I agree with the post above RE: bags.

All of the above reasons are valid, including an addl one. Your 1 coupon direct flight does not contain taxes fro ORD as an addl segment, that if u took 2 flights, UA would also now be liable for (XF/PFC).

As to the "getting punched"...didn't hear this one, but saying it would be in the news is BS. I know of numerous GA that have been assaulted by customers over the years, and none of them made the news. UA doesn't call the press to say an agent was assaulted and battered, and most of the people doing the assaulting don't call the press either.