JohnnyP

I'm currently booked on UA-number/US-metal flights SJU-PHL-BOS. Is it possible to standby for UA-metal flights out of SJU? (i.e. SJU-IAD-BOS)

What's the rule in general? Say I am booked UA-number/US-metal on CLT-DEN, can I standby for UA-metal CLT-DEN?

UAL_Rulez

My limited experience with this says that if you are trying to switch between US and UA *metal* the operating carrier has to endorse over your ticket. So in the example you cite, US would have to endorse over your ticket under rule 240.20, issue a FIM, or otherwise send the applicable flight coupons over to UA (and UA would have to accept them) in order for you to travel on UA metal.

Due to the codeshare arrangement between UA/US they seem fairly amenable to doing this, much more so than say UA would be to FIM you over to AA or CO. So for example if there is a slight delay on your US flight that might jeopardize your connection, a nice chat to the CS agent at checkin might get you moved over. I've done the opposite, holding a UA metal/UA code ticket and having them move me to a US metal/UA code flight at no charge due to the UA flight being on some sort of mech. delay (which ended up being very minimal).

Edited to add, I re-read the OP and because you are on a UA code/US metal flight it may be that UA will re-route you on their own metal with no involvement by US.

BDLMSYDL

If your ticket is a UA ticket (016), you should be able to standby on UA metal flights at no charge. I was flying MSY-DCA-BDL on US metal with a UA ticket number and was able to standby on an earlier MSY-IAD-BDL flight on UA metal. It takes a little longer for the TA to set up, but any UA TA at the counter should be able to help you.

osxanalyst

Check your fare basis too. If its an unrestricted fare, don't standby, get confirmed on your new flights.

seawolf

I don't think having 016 ticket stock has any relevance on whether you can standby for UA flights. What matters is which airline published the fare for the coupon(s) in question.

In the OP's case, the SJU-PHL-BOS was purchased as a UA flight number which generally indicates it was sold against a UA SJU-BOS fare. IF SJU-IAD-BOS is a valid routing for that fare, then standby for UA SJU-IAD-BOS is allowed. The OP would be allowed to standby regardless of whether the current ticket stock was 016, 001, 014, 037 or anything else.

letaPlamiB

Seawolf, I believe you because you probably do this at a 50 times greater frequency than I do, but I have found out two things: 1. if you buy a ticket on UA ticket stock, it is physically possible for the computer to allow you to fly United rather than US Airways, and 2. How long this takes the agent to figure out depends upon the agent.

Now, I believe you that this may not be the rule, but United does not seem to have a problem with you flying its metal if you bought a United ticket stock ticket (nor should they - I don't know how the IATA prorates work because UA/US issues are alliance based and maybe not covered by IATA anymore, but I imagine United would get revenue for the flight and I am all for UA getting revenue).

mrrego

I just did it. Last thurs I was booked via united,com, on a USAir from PHL-LAX, and successfully stood by on a UA changing in DEN.

seawolf

Assuming you purchased a 016 stock issued against a fare published by US and did a standby on UA metal.....the UA metal flights might have also been US codeshares and thus standby was allowed.

WindFlyer

I'm not sure what the rules are, but I'll tell you of a situation I saw just a few days ago at SFO...

A young lady was on UA-coded/US-metal flights SFO-PIT-MHT; boyfriend was on all-UA SFO-IAD-MHT; she wanted to stand-by to fly together with him. Check-in agent would not let her stand by, but offered her a re-book for $100 (she declined). FWIW, loads were high on the transcon, the transcons were red-eyes, and she appeared to have no status, so YMMV.

seawolf

It depends on the actual fare. It might have been routing/flight/date/time specific. Generally speaking, if SFO-PIT-MHT was issued with a UA flight number for both flights, the passenger can standby for any UA valid routing SFO-MHT combinations.

ibrandsguest

If I have a UA ticket on US metal and fly standby on a UA flight, I assume UA gets most if not all of the revenue for the UA flight I take and US doesn't get much of anything for the US flight I didn't take?

Thanks for all of this info, everyone!

PSUhorty

I recently did this too. Booked a US flight on UA.com. At the airport, realized there was another flight to DEN on UA metal departing 10 minutes later. Would MUCH rather fly in E+... UA gate agent confirmed me on the UA flight. Checked baggage was simply checked through from my original flight to my connecting to SBA.

plat

Does this work the same for other codeshares as well? Lufthansa over the atlantic?

seawolf

Don't know if cheapo international fares even allow for standbys. If it did, you shouldn't have a problem going from a UA flight/LH op to a UA op flight.

JohnnyP

Typically you can't stand by for international flights anyway, even if it's all United-metal. So I doubt a transatlantic Lufthansa flight would work.