Everything you wanted to know about the confirmed same-day change process
Sep 9, 2006, 8:50 am
#106
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: HH-Diamond, Alaska Air MVP Gold
Posts: 84
H or U Fare Doesn't Really Matter
Originally Posted by itsme
Is H a fare they normally sell or is it a special one for internal purposes? If I understand what was posted early in this thread: so long as the plane is not overbooked (capacity -1), they will sell confirmed standby, putting the passenger in at same fare class as originally booked if that is available (e.g., V into V), if not available than put into H. Sounds like H is some sort of catch-all for these purposes.
So, they just have to have one, perhaps two, unreserved seats in the cabin, and one can have it as confirmed standby, regardless of what the availability is according to fare buckets. Then when you call to see if can have confirmed standby, not necessary to inquire if they have seats in your original fare class (e.g., V), nor any H seats, since they will "create" an H seat for you if plane isn't fully booked. Right?
(Previous poster said their confirmed standby went into U. But no reason for us to care whether H, U, or whatever, so long as we get a seat, right? It's "internal" to UA without consequence to us.)
So, they just have to have one, perhaps two, unreserved seats in the cabin, and one can have it as confirmed standby, regardless of what the availability is according to fare buckets. Then when you call to see if can have confirmed standby, not necessary to inquire if they have seats in your original fare class (e.g., V), nor any H seats, since they will "create" an H seat for you if plane isn't fully booked. Right?
(Previous poster said their confirmed standby went into U. But no reason for us to care whether H, U, or whatever, so long as we get a seat, right? It's "internal" to UA without consequence to us.)
Sep 9, 2006, 10:19 am
#107
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco
Programs: DL DM, 1MM AA PLT 2MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, and...Smiles Diamante
Posts: 2,783
Here's a question I haven't seen: what if I do confirmed standby, my new flight is cancelled, and I end up my original flight? Am I out the $25? It seems like the right thing for UA to do would be to refund it, but my hunch is that I'm SOL.
Sep 9, 2006, 11:08 am
#108
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: BOS and vicinity
Programs: Former UA 1P
Posts: 3,725
Originally Posted by snorkmaster
Here's a question I haven't seen: what if I do confirmed standby, my new flight is cancelled, and I end up my original flight? Am I out the $25? It seems like the right thing for UA to do would be to refund it, but my hunch is that I'm SOL.
I did confirmed standby on the morning BOS-SFO in Apr when I was booked on the afternoon (though the checkin agent waived the fee) en route to PDX. The morning flight was cancelled after boarding due to a fuel leak.
Gate Agents, 1P desk, and checkin agents all refused to give me back my seat on the afternoon flight claiming they had all been taken now. Also claimed they couldn't get me to PDX for 2 days!
I finally got them to put me on AA BOS-ORD-SFO to intercept my original late-evening SFO-PDX, but it was very close and I very nearly missed a critical meeting.Previously I had never considered that I could be screwed by doing standby.
Sep 9, 2006, 12:19 pm
#109
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: united airlines
Posts: 4,967
Originally Posted by HenryE1005
It doesn't matter if we are booked in H or U. I was just letting others know that there doesn't have to be H fare availability for the confirmed standby to be offered as was indicated earlier in this thread. There wasn't H or my original booking class available when I checked before completing the online check-in and request for the confirmed standby. This is good news.
While [B]studentff[B] almost found himself SOL when he tried the confirmed standby option, it appears he would have been in exactly the same situation if he had originally booked on the earlier flight and it canceled. His "confirmed standby" status didn't affect the outcome.
Sep 13, 2006, 10:10 am
#110
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Silver, AA, WN, DL
Posts: 4,091
Strategy of Standby
Hi All,
Thanks for all the information and feedback. I am curious to see whether most FT would rather go w/ the $25 standby fee, vs. waiting at the gate.
If you are going to wait at the gate, do you normally check availabilities the day before? I thought walkup standby would get on as long as there are seats available (as long as same cabin), so checking the seats would be sufficient.
Thanks for all the information and feedback. I am curious to see whether most FT would rather go w/ the $25 standby fee, vs. waiting at the gate.
If you are going to wait at the gate, do you normally check availabilities the day before? I thought walkup standby would get on as long as there are seats available (as long as same cabin), so checking the seats would be sufficient.
Sep 13, 2006, 11:01 am
#111
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,145
Originally Posted by studentff
Previously I had never considered that I could be screwed by doing standby.
I immediately went to the podium for my original flight and asked to be put back on. One GA claimed I didn't need to, as I was "still onboard," but the other fortunately said, "No, you would have been offloaded from this one," and cleared my "standby" back to my original flight immediately. The rest of the pax from my abortive standby flight had to be routed via SFO and other options, so I was lucky. Being a 1K helped, too, I'm sure.
Sep 13, 2006, 11:06 am
#112
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,145
Originally Posted by luv2ctheworld
Hi All,
Thanks for all the information and feedback. I am curious to see whether most FT would rather go w/ the $25 standby fee, vs. waiting at the gate.
If you are going to wait at the gate, do you normally check availabilities the day before? I thought walkup standby would get on as long as there are seats available (as long as same cabin), so checking the seats would be sufficient.
Thanks for all the information and feedback. I am curious to see whether most FT would rather go w/ the $25 standby fee, vs. waiting at the gate.
If you are going to wait at the gate, do you normally check availabilities the day before? I thought walkup standby would get on as long as there are seats available (as long as same cabin), so checking the seats would be sufficient.
I have actually yet to use the $25 standby. Two or three times I've mentioned it to an agent, but every time, she or he has confirmed me on all segments ahead of time without making the charge.
Sep 20, 2006, 5:07 pm
#113
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: united airlines
Posts: 4,967
do reservationists understand "confirmed standby" rules?
I am scheduled to fly tomorrow at 6AM and would prefer to go at 7AM. I just tried with 2 different CSRs to get straight the rules. Both maintained that the same fare bucket (T for me) had to be available for me to go "confirmed standby." Is that right? My understanding from earlier posts in this thread was that so long as the flight was not be oversold (OK if at capacity -1) 4 hours out, one could go pay $25 and go "confirmed standby" no matter which fare buckets remained unsold at that point. If they had "T," they would put me in "T," but if not, they would simply create an "H," making the fare bucket irrelevant from the customer's perspective.
The CSR said the 7AM was pretty open at this point, so probably will be a moot issue, but she did insist that there would have to be "T" available.
The CSR said the 7AM was pretty open at this point, so probably will be a moot issue, but she did insist that there would have to be "T" available.
Sep 20, 2006, 5:47 pm
#114
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: all views expressed by me are mine only and do not reflect those of UAL or their partners
Posts: 267
Fare Class
[QUOTE=itsme]I am scheduled to fly tomorrow at 6AM and would prefer to go at 7AM. I just tried with 2 different CSRs to get straight the rules. Both maintained that the same fare bucket (T for me) had to be available for me to go "confirmed standby." Is that right? My understanding from earlier posts in this thread was that so long as the flight was not be oversold (OK if at capacity -1) 4 hours out, one could go pay $25 and go "confirmed standby" no matter which fare buckets remained unsold at that point. If they had "T," they would put me in "T," but if not, they would simply create an "H," making the fare bucket irrelevant from the customer's perspective.
Itsme***your interpretation of the confirmed stand-by rule is correct**btw agents do not simply create "H"**they are supposed to book you in the lowest fare class that is available at the time
Itsme***your interpretation of the confirmed stand-by rule is correct**btw agents do not simply create "H"**they are supposed to book you in the lowest fare class that is available at the time
Oct 4, 2006, 5:17 pm
#115
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: UKB
Posts: 11,436
I'm confirmed for the 7am flight on Friday LAX-JFK and want to stand by for the Thursday red eye flight...and do this confirmed $25 dollar fee...KVS and united.bomb are down right now so I can't check loads 
Oct 4, 2006, 7:43 pm
#116
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: united airlines
Posts: 4,967
Originally Posted by fumitani
I'm confirmed for the 7am flight on Friday LAX-JFK and want to stand by for the Thursday red eye flight...and do this confirmed $25 dollar fee...KVS and united.bomb are down right now so I can't check loads
Oct 9, 2006, 11:31 am
#117
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AS MVP 75K, HI DIA
Posts: 208
Still Same Routing?
Does the $25 confirmed standby still only apply if you are placed on the same routing from origin to destination? (e.g., if you are booked MSY-DEN-LAX you cannot be confirmed standby on MSY-LAX nonstop)? I didn't see that rule mentioned on the website (was it ever there?), so I wasn't sure if there had been a change in policy.
Oct 9, 2006, 1:55 pm
#118
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: united airlines
Posts: 4,967
Originally Posted by launchylaunchbos
Does the $25 confirmed standby still only apply if you are placed on the same routing from origin to destination? (e.g., if you are booked MSY-DEN-LAX you cannot be confirmed standby on MSY-LAX nonstop)? I didn't see that rule mentioned on the website (was it ever there?), so I wasn't sure if there had been a change in policy.
Oct 21, 2006, 12:10 pm
#119
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Phoenix
Programs: UA1k;HH Gold;MR Gold
Posts: 6,112
Originally Posted by luv2ctheworld
Hi All,
Thanks for all the information and feedback. I am curious to see whether most FT would rather go w/ the $25 standby fee, vs. waiting at the gate.
If you are going to wait at the gate, do you normally check availabilities the day before? I thought walkup standby would get on as long as there are seats available (as long as same cabin), so checking the seats would be sufficient.
Thanks for all the information and feedback. I am curious to see whether most FT would rather go w/ the $25 standby fee, vs. waiting at the gate.
If you are going to wait at the gate, do you normally check availabilities the day before? I thought walkup standby would get on as long as there are seats available (as long as same cabin), so checking the seats would be sufficient.
Well I just checked avail on the UA website - it showed 9's across. When I called - the said the flight is overbooked. Just because there is "availabilty" doesnt mean there really is
Oct 21, 2006, 1:13 pm
#120
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: UA 2P
Posts: 707
Originally Posted by fumitani
I'm confirmed for the 7am flight on Friday LAX-JFK and want to stand by for the Thursday red eye flight...and do this confirmed $25 dollar fee...KVS and united.bomb are down right now so I can't check loads