Standby with a connection: OK to stand by on 2nd flight but skip first?
Mar 13, 2009, 9:30 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Programs: American Airlines Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 3,790
Standby with a connection: OK to stand by on 2nd flight but skip first?
I have the following schedule (roughly, with cities and times changed somewhat) coming up soon:
CAE-CLT lv 8pm
CLT-PHL lv 10pm
I need though to head back from CAE to PHL on the first flight out of the day. The first CAE-PHL flight is at 6am and the first CLT-PHL flight is at 7:30am. There is just one seat left on the CAE-CLT flight so I won't make it, probably, but the CLT-PHL flight has plenty of empty seats.
So can I skip the CAE-CLT segment and just go standby on the CLT-PHL flight at 7:30am?
(As long as I depart before my original flights are scheduled, can I skip the first segment of a 2-segment trip and go standby on the second segment?)
My itinerary would not be cancelled by skipping the first segment, I'd think, since my original ticket has the first segment departing hours after I'd arrive on the standby flight.
Odd, but thanks for any input.
CAE-CLT lv 8pm
CLT-PHL lv 10pm
I need though to head back from CAE to PHL on the first flight out of the day. The first CAE-PHL flight is at 6am and the first CLT-PHL flight is at 7:30am. There is just one seat left on the CAE-CLT flight so I won't make it, probably, but the CLT-PHL flight has plenty of empty seats.
So can I skip the CAE-CLT segment and just go standby on the CLT-PHL flight at 7:30am?
(As long as I depart before my original flights are scheduled, can I skip the first segment of a 2-segment trip and go standby on the second segment?)
My itinerary would not be cancelled by skipping the first segment, I'd think, since my original ticket has the first segment departing hours after I'd arrive on the standby flight.
Odd, but thanks for any input.
Last edited by ibrandsguest; Mar 13, 2009 at 9:45 am
Mar 13, 2009, 11:56 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Programs: Air Canada Elite 35; United Gold (maybe Platinum?)
Posts: 1,073
Just because it shows there's only one seat left doesn't mean the plane will leave full or anywhere near full... there's a chance you COULD Make that flight and be ticketed through on CLT-PHL.
Second, there's no guarantee that CLT-PHL will still have lots of availability on the day you want to fly... one would think there's lots of people who are put on those flights last minute to account for irrops the night before...
Third, standby can only be done at the airport - can you standby for a flight at an airport where you're not originating? Would they send you back to the original airport to get on a plane or charge you a change fee? I don't know... but I'd probably want to find out.
Second, there's no guarantee that CLT-PHL will still have lots of availability on the day you want to fly... one would think there's lots of people who are put on those flights last minute to account for irrops the night before...
Third, standby can only be done at the airport - can you standby for a flight at an airport where you're not originating? Would they send you back to the original airport to get on a plane or charge you a change fee? I don't know... but I'd probably want to find out.
Mar 14, 2009, 4:58 pm
#3
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 778
I do not see any reason why you cannot walk up to the gate and ask for standby, as long as you have no checked luggage. I do it all the time, and it matters not if it is the first or second leg.
Mar 14, 2009, 5:33 pm
#4
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Location: Pittsburgh
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Posts: 31,055
You do it all the time from an airport you're not supposed to by flying from? Or to fly out of a different airport?
OP is scheduled to leave out of CAE but wants to stand-by on a flight from CLT. Presumably, OP will either drive to CLT to stand-by or try to get on stand-by from CAE for a CLT flight, and then drive to CLT, just skipping the first leg of the trip. I pretty sure the second option won't work, and I'm not too sure on the first either.
You really do that all the time?
OP is scheduled to leave out of CAE but wants to stand-by on a flight from CLT. Presumably, OP will either drive to CLT to stand-by or try to get on stand-by from CAE for a CLT flight, and then drive to CLT, just skipping the first leg of the trip. I pretty sure the second option won't work, and I'm not too sure on the first either.
You really do that all the time?
