Gone are the days of showing up at the airport and buying an astonishingly cheap “standby” ticket in exchange for waiting hours or days in the terminal.
Flying standby is still a thing, but it’s not the budget adventure it once was. So, how does standby work today? It’s now reserved for folks involuntarily bumped from their original flights, passengers who want to get on an earlier or later flight on the same day as their original flight, and airline employees, their families and eligible companions who fly for free or nearly free.
Whether you missed your flight, need to get out of town early, want to extend your vacay, or are considering last-minute alternatives to your original flight (which you found on Cheapflights.com, of course), check out our tips for flying standby on airlines in the US and Canada.
How does standby work and what does it actually mean?
Flying standby is simply a request to get a seat on a flight that’s different from the flight you already booked. Flying standby actually guarantees nothing. So, what is standby travel? It’s basically you taking a gamble on a seat on another flight that may or may not become available.
This possibility can be exhilarating for spontaneous travelers, but for those flying standby involuntarily, the uncertainty can become quite the stressor. And as for those stories of showing up at the airport and buying a standby ticket – this is typically no longer possible.
Most airlines won’t allow you to buy a standby ticket without a regular flight ticket already purchased. Keep in mind that airline standby passes also differ from company to company, but in general, there are some benefits and some disadvantages to this type of travel.
The pros of flying standby
There can be some benefits to how flying standby works, especially for those with flexible travel plans. These can include the following:
- The possibility of getting to your final destination earlier
- Smoothing out tight connections by adding more time to your layover
- A great option for solo travelers looking to change their travel plans
The cons of flying standby
As mentioned, flying standby also comes with some risks. It’s truly a gamble, so be sure you’re aware of the following before you commit to it:
- It usually only works if you don’t have a checked bag, or your luggage may not make it to the destination at the same time as you.
- You may end up on a later flight or with different unplanned connections.
- How does standby work for groups? Well, it’s not ideal for groups looking to travel together.
Tips for flying standby
- Travel with carry-on luggage: You may be wondering how flying standby works with checked luggage. Well, some airlines won’t let you fly standby if you have already checked your bags, and having only carry-on luggage means you don’t have to worry about your luggage getting delayed or lost. Check out our tips for flying with one carry-on.
- Request standby as early as possible: Requests are generally handled in the order in which they are received.
- Join airline loyalty reward programs and gain status: Not only will this bump you up the standby list, but you may also have a great lounge to enjoy while waiting to fly standby.
- Avoid highly restrictive tickets: They may not allow standby travel, so always read the fine print.
- Head to the departure gate for your chosen standby flight as early as possible: Similarly, be ready to respond when the gate agent calls your name. Failure to respond quickly may result in the next person on the standby list getting your seat.
- Be patient and flexible: After all, you’re the one asking for the change in travel plans. Be prepared to do a lot of waiting around and potentially walking from gate to gate.
Standby policies by airline
Here are the standby policies for selected airlines explained:
Air Canada
Air Canada’s same-day airport standby option allows customers flying on certain fares to request standby for an earlier flight on their day of departure. This option is subject to availability, and not available if you’ve already checked your bags.
Domestic flights: Passengers flying within Canada in Business Class (flexible), Premium Economy (flexible), Latitude, and Comfort fares can stand by free of charge. Passengers flying within Canada in Business Class (lowest), Premium Economy (lowest), Standard, and Flex fares can stand by for free on select routes (express daily service offering hourly departures between Toronto and Montreal or Ottawa) and on flights between Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Passengers flying in Latitude, Comfort, and Premium Rouge (flexible) on Air Canada Rouge can also stand by free of charge.
International flights to the United States: Passengers traveling from Canada to the US in Business Class (flexible), Premium Economy (flexible), Latitude, and Comfort can stand by free of charge. Passengers flying in Business Class (lowest), Premium Economy (lowest), Flex, and Standard can fly standby for free on flights between Toronto Pearson International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia International Airport, or Newark Liberty International Airport.
International flights to “Sun Destinations”: Air Canada’s “Sun Destinations” are generally flights from Canada to select “sunny” destinations in the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico. Those traveling in Business Class (flexible), Business Class (lowest), Latitude and Comfort can stand by for free.
International – all other destinations: Passengers traveling on Air Canada internationally in Business Class (flexible), Business Class (lowest), Premium Economy (flexible), or Latitude can stand by for free. Wait-listed upgrade requests may be displayed by order of priority in the “Flight Status” section of the Air Canada app; each passenger’s name is listed using the first three letters of the family name and the initial of the first name.
Alaska Airlines
Depending on the destination and ticket class purchased, passengers may be eligible to fly standby on Alaska Airlines. Eligible passengers must: be on a non-stop flight between Alaska Airlines’ shuttle markets (between Anchorage and Fairbanks, between Seattle and Portland, Ore. or Spokane, Wash.).
You may also have a refundable Main Cabin ticket or First Class ticket, or be an MVP Gold Mileage Plan member or traveling on the same reservation as one. The latter two options are eligible for complimentary same-day confirmed flight change and, if no confirmed seats are available, then these ticket holders can request free same-day standby. All other passengers who want to make same-day flight changes must pay an extra fee and requests are subject to availability.
To fly standby, passengers can request to fly standby when checking in online or at the airport. Once requested, the airline advises passengers to head to the departure gate early; however, standby status won’t be known until 30 minutes before flight departure.
Allegiant Air
Budget airliner Allegiant Air, which offers only nonstop flights within the U.S., doesn’t fly every day and some of its routes are seasonal; therefore, traditional standby isn’t an option. However, passengers can purchase Trip Flex at the time of booking which allows passengers to change their itineraries once without incurring the $75 change fee each way.
With Trip Flex, passengers can change the reservation date, flight, or destination for no additional fees up to one hour prior to flight departure; however, passengers are responsible for any change in airfare price.
American Airlines
Complimentary same-day standby on American Airlines is available for passengers with Unrestricted Economy Class (Y fare), Business, or First Class tickets as long as they are an AAdvantage member. It’s also available for passengers who have American Airlines AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, Platinum, or Gold status or oneworld Emerald, Sapphire, or Ruby status. If you’re traveling with a group, this also applies to up to eight companions on the same reservation. Alaska Airlines MVP Gold 100K and 75K members can also enjoy this perk on American Airlines but without eligibility for their companions.
Passengers with AirPass membership and First and Business Class Flight Award tickets may also fly standby. Complimentary standby is also available for active US military personnel traveling on orders or personal travel and active US military dependents traveling on orders.
Other passengers can stand by on an earlier flight (AAdvantage elite members may stand by for both earlier or later flights) for a fee on flights between the 50 United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, as long as the alternate flight has the same origin and destination, is for the same calendar day of departure and is marketed and operated by American Airlines or American Eagle. Passengers cannot change their itineraries to a city with multiple airports or to a different connecting city.
Delta Air Lines
Complimentary (and voluntary) standby is available to Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members (family members and travel companions are not eligible) when there are no confirmed seats in the original ticketed paid cabin available via the same day confirmed flight change on Delta and Delta Connection flights within the US, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
The option doesn’t guarantee seat availability. Passengers who cannot be accommodated on their standby flights may confirm seats on the next available flight. SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus members are ineligible for standby. Same-day flight changes must be requested within 24 hours prior to departure of the original flight.
Frontier
Passengers who are Elite members of FRONTIER Miles, the airline’s loyalty program, are eligible to fly standby at no additional cost on an earlier or later flight on the same day of travel. Travelers can request to fly standby at the airport ticket counter or gate, or by calling Frontier reservations. Before passengers opt to stand by, travelers understand that if they are unable to get on the desired flight and miss the flight for which they were scheduled to fly, no additional transportation will be provided by Frontier. All other passengers can make a same-day confirmed flight change to an earlier or later flight on the same day of travel for a fee.
All passengers who fly standby or on a same-day confirmed flight change must follow the original ticketed itinerary. The airline has some destinations in “groups,” allowing passengers booked to fly to/from an airport in a “group” destination to request a same-day confirmed alternative flight change or standby travel to/from another airport in the group. The following “groups” are considered the same cities for standby and same-day confirmed flight changes:
- Washington Dulles Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport,
- Chicago-O’Hare International Airport and Milwaukee International Airport,
- Fort Lauderdale International Airport and West Palm Beach International Airport,
- Los Angeles International Airport and Orange County/Santa Ana Airport,
- Madison International Airport and Milwaukee International Airport,
- LaGuardia Airport, Trenton Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport,
- Orange County/Santa Ana Airport and San Diego Airport,
- Orlando International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Orlando International Airport and St. Augustine Airport,
- You’ll also find “groups” in Colorado, Texas, Tennessee, and Ohio.
Hawaiian Airlines
Passengers who are Pualani Platinum or Pualani Gold members or who have booked a flight through Hawaiian Airlines’ Corporate Web Portal can stand by for an earlier Neighbor Island Flight for free. Passengers must not have already checked in their baggage, and the desired standby flight cannot depart in less than 30 minutes.
Passengers without luggage to be checked can check in for their flights via web check-in, at self-service kiosks at the airport, or with a customer service agent at the airport. Then, before going through security, passengers should speak to a customer service agent about standing by for an earlier flight.
Passengers who have luggage to check in must check in with a customer service agent at the airport and request to fly standby. Once the standby request is in, the airline will keep the original confirmed flight reservation in case there are no seats available on the standby flights.
JetBlue
Standby is available for any sold-out flight between the same two cities on the same calendar day of the original ticketed departure. Passengers can request standby at the airport (it cannot be done over the phone or online) for the same day only (if traveling out of a city with only one daily flight, it is not available).
Passengers must travel standby between the same origin and destination cities as the original confirmed seat; however, passengers can travel standby on a connecting or non-stop flight. Passengers traveling on an Even More space seat who choose to travel standby forfeit the seat fee and are not eligible for a refund. Mint customers may travel standby, but the Mint experience will not be guaranteed and will be forfeited if unavailable on the new flight. Standby travel is available to those traveling on Blue, Blue Plus, and Mint fares for a $75 fee (refundable if you don’t get on your standby flight), but is free for Blue Extra fares. Those traveling in Blue Basic are not eligible for standby.
JetBlue also offers a same-day switch option for certain fares; however, fees may apply (there is no increase in fare). This option confirms passengers on the flight of their choice and can be requested at the airport or by calling 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583).
Porter Airlines
Porter Airlines does not offer standby; however, depending on the type of ticket purchased, passengers may be able to change flights for free or for a fee. Passengers flying on Freedom fares can request a ticket refund up to one hour before departure.
Passengers flying on Freedom fares can also make same-day changes up to one hour before departure for free on any Porter-operated flight. Meanwhile, passengers flying on Flexible and Standard fares can make these changes for free only on earlier flights between either Toronto and Newark (or New York), or on flights between Toronto and either Montreal or Ottawa. Passengers flying on Standard and Flexible fares can also make changes on other Porter flights but for an extra fee.
Southwest Airlines
Passengers flying on Business Select, Anytime, Wanna Get Away Plus, and Wanna Get Away fares can all stand by for travel between the same city pairs on the original date of travel for no change in fare. Business Select passengers flying standby lose the privilege of boarding in the first portion of the “A” group.
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines allows its passengers to travel standby on an earlier flight, on the same day of the scheduled flight, for an additional fee per person. Passengers wishing to opt for standby can choose this option at the airport.
United Airlines
United passengers can stand by for free when the ticket fare does not have any penalties for making changes or when standing by involuntarily due to a flight irregularity. Changes in routing are not allowed when standing by. Standby may be requested on the day of departure at a United Airlines airport kiosk, with a United representative at the airport, or via the mobile app, and you must request to stand by for an earlier flight.
MileagePlus Premier Gold, Premier Platinum and Premier 1K members may request a complimentary same-day change. Passengers with restricted tickets may be able to make same-day flight changes for a discounted fee.
WestJet
WestJet does not allow standby travel, but it allows same-day confirmed flight changes for some customers for a fee. To be eligible for a same-day flight change, whether you want an earlier or a later flight, you must have purchased an Econo, EconoFlex, Premium, PremiumFlex, Business, BusinessFlex or Member Exclusive (Economy, Premium or Business) ticket. Same-day changes must be from the same origin to the same destination on the same calendar day of the original departure. Requests for same-day changes can be made at the airport or by calling WestJet, as they cannot be done online.
In some cases, same-day flight changes are not available. Those who purchased an UltraBasic fare are not eligible for these changes, and flights with only one departure per day do not offer this option.
Have you ever flown standby? Share your own tips and tricks in the comments and start your flight search on Cheapflights.com.
Editor’s note: Hello, travelers. We do our best to bring you the most timely information, but until superhuman speed is perfected, we can only move so fast. This information is subject to change, so please always double-check current policies with your airline or agent before you book.
This article was refreshed on August 2nd, 2024.
