How To Book Standby Flights?

Standby flights are usually the last available tickets for a particular airline or route for a certain date and they come with a set of conditions that the buyer has to meet Were you aware that you can book standby flights?

There are cheaper flights where people can travel by waiting for a seat to become vacant when it is available on a certain flight that is fully booked. It is still to some extent possible to be flexible but has the potential of saving lots of money. Here are some useful suggestions that can assist in the process of booking standby flights.

Research Airlines Standby Policies

As you know standing seat is never available that is why airlines have different policies for standby tickets. It would be useful to look at the standby policies of any airline you contemplate traveling with using the status. Most cover fees regulations, for instance, concern passengers’ priorities and other aspects that are helpful to know in advance before making a reservation. When it comes to fees pay extra attention as some airlines impose relatively high same-day upgrade or standby fees than others.

Three good domestic US airlines to look into for standby travel are American Southwest and Delta while British Airways and Lufthansa are two international airlines that offer decent standby though they may differ with region.

Join as many Frequent Flyer Programs as possible

If you intend to fly standby more often than once it would be wise to join the airline’s frequent flyer program. It is also important to note that, in cases of bookings made with an airline that is participating in a flight frequent flyer program, members of the flyer program are usually given a higher standing on the lists of standby passengers than those who are not members of the program. This means that if you have some level of status, your chances of getting on to a flight will be higher. There is also evidence that even those travelers at the lowest level of membership are generally upgraded above persons without a frequent flyer number.

Book Connecting Flights

When flying on standby for a multiple segment trip, it is advisable to ensure there is adequate connection time between flights, and connect through airports that have multiple flight schedules. Knowing you have other flights to pick from increases your chances of catching onward travel on the same day if your standby bid finds you barred entry. For the best opportunity to proceed on even if you don’t make the initial flight to a connection, the recommended connections to make are those of 4-6 hours or more.

Use the principle of less busy days and times to ensure that your home is more available for guests during some days than others.

When on days with less traffic on planes, the standby success rates are higher than on busy traffic days. As such, days that experience relatively high levels of availability and comparatively low levels of occupancy include Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, while days that have high levels of demand and occupied seats are Fridays and Sundays. Keeping your standby flights for the less busy months, such as whenever the kids are in school or when you do not go on your vacations through September to May is also helpful. In terms of timing, early morning and red-eye flights are the busiest as cancellations leave much open space. Those that take place in the evening are also fully booked and therefore it is advisable to plan the trip in the early hours of the morning.

Arrive Early

Pack into the airport early on standby travel days. This ensures that you book early for the standby list hence having many options of the opened flights. Any smart standby flyer should ensure that they get to the extent no later than 2 hours to the time the flight is supposed to depart so that they can sign in. Even earlier than that is preferable because standby lists are formed in compliance with the time line. The more of your name you put in as soon as the list is opened, the higher your position will be in comparison to that of passengers who would cram at the last minute.

Ask About Storm Protection

However, if you are travelling on a standby basis during the winter season, enquire from the management of the airline whether they offer any form of storm protection on your ticket. Depending on the type of the storm or any other circumstance that threatens to disrupt an intended trip, some of the airlines will permit the use of standby tickets, in exchange for a confirmed ticket. When changing to a confirmed seat, there may be a fee involved but it also ensures that you do not end up being taken far from home. It is always comforting to have backup storm coverage in cases where a particular storm offers useful flexibility.

Consider Refundable Fare Options

But even the most fundamental standby fares are typically inexpensive they also come with no option for refunds or budging on the dates chosen. If your travel dates can be flexible in the future then it will be wise to use extra cash to secure a refundable standby fare price. Instead of an expensive fare that can be hundreds of dollars, it may only be twenty to thirty dollars more than that of a basic ticket. But if you have the option to get your money back or switch the days of your travel at a later date it is usually worth that extra penny you have to spend.

Use Buddy Passes Wisely

If you have a friend or a relative for instance a brother, sister, father, or a friend who works for an airline, ask them to sponsor you on one of their employee benefit buddy passes. These special fares are designed to mean that if you want to fly standby with them, it takes a very small amount of money. But always bear in mind that most employee passes do not allow the addition of other companions during the holiday season. And the employee traveler typically is required to be on any flights acquired using their travel perks.

Pack Light

The more you travel with less baggage, the higher your opportunity to secure the full standby flight. Oversized bins are quickly filled to capacity and having light luggage allows one avoid having to put your roller bag in an overhead compartment that is free. Only use one small bag that can be carried on, preferably a small bag with reduced space when not in use. That means the gate agents are able to work you into it as opposed to having to deal with many passengers with fully loaded overstuffed bags and no overhead bins to fit them.

Be Flexible and Patient

Patience is an essential ingredient for standby travel, meaning that one has to relax and be okay with waiting. There are a lot of complications such as flight delays you may be boarded off full flights or require a run for other connections through different terminals through other routs. It is very hard to remain on a routine schedule when on standby. Incorporate an extra day on either side of your plan if tight on time. The formalities of using standby time as a concept can be eliminated with relaxation and flowing with it, thus reducing the nerves and headaches that come with random standby time.

Leverage 24-Hour Cancellation Rules

If being confronted with the situation of getting denied boarding look into the option of rebooking on the next flight out within the specified period of 24 hours from the scheduled time of your first flight. Some of the large carriers have recently been implementing twenty-four hour cancellation or rebooking policies that enable standby tickets to be used on the next flight the subsequent day without additional charges. Getting a hold of that policy assists in avoiding forfeiture of the entire standby fare or additional rebooking charges upon getting off-list.

All in all, I hope that these tips are useful in avoiding or at least minimizing some of the common pitfalls that people experience when booking or flying on airline standby tickets. Almost just remain calm and adaptable and be prepared to run as soon as you get your name off the standby list!