standby status

[WASUP]

We are coming into Oakland, Ca on United from Fort Lauderdale, it makes a change of plane in Chicago....we found, after we booked a non stop out of Miami to SFO, If we do standby, there is no charge. I am watching the flight and there are 54 seats as of today, we fly 9-29. My question is what to do with the luggage as we wait standby? Do we haul it to the gate, so that if we dont get on, the luggage is stil with us?

 

Has anyone every done this, where the linked cities, like Fort Lauderdale and Miami are interchangeable and therefor can fly standby on a flight and not be charged?

 

I hope it is not too confusing

 

Thanks

[greatam]

I really don't understand your question. You booked a non-stop, but the plane stops in Chicago??? Or you booked the non-stop, but would like to take the earlier flight that stops in Chicago? Did you check the arrival time, not just the departure time?

 

I will tell you that just because you see a lot of seats available on the seat map, does not mean those seats are really available. A lot of people do not pre select seats and sometimes online booking engines do not pre select seats. It is truly the luck of the draw whether there are standby seats available, unless you use sophisticated software direct into the airline.

 

I have flown standby and it really depends on the airline. Some will not let you leave the ticketing area until they are pretty sure you will get on the flight (Southwest and some of the discounters). Some, like AA, will let you check in, including checking your luggage, if it looks like a good possibility you will be seated. However, I have been taken off a flight at the last minute, when the late arriving booked passengers showed up. It was a hassle to get my checked luggage back, but all worked out OK. TSA will not let you take anything larger than carryon size through Security (must fit in the machine). Hope this information helps.

[jla418]

9/29 is still a couple of weeks out and 54 seats is not very many. Also are you sure that the airline will allow you to fly standby without charging you? I know many carriers will let you standby for a return flight, but if you are on a discounted ticket, they will not let you on your initial leg. Also flying from a different city sounds risky to me. If something happens and you don't get on the flight from Miami, will you still have time to get to Fort Lauderdale Airport for your confirmed flight? Traffic between the two airports can be horrible during certain times of the day.

 

I would check and double check the information with the Airline, and if they say you can do it, be sure to get Names/Employee Numbers in case you have a problem when you arrive at the airport. Also, ask how they handle the luggage issue.