Flying stand by with Jetblue

[fitmom3]

We're leaving for Orlando in two weeks. We booked a flight out of BUF with ONE stop at JKF. The direct flight is not full. Would I be a fool to attempt stand by with 6ppl in my party? We would have to leave for the airport about 2 hours earlier........no big deal. I think I will check the seats on the direct flight the day before. I also read that I can add our names to a list at the airport the day before flight. Does that mean I add my name and then just show up at the airport a couple hours before the flight that I want to get on? I know they say the more ppl in party the less chances....but if my kids got a horrible flu we would have to cancel and that would free up our 6 seats...my other option is to pray that our price drops...I would get a credit as was told by an agent that I could use this credit for a seat change $40 the day before flight. The website says that credit is to only be used on future travel.......but I got the agents name and this is what she told me.........

 

[kaytieeldr]

I wouldn't expect to be able to fly standby with six people; I'd also reread the policy and make sure I understood the conditions. It appears that you need to GO TO the airport and put yourself on the standby list. Even that doesn't mean you'd all get on the earlier flight.

Also, that flight appearing relatively empty now doesn't mean a whole lot. I kept watching my December flight, and it went from half empty to almost full in the days before departure.

You may list standby at the Airport within 24 hours of your original flight. Standby travel MUST be handled at the Airport and cannot be done over the phone.
You are allowed to travel on the flight prior to your original flight only, regardless of whether it is a non-stop or connecting flight.
You must travel between the same city pairs (specifically, the origin and final destination BlueCity).
This option is free of charge.
If you are booked on the first flight of the day you cannot fly standby on the last flight the day before. However, you may jet standby one flight after your scheduled flight.

 

[Lewisc]

You understand standby means you won't get seat assignments until you clear standby. You have a 4 year old. Are you willing to be split up? Unless you're willing to accept middle seats, scattered throughout the plane, you shouldn't waste your time. You asked. You'd be a fool standing by and expecting to even get 2 seats together. What will you do if JetBlue is willing to clear 2 passengers now, maybe another 2 later. Say no and passengers behind you in line will get cleared.

Either pay $40 for a same day change, ask about seat assignments before you pay, or stick with your original flight.

You live in Canada. Are you staying in an airport hotel the night before? I guess you might as well get to the airport early. Some people win the lottery.

From Jet Blues website:

Cities with Multiple Flights a Day

* You may list standby at the Airport within 24 hours of your original flight. Standby travel MUST be handled at the Airport and cannot be done over the phone.
* You are allowed to travel on the flight prior to your original flight only, regardless of whether it is a non-stop or connecting flight.
* You must travel between the same city pairs (specifically, the origin and final destination BlueCity).
* This option is free of charge.
* If you are booked on the first flight of the day you cannot fly standby on the last flight the day before. However, you may jet standby one flight after your scheduled flight.

I'd think at least some potential standbys live near the airport, or are staying at an airport hotel. Those passengers will be on the standby list earlier then 2 hours before your flight.

 

[fitmom3]

No friggin way am I willing to split up from the kids. We have 3 adults and 3 children. I would only do this if one adult from my group could sit with one child. I know there is a risk to doing this but I am pretty sure people have to cancel last minute. We are staying in a hotel so this would only put us out an hour or two. It really is no big deal....It would just mean we would get to MCO at noon instead of 7pm. They don't cancel or reservation under we accept the stand by.....so I would no do this if my kids did not sit with an adult from my party.

 

[crashbb]

No friggin way am I willing to split up from the kids. We have 3 adults and 3 children. I would only do this if one adult from my group could sit with one child. I know there is a risk to doing this but I am pretty sure people have to cancel last minute. We are staying in a hotel so this would only put us out an hour or two. It really is no big deal....It would just mean we would get to MCO at noon instead of 7pm. They don't cancel or reservation under we accept the stand by.....so I would no do this if my kids did not sit with an adult from my party.

Not going to happen. The odds of getting three sets of two seats each are pretty much non-existent.

I'm not even sure that the airline would allow you to do this anyway - generally once you go on the stand-by list, you don't get to add conditions (i.e. each kid must be beside an adult). The only condition you can add is that if all six people cannot clear the list, none of them do. They don't have time to see if the seats are acceptable to you. The computer sees that there are six people in the party and there are six seats available and pulls the party off the stand-by list (and their original) flight and moves them to the new flight.

 

[Propro]

I'd look up your flight and see how full it is. If you think you can make it on, go a couple of hours early and go standby. Tell the gate attendant that you need the children to be next to an adult and you won't take the standby if that can't happen. If you can't make it on the flight, you've only cost yourself a couple of hours anyway. What do you have to lose?

 

[kaytieeldr]

No friggin way am I willing to split up from the kids.

Then no === way should you plan or expect to fly standby. Period.

 

[fitmom3]

the option would be nice but it is not necessary as we have a flight booked.

I really just wanted to know if anyone has done this with success.

I wasn't expecting such a RUDE reply!!!!!!!!!

 

[crashbb]

Not seeing the rudeness

 

[mom2brooke76]

Me either. In my experience on the transportation board, you ask a question and you get an honest answer. Sometimes those can come across as harsh or brutal, but believe me, the people that have answered you are people that are transportation board regulars and didn't mean it in a rude way

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

No friggin way am I willing to split up from the kids.

This was the only rude posting I saw in this thread.

The direct flight is not full.

I think that you mean non-stop, not direct.

 

[Lewisc]

No friggin way am I willing to split up from the kids. We have 3 adults and 3 children. I would only do this if one adult from my group could sit with one child. I know there is a risk to doing this but I am pretty sure people have to cancel last minute. We are staying in a hotel so this would only put us out an hour or two. It really is no big deal....It would just mean we would get to MCO at noon instead of 7pm. They don't cancel or reservation under we accept the stand by.....so I would no do this if my kids did not sit with an adult from my party.

Don't waste your time standing by. It's common to be given a boarding pass and be told to sit in any empty seat. People who pay $40 will be getting some of the unbooked seats. People who get to the airport 24 hours before the flight will be ahead of you on the standby list. The chances of all 6 even clearing standby isn't that great. The chance of getting seats together is extremely small. Some couples book window aisle. You're not willing to accept 6 middle seats. No point in standing by.

This was the only rude posting I saw in this thread.

+1