Flying Standby - Hoping for Earlier Flight?

[purplebelle]

Hi All:

My flight from ORD (O'Hare Chicago) to MCO is nearly 2 weeks away!

When we booked the flights, we used our frequent flyer miles a good 6 months ago so only a few flights were open. As time got nearer to Sept, more flight times were created - more desirable times in my opinion!

Anyway, I don't want to pay the $100 fee to change our flight times, but I'd love to get into Disney well before our estimated arrival time of 7:35pm. I'm flying United and the attendant on the phone recommended I call the airlines the day before my flight to ask how open earlier flights are in the event that we fly stand-by at no extra cost. Has anyone done this? I certainly don't want to hang out at the airport if the earlier flights are booked waiting for my evening flight. It's just my fiance and I traveling so luckily we're not toting around any little people. I've looked online and earlier flights have 5-10 seats each. I plan to pack a carry on only as our trip is five days so my luggage won't be lost with Magical Express or anything.

Might I have a good chance or am I better off sticking to my regularly scheduled flight?

 

[jamounger]

We have not gotten an earlier flight leaving home but have had longer layovers shortened by asking to be put on earlier flights. I don't know how calling from home would work, we just sat at the gate that was boarding and they called us up when we were able to board.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

As a frequent standby traveler... the first flight of the day is usually the easiest to find a couple of spare seats. Visit the UA website the night before and see if you're able to spot a few open seats on the earlier flights. While this is not a true depiction of the actual available seats, it can certainly indicate the likelihood of getting onboard. Keep in mind that flying standby means you two will not likely be seated together.

 

[bavaria]

Not that I would ever think of disputing anything that my partner in crime EPSG says, however Missy UA is not similar to AA or even to any other US carrier at the moment.

E+ means that many seats remain open on the seat map on flights to/from MCO especially as non-status passengers are reluctant to pay the upcharge and thus have no seat assignment, and the seat map is not really any indicator of flight loads on UA for this reason. I wouldn't use it to determine possible availability.

A better option is to log into UA, set your mode to 'expert mode', and then do a dummy booking for your date. Click on 'flight details' and you can see how many are left in each fare bucket. Or go to www.seatcounter.com and do a search.

UA standbys are prioritized just like on other carriers - UGS, 1K, 1P, 2P with others mixed in. Then non-status passengers. So if you have status, you are better off. I have never ever ever had UA leave me behind because of my status, but I have been boarded with 50 or 75 others were still on the standby list.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Well... seeing as I don't rely on much more than jetnet to determine my chances... I will certainly defer to Bavaria's expertise with regard to the determination of available seats on UA. I still stand by my statement that the first flight out is usually the easiest on which to score seats, especially if the flight departs @ 6:30 a.m.

Not that I would ever think of disputing anything that my partner in crime EPSG says, however Missy UA is not similar to AA or even to any other US carrier at the moment.

E+ means that many seats remain open on the seat map on flights to/from MCO especially as non-status passengers are reluctant to pay the upcharge and thus have no seat assignment, and the seat map is not really any indicator of flight loads on UA for this reason. I wouldn't use it to determine possible availability.

A better option is to log into UA, set your mode to 'expert mode', and then do a dummy booking for your date. Click on 'flight details' and you can see how many are left in each fare bucket. Or go to www.seatcounter.com and do a search.

UA standbys are prioritized just like on other carriers - UGS, 1K, 1P, 2P with others mixed in. Then non-status passengers. So if you have status, you are better off. I have never ever ever had UA leave me behind because of my status, but I have been boarded with 50 or 75 others were still on the standby list.

 

[bavaria]

I still stand by my statement that the first flight out is usually the easiest on which to score seats, especially if the flight departs @ 6:30 a.m.

You are absolutely 100 percent correct

 

[prncess674]

Well... seeing as I don't rely on much more than jetnet to determine my chances... I will certainly defer to Bavaria's expertise with regard to the determination of available seats on UA. I still stand by my statement that the first flight out is usually the easiest on which to score seats, especially if the flight departs @ 6:30 a.m.

I would disagree if that flight is on a Monday morning. The early AM Monday flights out of ORD are literaly packed to the gills with UA frequent flyers trying to get to business meetings for the week without having to leave family on Sunday evening.

Being a UA 1K I have been on Monday AM flights where you would think every person on the flight was a 1K.


1K = 100,000 miles per year butt in seat miles
1P = 50,000 miles per year butt in seat miles
2P = 25,000 miles per year butt in seat miles

 

[purplebelle]

UA standbys are prioritized just like on other carriers - UGS, 1K, 1P, 2P with others mixed in. Then non-status passengers. So if you have status, you are better off. I have never ever ever had UA leave me behind because of my status, but I have been boarded with 50 or 75 others were still on the standby list.

What do these mean: UGS, 1K, 1P, 2P?

I would be all for taking a super early flight (for example at 6:30AM) but I worry fiance is all about sleeping in.

I agree with a pp that you can play "dummy" and go as far as almost purchasing a ticket to see how many seats may be open.

And yes, good tip that we may not sit together since we'd fill in. That wouldn't matter to me as our flight is only about 2.5 hours.

 

[bavaria]

What do these mean: UGS, 1K, 1P, 2P?

I would be all for taking a super early flight (for example at 6:30AM) but I worry fiance is all about sleeping in.

I agree with a pp that you can play "dummy" and go as far as almost purchasing a ticket to see how many seats may be open.

And yes, good tip that we may not sit together since we'd fill in. That wouldn't matter to me as our flight is only about 2.5 hours.

If you don't know the terms, you most likely aren't those things - they are the various elite levels at UA. Global Services, 1K, Premier Exec, Premier, etc

But DON'T look at the seat map - it means absolutely nothing to you if you are not logged in as an elite member as you won't see all the seats, and the seat map is not necessarily an indicator of loads. You have to check the fare buckets as I explained to you above.

If you didn't understand my explanation of how to check fare buckets on united.com or seatcounter.com perhaps someone else can take the time to explain it if my English wasn't clear.

 

[purplebelle]

Ahh...maybe I'll have my brother look into it for me as he is an elite member of some sort. Last summer he booked us tickets to Orlando that were at more desirable times that were not available to the general public.

Thanks!

 

[bavaria]

But again, he has to check the fare buckets, not the seat map. I can look at a seat map hours before a flight and see 20 open seats in E+, because non-elites didn't want to pay the upcharge. Yet the flight is often oversold.

Seat maps are not an indicator of loads, especially not on UA. You need to check the fare buckets to get a somewhat realistic indicator. (And even then, it is only an indicator, not fact)

 

[Lewisc]

PP are making it complicated. The night before go to your airline's website and try to book 8 seats. Not available keep reducing the number. You'll find out how many seats the airline is willing to sell. That's equal to the number of empty seats + the number of additional passengers the airline is willing to overbook.

Alternately call the airline the night before, tell the CSR you want to fly standby and ask how open the flight shows. The actual number of unsold seats may be a "trade secret" but the CSR should tell you if your chances are good (flight is open) or if the flight is overbooked.

Business fliers book a few days in advance. I'm not sure checking now wll mean that much.