Standby - Jetblue and DME

[lsg1]

I have a flight booked in August from Newark to MCO on Jetblue for myself and 2 kids. The flight is at 6:30pm since that was the cheapest flight. There is a much more expensive flight at 11:15am which would be much better for us. If we go early to try to get standby for this flight (thats how Jetblue works - just go to the day of flight and if avail, you can get standby for free), what happens with our baggage and Magical Express? Will our luggage go on the earlier flight with us and get picked up by DME, or will it go on the later booked flight and get picked up by DME? Does DME need to know if our luggage is on the earlier flight or if the tags are on the luggage on the earlier flight , that is good enough?

Thanks

 

[Jestocost]

I have a flight booked in August from Newark to MCO on Jetblue for myself and 2 kids. The flight is at 6:30pm since that was the cheapest flight. There is a much more expensive flight at 11:15am which would be much better for us. If we go early to try to get standby for this flight (thats how Jetblue works - just go to the day of flight and if avail, you can get standby for free), what happens with our baggage and Magical Express? Will our luggage go on the earlier flight with us and get picked up by DME, or will it go on the later booked flight and get picked up by DME? Does DME need to know if our luggage is on the earlier flight or if the tags are on the luggage on the earlier flight , that is good enough?

Thanks

If your luggage is tagged and it arrives at MCO between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., it will get pulled by DME and sent to the resort on the tag. Which flight it goes on will depend on how JetBlue handles the bags at your departure airport.

Importantly, make sure you understand the JetBlue standby policy completely before attempting this:

Standby Travel

In order to travel standby, you must have already purchased a seat on JetBlue.

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 fly standby one flight after your scheduled flight.

Cities with One Flight a Day

• You may list standby at the Airport as early as the day prior to your original flight. Standby travel MUST be handled at the Airport and cannot be done over the phone.
• You are allowed to travel one day prior to your original flight only.
• You must travel between the same city pairs.
• This option is free of charge.

Please keep in mind, standby travel is based on seat availability and is not guaranteed. If you purchased an Even More Space on your original flight, we will make every effort to place you in an Even More Space seat; however, it is not guaranteed. The Even More Space fee will not be eligible for a refund if you choose to travel standby.

 

[Lewisc]

Jet Blue will let you confirm a same day change for a fee. The 11:15a flight may have a lot of empty seats now but those seats might wind up going to passengers willing to pay for same day change. I believe you can do this over the phone. Not sure if you can do it online.

Understand you may not get 4 seats together. Don't go to the airport early unless you're wiling to accept 4 middle seats scattered on the flight. Decide what you'll do if there are only 2 seats available on the 11:15a flight.

DME isn't an issue. They don't care what flight you, or your luggage winds up on.

 

[lsg1]

Jet Blue will let you confirm a same day change for a fee. The 11:15a flight may have a lot of empty seats now but those seats might wind up going to passengers willing to pay for same day change. I believe you can do this over the phone. Not sure if you can do it online.

Understand you may not get 4 seats together. Don't go to the airport early unless you're wiling to accept 4 middle seats scattered on the flight. Decide what you'll do if there are only 2 seats available on the 11:15a flight.

DME isn't an issue. They don't care what flight you, or your luggage winds up on.

Thanks...for the same day change (with a fee) do you have to pay the difference in flight costs? I do have a $93 credit with them due to our return trip price going down, so if it is just a change fee of $30 each, I may just try to that at midnight - that is if they don't change the difference in flight costs. (and btw, there are 3 of us not 4, and it only 2 seats were available, we would just not do it).

 

[Lewisc]

The fee is $40 per passenger. I don't think you pay any difference in fare. You'll get an assigned seat.

You can standby for free. I wouldn't do it unless you're willing to accept scatter middle seats.

 

[goofy4tink]

I know that a few years ago my friend and I got to Logan Intl about 3 hrs before our flight departure....not sure how that happened. Anyway...as we were at the counter, checking our bags, the JB person asked us if we wanted to get on an earlier flight!! Hmmm, let me think about that for a bit...heck yeah!! Our bags were tagged for the earlier flight....we got on the flight about 45 mins later. We arrived at MCO about 2.5 hrs sooner than we should have. Not a problem anywhere. Our bags got to our resort just fine...actually within about 2 hrs after we checked in at the resort.

 

[alaska8]

If jetblue process their standbys the same as other airlines then you possibly wont know whether you are actually going to get on the flight until a few minutes before they close the aircraft door for departure. This means that you need to be prepared to take any seat thats available (middle seats scattered around the plane) and possibly surrendering any carryons that dont fit under your seat as bins may be full.

 

[mousefan1972]

I second paying the $40 same day change fee and getting assigned seats. My DD and I did that leaving Orlando recently when we decided to go home a little earlier. You do not have to pay any additional change fees. You can call anytime after midnight the day you are leaving. Good luck!