US Air Standby Policy

[DISNEY4FUN]

Hi, We are to fly out of PIT on 11/24 at 6:15PM. Circumstances have changed and it turns out we can fly out that morning. Of course, I would like to get to WDW ASAP. So I called to check on USAir's stand by policy to see if we could get on an earlier flight that day. One operator told me I can choose to standby for any other flight that same day. The website also confirms this. Another operator told me I can only standby for the next earlier flight at 3:25. Has anyone done this recently? I really don't trust any of the 3 sources I have. I wish I could call the counter in PIT. I don't want to make the 1.5 hour trip to the airport hoping for a 7:30AM flight and be told I have to wait for the 3:25PM flight. Thanks.

 

[safetymom]

I would call the reservations line at USAirways the day before and ask how full the flight is. Then you will have a better idea of availability.

 

[debden]

Yes,I just did a stand by with US Air in August and they charged me $25 and I was put on the earlier flight.No problems at all.They seem really good about giving people a seat on the earlier flights.Like you I was on a late afternoon flight and decided I would rather leave earlier.
Debbie

 

[marc1477]

The best thing you could do is call and ask.

 

[gw_lit]

From US Airways website:

http://www.usairways.com/customers/travel_policies/standby_procedures/

 

[Nevergrow'nup]

I am leaving from Providence on 11/24. I went on the expedia site and looked at seat availability. It doesn't look good unless you are the only one or don't mind being split up all over the plane. I did a search listing for departure times and looked at each flight. Unless a lot of people cancel it hasn't looked good for me from Providence, maybe you will luck out from Pittsburgh.

 

[safetymom]

Looking at the seat map on Expedia is not a true indicator of how many seats are left. They hold seats back to assign at the airport and you will have no shows.

 

[canwegosoon]

My DH did it on his last trip to philly, he got on what he thought was a sold out flight, by waiting on stand by. I think he said he paid $25 ...but he got home 5 hours earlier.

 

[CarolA]

However, a good point was made.

If you are a family and have to sit together I don't recommend standby travel. Often you board last and get the available seats... not groups of 6 together. when I have flown standby I usually just get what is left.

 

[cruiseonmagic]

However, a good point was made.

If you are a family and have to sit together I don't recommend standby travel. Often you board last and get the available seats... not groups of 6 together. when I have flown standby I usually just get what is left.

Carol, with us air's new policy, there are actually 2 ways of standing by--of which one is not really stand by (confusing isn't it ) US will confirm you on an earlier flight if there are unsold seats available, for the $25/ticket fee. It has to be done at the airport on the day of the flight. DISNEY4FUN would be able to see what seats are available at that time.

The other is the conventional standby. If the flight is sold out, you can go to the gate, get on the list, and if somebody doesn't show up, you can have the seat for no fee.

I recommend calling US the night before the flight to see what the chances are. You can ask if the two morning flights are oversold, and if they aren't, how good does it look to get a family of ___ on confirmed standby. Keep in mind that if the first flight of the day is way oversold, or sold out, then you probably won't get on the second one, either.

 

[CarolA]

Carol, with us air's new policy, there are actually 2 ways of standing by--of which one is not really stand by (confusing isn't it ) US will confirm you on an earlier flight if there are unsold seats available, for the $25/ticket fee. It has to be done at the airport on the day of the flight. DISNEY4FUN would be able to see what seats are available at that time.

.

And at the airport it is unlikely that there will be a lot of seats together. I fly confirmed standby on DL a lot. I generally don't have a ton of seats to choose from when I pick my seat at the airport....