Every airline has its own priority system, but in general, the order for boarding standby passengers is as follows: Full-fare passengers. Commuting flight crews. Standby passengers from the airline (in order of seniority or time of check-in)

Yes, the standby list for an airline flight goes in a very specific, pre-determined order, but that order is not necessarily "first come, first served." In 2026, the priority is dictated by a complex hierarchy established by the airline's "Contract of Carriage." Generally, the top priority goes to "Involuntary Standbys"—passengers whose original flights were cancelled or delayed by the airline. Following them are passengers with Elite Status (Frequent Flyers), ranked by their specific tier (e.g., Diamond before Gold). After elite members, the list typically moves to Full-Fare tickets, then discounted tickets. Finally, at the bottom of the list are "Non-Revenue" passengers, which include airline employees and their families traveling on "buddy passes." Within each of these specific "buckets," the list is usually sorted by the time the passenger checked in or was added to the list. You can usually monitor your real-time position on the standby list via the airline’s mobile app. It is important to remember that even if you are #1 on the list, you won't get a seat until the gate agent confirms that a confirmed passenger has missed the flight or an upgrade has opened up a spot in your cabin.