How does standby boarding work?

People flying standby go to check-in as usual and pass through security. At the gate, the waiting begins. Holders of standby tickets do not have a mandatory right to carriage. This means that they can only fly if all seats are not already occupied by passengers with regular tickets.



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A standby list allows you to change to a different flight if a seat becomes available. It's an option if you're hoping for an earlier flight or if your flight has been canceled or delayed. Flying standby with us is free and easy, but there's no guarantee that you will get a seat while on a standby list.

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Standby customers are usually boarded first. If there are seats they get on. Airline employees tend to check the loads before they travel, so if there are no open seats, you typically don't see people try to standby for the flights.

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Standby fees typically cost $25 to $100, with most airlines charging a $75 same-day change fee. Because flying standby is more expensive and not guaranteed, new travelers may want to avoid standby travel until they have more experience interacting with airlines and navigating airports.

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Keep in mind that seat availability for same day standby travel will not be known until thirty minutes before the flight departs. During that time, be sure to stay in the boarding area, wait for your name to be called, and respond right away when the gate agent calls your name.

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Standby passengers who don't get seats are rolled into the standby list for the next flight. Standby passengers typically have priority based on how much they paid for their tickets and their relative status in the airline's frequent flyer program.

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Standby passengers typically have priority based on how much they paid for their tickets and their relative status in the airline's frequent flyer program.

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The letters SBY appear on a boarding pass when your boarding is subject to space and dependent on the waiting list at the airport to confirm your seat.

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on standby. : ready or available for immediate action or use.

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The reason why you don't have a gate number mentioned on your web check-in boarding pass is the fact that the gate for your flight will be decided on the day of your journey.

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A few airlines allow you to check your position on the standby list using, an App, their Web site and/or airport gate flight displays.

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Airline employees and some of their family and friends can also travel standby, often for free or at a significant discount. They typically have lower priority than regular passengers, and are given a seat after all regular fare passengers have seats.

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It means exactly what it says: an agent will assign a seat to you at the gate. Chances are the flight is overbooked, so they're still figuring out who is flying and who is not.

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