How often is standby successful?

The exact percentage of airline standby customers who get off the list and into seats on average varies depending on the airline, flight, and other factors. Generally speaking, however, it is estimated that around 50-60% of those listed as standbys are able to board their flights.



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You're more likely to get standby on flights with plenty of open seats. Airlines only allow standby passengers if there's room on a flight. Full flights are a no-go, but if there are several open seats, you might get lucky and nab one.

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Note that standby flights are not guaranteed, and people who missed flights can only go onto the standby list when specific conditions are met (check with your airline for a full list of their standby rules).

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While flying standby offers advantages, it is also never without risk. If you absolutely must be at your destination at a certain time, either plan for a sufficient buffer or refrain from flying standby in that case. Keep the right attitude: As mentioned, standby flying is almost like a game of chance.

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During boarding, as seats are available, names will be called in order from the list, and passengers will be issued seats for the flight. If the flight fills up before they get to your name, you'll be left at the gate watching the plane take off.

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Under the Travel Status dropdown for leisure travel process, selection that is available to IndiGo employees is “R2 standby”. R2 Standby means Leisure standby.

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An analysis of flight data by The Record shows that the average domestic commercial airline flight around the United States was 80 to 85 percent full in 2015 and 2016, with little need for offers to entice passengers to give up their seats when too many tickets are sold.

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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)
  • Buddy pass travelers.
  • Standby passengers from other airlines.


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Tuesdays and Wednesday seem to be two of the best for flying standby. Simply, there are generally less travelers and more space on planes.

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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 flights are in fact quite cheap. Just about 10% of the normal price must usually be paid. So a standby flight can be quite financially rewarding.

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Standby Pay If you are on a standby and get assigned a sequence, you will be paid the value of your sequence and 1 hour for every 1 ¼ hours you were on standby (up to the report time of the sequence).

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Some airports have signs at the gate that will show how full the flight is. The only other option is to go through the sales flow at least a couple of hours before departure and put the guest count up to 8 (the max it will allow) and see if that flight is still available.

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