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It seems a majority of people do not know what flying “standby” means…and I end up having to explain it over and over…and not very well because it’s kind of complicated.

Flying standby means you get the leftover seats. If all the seats are sold, too bad for you, you’re SOL, and have to try for the next flight, and the next, and the next. No, you don’t get any special accommodations if you don’t make any flights the whole day; you can stay overnight in the airport and pay exorbitant fees for airport food. Oh and your luggage goes bye-bye, to your destination, without you.

How does one get a standby ticket? By being an employee of an airline, or a member of their immediate family. The family member lists you on the flight and you can check in online etc. etc…or there’s another way which involved calling in but it takes longer. Immediate family members get a certain amount of free tickets, and everyone else gets a heavily discounted ticket. No, you can’t pay in advance, because the fee is taken out of the employee’s paycheck, so you’d better pay them back! The employee has to list you on the flight, usually. There are no coupon codes or discount codes or any shenanigans like that. You don’t get to pick a seat, but you choose a preferred class.

If you want to fly standby in first or business class, you have to dress up. You are representing the airline or something, and they want to look good. No sweats and sneakers! You must wear business casual and nice shoes- no sandals. I have never ever ever flown dressed-down. EVER. We always try for first class; who WANTS to fly coach??

As for when to fly- the summer is bad. Holidays are bad. Any type of break from any type of school is bad. It’s best to fly when everyone is in school/at work. We tried doing a family vacation to Hawaii over the summer and could not go. Those are the breaks.

Most of your time as a standby is spend waiting all day long in an airport hoping for your name to be called. You see those screens with the standby lists? Those are people trying to get on the plane, praying other people will be late or won’t show up. You CANNOT be late for your flight as a standby. HA! You need to be like an hour early.

The best flight is usually the 6 AM flight aka the crack of dawn flight. The first flight of the day is usually best because if the standbys from that flight don’t make it on, they are rolled over to the next flight, and now, as a fellow standby-er, you are in competition with them. The later on in the day, the more standbys are rolled over to your flight, and the worse your chances get (there is STILL a chance, though).

The higher priority goes to employees who have the highest seniority (working there the longest). He or she passes on this priority to their immediate family. However, if you are not a member of the family nor are you listed with that family, your priority goes way, way down.

Flying on the cheap is great and all, but long hours are spent in the airport, and that’s if you get on your flight at all! Wouldn’t it suck to be stuck somewhere and you need to get back for school/work/life? Those are the risks you take when you fly standby….

edit: Also, I don’t really like to publicize my trips too much, because I feel like it will jinx me and I will end up not even being able to go on my trip! So, I usually say, “I might go” or, “I’m going to try to go” instead of “I’m going” …In addition I tend to cross my fingers, arms, and legs while I’m waiting, due to superstition.