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Same Day Standby Benefit for A-Listers

elijahbrantley
Aviator A

Southwest has a generous same day standby policy for A-Listers, and today was my first chance using the benefit! 

 

I was at the airport about 4.5 hrs before my scheduled departure, a connecting flight to Nashville from Austin thru Atlanta. I checked in with the agents at the check-in counter, and they were happy to put me on the standby list on a earlier connecting flight thru Dallas. I was #1 on the standby list, and I cleared and boarded last; fortunately, there was room for my carry on! For my second flight, I cleared as the A group was boarding, so I was able to board with A Listers after the A group...with my bag, of course!

 

A few things to keep in mind about this benefit: 1) it is easy to use, 2) carrying on your bag makes this process much more accessible and flexible, 3) the benefit is subject to seat availability and sometimes requires some patience, and 4) as a frequent traveler for business, I appreciate that SW offers this benefit to A List members. Today, it got me home more than 4 hrs early!

-A List, Companion Pass holder
5 REPLIES 5

Re: Same Day Standby Benefit for A-Listers

dfwskier
Aviator A

Agree that it is a fine benefit. I've already used it a few times.

 

My rule of thumb is that if I can get a boarding pass that lets me board between A and B groups, I take the flight. If I don't, I cancel the standby request as being among the last on and getting a middle seat an limited overhead space is more painful to me than waiting for my orignal flight.

Re: Same Day Standby Benefit for A-Listers

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

Agree, this is an awesome benefit, thanks for the real life scenario explanation @elijahbrantley.  I don't understand all the hate for the middle seat though, boarding position C59 is A1 with me!

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Same Day Standby Benefit for A-Listers

bec102896
Aviator A

I've used this benefit a bunch it's really helpful if the cheap flight is at night but you want to get to your destination early or if you are done with a meeting early and want to get home early. 

 

a couple other things to note about this benefit 

 

1. It's only available to A Listers so if your traveling with a non A Lister they would have to upgrade to the anytime fare or travel separately. 

 

2. If on a companion reservation and the companion pass holder or companion is not A List you won't be able to use this benefit. This one has been a hard one for us lately since I'm A List but my dads not but oh well we survive with our original flight 

 

when I'm traveling alone and I know I'll want to use this benefit I'll look when I check in the day before and see what flights have 8 seats or the most seats (at the time) by searching to book for 8 and that way I can plan which flight I want to use that benefit on. Then the next morning before heading to the airport I'll do an 8 person search again to make sure there weren't any major changes. It's also important on a connecting reservation to make sure there are seats on the connection flight because you don't want to get to the connection flight and be told oh we are sold out and wait for the next flight to potentially get you in after the original reservation 

 

and personally I don't mind if I board at C-60 because I know I'll arrive earlier so a middle seat won't hurt me too much. 

 

Blake 

Re: Same Day Standby Benefit for A-Listers

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@bec102896 wrote:

 

when I'm traveling alone and I know I'll want to use this benefit I'll look when I check in the day before and see what flights have 8 seats or the most seats (at the time) by searching to book for 8 and that way I can plan which flight I want to use that benefit on. Then the next morning before heading to the airport I'll do an 8 person search again to make sure there weren't any major changes. It's also important on a connecting reservation to make sure there are seats on the connection flight because you don't want to get to the connection flight and be told oh we are sold out and wait for the next flight to potentially get you in after the original reservation 

 


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Isn't this a nice pro-tip!

 


@bec102896 wrote:

 

and personally I don't mind if I board at C-60 because I know I'll arrive earlier so a middle seat won't hurt me too much. 

 



The middle seats land at the same time as the window seats and you get off the plane 2 seconds faster for the same row! What a bargain!

 

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: Same Day Standby Benefit for A-Listers

bgubs14
Frequent Flyer C

Wow super helpful! 

 

Yeah ah I definitely use this perk a lot because my schedule is so variable or if my the last flight of out LGA is delayed as it often the case and I can take an earlier one that lands at the time I was supposed to. I have been stranded in Las Vegas because I didn’t check the connecting flight so definitely recommend that!