American Airlines' Frustrating Seating Rule Is Leaving Standby Passengers Outraged

Flying standby used to mean showing up to the airport with a flexible schedule and snagging a cheap last-minute ticket. Today, it looks different. Flying standby now involves showing up to the airport with a pre-purchased ticket and vying for an earlier, same-day flight. Airlines have different policies when it comes to accessing the standby list, but for the most part, it's a straightforward process. Unless you're flying with American Airlines (AA).

Recently, passengers expressed frustration with AA when their request for a standby spot was ignored by airline representatives who, for the most part, have little to no say in the matter. As per the policy, passengers looking to be added to the standby list must do so through the AA app at least 45 minutes before the flight departs, and airline staff cannot add passengers to the standby list manually. This pushes travelers to use the airline's app, though they can also join the stand by list through its website. The policy also encourages passengers to sign up for American Airlines' AAdvantage loyalty program because members can go on stand by for free — other passengers are on the hook for fees starting at $60. Passengers who can't or don't want to go online or use the app are completely barred from accessing the standby list, aligning with the airline's other recent measures to reduce staffing costs.

Additionally, passengers checking bags can't access the standby list unless they are have reached any of the four AAdvantage elite status tiers. Even in that case, they'll have a bit of a headache as they must add themselves to the standby list prior to checking bags.

Views on American Airlines' standby policy seems to be mixed despite plenty of annoyed customers sharing their stories online. Reddit user Impossible-Bass-5291 shared that they tried to get on a last minute American Airlines standby flight in the middle of the boarding process but was refused by a gate agent who said they needed to use the app. And as discussed, the app only allows standby additions 45 minutes prior to departure. The Redditor was frustrated because they didn't have any checked bags and, according to them, there were empty seats on the flight but the gate agent (GA) wasn't busy with other tasks. They also mentioned in response to a comment that their original flight ended up being delayed by storms and they got to their destination about four hours late.

Despite their experience, they didn't receive much sympathy from commenters. User Eastern-Astronomer-6 said, "IMO, your situation is a prime reason why [American Airlines' policy] makes sense. GAs were actively boarding a flight and are held on time standards. Then this passenger comes up mid boarding trying to get on a flight. That pulls people in multiple directions and slows everything down..."

However, there are others who are equally frustrated by this policy. "It's a lose-lose situation for the passenger and lacks common sense," said Matthew Klint, an author at Live and Lets Fly. "This policy suggests AA simply sees passengers as pesky annoyances, not real people with lives and time that are valuable." As frustrating as the situation can be, it's important to remember that gate agents' jobs can be stressful at times, and since they're not the ones making the rules, it's no use taking your anger out on them. If you're dead set on getting on a standby list, review the airline's policy days in advance and prepare accordingly.

Flying standby used to be among the top airport travel tips, and was a tool travelers could use to save money. Sadly, that is no longer the case. Due to changes made after 9/11 and for other reasons, travelers are not allowed to fly with most airlines without a pre-purchased ticket. Today, flying standby means vying for a seat on an earlier flight scheduled for the same day as the ticket you purchased. For example, if you have a flight that departs at 2 p.m., but prefer to get to your destination early, you can try to join the stand by list for a 9 a.m. flight.

There are a handful of benefits to flying standby. For one, it's a way to change your flight without paying a hefty change fee. Oftentimes, flying standby is the secret to avoiding airport delays and gives travelers more flexibility in their schedule. In some cases, it also gives passengers a chance to score a complimentary first-class upgrade. It should be noted that this is different from a same-day change, which guarantees you a seat on a different flight.