How to Fly Standby: Rules, Strategies, and When It Actually Makes Sense

What Flying Standby Actually Means in 2026

The term "flying standby" conjures images of a bygone era when you could show up at an airport with no ticket and hop on whatever flight had room. That version of standby is largely gone. What exists today is a more structured system with specific rules, costs, and strategies -- and understanding the difference between what standby used to be and what it is now is essential for using it effectively.

In modern air travel, "standby" typically means one of three things:

1. Same-day standby: You have a confirmed ticket on a later flight and want to try to get on an earlier (or sometimes later) flight on the same day. Some airlines allow this for free; others charge a fee.

1. Same-day confirmed change: You change your confirmed ticket to a different flight on the same day for a fee. This is different from standby because you get a confirmed seat assignment, not a maybe.

1. Non-revenue standby: You are traveling on an airline employee's buddy pass, a discounted industry ticket, or a non-revenue ticket. You have no confirmed seat and are last in priority.

This guide covers all three types with airline-by-airline policies, practical strategies for improving your odds, and honest assessments of when standby makes sense versus when it is a waste of time.

Airline-by-Airline Standby Policies

Delta Air Lines

Delta has one of the most generous standby policies among major US carriers.

Same-day standby:

• Free for all ticket types on flights within the same calendar day
• Available for domestic and international flights
• List yourself via the Fly Delta app, Delta.com, or at the gate
• No fare difference required -- even if the standby flight is normally more expensive
• You can list for standby on up to three flights simultaneously

Same-day confirmed change:

• Free for Diamond, Platinum, and Gold Medallion members and for SkyMiles Select subscribers
• $75 for Silver Medallion members and non-status passengers on most fare types
• Not available on Basic Economy tickets
• You are confirmed on the new flight immediately (no standby uncertainty)
• Fare difference may apply if the new flight is in a higher fare class

App process:

1. Open the Fly Delta app
2. Go to "My Trips" and select your flight
3. Tap "Standby" or "Same-Day Change"
4. Select the flight you want
5. Confirm and monitor your standby position at the gate

Delta priority order for standby:

1. Delta One / First Class / Comfort+ passengers downgrading to Main Cabin on earlier flights
2. Diamond Medallion members
3. Platinum Medallion members
4. Gold Medallion members
5. Silver Medallion members
6. SkyMiles members (by SkyMiles account seniority)
7. Non-SkyMiles passengers (by check-in time)

United Airlines

Same-day standby:

• Free for all United passengers on flights within the same day and same route
• Available via the United app, united.com, or at the gate
• Basic Economy tickets are eligible for standby (a change from earlier policies)
• Standby is for earlier flights on the same route only

Same-day confirmed change:

• Free for Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, Premier Gold, and Premier Silver members
• $75 for non-status passengers
• Not available for Basic Economy tickets
• Fare difference may apply

United priority order:

1. Global Services members
2. Premier 1K
3. Premier Platinum
4. Premier Gold
5. Premier Silver
6. Star Alliance Gold members
7. MileagePlus members (by account seniority)
8. Non-members

Pro tip: United's app shows the standby list in real-time, including your position and the number of open seats on the target flight. This transparency is genuinely helpful for deciding whether to wait or stick with your original flight.

American Airlines

Same-day standby:

• Free for all AAdvantage members on flights within the same day
• Available via the AA app, aa.com, or at the gate
• Not available for Basic Economy tickets
• Limited to the same origin, destination, and travel date

Same-day confirmed change:

• Free for Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Platinum members
• $75 for Gold and non-status AAdvantage members
• Not available for Basic Economy
• Fare difference may apply

American priority order:

1. Concierge Key
2. Executive Platinum
3. Platinum Pro
4. Platinum
5. Gold
6. AAdvantage members (by check-in time)
7. Non-members

Southwest Airlines

Southwest operates differently from other major US carriers.

Standby policy:

• Free same-day standby on any Southwest flight to the same destination
• Available for all ticket types, including Wanna Get Away (the cheapest fare)
• No fare difference required
• List yourself at the gate no earlier than the beginning of boarding

Important distinction: Southwest does not have assigned seating, which means standby passengers who get on the plane simply board after all confirmed passengers. You will get a seat if one is available, but it will likely be a middle seat in the back.

Same-day change:

• Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares cannot be changed to a different flight without paying any fare difference
• Anytime and Business Select fares can be changed for free to any available flight

Southwest advantage: Because Southwest has no Basic Economy restrictions and free standby on all fares, it is the most standby-friendly airline in the US for casual travelers without elite status.

JetBlue

Same-day standby:

• Free for Mosaic members on earlier flights
• $75 for non-Mosaic passengers wanting same-day change
• Not available for Blue Basic fares
• Limited to same-day, same route

Same-day confirmed change:

• Free for Mosaic members
• $75 for non-Mosaic (on eligible fare types)

Alaska Airlines

Same-day standby:

• Free for all passengers with confirmed tickets on the same route
• Available for all fare types except Saver fares
• List via the Alaska Airlines app or at the gate

Same-day confirmed change:

• Free for MVP Gold 75K and MVP Gold members
• $50 for MVP members
• $50 for non-status passengers (on eligible fares)

Alaska advantage: Alaska's smaller route network means individual flights are often less full than at the mega-carriers, improving standby success rates significantly on routes with multiple daily frequencies.

International Airlines

Standby policies at international carriers vary significantly:

• British Airways: No formal standby system. Same-day changes are subject to fare rules and availability with potential fare difference.
• Lufthansa: Same-day standby available at the airport for most ticket types. Fee depends on fare class and status.
• Air Canada: Same-day standby is free for Aeroplan Elite Status members. $75 for non-status on eligible fares.
• Qantas: Same-day standby available at the airport for domestic flights. Limited international standby options.
• Emirates: No standby system. Changes subject to fare rules.

General international rule: Most international carriers do not have formal standby systems comparable to US domestic airlines. Changes are handled through fare rules and are often expensive.

Confirmed Standby vs. Non-Revenue Standby

Confirmed (Revenue) Standby

This is what most travelers deal with. You have a paid ticket and are trying to get on a different flight. Your standby priority is determined by your fare class, elite status, and when you listed.

Your odds are good when:

• The target flight shows available seats (check the airline app)
• You have elite status
• You listed early
• It is a midweek flight on a route with multiple daily frequencies

Your odds are poor when:

• The flight is nearly full (fewer than 5-10 seats available)
• You have no elite status and many status holders are also on standby
• It is a Sunday evening, Friday afternoon, or holiday period
• The route has only one or two daily flights

Non-Revenue Standby (Buddy Passes and Staff Travel)

Non-revenue standby is fundamentally different. You are traveling on an airline employee's travel benefits (buddy pass, family pass, or employee ticket). Your priority is below every revenue passenger.

How non-revenue priority works:

1. All confirmed revenue passengers board first
2. Revenue standby passengers are cleared next
3. Non-revenue passengers are cleared last, in this order:

a. Employees traveling for business

b. Employees traveling for personal reasons (by seniority)

c. Buddy pass holders (lowest priority)

Realistic expectations for buddy passes:

• Weekday flights in off-peak seasons: Reasonable success rate (60-80% on routes with multiple frequencies)
• Holiday weekends and summer peak: Very low success rate (20-40%). Plan for the possibility of not getting on any flight that day.
• International flights: Success rates are lower because planes tend to be fuller and there are fewer frequency options if you miss one flight.

What to know before accepting a buddy pass:

• You must dress appropriately. Most airlines still enforce a dress code for non-revenue travelers: business casual minimum. No flip-flops, torn jeans, athletic wear, or excessively casual clothing.
• You may need to pay taxes and fees (typically $50-150 for international flights)
• You cannot check bags as easily (bags may not make it if you are last to board)
• You should have a backup plan (refundable hotel, alternate transportation) for every leg

Strategies for Improving Your Standby Success Rate

Strategy 1: List Early

Most airlines allow you to list for standby 24 hours before the target flight (via app) or at the airport on the day. Listing earlier generally gives you a higher position on the standby list among passengers with the same priority level.

Best practice: As soon as standby opens (usually 24 hours before), list yourself via the airline's app. Do not wait until you arrive at the airport.

Strategy 2: Monitor Seat Availability

Use the airline's app or website to check how full the target flight is:

• Delta: The Fly Delta app shows available seats on the seat map. If many seats are unassigned, standby odds are good.
• United: The United app shows available seats and sometimes shows standby list position.
• American: The AA app shows available seats. Check the seat map -- lots of open seats means good standby odds.
• ExpertFlyer (expertflyer.com, $9.99/month): Shows exact inventory counts by fare class for most airlines. An expert tool for serious standby travelers.

Strategy 3: Target Low-Demand Flights

Best Standby Times	Worst Standby Times
Tuesday and Wednesday flights	Friday afternoon/evening
Early morning departures (5-7 AM)	Sunday evening
Late night departures	Holiday weekends
Midday on weekdays	Summer peak (June-August)
January-February (off-peak)	Thanksgiving week

Strategy 4: Have a Backup Plan

Never put yourself in a position where missing the standby flight creates a crisis. Always maintain your original confirmed ticket as a fallback. If you make the standby flight, great. If not, your original booking is unaffected.

Strategy 5: Be at the Gate Early

Even with app-based standby listing, being physically present at the gate 45-60 minutes before departure gives you several advantages:

• You can speak directly with the gate agent about your standby position
• Gate agents sometimes prioritize passengers who are present and ready to board
• If there are last-minute cancellations or no-shows, being right there ensures you can board immediately

Strategy 6: Consider Connection Flights

Flights with connections through hub airports often have more seat availability than nonstop flights. If the direct flight is full, a connecting option through the airline's hub might have standby space.

Strategy 7: Volunteer to Be Bumped (Reverse Standby)

If your schedule is flexible, volunteering to be bumped from an overbooked flight earns you compensation (typically $200-800 in airline vouchers or even cash) plus rebooking on a later flight. This is the reverse of standby -- instead of trying to get on an earlier flight, you are offering to take a later one in exchange for value.

Where to volunteer: Listen for announcements at the gate. Airlines begin looking for volunteers 30-60 minutes before departure on overbooked flights. The compensation offer typically increases as departure gets closer.

When Standby Makes Sense

Best scenarios for standby:

• You finished your meeting or appointment early and want to get home sooner
• Your original flight is in the evening and you see a midday flight with many open seats
• You have elite status (which dramatically improves your priority)
• You are traveling on a route with 6+ daily flights (failing to get one flight means plenty of backup options)
• Weather delays have caused cancellations and the airline is rebooking passengers across multiple flights

Worst scenarios for standby:

• You have a connection to catch (missing the standby flight means missing the connection)
• It is a holiday period with packed flights
• You have no elite status and are on a route with only one or two daily flights
• You have buddy passes and it is summer peak season
• You need to be somewhere by a specific time with no flexibility

The Dress Code Question

For revenue standby: There is no dress code. You can wear whatever you normally wear on a flight. The old "dress up for standby" advice applies only to non-revenue travel.

For non-revenue standby (buddy passes): Dress codes are real and enforced, though they have relaxed over the years. Current standards at most US airlines:

• Acceptable: Collared shirts, blouses, slacks, khakis, clean jeans (no rips or tears), closed-toe shoes, sundresses, nice sweaters
• Not acceptable: Flip-flops, athletic shorts, torn or heavily distressed jeans, graphic tees with offensive content, swimwear, excessively revealing clothing
• Airline-specific: Each airline publishes its non-revenue dress code. Check the specific airline's employee handbook or ask the employee whose benefits you are using.

The enforcement is real. Gate agents have denied boarding to non-revenue passengers for dress code violations. When in doubt, dress business casual.

Same-Day Change vs. Standby: Which to Choose

Factor	Same-Day Standby	Same-Day Confirmed Change
Cost	Free (most airlines)	$50-$75 (free with status)
Certainty	No guarantee	Confirmed seat
Fare difference	None required	May be required
Seat selection	Get whatever is available	Can choose your seat
Boarding group	Board last	Normal boarding order
Basic Economy eligible	Usually yes	Usually no
Best for	Earlier flight with many open seats	Must be on specific flight

The decision framework: If the standby flight shows 20+ open seats and you have status, standby is nearly certain and free. If the flight shows only a few open seats and you must make it, pay for the confirmed change.

Plan Flexible Travel That Works

Standby flying is a tool for flexible travelers, not a primary booking strategy. The best standby experiences happen when you have a confirmed backup, a relaxed schedule, and a willingness to adapt.

TripGenie builds trip itineraries with realistic scheduling that accounts for the unpredictability of air travel. When your itinerary has buffer days and flexible arrival windows, you can take advantage of standby opportunities without the stress of a rigid schedule that falls apart when one flight does not work out.

The modern standby system rewards preparation, flexibility, and airline loyalty. Know the rules for your specific airline, monitor flight loads before listing, and always keep your confirmed ticket as your safety net. Standby is not about gambling on getting a seat. It is about recognizing opportunities to travel more efficiently when the circumstances align.