In the coming days, American Airlines will be making updates to its standby policy, and the changes are unarguably negative…
Continue reading: American Airlines Adds New Standby Restrictions
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If I am crediting to BA I can no longer do a standby? Does this impact SDC as well?
@ Darin -- oneworld elite members still get free standby. Same day confirmed changes are still possible for all for a fee.
I don’t really trust AA’s app or website on this one. One of my favorite AA standby policies was the ability to standby on a later flight. Often, on routes like DCA to LGA, I would book the 6 AM flight, but call in the night before and standby for a much later flight. Then, I go to the airport at my leisure and board. It was always a manual process with phone agents, airport staff, etc. No way this really gets done the same way via the app.
Thanks Ben. What if you are not a OneWorld elite, but just crediting to another program in the alliance?
@ Darin -- Then it wouldn't be allowed, unfortunately, at least based on the rules as published. We'll see how it works in practice, though.
Regarding you need to be an AAdvantage member to be eligible to for same day standby. What if you're using a foreign FFN, or Alaska Airline FFN? Especially if you are an OneWorld Sapphire/Emerald elite?
Great example of the customer hostile service culture AA has pushed over the last decade. Bet the gate agents are cheering at having one less responsibility.
Does Oneworld have alliance-wide standby benefits?
Some AA status levels give you Oneworld status.
Some other airlines give their passengers Oneworld status, too.
Having Oneworld status given to you by one airline does not make you a member of any other airline.
There is exactly one competent software engineer in the local market where AA is headquartered. This software engineer is working on his own AGI startup, after having left his C-level position at Meta/Oculus, and would cost about $100 million a year to hire.
Which, if you consider all the revenue loss from software fiascos at airlines (not just AA but also for example Southwest), might actually be worthwhile.
No way this really gets done the same way via the app.
I disagree, if you were an airline employee, you can add yourself to any flight's standby list via an intranet website. There is no reason that can't be replicated to a consumer facing website on the public internet.
According to aa.com...
*Same-day standby will continue to be available to oneworld® status members, active U.S. military and Main Cabin Select customers
How is this legally allowed (since they're a common carrier) when AA has actually banned many members from the AAdvantage program (during Citi Aza shutdowns).
So now I can't even standby on a paid AA ticket just because AA won't let me sign up for AAdvantage account
@ Noa -- There's no requirement for airlines to offer standby at all. For example, ultra low cost carriers like Spirit don't offer this.
What a shame. The number of times I've had the agents in the lounge put me on another flight or standby me when there were delays otherwise. I trusted them more than the gate agents (who are often overwhelmed), and I definitely trust them more than the app. 🙁
Same-Day-Confirmed used to be one of the benefits I used most as an Exec Plat. In the last year, I have not seen it offered on my flights and/or haven't been willing to take the risk to do standby. Flights are packed. The standby lists usually exceed 20 people and if there is any IRROPS I have seen lists go over 50 people. In fact, pretty much on every flight I now get an offer to be bumped... and while it has yet to happen, I have wondered what options if any I would have.
So while this change is disappointing, it really doesn't impact me at all because this benefit has been destroyed.
Just for clarification, you'll not only need to be a member, but also download the AA app. Correct?
These 12 month rolling Loyalty Point totals will become very important for tie breakers on who gets the standby seat.
Instead of finding ways to create more hoops to jump through to increase AAdvantage members, why not follow Delta’s lead and offer free WiFi on flights to members? Make it an actual benefit versus more BS to make people’s lives more difficult.
Ben, I tried to do a same day confirmed and the agent wouldn’t do it. She eventually caved. But said that they have taken the powers of doing SDC from them. Basically she repriced the ticket as an even exchange. But not as a SDC as that tool is no longer available.
You mentioned domestic; does this new rule apply to international AA flights? I'm flying DFW-LHR later this year and the married segment issue with my award ticket doesn't allow a change (there are two flights to LHR the same day). I had hoped to see if I could get on the earlier flight after I get to DFW. Just wondering, or perhaps I missed it.
Another example of trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Just get on the damn app and request standby for flights that generally go out full anyway.
Getting on the app isn’t the problem. It often doesn’t show standby availability even for flights several hours away where I can see plenty of availability in expert flyer. This policy is problematic if AA isn’t going to fix the app.
I never fly AA. Their reputation for hostile employees has always been reason enough for that personal policy. This is just another reason, consistent with AA's overall reputation.
That's bull we pay our money to get us from one place to another and when your plane is delayed and not on time to where people have to run from one plane to another doesn't deem it our fault what so ever. That's your fault to make those changes not ours unless you want to pay us back. That's what happened to me I was coming from Columbus to Chicago and the plane just landed then all of the sudden I got a notification that my Chicago to Dallas was boarding at this tome we haven't even got off the plane yet and still waiting to park in the spot to get off me and several other had to run and we was a 1 or 2 late and they wouldn't let us on. So we had to go to customer service to get a later flight and I missed a days work because of t your mess up.
Standby during IRROPS would presumably still be able to be handled by AAgents. This is only for voluntary changes, like if you get there early and want to take an earlier flight.
I don't like it that it has to be electronic and not be able to have a human input to help you
I have to say, as someone in the airline industry, I appreciate the journalistic integrity here and quality. Some blogs really just want to set people off and you ask such valid questions like when asking why they'd make those changes to a human adding passengers to standby. That's what I'd assume although I don't work for AA. I hope they add some kiosks within the terminals that can help relive any issues with tech someone may be experiencing.
One less ? The statement is very disrespectful. Agents have too many multitasking responsibilities.
This is to make sure people enroll in advantage , and to make sure gate agents are focus on boarding and ensuring on time departure or before. They have too many responsibilities and lot in their plate during boarding .
Actually, I find that AA's IT is usually pretty good, I rarely have any problems on their app. I mean, their website/interface aren't visually appealing or anything spectacular, but it works. Have you tried Delta's app or JetBlue's? These two both look good on the screen but constantly have problems, as in, all the time.
AA can't because they don't have equipment installed that can support that many hers.
This is "better" than UA, which requires you to be at the airport to request standby (and thus limits your chances for later flights to those with confirmed space.)
UA does give you a full 24-hour window for free fare-class-available changes, which remains one of the primary reasons I even bother with their program.
It seems more likely that they just check that the FFN fields have been populated than try to also determine status.
I rarely use standby, mostly to avoid a potential misconnect, but typically the AC staff just adds me to the list. I hope the AC can still do it but if not it's not a biggie to go on the app and do so. Assuming the app is functional..
It's very interesting the amount of disdain for this process. It's not that major to get on an app or join AADVANTAGE account. Be happy they aren't charging again 75 a person for standby! It's free people! By the ticket you want to fly and problem solved. If you miss a flight or involuntarily bumped I get it. To complain about standby that is still free is crazy!
The internal memo says airport agents can still add OW Emerald and higher (incl AA equivalents) to the list as well as uniformed military.
Emerald and higher can also be added up to 15 min before departure vs 45 min for others.
Some of this may be driven by TSA's new ID systems that allow people through security without a boarding pass. Some are checked in, some are not, and standbys wanting to change flight do not help. This creates many issues at the gate and needs to be changed. At 45 minutes, it's time to process the flight as it is to get it out on time.
Today is 2/29/24 and I ran into this problem at the airport in Wichita KS. Only a couple of the agents even were aware of this change. I don't recall seeing any email about it from AA. And the app was zero help at all.
I think this applies only to those who show up and want to take an earlier flight? I am pretty sure they still are required to rebook for free if you misconnect?
Standby is when you get on a flight only if there is an available seat for you. You usually have to wait until the end of the boarding process for full flights in case someone doesn’t show up. It sometimes happens. On the flights that aren’t full, you can get on pretty regularly.
Another rumor that I need to confirm. Is AA shortening refund policy for "non" advantage members? I can't find anything on it however it has been spoken about through a third party.
Need to confirm this if possible.
Thanks
I cannot find an option for standby anywhere even though an agent assured me there was one. Also there seems to be a rule you can only fly standby on the same type of flight you started with? If I have a direct flight, I can't fly standby anyplace there is a stop?
Just tried to go standby yesterday and could not find where on the app to request to be added to the standby list to save my life. Tried asking 5 different agents throughout the airport to help guide me to where on the app I could find the elusive standby and none of them knew where to do it, how to find it, nor were any of them trained on the app at all to be able to assist; and of course aa now prohibits them from doing it manually for me. This makes absolutely no sense that neither the customers nor the agents know how to do this new feature. Ended up hanging out the airport 2 additional hours waiting for my original flight since the app was hopeless.
I’d be happy to do it on the app, but it never works. Also, you have to get on standby 45 minutes before the flight leaves. A fact they never mention anywhere on the website.
Advantage members have to add themselves to stand by 45 minutes early
Can not get on a plane with available seats.
How are you to get on stand by if you are in the air? Have no way to know
In advance if you are arriving early to catch ch the early .
Why make changes for to result
one worse customer service?
AA really doesn’t seem to care about their customers any more. That is what happened with Airline consolidation. It’s really about driving revenue.
This policy is disastrous. Even though you should technically be able to stand by for an earlier flight, the app/website show no availability. I can see that there are actually plenty of seats available on the earlier flight - this just doesn't show up as an option.
I just spent two frustrating hours at MIA going in circles between AA support and the gate agents. The gate agents can't add you on the standby list, and the option doesn't work on the app/website either.
I will be avoiding American in the future.
I sat watching a plane with 14 available seats on it board and take off and I couldn’t get the stand by online to work…Actual humans were unable to help.. I am an Advantage member, but apparently that particular day you had to be a member that pays $500 annual fee for the black card…I waited 5 hours in the USO lounge which was better than when I slept in the airport last year..