TOP 10 TIPS FOR FLYING STANDBY | From A Flight Attendant

In this video I will be sharing my top ten tips for flying standby! Hopefully after watching this you will feel much more comfortable when non-reving!

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MUSIC:
Fransis Derelle - Fly (feat. Parker Pohill) [NCS Release]
Krys Talk - Fly Away [NCS Release]

The views expressed in this video are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.

[eliotmoss]

Hi Kat - I love your videos! Wanted to clarify a points:

Weight restrictions: It's a little more complicated than what was presented. Weight restrictions may typically occur because of weather. For example, during the summer, temperatures in LAS and PHX are very hot, and more runway is required for takeoff. Consequently, non-revs may need to be left behind to free up weight needed for takeoff. My strategy when flying from LAS during the summer is to pick early-morning flights to avoid getting stuck (it's happened too many times!).

Additionally, the airline I just retired from flew to cargo-crtical cities such as LIM and SCL. Often, produce and other time-sensitive items would need to be shipped and depending on how much was needed to be transported on a given flight, non-revs wouldn't find out until the very last minute whether they were getting on - even if there were lots of available seats. Also, some planes such as Boeing 767-400s, are flown to nearly the maximum range allowed, and this can make it difficult to fly at full capacity.

Also, regional jets can pose some risks. For example, I was standing by once in YUL with one other non-rev. There were two seats available but we were not cleared. I asked the gate agent why and she explained the weight restriction problem. I asked if she could check at the last minute to see if we could be cleared.

She phoned the flight crew, and the FO came out to the gate area, took out a pencil, quickly calculated the weight, and told us to run on the plane. It was too funny but it worked!

ZEDs: Great points made. But also it's important to know that standby priority on ZEDs is often LOWER than that on buddy passes because buddy passers typically use employee seniority dates while ZED seniority is day-of-departure. Also, when picking connecting options, it's a good idea to note whether there are sufficient flights on other airlines so that if your plans fall apart (as you so well outlined), you can whip out your electronic device and quickly purchase a ZED ticket. Also, registered guests are typically NOT allowed to fly on ZED tickets; they are reserved for employees and eligible dependents. Lastly, this sounds a bit strange, but if you are flying overseas, check to see if WiFi access is available at any airport that you are transiting so that you know whether you need to set up ZEDs in advance or can do it last minute at the airport.

Sorry for the long note! Hope this helpful.

Thanks again for the great video content!

[TheGreenlove]

I worked for AA and this is what I learned. Best day to travel standby is Tuesday and Wednesday. Also avoid traveling standby once the kids get out of school. Take the first flight out. That means that 6am flight will be what you take. Also easier to travel on standby internationally than domestic.

[Heregoesviv]

From my own experience - "GO early and MARK YOUR PRESENCE TO THE GATE AGENT (even though you've checked in & in the system).Nice little friendly talk always help to get on board or Upgrade. DRESS really nice & sophisticated (for the upgrade to business, Just in case)

[sydneylex]

As the wife of an airline pilot that has just started flying standby, thank you for your videos! Truly helpful!

[crystal]

I’m forever going to be a standby. Airline fam right here 🙋🏽‍♀️

[Cali--ica]

I’m the child of an American Airlines retiree, and I myself spent ten years working in the airline industry. I spent a majority of my life non-reving. Flying confirmed is WONDERFUL!

[Evan-edpu]

Hey Kat, pilot here. Weight restrictions generally happen because of a few things. Most common are:

1. runway length - shorter runways limit the amount of weight we can take off with generally because either the amount of distance it would take to either stop the plane after an aborted take off (like losing an engine), or the amount of distance we would need to take off after losing an engine.

2. Weather/ runway contamination - so if it’s really hot and/or also an airport that located really high (like Denver), or if there’s snow/ice/water on the runway this makes it harder for the airplane to get off the ground, and it’s another situation where you might be weight limited.

3. Obstacle clearance - some airports have tall trees, mountains, or towers etc that we need to maintain a certain distance from both in normal conditions or if we lost an engine on t/o and continue the take off. This could be a reason we are weight limited due to the performance required to meet the vertical obstacle clearance requirements.

4. Center of gravity - all aircraft have limitations to how far forward or aft your CG can be. Because of this you could be weight limited or require passengers to be seated in a certain arrangement to keep the CG of the plane within certain parameters.

5. Another more obvious reason would be because you are going a long distance and need the extra weight (up to your maximum certified take off weight) for extra fuel in order to make it to you destination!

This isn’t all the reasons, but it’s definitely the most common.

PS, you are awesome Kat and if I ever see ya while commuting I’ll give you a shout!

[MackenzieM]

My mom works for American and I freakin feel this video!!! Flying standby ever since I can remember

[arianneclinette]

i work as a costumer service agent for the same airline u work for and i’ve been loving seeing the FA side of things through ur videos! :) its really making me want to try applying for FA in the future

[Anonymous]

Boyfriend works for a major US Airline. So plenty of experience with standby here. I've gotten to fly First Class many times so love the perks

[claire]

This video is spot on. I work for an international airline and deal with a lot of non Rev passengers and love using it myself but there is definitely an art to it. it was interesting to hear things from a US perspective.

[tiffanylentz]

I totally feel like I shouldn't be here! I dont know how I stumbled upon your videos and have been hooked ever since! I am a wife and mother who's only flown once in my entire life (2nd trip in February!) But I love your personality and demeanor!

[mentonerodominicano]

I recently flew with AA and missed my flight, but was able to fly as revenue passenger at a later same-day flight. What was most interesting is that the AA app lets you see the waiting list for your flight, so I probably made someone very happy when I missed my original flight lol

[laurenpruitt]

Lmao the hunger games reference is SO TRUE. This vid is awesome! I fly standby a lot so this helps for sure :)

[JettingJulia]

Also another tip I just learned is that you can become a "through" passenger even if you fly in on another airline! You just have to show the agent your boarding pass from your previous flight. I'm definitely going to need to do this when me and my bf fly to Miami for vacation in August! :)

[grp]

One time my wife and I flew D1 from DFW to SBA for a short vacation, It was an Eagle CRJ-700 and there was only 1 flight a day; We had no problem getting seats at DFW, but coming back we and several other non revs got seats on the plane but before being pushed back from the gate I heard the captain talking to one of the FAs, apparently they were afraid the aircraft was overweight because of the luggage, so all the non revs had to get off the plane. The gate agent promised she would get us on the next day, and sure enough she did.

[johnsymons]

Kat, This was an outstanding and extremely helpful program! I consider myself an aviation expert but you introduced some very helpful tips that I was not aware of! I am a new subscriber and love your enthusiasm, exuberance and fantastic personality! You are the perfect person for your job! Thanks for all of the helpful insights you give to your audience! Take care and wishing you blue skies and smooth flights!

[jeffreyjackson]

Great content! Very informative. I have been an FA for 9 years and I learned a few things from this video. Thank you so much! Love your blogs. I'm a true follower of you and totally enjoy all of your posts! GREAT JOB! Jeffrey

[christybolagner]

Enjoyed this video, thanks!

Have you done a video on airport lounges? I'd be interested in this. Thank you!

[LaLaLauraJ]

I know this is an older video, but still good information. As a result of growing up flying standby, I ALWAYS have a change of clothes with me in my carryon. I've been paying for my own tickets for many years now. ALWAYS have the bare essentials for an overnight.
Even for a situation where I had to fly out and home all in the same day. I still packed a VERY small carryon. You guessed it, flight home got cancelled due to weather. I had been in the same clothes since 5 am. I was TIRED, so was ok with having to pay for the hotel (weather isn't the airline's fault), instead of hanging out in a conference room, outside of security. I was able to shower, get a nap, and have clean clothes for the next day.
Growing up flying standby, and being prepared, kept that day from being any worse.
I also felt sorry for the gate agents for people being **** about the situation. Seriously, there were major tornados being reported along the flight path.