Birdwatching From United States, joined Sep 2003, 2578 posts, RR: 58 Posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 734 times:
Hi All!
I have a question:
Is it generally possible to show up one day early for a flight, and ask if they might be able to take you on that flight, assuming that there is capacity, and assuming that you're trading a more valuable time (like a friday) for a less valuable (like thursday).
In my case, I will be flying Icelandair FRAKEFJFK on June 2, which is a thursday. Can I just try and show up at check-in on wednesday, and hope that they might take me along? Is that even technically possible?
[S] [A] [L] [>] S U I D - A F R I K A A N S E L U G D I E N S
AA B777-200 From Netherlands, joined Mar 2001, 445 posts, RR: 7 Reply 1, posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 723 times:
If they have a seat... sure. BUT! They WILL charge you! I assume you're flying Icelandair and especially budget tickets have restrictions in changing/cancelling.
Perhaps they will make an exception on a non-changeable ticket and charge you €50.00 or so.
Tango-Bravo From United States, joined Jun 2001, 3345 posts, RR: 38 Reply 2, posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 716 times:
Quoting Birdwatching (Thread starter): In my case, I will be flying Icelandair FRAKEFJFK on June 2, which is a thursday. Can I just try and show up at check-in on wednesday, and hope that they might take me along?
My advice: don't even think about it...
...without first contacting Icelandair reservations to ask what their policy is in regard to flying standby on a day other than the date for which you are holding a confirmed, ticketed reservation. Icelandair might board you one day earlier -- after you have paid a change fee plus (possibly very substantial) fare difference, unless their policies are far more generous than those of the U.S. airlines.
Jaybird From United States, joined Mar 2001, 80 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (4 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 656 times:
Well you haven't said what type of ticket you're on - unrestricted full fare, or restricted discounted fare. If it's a restricted fare - I seriously doubt they'll cut you slack just because you're freeing a seat on another date - and you've been holding that seat for how long and preventing others from buying it? They put restrictions on those fares in order to get additional revenue from you when you DO want to change. And you're arguing with the wrong people Birdwatching - no matter what anyone says on here (right or wrong) you should be having this conversation with the airline. Getting the answer you don't want on here and reasking the question until you do get the answer you want won't mean a thing - you should be on the phone with Icelandair. Their answer is the only correct one. And if you call and DO get the answer you want - get the person's first and last name in case you're challenged at the airport. Always best to CYA.
Tango-Bravo From United States, joined Jun 2001, 3345 posts, RR: 38 Reply 5, posted (4 years 6 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 562 times:
Quoting Birdwatching (Reply 3): My point is: When they have an EMPTY seat, why don't they give it to me standby?
Probably because if airlines were to allow pax to stand by for any flight on any day between the cities ticketed, word would spread and they would eventually see days when 300 people would show up to try to board a 180-pax 757 (to use FI as an example). And pax would buy cheap tickets for travel on off-peak/unpopular dates/times and then try to fly on higher fare "prime time" flights. "Yes, buts...." nothwithstanding, allowing pax flexibility to fly whenever they choose once they have purchased a ticket is much a more involved and, yes, costly service for airlines to offer than pax can see. Which is why airlines charge considerably more for flexible, unrestricted tickets -- even these do not allow different-day standby, although there is no point in pax holding such a ticket to consider standby inasmuch as, in most cases, unless a flight is overbooked to the maximum authorized, a confirmed change to another flight between the same cities can be made for no charge. "Opening up a seat" on the flight for which a pax was confirmed by standing by for the same flight on a different day is not a benefit that offsets the negatives of airlines allowing restricted fares to become "open tickets" good for travel (whether standby or confirmed) on any day between the cities ticketed.
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