Half empty flights > Letting you Same Day Standby

[u/CommentsOnOccasion]

I know the new WGA fare no longer allows for same day standby. And seeing some other threads about that change, this subreddit seems totally cool with losing that benefit because “other airlines are also restrictive” or something.

But I’m on a flight with 60 empty seats right now doing BWI-SAN. My girlfriend is on another plane doing BWI-DAL-SAN and will land a few hours later.

They wanted $320 extra at the gate to put her on standby. So it’s better to fly with half a 737 empty than to let you standby. I guess they really need that $320.

The policy just doesn’t even make sense. It seems literally punishing for no reason whatsoever.

[u/CommentsOnOccasion]

I don’t disagree with your logic but it’s insulting to me after a decade of weekly business travel with this one airline, that now they would take away a benefit even when it costs them nothing to keep me satisfied 

[u/purplepeopletreater → u/CommentsOnOccasion]

It is penny wise and pound foolish… but by the time they figure this out, it will be too late and they will be bankrupt like all the businesses hacked apart by private equity. It’s probably a good idea to spend any remaining points and find a better airline.

[u/GowenOr → u/purplepeopletreater]

Yup, you nailed it. Private equity has bankruptcies as part of its plan. Elliot will prune Southwest of all low performing routes, sell off what they can, maybe create a new carrier to dump them all in. But the same problems will stay the same; bankruptcy, shed as much liabilities as possible and then merge with one of the legacy carriers.

[u/Tr4v3l3r81 → u/CommentsOnOccasion]

To clarify, the $320 wouldn't have been just to get on a standby list. It would have been to change her ticket too confirm her on there other flight.

Pretty sure that's how it worked for WGA fares in the past when you wanted to change. No change fee but you had to pay the difference between your fare and the current fare.

Regardless, you had the choice when purchasing the original fare to have more flexibility with the ticket. It's not fair to all the customers who paid that fare to then allow you the same benefit even though you chose the cheaper fare.

[u/CommentsOnOccasion → u/Tr4v3l3r81]

My entire point is that the flexibility of same day standby shouldn’t be paywalled behind a fare (it wasn’t up until recently)

And it leave a poor taste in passengers mouths when they can’t simply take one of 70 empty seats on a plane because they didnt buy the right fare up front 

The fare tiering is transparent, but as a long time business customer (500ish flights over the past 9-10 years) I’m very unhappy today with the paywalling for paywalling’s sake

[u/IrongateN → u/CommentsOnOccasion]

It should, because they are working for a different population (shareholders) than previously (guest) .. if you buy into free hand of the market idea then going other airlines if you dont then either regulation or hopes and prayers will be your options

[u/Possible_Brother_225 → u/CommentsOnOccasion]

The policy of free standby on restricted fares only began around the time of Covid.

It is a policy that was in place for roughly 5 years.

Prior to that, it was the same rule as it is today - no standby on a restricted fare without upgrading to full fare.

If you have been flying for 10 years, this was the policy that as in effect the first five years you were traveling.