How to Fly Standby on Southwest

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Searching for Standby Flights

Go to the Southwest online booking page and search for the new flight you want to be on. Then, see if it's sold out or if there are still seats available. If your destination city has multiple airports, be flexible and search for alternative Southwest flights going into each one.^{[1] X Research source}
Note that this isn't a fool-proof method of checking for standby seats. It's not uncommon for airlines to overbook flights, so even if it doesn't say "sold out," there could still be a chance that it is.

Ask if your preferred standby flight is already full or if there's a good chance you'll get a seat. Sometimes people change or cancel their reservations last minute. Or, if there is inclement weather in certain areas of the country, cancelled connections or delayed flights might mean that a seat could open up on connecting flights.^{[2] X Research source}

Note that all standby passengers need to already have a confirmed ticket. Flyers with companion passes do not get the same benefits as the original (top tier) ticket holder they’re traveling with, which means they’re not eligible for standby.

For instance, say you want to fly from Denver to Los Angeles. If another traveler is flying from Chicago to Los Angeles with a layover in Denver, they might miss their connection in Denver due to winter weather delays in Chicago, opening up a seat on the flight you want.

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Avoid trying to fly standby during the busiest hours and seasons. Holidays and big events make it less likely that there will be no-shows. Instead, search for early morning (before 7:00 AM) or late night (after 10:00 PM) flights (ones people are more likely to miss or reschedule) to increase your chances of getting a seat.^{[3] X Research source}

If there’s a big event in your destination city around the time you plan to arrive (like a big music festival or sporting event), you may have less of a chance of getting a seat.

Trying to get a standby ticket around major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas is going be very difficult.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be the least busy (and cheapest) days to fly, while Mondays and Fridays tend to be the busiest.^{[4] X Research source}

You can still try to fly standby during peak times and seasons, but the odds won’t be in your favor.

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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Requesting Standby at the Airport

If you've found an earlier flight that you want to try to get on, arrive at the airport at least 1 hour before that flight starts boarding. If you're traveling internationally or from a major hub (like Houston or New York) try to get there 2 hours before boarding time.^{[5] X Research source}
Check for delays before you go at https://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp.

Go to the airport and visit a customer service agent at the Southwest ticketing counter. Let them know which flight you'd like to be on and have your current confirmation information handy to streamline the process. You cannot request standby online, over the phone, or at a check-in kiosk.^{[6] X Research source}
If you're already past security, you can talk to an agent at the gate of your current flight (or at the gate of the earlier flight you want to be on).

If you purchased one of the cheaper ticket options like “Wanna Get Away” or “Senior” for your original flight, you’ll need to pay the difference in price for the two flights. "Anytime" and "Business Select" fares don't require you to pay the difference in fees.^{[7] X Research source}

The fee is typically around $75 but it may be more or less depending on the price difference between the two flights. You’ll only pay this fee if you’ve been issued a ticket on your new standby flight.

You're more likely to get the extra seat if you frequently fly with Southwest (and have “elite” status) or if you purchased a more expensive “Anytime” or “Business Select” fare.

Ticketed passengers will board the plane first, so you'll have to wait for each boarding group to go before they start ticketing standby passengers. Once the agent calls for standby passengers, you'll need to listen for your name to be called or watch the screen to see if your name is cleared on the standby list.

Be patient; don't ask the gate agent about where you stand every 5 minutes!

Download the Southwest mobile app and sign in with your reservation number or rapid rewards number in order to view the standby list from your phone.

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