Milwaukee-based Midwest Airlines announced today the introduction of confirmed standby for its passengers.
Confirmed Standby is a newer concept in the airline industry. Previously, airline policy was very black and white. Either standby was not permitted for earlier flights or airlines would allow you to standby for earlier flights that day for free, and get on if space was available. Confirmed Standby allows you to pay twenty-five dollars to get on an earlier flight on the day of travel, if the space is available.
Jetblue adopted this confirmed standby policy not long ago, replacing its previous policy of allowing standby at no additional charge. However, they still allow passengers to standby on the flight immediately before theirs at no additional charge.
Southwest does not allow passengers to standby on flights(delayed passengers and employees aside). To change flights, you have to pay an upgrade to the available fare. Fortunately, Southwest does not charge change fees, so you don’t have to pay $25 to $200 before they’ve even calculated the difference.
Personally, we think $25 Same-Day Confirmation on an Earlier Flight is a good idea. $25 can be worth it to confirm, and is certainly a token amount compared to the price of most fares. Check with your carrier for its standby rules, should you get to the airport early, which you may if you are concerned about security measures as many are.