Getting On An Earlier Flight ?

B

Barton Hills

1,000+ Posts
OK, so we are going to Cabo Thursday. My wife booked us on the wrong connecting flight from Phoenix to Cabo. She booked the later flight, as opposed to the early one we're supposed to be on.

My question is, once we arrive at the airport in Phoenix, if there are open seats still available on the early flight (the one we were supposed to book) will the airline allow us to switch flights ?

In order to do that now they want $100 a piece ... but I figured maybe we could pull it off the day of without paying extra.

Thoughts ? Experiences ?

We're flying US Airways.
 
Ugh ... shot down again on my 3rd attempt.

Why can't they just change our freakin' flight ? Both flights are the same price, and both still have numerous empty seats.

That 6 hour layover is Phoenix is gonna be wicked awesome.
 
I am not sure about the policy exactly of US Air but typically you can just go to the gate for the earlier flight that you would like to get on and asked to be put on the standby list. When you check in at your departure desitination ask the ticket person if you can be put on the standby list right then and there. Some airlines allow some dont. The key is you want to get your name on the standby list as soon as you can. But on a lot of flights nowadays it can be hard to get on a fairly full flight standby if you dont have any status on the airline. The airlines for example AA has Executive Platinum, Platinum, Gold, AAdvantage Member, regular travelor heirarchey. So for example you could check in to go standby on the earlier flight and be #1 on the list as a regular travelor and 1 hour later someone with a higher "status" level than you will jump ahead of you on the list.

Also you can call and see if they have a guarenteed standby option, AA for example will allow you to guarentee a seat on an earlier flight up to 4 hours ( i think that is right) prior to the flight for $35.

Plus you can check on line to see the # of seats available to see what type of a chance you have......or just be very nice to the ticket person at check in and see if they can confirm you seats on the earlier flight.
 
US Airways allows same-day standby for $25. At the airport, just ask them to put you on the standby list for the earlier flight. If you happen to be elite on US, they waive the fee.
 
will you be checking bags? you may get on the early flight, but they wont. so unless you're carrying everything on then i'd either spend the $200 to change it or spend that much on booze in PHX.
 
Aren't you in Texas? why didn't you fly on Continental via Houston or American via DFW or Houston.

US Air sucks, not as bad as America West but close. I hope you got those tickets for pesos
 
US Airways and America West are the same company. As mentioned by prior posters, the answer to your question depends upon the specific airline's policies.

Any chance your fare is refundable without incurring a refund fee? If the other flight is truly available at the same fare, seems to me like you could book it separately and then get your prior itinerary refunded. In the unlikely event that this is possible, you could use this as leverage against their res agents to just allow you to change your itinerary with no fee.
 
We took America West to Vegas a few years back, and we were going to have something like a 4-hour layover at Sky Harbor. When we were checking in in Austin, the ticket agent noticed that there were empty seats on an earlier PHX-LV flight, and switched us to the earlier flight.

If there's still open seats on the earlier connecting flight out of Phoenix the day of your flight, just ask at check-in. Desk agents have a lot more leeway than the folks at the call center, and will generally do anything they can to help you out.
 
Other than going with the $200 fee (which at the end of the day is reasonable considering it was you who booked the wrong flight), your best bet is to do the same day change for the $25 per ticket fee. I would keep an eye online to verify that enough seats are available. If there is plenty of room, call the morning of and book for $25. If seats are dwindling, go with the $200. The $25 fee will only be available if a certain amount of seats are open. ie, if only 2 seats are left, you still won't be able to do the $25 option.

In reply to:
Click to expand...
 
If you're able to get the earlier flight, they can also snatch your bags & get them re-routed as well.

As a just in case, you should always have @ least one change of clothes in your carryon bags anyhow... just extend this to one day's extra as a just in case on the late bags.

texasflag.gif
hookem.gif
texasflag.gif
hookem.gif
texasflag.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top