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Same-day standby on European airlines?

Same-day standby on European airlines?

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Old Mar 29th 2005, 6:16 pm
  #16  
Keith W
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Default Re: Same-day standby on European airlines?

"nightjar .uk.com>" <nightjar@<insert_my_surname_here> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Bonzo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > ...
    >> Traditional ones may allow changes, including an earlier flight,
    >> depending on the fare paid. It's not just whether it's economy or not,
    >> but which fare within economy. Full-fare economy (Y class?) is usually
    >> fully flexible, other fares allow flexibility within that carrier,
    >> others still have zero flexibility. The prices also affect your refund
    >> rights...
    > Who buys full fare tickets in Economy?

Those who need fully flexible tickets, mostly business travellers.


    > If you are going to that much expense, you may as well pay the extra for
    > Business Class.

Indeed but many companies will not stump up for business
class but are happy to pay the sticker price for full price
economy. In september last year I had to get approval from
the CEO's office to book a business class seat LHR-SFO
even though it was cheaper (via a consolidator) than the
flexible economy class seat on the same plane.

Keith
 
Old Mar 29th 2005, 6:35 pm
  #17  
Hilary
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Default Re: Same-day standby on European airlines?

    >> Traditional ones may allow changes, including an earlier flight,
    >> depending on the fare paid. It's not just whether it's economy or not,
    >> but which fare within economy. Full-fare economy (Y class?) is usually
    >> fully flexible, other fares allow flexibility within that carrier,
    >> others still have zero flexibility. The prices also affect your refund
    >> rights...
    > Who buys full fare tickets in Economy? If you are going to that much
    > expense, you may as well pay the extra for Business Class.

The difference can still be a few hundred pounds or more, depending on
route.

Hilary
 
Old Mar 29th 2005, 8:05 pm
  #18  
gglave
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Default Re: Same-day standby on European airlines?

    > However why they don't do it on a random basis I cannot
    > understand.

Some other thoughts:

1) Joe Traveler *might* be willing to pay $100 to get on the earlier
flight. If they gave this away for free the would be missing out on
the odd $100 here and $200 there from customers who are willing to pay
to be home earlier. Those pennies start adding up.

2) They remove value from their more expensive tickets. One of the
value propositions of the expesive tickets is the ability to change
them at no charge. If you give that value to the cheaper tickets then
they lose revenue.

But I agree it makes no sense when it's obvious they flight you're
ticketed on is overbooked and the flight you're trying to get on has
seats - They may as well put you on it.

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada
 
Old Mar 30th 2005, 12:04 am
  #19  
Charles Hawtrey
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Default Re: Same-day standby on European airlines?

Would it be fair to summarize the responses to date as "not usually,
but it doesn't hurt to ask"?

Thanks for all the input. I wasn't aware of this difference between
American and European carriers.


--
"Flight Now Leaving Reality, Please Fasten Your Braincells"
 
Old Mar 30th 2005, 1:27 am
  #20  
Clark W. Griswold
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Default Re: Same-day standby on European airlines?

[email protected] wrote:

    >2) They remove value from their more expensive tickets. One of the
    >value propositions of the expesive tickets is the ability to change
    >them at no charge. If you give that value to the cheaper tickets then
    >they lose revenue.

This is the primary reason airlines don't allow standbys on cheap tickets...
 
Old Mar 30th 2005, 2:42 am
  #21  
Charles Hawtrey
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Default Re: Same-day standby on European airlines?

"Clark W. Griswold, Jr." <[email protected]> emerged from stupor
to write:

    >[email protected] wrote:
    >>2) They remove value from their more expensive tickets. One of the
    >>value propositions of the expesive tickets is the ability to change
    >>them at no charge. If you give that value to the cheaper tickets then
    >>they lose revenue.
    >This is the primary reason airlines don't allow standbys on cheap tickets...

US airlines DO allow standbys on cheap tickets, in my experience.


--
"Flight Now Leaving Reality, Please Fasten Your Braincells"
 
Old Mar 30th 2005, 5:39 am
  #22  
Hilary
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Default Re: Same-day standby on European airlines?

    >>> 2) They remove value from their more expensive tickets. One of the
    >>> value propositions of the expesive tickets is the ability to change
    >>> them at no charge. If you give that value to the cheaper tickets then
    >>> they lose revenue.
    >> This is the primary reason airlines don't allow standbys on cheap tickets...
    > US airlines DO allow standbys on cheap tickets, in my experience.

That's what started the thread - the OP wanted to know if it were the same
on European carriers. (It's not. Here, non-refundable means you don't
get the fare back in any way - cash or credit - and non-changeable means
you can't change it.)

Hilary
 
Old Mar 30th 2005, 7:55 am
  #23  
Bunny
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Default Re: Same-day standby on European airlines?

"Frank F. Matthews" <[email protected]> wrote

    > If they fly with an empty seat they get nothing positive or negative
    > except an empty seat on a future flight.

An empty seat often means they can carry more cargo, for which they are
paid. Empty passenger seats don't necessarily mean a loss of revenue.
 
Old Mar 30th 2005, 2:12 pm
  #24  
Lennart Petersen
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Default Re: Same-day standby on European airlines?

"nightjar .uk.com>" <nightjar@<insert_my_surname_here> skrev i meddelandet
news:[email protected]...
    >> Is it general policy within Europe not to allow same-day standbys, or
    >> does it vary from airline to airline or country to country?...
    > Economy fares are usually sold on the basis that they are not
    > transferable. Full price tickets allow flexibility.
    > Colin Bignell
Well that's the theoretical part. You can't demand a change with a not
transferable ticket.
But the check in staff may allow you on another flight.
Such things happens now and then in Europe and have happened to me several
times.
As an example I was early for an check in with Finnair to Helsinki. The
clerk simply asked me : "there's an earlier flight ready would you like it ?
" " yes please" was my answer.
Another time (SAS in Frankfurt) I negotiated a better connection when my own
flight was overbooked. The airline was happy to solve a problem and I was
happy with a better connection , can't be better.
This is not complicated, it's a matter of one or another passenger changing
and typically balanced with another change.
 
Old Mar 30th 2005, 2:25 pm
  #25  
Colin.
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Default Re: Same-day standby on European airlines?

I can't speak for every airline, but I have had success with this on British
Airways and British Midland.
 
Old Mar 30th 2005, 3:18 pm
  #26  
Dennis G. Rears
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Default Re: Same-day standby on European airlines?

"colin." <colin###@###j0o.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    >I can't speak for every airline, but I have had success with this on
    >British
    > Airways and British Midland.

On Lufthansa I was unsuccessful once on a AMS-MUC flight and successful
once on a AMS-FRA flight. I guess I got the earlier AMS-FRA flight because
I connecting to a FRA-EWR flight with a tight connection.

dennis
 

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