Standby at airport with waitlisted reservation
 

I would like to know anyone tried standby at the airport before even though you hold unconfirmed or waitlisted seat and eventually get on the plane successfully? I have cancelled my onward flight(LAX-Taipei) due to last minute changes in travel plans. Now i need to return to attend my brother's wedding urgently. But the airline's system only allowed me to waitlist on the date after my brother's wedding. Please share some of your suggestions/experiences. Thanks

What's your alternative?

I was told to try wait at the airport for available seat, but that would be a 50/50 chance. Still, I think it is a risky business as I might not get a seat since the peak season is starting soon.

I know, but what are your choices? Are you going to buy another expensive ticket instead?

And what airline you're on? Apparently, if you're on EVA, you may have a better chance as they have 3 non-stops a day.

The gate agent has some discretion in getting people on a flight. So, go up to the gate agent (as soon as they open up) and very politely explain your situation ("Good morning, how are you today? I'm in a jam and if there's anything you can do to help me, I would appreciate it tremendously."...insert sob story). If they seem to rebuff you, keep your cool and remain polite (e.g. "I understand completely, and thank you for checking for me. I will be sitting over there just in case a miracle happens. Thank you."). Then smile and go sit down within their eyesight.

The better dressed and more polite you are, the more likely you will be able to get on the flight. If there are two agents, I will often watch them for a bit before approaching one or the other to figure out if one seems to be in a worse mood.

Also, are you a member of the airline's lounge? If so, go to the agent there and talk to her. They can often do wonders that the gate agent cannot. Once again, be extremely polite and deferential.

I think hills is on the right track. Similar behavior worked for dtr and me last Feb school vacation week when United decided to switch equipment from a 200+ seat aircraft to a much smaller plane without notifying anyone with reservations. Polite and appropriate seems to get you special attention - and it is even more useful if the person in front of you in line is really obnoxious and rude.

We don't know what airline the OP is using, but definitely check with the airline to see when's the earliest one can get on the waitlist and how.

But first, forget checked baggage. Everything carryon only.

If it's an international airline, check-in counter usually doesn't open until 3 hours before flight. Be the first one there to put yourself on the waitlist. Once you get the temporary BP to go through security, stay around the gate, as as others have said, present yourself again when the gate agent appears (usually not until an hour before flight).

Find a seat close to the agent's desk, with clear sightline and make sure you can hear the announcement. Do not hover over their counter. Walk up immediately if you hear your name (or something similar to your name) being called.

China Airlines and EVA have multiple flights from LAX daily, and you want to ask if and how you can waitlist on more than one flight simultaneously to increase your chance.

in addition to all above, before showing up to the check-in desk, just call the toll free number of the airline and ask how that flight looks like and chances to get on board as waitilisted.
They won't tell you that a flight is overbooked even if it is (they may tell you the filght is full) but at least, from the kind of reply you receive from the operator, you may be more prepared to the outcome. Should the flight not be completely full they would give you some signs in their reply that make you feel more relaxed and the chances you get on board are higher !!
I know it since many years of stand-by lists and I know how tremendous is to be at the airport 3 hours before departure and having to wait until the flight acceptance closes. 3 hours become 3 weeks !!!
For sure they won't leave you behind if having free seats. You may find many other people in waitilsit at the gate waiting very anxiuosly to be called for a seat. Those are airline staff members but do not worry too much for them. Your priority waitlist status is much better than theirs !!

It is not excluded that still having free seats they may accept you on board giving you your boarding pass immediately at first check-in together with your luggage.
This has also happened to me many times.
I would not be concerned also having some check-in luggage. If they accept you they will then accept your luggage as well, if not, you will be asked to pick up back your luggage at a belt.

Not always true. I've had my luggage leave without me many times.

Every time I try to waitlist, the first thing they ask is whether I have checked luggage. It certainly makes a difference.

Thanks everyone for sharing. I hope that I would be able to attend my brother's wedding on time...

Please come back and let us know what happened.

hills27 writes: "I've had my luggage leave without me many times."

Not in the US, to the extent that YOU had control over the flight which you took. There is positive bag match when you have made a decision to change flights. I.E. - one cannot book flight X at 7AM, check luggage onto that flight, and then VOLUNTARILY switch to the 9AM while leaving your luggage on the 7AM flight.

Recipe for disaster in the sky.

Best, Dave

One can have the bags going on different planes, as the passenger in this case doesn't have control whether his waitlist will clear, and he has no knowledge whether the bags will be loaded onto this earlier flight or the latter.

rkkwan writes: "One can have the bags going on different planes, as the passenger in this case doesn't have control whether his waitlist will clear."
We agree. Issue is whether or not the re-route is VOLUNTARY. If voluntary, cannot have checked bags on a different flight. If W/L issue is at play- you might find some lattitude. But you may not.

Best, Dave

I have had bags go on a flight that the airline had me booked as a no-show for. So much for security of bag match.

Long annoying story, but Air Tran said they booked us Atlanta-Akron-Boston after we missed a connection due to weather. They thought this itinerary made sense, we did not and turned it down in favor of a later non-stop flight Atlanta-Boston. This never ended up in their computers.

Somehow our bags went on a little vacation on flight to Akron, where they stayed for a few days, probably enjoying the sights. So not only were we not on the flight, but we would have been officially a no-show.

Recently, I have a friend who wanted to book a ticket to Bangkok on Thai Airways but she was told that the flight is fully-booked on that specific day. Not even allowed to waitlist. But she found seats available at the Thai airline website, at a higher fare. So she is going to buy lower fare on another available date, but standby at the airport to waitlist at an earlier date. She is worried as Thai Airways has only a flight from LAX-BKK per day.

as for my experience here in Europe, you waitlist and check-in baggage at the same time, unless you are in transit and waitlisted on the next flight with already checked-in luggage since the origin point until the final destination. If you do not get the seat the luggage remains on ground. Any deviation to this rule shoule be considered as a mistake, therefore just an exception, not the standard procedure.

other time some passengers were disenbarked after acceptance for different reasons. some were drunk, others had their passport expired. in those cases the flight had a delayed departure as they had to locate and disambark their luggage as well.
I would say that they always try to do their best to keep the luggage together with the passengers, either on board or on ground !