How to Fly Standby on Alaska Airlines

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Standby for Same Day Flight Changes

Alaska Airlines offers free same day standby for:

Passengers ticketed on non-stop flights (or segments of a longer itinerary) between Seattle and Spokane or Seattle and Portland
Passengers with refundable Economy (Y,Z) ticket or First Class (A,D, F) ticket who are eligible for a same day confirmed flight change but space is not available on the desired flight
MVP Gold Mileage Plan member and travelers in same reservation who are eligible for a same day confirmed flight change but space is not available on the desired flight
Passengers eligible for a Guest Pass (generally airline employees and their friends and families)

In order to be eligible for standby flights, you must already have purchased a ticket and have requested standby status, and you must be in the boarding area 30 minutes prior to departure. Same day standby can be requested during web check-in, at an airport kiosk, or from an Alaska Airlines customer service agent at the airport. Requests can be made up to 6 hours in advance of your scheduled flight time (does not apply to MVP Gold Mileage Plan members).

You can also request a same day confirmed flight change when you check in online, by iPhone/Android app, or at an airport kiosk. If a seat is available on the desired flight (can be earlier or later than the originally scheduled flight), it will be reserved for you for a fee of $25.

Missed Flight Standby

If you miss a flight because of a cancelled or delayed flight, the airline will try to confirm a seat for you on another flight. If the flights are booked, you can opt for standby instead. You will be placed on the standby list according to priority (full fare and elite status passengers before discount fare passengers, etc.). You may have to wait for more than one flight before a seat is available. Make friends with the customer service agents and ask them about the chances of securing a seat – it may be better to re-schedule your trip.

If the missed flight is your fault, ask to be placed on the standby list. You may be charged a fee. You’re probably a little stressed out at this point, but try to be nice to the customer service agents as this can go a LONG way toward getting you onto a flight sometime in the near future.

Alaska Airlines Employee Travel Standby

Employees and their eligible dependents are offered an unlimited amount of free, space available travel on Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Employee travel privileges include discounts on other airlines as well. Alaksa Airlines employee travel is conducted via Guest Pass.

In order to use a Guest Pass, you must have an Alaska Airlines Guest Pass Discount Code. This code will allow you and up to 5 other passengers to purchase reduced fare standby tickets. Once you have used the code, you can change your reservations as many times as you like within 90 days. If you have lost your code, contact the Alaska Airline employee who gave you the code.

Guest Pass tickets can be purchased up to 30 days in advance of the flight, and must be used within 90 days of purchase. If the Guest Pass tickets aren’t used, You can request a refund.