Same-day standby on European airlines?

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:39:28 +0100, "nightjar"
wrote:




That is not the case within Europe, where the cheap tickets (normally
referred to as economy class, or unoffically as cattle class) are for a
specific person on a specific flight, neither of which can be changed
without buying a different ticket.

Firstly you need to distinguish between low-cost carriers and
traditional ones. The low-cost ones usually will not amend a booking
other than for a fee and the fare difference - which on the day of
travel may be high.

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.

So the fact that it would seem to make no difference to the carrier to
let you on an earlier flight is irrelevant. If you buy a 'cheap'
ticket that restricts flexibility as a condition, don't expect them to
allow you to behave as if you had paid more.

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:39:28 +0100, "nightjar"
wrote:




That is not the case within Europe, where the cheap tickets (normally
referred to as economy class, or unoffically as cattle class) are for a
specific person on a specific flight, neither of which can be changed
without buying a different ticket.

Firstly you need to distinguish between low-cost carriers and
traditional ones. The low-cost ones usually will not amend a booking
other than for a fee and the fare difference - which on the day of
travel may be high.

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.

So the fact that it would seem to make no difference to the carrier to
let you on an earlier flight is irrelevant. If you buy a 'cheap'
ticket that restricts flexibility as a condition, don't expect them to
allow you to behave as if you had paid more.

Bonzo wrote:
On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:39:28 +0100, "nightjar"
wrote:



That is not the case within Europe, where the cheap tickets (normally
referred to as economy class, or unoffically as cattle class) are for a
specific person on a specific flight, neither of which can be changed
without buying a different ticket.


Firstly you need to distinguish between low-cost carriers and
traditional ones. The low-cost ones usually will not amend a booking
other than for a fee and the fare difference - which on the day of
travel may be high.

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.

So the fact that it would seem to make no difference to the carrier to
let you on an earlier flight is irrelevant. If you buy a 'cheap'
ticket that restricts flexibility as a condition, don't expect them to
allow you to behave as if you had paid more.



It's not that it would make no difference to the carrier that surprises
me it is that it would be to their benefit. True, the benefit is
potential but it is still real. If they fly with an empty seat they get
nothing positive or negative except an empty seat on a future flight.
However that empty seat on the future flight has some potential value.
Perhaps they may manage to sell it. Or, perhaps, the flight will be
oversold and they will have one less compensation to pay and arrange. I
can see that they might want to discourage expectation of being able to
fly stand by for yield management purposes -- why I don't know but
perhaps. However why they don't do it on a random basis I cannot
understand.

Bonzo wrote:
On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:39:28 +0100, "nightjar"
wrote:



That is not the case within Europe, where the cheap tickets (normally
referred to as economy class, or unoffically as cattle class) are for a
specific person on a specific flight, neither of which can be changed
without buying a different ticket.


Firstly you need to distinguish between low-cost carriers and
traditional ones. The low-cost ones usually will not amend a booking
other than for a fee and the fare difference - which on the day of
travel may be high.

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.

So the fact that it would seem to make no difference to the carrier to
let you on an earlier flight is irrelevant. If you buy a 'cheap'
ticket that restricts flexibility as a condition, don't expect them to
allow you to behave as if you had paid more.



It's not that it would make no difference to the carrier that surprises
me it is that it would be to their benefit. True, the benefit is
potential but it is still real. If they fly with an empty seat they get
nothing positive or negative except an empty seat on a future flight.
However that empty seat on the future flight has some potential value.
Perhaps they may manage to sell it. Or, perhaps, the flight will be
oversold and they will have one less compensation to pay and arrange. I
can see that they might want to discourage expectation of being able to
fly stand by for yield management purposes -- why I don't know but
perhaps. However why they don't do it on a random basis I cannot
understand.

"Frank F. Matthews" wrote in message
...
....
It's not that it would make no difference to the carrier that surprises me
it is that it would be to their benefit....

Not if they have to get an unscheduled fuel uplift to do it. That can quite
easily cause a serious delay to the departure of the aircraft.

Colin Bignell

"Frank F. Matthews" wrote in message
...
....
It's not that it would make no difference to the carrier that surprises me
it is that it would be to their benefit....

Not if they have to get an unscheduled fuel uplift to do it. That can quite
easily cause a serious delay to the departure of the aircraft.

Colin Bignell

"Bonzo" wrote in message
...
....
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.

Colin Bignell

"Bonzo" wrote in message
...
....
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.

Colin Bignell

"nightjar .uk.com" nightjar@insert_my_surname_here kirjoitti viestissä
...

"Bonzo" wrote in message
...
...
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.

Those who didn't reserve in time and all the seats in the business class has
been occupied by fellow passengers. And those who are on flights in which
there is no business class in the first place.

"nightjar .uk.com" nightjar@insert_my_surname_here kirjoitti viestissä
...

"Bonzo" wrote in message
...
...
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.

Those who didn't reserve in time and all the seats in the business class has
been occupied by fellow passengers. And those who are on flights in which
there is no business class in the first place.