TIL that flying standby is basically a lost art now... used to be so cheap

I was digging through some old travel blogs last night and found a post from 2005 where a guy flew from Chicago to Seattle for $25 on standby. It just hit me how much that's changed... now you're lucky to get a half-off last minute seat and they charge fees for everything. I remember my uncle used to show up at the gate with a standby ticket and just wait, no stress. Has anyone else managed to pull off a cheap standby trip lately or is it totally dead?

2 comments

2 Comments

julia5571mo ago

My buddy tried it at JFK last year, showed up for a standby flight to Miami and waited 4 hours only to get bumped. Ended up paying full price anyway.

williams.kim1mo ago

That's the thing with these "hacks" - they sound good in theory but fall apart when real life happens. I swear modern travel is just one big game of chance now, like you're gambling with your TIME and money every single trip.