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Lament to Standby
Nov. 5th, 2018 11:39 amStandby flights used to be a thing. Basically, you showed up at the airport, bought a stand-by ticket, and the airline stuffed you onto whatever plane was convenient. You could end up waiting all day, but they'd get you to where you were going. I really wish it still existed.
For example, there's a show I want to attend in Vancouver this weekend. I don't want to go super long - basically just two nights - and it would be great if I could just get on the plane Saturday some time and come back Monday some time, pay a reduced fare, and be able to do it. I can't though, so if I wanted to do it, I'd be paying the last-minute-please-bone-me rate of $600+ return. I may be well-off, but I can't afford that for anything but an emergency. Now having just been on an airplane last week, I know that their passenger numbers are super-soft (my plane was at about 60% capacity) right now. They should be happy to fill a plane, even if it isn't for full cost. I know the sales rates for these seats are under $100, so that seems like the bottom they could charge.
I get why the airlines don't do this - too many people would depend on it to do their flying, and that would cut into their regular sales. Still, I feel that there must be a value such that X-number of stand-by tickets in a day won't impact sales. i.e. make it hard enough to get these, that people won't depend on them to fly at all. You'll basically only get people who would simply not have flown at all, rather than those who were going to fly anyway, but are looking for a deal. Maybe make X something like the number of flights per day (maximum ten flights from YYC to YVR every day, have ten standby seats for the day available, subject to availability on the day). Or maybe simply give every rewards member two standby flights per year, much like the Westjet companion voucher. For me personally, it would end up being an extra flight, rather than a cheaper flight. Westjet would get more of my money, and I'd get to travel a bit more than I do now, win win.
For example, there's a show I want to attend in Vancouver this weekend. I don't want to go super long - basically just two nights - and it would be great if I could just get on the plane Saturday some time and come back Monday some time, pay a reduced fare, and be able to do it. I can't though, so if I wanted to do it, I'd be paying the last-minute-please-bone-me rate of $600+ return. I may be well-off, but I can't afford that for anything but an emergency. Now having just been on an airplane last week, I know that their passenger numbers are super-soft (my plane was at about 60% capacity) right now. They should be happy to fill a plane, even if it isn't for full cost. I know the sales rates for these seats are under $100, so that seems like the bottom they could charge.
I get why the airlines don't do this - too many people would depend on it to do their flying, and that would cut into their regular sales. Still, I feel that there must be a value such that X-number of stand-by tickets in a day won't impact sales. i.e. make it hard enough to get these, that people won't depend on them to fly at all. You'll basically only get people who would simply not have flown at all, rather than those who were going to fly anyway, but are looking for a deal. Maybe make X something like the number of flights per day (maximum ten flights from YYC to YVR every day, have ten standby seats for the day available, subject to availability on the day). Or maybe simply give every rewards member two standby flights per year, much like the Westjet companion voucher. For me personally, it would end up being an extra flight, rather than a cheaper flight. Westjet would get more of my money, and I'd get to travel a bit more than I do now, win win.
