American Airlines To Allow Same-Day Standby for All Passengers, No Status Needed

Updated: July 8, 2025, 4:42pm CDT

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American Airlines Expands Same-Day Standby Options
How To Put Your Name on the Standby List
Final Thoughts

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Starting tomorrow, July 1, 2025, anyone will be able to get on the standby list with American Airlines. You won’t need to be flying in a premium seat and will no longer need to have elite status with the AAdvantage program.

This policy change will be most welcome for passengers flying domestically within the U.S., especially those with flexible travel plans. It could also help you save money.

Here’s how.

American Airlines Expands Same-Day Standby Options

American Airlines already offers the ability to get on the standby list for an earlier flight. That’s not new.

For example, if you’re on a 4 p.m. flight from Chicago (ORD) to Los Angeles (LAX), you can put your name on the list for the 1 p.m. flight. If there’s a seat available, AA will offer it to you close to boarding time. There’s no fee for this, and you could get to your destination 3 hours earlier in this scenario.

However, starting tomorrow, more people will be able to take advantage of this flexible travel policy.

American Airlines A321neo at Miami MIA — Image Credit: Daniel Ross

Presently, the list of passengers eligible for same-day standby privileges requires you to be traveling in business or first class, have AAdvantage or Oneworld elite status, or be traveling on military orders to get complimentary standby benefits. Those traveling on unrestricted economy fares also are eligible, but those who bought discounted tickets aren’t — and neither are those without an AAdvantage account attached to their ticket.

A spokesperson for AA says the airline is making this change to provide flexibility for all passengers, though this change only applies to domestic flights.

Beginning tomorrow, July 1, all customers are eligible to list for same-day standby with an agent up to 45 minutes prior to departure – regardless of AAdvantage^® membership or status. The policy is only applicable to domestic flights and segments.

We are continuously looking for ways to enhance the travel journey for our customers and this update gives all customers the convenience of a flexible itinerary, space permitting.
American Airlines spokesperson

Remember that being on a standby list doesn’t guarantee a seat on a flight. Standby passengers are only cleared to board a flight when seats are available close to departure time.

If your travel plans are flexible, getting your name on standby for an earlier flight means you may be able to purchase a later flight that’s cheaper and then put your name on an earlier flight that’s more expensive. This could turn into savings if you’re cleared to board the earlier (more expensive) flight. However, if your travel plans require you to be at a certain place at a certain time, you should book the flight you need and not rely on the standby list.

Rules for Checked Luggage and Nearby Airports

Additionally, those with checked luggage are still authorized to get on the standby list, which they couldn’t do without Gold status or higher in the past.

Moreover, American’s new standby policy covers nearby airports. For example, if you’re flying to New York’s JFK airport, you can get on the standby list for flights to LaGuardia or standby to Orange County’s John Wayne Airport if you’ve got a ticket to LAX.

This provides increased flexibility. However, the connection point in your itinerary can’t be changed, and neither can your departure location. Moreover, while you can get on the standby list for an earlier flight with checked luggage, you can’t standby to a different destination airport if you have checked bags.

Hot Tip:

Those with AAdvantage elite status can also request to add their names to the standby list for a later flight, though other passengers don’t have this option. Additionally, those with elite status will still be able to join the standby list up to 15 minutes before departure.

How To Put Your Name on the Standby List

You can join the standby list up to 24 hours before departure by managing your booking on AA’s website or the mobile app (iOS, Android). After requesting the change, you’ll receive a new boarding pass. At this point, it won’t have a seat assignment.

You can also request standby travel with a gate agent up to 45 minutes before a flight’s scheduled departure time. At that point, the standby list closes, and employees assign seats based on the number of seats available and who is first on the list.

Final Thoughts

Starting July 1, all American Airlines passengers traveling domestically will be able to place a same-day standby request to move onto an earlier flight. Traveling on standby may help you get to your destination earlier, but you won’t have a guaranteed seat until an agent provides you with a confirmed boarding pass. That’s done based on availability closer to departure time.