Everything I need to know about life, I learned from standby travel! 

I used to work for a major airline, and that meant (drum roll, please) flying for FREE!! For a travel person, access to standby travel is YUGE!! I mean access to anywhere in the world? Based on availability, of course, but still. It was life changing! 

I remember daytripping to Corpus Christi, Texas once (first flight out and last flight back) to snag fresh oysters and spend the day on the beach. I’ve even heard of team members that fly to New York for an anniversary dinner, then fly home. Pretty cool, huh? Well, easy there tiger. With great power comes great responsibility. So, before you scrap that accounting job, let’s explore how the rest of your life will be impacted. Here are my top takeaways from standby flight life:

1. Go with the flow - If “Type A” were actually in the dictionary, my smiling picture would surely be attached. I plan. Like a lot. That definitely benefits me sometimes, but I have learned that “planning” also stifles you. For instance, the week of Christmas 2021, I aimed to tour the Biltmore Estates in Asheville NC. Hotel, winery, audio tour, Christmas decor…I had the whole holly jolly weekend figured out! The morning I was set to leave, the standby flight had plenty of seats (YEAH!), but the Biltmore tour was sold out (Debbie Downer noise).

   Instead, I hopped a flight to Tampa, Florida and found a beach-front hotel for an off-season airline employee cut rate (as I was waiting for my suitcase in baggage claim). I celebrated the season solo under palm trees with a dolphin tour, tiki torches and toes in the sand. Yes, please! Do I regret scrapping my Biltmore plans? Absolutely not! When you’re at the mercy of the ebb and flow of air traffic controllers, changing weather patterns, flight schedules and standby seat availability, what do plans really mean, anyway? Besides, the palm trees were wrapped in tinsel and the decorative fish on the walls were wearing Santa Claus hats! My kind of Christmas.

   I used to cringe when friends said they didn't have a cram-packed vacation itinerary of attractions and Food Network-researched restaurants. Now, I dig it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a planner at heart, but standby travel insists that you lean into "the moment," and I’m better for this lesson.

2. Make your own fun - When trying to reach Orlando, Florida once, it took me 8 hours at DFW to catch a flight. That meant 8 hours of gate-swapping in hopes of a seat opening up. 8 hours of watching little kids with Mickey ears boarding flights I would never see. 8 hours of taking the walk of shame to the next gate and hoping for a better outcome. Frustrating? Of course, but at the second gate, I met up with other standby travelers that were in my same situation, and we had a blast entertaining each other at the various gates. You may not choose the hand you're dealt, but you elect your response to it. When you get stuck with some lemons, don’t just make lemonade…add a little vodka. In other words, aim to make every situation enjoyable. 

3. Don’t be a jerk - Pretty obvious, right? Yet, how many times have you seen someone absolutely brutalize a customer service rep. It’s easy to be empathetic when all the lights are green, but what happens under duress? Do you still have grace for the other humans? One of the BIG rules for standby/employee travel is not being a pain for other employees. Standby travel benefits are just that…a benefit, not an obligation from the airline/employer. You aren’t entitled, and the benefit can be taken away from abusers. That includes making a nuisance of yourself with gate agents, but why would you really? It’s not their fault if a flight is delayed because of a snowstorm. They can’t magically release or land planes faster. You wouldn’t want a stranger in your office yelling insults at you. Sometimes, there is a need to express concern, but check your temper along with your suitcase. Simple advice, but I’ll say it again…don’t be a jerk in life.  

4. Travel lighter through life - A carry-on suitcase works best for standby travel since you may (or may not) make a particular flight. Gone are the days where I could “George Costanza wallet” my suitcase with an array of fashion options. After a standby flight to South Padre Island, I discovered my giant suitcase was still at DFW. Uh oh. Ultimately, instead of delaying my beach time to await its arrival, I proceeded to my AirB&B and purchased toiletries and clothing from Dollar General. Imagine my surprise when I made it a week with four outfits and a washer & dryer?! Life changing. But isn’t this typical? Our consumerism invites us to live in a way that is bloated, but this was the perfect example of how little we need to be happy. On that trip, a walkable Tex Mex restaurant, a Dollar General, toes in the sand, and sunrise coffee on the patio suited me just fine!

As you can see, standby travel isn’t always glamorous, but I have been to amazing destinations and met interesting people along the way. If you rely on the news for input about the world, I suspect that it feels like a scary place. My greatest gift with exploration is witnessing how small the world is and how well-intentioned global people are.

Add to that airline employee discounts for hotel and attractions, and the deal was even sweeter. Methinks this will always be a favorite employee perk. In fact, on second thought, you should quit that accounting job ;)

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