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American Airlines backtracks on onerous standby policy

July 02, 2025
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3 min read
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American Airlines backtracks on onerous standby policy
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American Airlines is making it easier to get home earlier, backtracking on one of its most irksome changes it made last year.

Effective Tuesday, July 1, the Fort Worth-based carrier will is now allowing anyone to be added to the standby list for an earlier flight — no questions asked.

Last year, the airline restricted same-day standby to AAdvantage members — so this newfound flexibility will be great for those who aren't AAdvantage members or who prefer to credit their American flights to other Oneworld alliance member airlines.

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Furthermore, the airline is backtracking on the need to add yourself to standby via online and in-app self-serve options. This restriction was also introduced last March, and it made it harder (and sometimes, impossible) to add yourself to the standby list when the American app crashed or was buggy.

Over the past year, I've had numerous instances where I've tried to add myself to the standby list for an earlier flight, but the mobile app kept giving me error messages. In all cases, I (nicely) asked the gate agent if they'd be willing to manually override the system. The response was very much hit-or-miss, so I'm thrilled to see American make standby available for all passengers regardless of what technology you're using.

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Note that you'll still need to be added to the standby list at least 45 minutes prior to departure, and same-day standby benefits are only applicable to domestic flights and segments.

Furthermore, despite allowing anyone to join the standby list, American will still prioritize standby requests from elite status members above non-elites, meaning that those with higher status will enjoy better odds at grabbing the last seats on a full flight.

American didn't share much about why it's making this change just over a year after adding so many onerous standby restrictions. The airline said in a statement that "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."

This move comes as the carrier has been doubling down on customer experience improvements, all part of a premium-forward strategy that fulls under the leadership of Heather Garboden, American's new chief customer officer.

Under Garboden's watch, the airline has debuted its most premium jet yet, opened and announced new Flagship and Admirals Club lounges, and made a handful of investments in the onboard amenities and dining program. The airline even announced free Wi-Fi coming online next year.

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Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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