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How to check flight loads
Flight loads show how full a flight is: how many seats are still open and how many staff are listed ahead of you. Check them before you list, compare several flights, and check again closer to departure. New to standby? Start with How to fly standby.
Start with the flight: compare estimated open seats before you list.
Check loads in the appWhat loads tell you
Two numbers matter: open seats in each cabin and the number of staff travellers listed ahead of you. A flight with 10 open seats and 15 people ahead of you on the standby list is a long shot; a flight with 10 open seats and 2 people ahead looks good.
Some airlines show both: on Etihad, after check-in, open "Manage" and tap "Flight Capacity & Priority" to see the current cabin loads and your standby priority.
Where to check loads
- In your booking tool. Some airlines show loads in myIDTravel: on WestJet, tap the "i" icon on the flight; on SWISS, myIDTravel is the only place to check them.
- In the airline's app or website. On Qantas, loads show in the Qantas App within 72 hours of departure, but not on qantas.com. On British Airways, open your existing listing on the BA listing site to see loads.
- On the airline's standby list. It shows who is listed ahead of you. Frontier shows its list at F9standby.flyfrontier.com once you've checked in. Breeze shows everyone listed under Flight Status on its website and app; Southwest shows the list in its app after check-in, and Delta in the FlyDelta App.
- In Staff Airlines. See estimated open seats on flights of 500+ airlines in the app, before you buy a ticket or list. The free plan shows today's flights; other dates are in Premium. Close to departure, ask an agent to check the flight: agents are airline staff and send the open seats by cabin and how many non-revs are listed. Requests use tokens; Premium includes them.
Don't phone the airline about loads
Some airlines ask staff travellers not to call reservations or airport ticket offices about loads: SWISS, WestJet, TUIfly and Yemenia say so in their rules. Use the tools above instead.
When to check
Loads change until the doors close, so one look a week ahead isn't enough:
- A few days before, compare several flights and choose the one with the most open seats compared with the number of people listed ahead of you. Note a backup.
- The day before, check again: bookings, cancellations and aircraft changes move the numbers.
- On the day, check once more before you leave for the airport.
Loads are a snapshot, not a promise of a seat. Open seats can still disappear: staff with higher priority and passengers from missed connections go first, and on some flights weight limits stop standby even with empty seats, as on Etihad. If you decide not to travel, cancel your listing: Cathay Pacific asks for this so others see accurate loads.
Questions, answered
How can I check flight loads?
In your booking tool such as myIDTravel, if the airline shows loads there; in the airline's own app or standby list; or in Staff Airlines, which shows estimated open seats on 500+ airlines and lets you ask an agent to check a flight.
Can I check loads on another airline?
Sometimes: some airlines show loads in myIDTravel, others in their app once you have a booking. Staff Airlines shows estimated open seats on flights of 500+ airlines before you buy or list.
What is a good load for standby?
Compare open seats in your cabin with the number of staff listed ahead of you. Clearly more open seats than people ahead means a good chance, but no guarantee: loads change until departure.
When should I check flight loads?
A few days before to choose the flight, again the day before and once more on the day of travel. Loads change until the doors close.
Rules change often and this guide may be out of date. Check with your airline's staff travel department before you travel. Staff Airlines isn't responsible for denied boarding, missed flights or other losses. Found a mistake? Let us know.
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