YatTravel: playing the standby game at Dulles (IAD)
I'm on Continental this week. Even though I'm pretty sure when planning travel that this particular class will end at noon on Friday, I always book an evening return flight. I got here to Dulles around 1pm. The Continental ticket agent said there were 7 empty seats on the 2:52pm flight to Houston (IAH). I'm booked on the 5:55pm flight. I have two possibilities at this point. I can "stand by" for free, or re-book to the earlier flight for $25. With seven seats open, the smart play now is to wait until 2:30pm and see what happens.
If I don't get on the earlier flight, it's no huge loss. Dulles is a nice airport. The "big" airline here is United, so I'm away from the chaos of their operations over here on Concourse B. There are a wide range of dining and snack choices, including a sushi bar (not just take-away sushi, but real chefs like a regular restaurant), and a Ben & Jerry's. The Sky Team partner with a club here at Dulles is Northwest, so I'm currently in their "World Club," having a glass of wine.
It's slow still here--the road warriors will move in for the after-4pm flights. The weather is cloudy and rainy, so the sooner I get away from the rain the better.
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