The airline industry has literally been reinvented with the ability to book reservations online, self-service kiosks and travel sites such as airdealguru, Tripsolver, flipfares etc. As a result, flying stand-by has changed significantly, but is still available for impromptu travel, rescheduling and upgrades if you work with the system, keep your patience, and leverage your personal spending power. Flying standby today means you have a paid ticket and are looking to travel at a different time, want an upgrade, and are prepared to pay full fare (plus likely fees) if you do not have a ticket.It is opportunistic, not a guarantee. Flying standby is really quite simple: check travel sites for last minute opportunities, just check other flights availability, mark your goal and go with plenty of time to make sure you are- on top of the list. Be prepared for fees, pack light and take plenty to entertain yourself. Above all, remember that traveling is fun and being able to get to your destination earlier than planned or with a better class of service is well worth the effort.