Flying standby can be a much more economical way to travel by plane, but it can also be frustrating and you may need to qualify to buy standby tickets with some airlines. Standby tickets mean you get a seat on a sold-out flight if someone doesn't show up or there are cancellations, but you are not guaranteed a seat until the flight is about to leave. Few airlines that offer stand by tickets include Alaska air that offers free same-day standby on the date of departure for a few routes that include cities in Alaska. For flights within North America, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, American airlines charges $75 for same-day standby for earlier flights. Same-day standby for earlier flights costs $75 at Delta airlines. On the Jet Blue airlines, standby is not available on every route but where it is, it’s free.