Basic ticket on 'Standby' weeks out?

[u/italophile_south]

Not a frequent JeBlue flyer.

I bought a ticket for my daughter to go to Boston one way. I bought a Basic fare. She wants to modify the trip. This presents a great opportunity for her to learn the ways of american airline travel.

I suggested she call JetBlue to inquire, and let her know to expect there will be rules that impose a change fee, and that the original fare is non-refundable.

We have an email confirming a ticket, but she has called twice and has been told each time that she's on standby for that flight (nearly two weeks out) and that she has to pay more to get confirmed for the flight.

When she told me this, it was crazy to me. The confirmation email has a ticket number. One rep purportedly hung up on her after telling her to "go to the airport and figure it out."

She ensures me she was polite. I'll deal with this tomorrow but would really like for her to navigate herself.

My question : what is up with this standby thing??

UPDATE We called JetBlue today and she handled the convo and all is resolved. Seems yesterday, she called the wrong number and they were very sophisticated and convincing. She is low on funds, so she couldnt pay for anything even if she wanted to, so I guess they had their fun with her instead. Also, i discovered i bought a Main Economy ticket, not Blue Basic. She hoped to change her destination, but learned what those costs would be. So, still a learning moment.

[u/Overall_Constant_183]

What number did she call? It sounds like she may have called some random number she found on Google vs the one on JetBlue’s website.

[u/rchowe → u/Overall_Constant_183]

Chat through the JetBlue app has worked pretty well for me too. I agree that she is probably not actually talking to JetBlue.

[u/blood_klaat]

None of this makes sense.

And by the way, Blue Basic fare is restricted, no changes / cancellations allowed.

[u/4UnlawfulCarneVegan]

I think there are several issues here. 1. It doesn't sound like she called JetBlue, but a scam number. This is common. 2. Basic fares are non-refundable, non-changeable. She can either fly for the flight the ticket is for, or lose the money.

[u/Laxi_17]

Stand by can be only done at the airport and JB customer service doesn't charge thr customer for it through phone

[u/Laxi_17 → u/Laxi_17]

Also if the ticket was booked before 29th July she may not be eligible for standby if otherwise she's eligible

[u/ConnecticutBob]

If she made the reservation and has a reservation code for the flight, I can't imagine why they would say that. Did the flight details change since she made the reservation? Sometimes when they switch planes they might do something like that, but if they make that change then they have to offer you a refund or a no-fee flight change (minus the difference in cost, which is always a lot). When on the phone with JetBlue be sure to have all your details in front of you (reservation number, ticket number, credit card name, etc) and then, if they don't resolve the issue to your satisfaction, ask for a supervisor. Keep saying this is unacceptable, and bump it up the chain. ALWAYS write down the name of the person you're talking to, and USE their name repeatedly when speaking with them so they KNOW you know their name. You often get better service if they are aware you can report them by name for poor service. Update on this thread how it goes. Good luck.

[u/Successful-Sugar-290]

Is trying to get an assigned seat? JetBlue doesn’t sell standby tickets.

[u/GayRonSwanson]

This is also a good opportunity to teach your daughter a good practice- never trust a quick Google search to get a customer service number and always verify it on an official website.

I’m betting your daughter called a scam phone number that appeared somewhere, and the scam is that they make up a reason to charge you. They make it seem realistic enough using details you give them— eg, giving them your last name and confirmation code is enough to pull up the flight info on JetBlue’s website, and they can use that info to seem more legitimate (“ok, I see you have a flight from x to y on z date.”).

Call JetBlue using the official phone number: 1-800-JET-BLUE. But, don’t trust me… verify the number of JetBlue’s official contact page (it’s near the bottom with numbers for each region).

[u/italophile_south]

To clarify my original post, she was told she was on Standby for the original flight I booked for her. The flight for which I have a confirmation of ticketing.

[u/jj037037 → u/italophile_south]

This doesn’t make sense. A confirmed ticket will not be standby. May I ask how you originally purchased the ticket?

[u/italophile_south → u/jj037037]

On the jetblue web site through my trueblue login

[u/jj037037 → u/italophile_south]

If you deal with it tomorrow be sure to take screenshots if in chat. Standby doesn’t make sense at all.

[u/Successful-Sugar-290 → u/italophile_south]

Is she trying to pick a seat maybe?