Northwest: $25 Guarantees You Standby Seat
May 3rd, 2005 | By Jared BlankNorthwest has implemented a policy where travelers can get a guaranteed seat on an earlier same-day flight for a $25 fee (assuming, of course, there are any seats available). This is essentially an insurance policy for travelers wishing to fly standby. You can pay the fee up to 3 hours before departure of the earlier flight. You can still choose to fly standby, but for anyone who has gone through the nervous wait to clearstandby, the $25 is a reasonable option.