Originally Posted by
271c
It's positive space man, you're just like a paying passenger (albeit you're on the priority of those who purchase the cheapest tickets when going home) -- paying passengers also get bumped if stuff hits the fan and you have 180 people with tickets for a 160-seat flight. But that's not standby. I don't know the inner workings, I just know I haven't been bumped, nor has anyone I know (but definitely I know that it's happened). But going home it's probably more likely to be bumped than going to work as you're listed differently, at least for training events. It's not something I've worried about honestly. Besides, in the going to/from training situations, it's a heck of a lot better and less stressful than the other "going to or from work" trips for folks who live out of base and non-rev to work, like me, so I have no complaints in that regard.
It's not "positive space" unless you have a guaranteed seat. And A3 ain't positive space.
If it's 7am and Envoy needs you to deadhead up to ORD for a 12pm sign in, I can guarantee you'll be A1 and can walk up 15 minutes before departure and the agent will go as far as pulling a revenue passenger off the flight to get you on. Why? Because Envoy/AAG needs you there to operate that flight. Why A3 on the way home? Because they don't need you at home for any reason. Unless...there's a flight they need you to operate. Then you'll be A1 and get on.
A3 is NOT positive space.