Originally Posted by ratsnrip

HK are rev passengers who bought a ticket and did not request a seat assignment at the time of purchase.
HKI are rev pax who affected by IROPS- missed their connection for the previous flight - so they roll over.

The difference between the numbers showing as AV/AU and the numbers on the page after you look at non-rev standby's list - page called airport standby list are usually those HKs.

I've seen what appeared to be hopeless work out for buddy pass rider when the HK's who were a family of 5 traveling together failed to request/pick seat assignment. They get burned when the flight is oversold cause they are not boarded until passengers with confirmed seat assignments have their butts in the seat. Some will not split up family and insist on flying together. If there is only 1 seat left- the NR/buddy got it.

I could hear the mom of family screaming in the background of my cell phone conversation with buddy. She didn't know she needed to make seat requests that she had never had to do it before on any other airlines. And no they would never split up. I figured they were use to flying SWA or another airlines that doesn't assign seats.