American Airlines to Charge $50 for Standby

American Airlines will begin charging $50 to standby for flights at the airport. That means if you show up at the airport and want or need to take a flight other than your originally ticketed one, you now must fork up $50 for that convenience. The fee applies to tickets purchased starting February 22, 2010, but is waived for American elite members, those flying in premium class, fully-refundable and military fares. American is calling the fee is necessary to improve flight operations.