Consider this scenario.

You have a reservation on a 4 pm flight, but you finish early and the airline has an earlier 11 am departure you’d love to take.

And you want to standby for that flight, which has available seats. Unless you’re an uber member of the airline’s frequent flyer program, the airline either won’t let you standby or will charge you a hefty fee to do so.

But effective immediately, American Airlines has announced same day standby privileges for everyone, no matter what your mileage status or what you paid for your ticket, and it’s free.

All you have to do is hop on the standby line 45 minutes before departure, and you’ll be added to the list.

For many business and some leisure travelers, this is a game changer.

And if history is any indication, you can expect United and Delta to follow suit very soon.