Abstract: "Reserve flight" is a characteristic system in the civil aviation field. Whether the reserve time consumed by the flight crew according to the airline's instruction should be fully included in the working time is controversial theoretically and practically. This kind of problem is also a typical difficult problem in working time law. According to the analysis of the difference of the degrees of restraint during the waiting course, the reserve time of air crew members should be identified as the standby time according to the labor law. For the protection of workers' basic labor rights and interests, the whole standby period should be taken as the working time. Considering the intensity of labor during the standby period is less than normal active labor, the standby time wage should be less, but not less than the minimum wage standard. The parties shall negotiate and settle the matter in accordance with the legal principle of wage payment, and the principle of legality, willingness and fairness. It is also appropriate to offer different payment based on degrees of restraint and duty of care of workers in different standby situations.