IliriBDL From Germany, joined May 2007, 1205 posts, RR: 15 Posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 4087 times:
Say you get a zed fare on LH or BA, or some other airline, is it possible to upgrade to first or business class, if it's available of course, and if so how much would it be?
Like on US for example it costs $100 to upgrade to envoy for intl flights, I believe other airline employees can do it as well. (I think its as SA7)
113312 From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 538 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 4044 times:
The golden days of interline non-rev travel are past, in my opinion. But upgrading on a pass is STRICTLY up to the host airlines policy and local personnel. My advice is always be courteous, well dressed, and patient.
WILCO737 From Greenland, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 8534 posts, RR: 78 Reply 2, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 4021 times:
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Quoting 113312 (Reply 1): My advice is always be courteous, well dressed, and patient.
I agree. I mostly wear proper cloths, be polite and then just wait. On AC it brought me Executive class upgrade without paying anything, and I only had a normal economy class ticket.
IAirAllie From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 4015 times:
It depends on the agreement set up with each individual airline. If you look at the agreements they usually say if they are upgradeable.
I'd say the golden age is just arriving. Flight attendants are finally getting jumpseat agreements signed so they can interline jumpseat like the pilot have been able to for years.
Chepos From Puerto Rico, joined Dec 2000, 5990 posts, RR: 12 Reply 5, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 3978 times:
I am a US employee and I travelled as a non-rev from LAX to FRA on LH (company business). They upgraded me to business class wihtout me asking, I was dressed Business casual. On UA the most they will upgrade an employee from OAL is up to economy plus. It all depends on carrier and the relationship between one another. OAL employees on US are SA9, below buddy passes, and yes if you pay $100 bucks they will move you up to Envoy (space permitting)
Transpac787 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 3143 posts, RR: 14 Reply 7, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 3966 times:
Quoting Chepos (Reply 5): On UA the most they will upgrade an employee from OAL is up to economy plus.
This is not correct. UA has a few interline agreements in which OAL employees can buy C-class ZED fares on UA. UA will never put OAL's in international first, but they will put them in international Business if they've bought such a ZED fare.
Quoting IliriBDL (Reply 6): Yeah I'm interested for LH the most, since I want to use them to Germany (from BOS or JFK), in the future of course.
From what I've heard, LH is very strict about upgrading nonrevs unless you've explicitly bought a C-class ZED ticket (which is not available to all airlines). I've never used them though, so I'm only going off of what I've heard from other people, not personal experience.
From personal experience, your best shot at getting an upgrade is with the FA's while in-cabin, not the CS agents at the gate. Just recently though I flew NWA on NRT-PDX in World Business Class, and there were several offline nonrevs put up there since coach was sold and boarded to capacity.
So, that might be your best shot to get Business class on another airline - to hope that coach is full, but there are still seats up front.
OHLHD From Finland, joined Dec 2004, 3962 posts, RR: 27 Reply 8, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 3952 times:
My advise is not to ask for it. That is the best way to get upfront and to wear proper clothes which is anyway a must when travelling on Zed´s ( my 2 cents)
Sketty222 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2006, 1773 posts, RR: 4 Reply 10, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 3897 times:
Does anyone know what level of priority BA will have with other carriers when it comes to ZED fares? ie SA7 or SA8
Im a BA employee and BA are chnagiung from ID90 fares to ZED fares as of April 2009, although we can actually purchase them now also.
Im really would like to try another airline apart from BA on a TA crossing and wouldnt mind flying into Europe instead of LHR. Knowing what level of standby priority I have on other airlines may make my mind up on which airline I decide to take.
Transpac787 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 3143 posts, RR: 14 Reply 11, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 3888 times:
Quoting Sketty222 (Reply 10): Does anyone know what level of priority BA will have with other carriers when it comes to ZED fares? ie SA7 or SA8
Well...... it's hard to answer that question in one response, as each airline has a different priority coding for nonrevs. I can answer your question with respect to NW, AA, and UA though.
Before I start, I have no idea what SA7 or SA8 is, so I'm not sure how to compare these to any of the following nonrev priorities. Anyhow:
NW goes by a single number. I'll be missing quite a few, but here's the basic ladder:
2- Must-ride nonrev
3- Vacation pass
5- Standard (unlimited) pass
6P- DL employees and dependents
9- Buddy passes
OA- All other airlines
AA is relatively similar to NW, they just put D's in front of all their numbers:
D1- Vacation pass
D2- Standard (unlimited) pass
D3- Buddy pass and AA Eagle employees and dependents.
D4- AA Eagle buddy passes
D5- Oneworld pass
D6- All other airlines
UA is pretty convoluted and is difficult to understand for even the most seasoned employees:
BP6B- Retiree pass
BP7- Vacation pass
BP8A (block 1)- Employee of carrier operating flight (eg. UA, OO, S5, YV, etc)
BP8A (block 2)- Employee of all other carriers, not operating flight (eg. UA on OO flight)
BP8B- Unaccompanied parents
BP8C- UAX employees and dependents riding on UA mainline flights
BP9 (block 1)- Pilots and FA's of UAX carriers not based at UAX base. (eg. OO pilots based at SLC or ATL)
BP9 (block 2)- Offline nonrevs
BP10- Fare and fee waived employee passes
BP11A- Online jumpseats
BP11B- Offline jumpseats
Only way to assure you get the C-class seat (if seats available of course) on LH is to buy a C-class ZED-ticket - this of course has to be allowed in the interline agreement.
Quoting Transpac787 (Reply 7): From what I've heard, LH is very strict about upgrading non-revs unless you've explicitly bought a C-class ZED ticket
... as an LH rule (intercont flights) now-a-days non-rev's are not upgraded. However, as I know it has been happen so I believe the "rule" is more that they should always upgrade full-fare passengers before non-rev's... which is the way to do it anyway if you ask from me...
Quoting Sketty222 (Reply 10): Does anyone know what level of priority BA will have with other carriers when it comes to ZED fares? ie SA7 or SA8
... in general OAL non-rev's are always last "in-line" for all (or most) carriers.
As a non-rev I would never dare to ask for an upgrade... be nice, dress nice, and do not harass the gate staff (my traveling motto)!
I like driving backwards in the fog cause it doesn't remind me of anything - Chris Cornell
MTSUATC From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 120 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 3839 times:
Quoting Transpac787 (Reply 11): AA is relatively similar to NW, they just put D's in front of all their numbers:
D1- Vacation pass
D2- Standard (unlimited) pass
D3- Buddy pass and AA Eagle employees and dependents.
D4- AA Eagle buddy passes
D5- Oneworld pass
D6- All other airlines
A little to elaborate on. AA, and AE employees get 4 D1 passes a year. Also AE employees are also D2 on AA. Priority goes by time of check in. The others I have no idea.
Quoting Transpac787 (Reply 11): UA is pretty convoluted and is difficult to understand for even the most seasoned employees:
BP6B- Retiree pass
BP7- Vacation pass
BP8A (block 1)- Employee of carrier operating flight (eg. UA, OO, S5, YV, etc)
BP8A (block 2)- Employee of all other carriers, not operating flight (eg. UA on OO flight)
BP8B- Unaccompanied parents
BP8C- UAX employees and dependents riding on UA mainline flights
BP9 (block 1)- Pilots and FA's of UAX carriers not based at UAX base. (eg. OO pilots based at SLC or ATL)
BP9 (block 2)- Offline nonrevs
BP10- Fare and fee waived employee passes
BP11A- Online jumpseats
BP11B- Offline jumpseats
I used to be a gate agent and know fastair pretty well, and it has gotten quite confusing towards the end of my employment.
BP6B- is a UA retiree, they are only a BP6 on UA not on express carriers where they are 8C.
BP7- I have never seen a BP7
This is where it gets kind of confusing.
BP8A- is the employee of the operation carrier (priority is by senority of that airline)
BP8B- is what you say
BP8C-Is UAX employees on UA flights which goes by time of check in, but it is also other UAX employees not on their carrier eg a OO employee on a YV flt.
Now United recently changed this to where now on UAX carriers they still carry their senority. It's just too confusing. I like AA's system where everyone is on the same playing field. Be the first to check in.
44k From United States of America, joined Aug 2007, 309 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (4 years 10 months 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 3769 times:
Quoting Transpac787 (Reply 11): AA is relatively similar to NW, they just put D's in front of all their numbers:
D1- Vacation pass
D2- Standard (unlimited) pass
D3- Buddy pass and AA Eagle employees and dependents.
D4- AA Eagle buddy passes
D5- Oneworld pass
D6- All other airlines
Wrong.
Here is the correct AA non-revenue standby order.
Any Positive-space nonrevs can standby with the same codes as revenue pax. such as DSR, RI, RV, DRX, UPGE etc.
Non positive-space (unconfirmed) pax:
D1 - Vacation pass (4 per year)
D2 - Standard (unlimited, AA & AE employees)
D3 - Buddy pass (AA & AE)
TWA - TWA Retirees.
D4 - Special issue OA employee & their family (Very rare)
C4I - AX employee travel, such as Chautauqua hired people flying for an interview. (rare)
ONE - OneWorld partner airline employees.
ZED - ZED faring OA employees & their partners.
ID90 - ID90 tkt faring OA employees & their partners.
E - Universal OA employee listing. Usually never used.
D6UJ - OA pilots, unlimited cockpit jumpseat access.
D6LJ - OA pilots, limited cockpit jumpseat access.
D7 - OA flight attendants from partner airlines.
If youre a through pax. Your code will be amended with a "T" and will go ahead of others non through pax. eg. D2T will go ahead of D2.
These are also a few others that are extremely rare, and are practically never used. Basically the most common ones are D1, D2, D3, ZED, and D6. others you will encounter rarely.
IMHO, AA has the most logical and non-convoluted standby systems from any airlines that I have seen. Your place on the priority list is based on check-in time, which is one of the biggest pluses.
Silentbob From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 1665 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (4 years 10 months 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 3767 times:
While not an F upgrade, NK did put me in one of their big front seats on each leg last month.
CALRAMPER From United States of America, joined Jun 2008, 92 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (4 years 10 months 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 3723 times:
Quoting Transpac787 (Reply 11): AA is relatively similar to NW, they just put D's in front of all their numbers:
D1- Vacation pass
D2- Standard (unlimited) pass
D3- Buddy pass and AA Eagle employees and dependents
AA Eagle employees and dependents are actually D2's
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I agree. I mostly wear proper cloths, be polite and then just wait. On AC it brought me Executive class upgrade without paying anything, and I only had a normal economy class ticket. 
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