Doug From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 814 posts, RR: 0 Posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks ago) and read 2300 times:
Non rev travel so far for me has been just about what I expected.You really have to think and plot in order to get on low load flights which seem to be a rareity.I am in Miami for Friday and Saturday befor I head back on Sunday to DFW on board my first of many triple 7 flights.
I remember when I wrote a post some time ago trying to tell my little known knowledge of what non rev travel on American Airlines is all about.Now I definitley know the ends and outs of meal listings, D1 ,D2 ,D3 the managements A passes and the emergency A9 pass ID90 the FAA's jumpseat request e.t.c.I have had good luck so far and have not been bumped yet and I defintely enjoy the benefits of being able to fly on a moments notice from DFW to SFO just to have dinner and come right back to DFW.For an aviation entusiast like my self it is a privlidge to be able to hop on a silver bird and go where ever you feel.Those of you who enjoy the benfit of non rev travel tell your side,the good the bad and so forth.
Wilcharl From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1158 posts, RR: 3 Reply 1, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 2195 times:
I second that on non-rev travel. As a poor college student @ Embry Riddle, Smashing bags during the summer earned me the joy of non rev travel. While most kids had McDonalds type jobes, I was in a differnt city each week, even went to see the doctor in Florida that I go to when Im in school while i was at home in the summer. I did an interline flight on Virgan Atlantic and they treated me like a most welcomed guest. They appolgized becaue someone upgraded to upper class and they would have to accomodate me in coach, but gave me an exit row and did not put anyone next to me. In London the virgin ticekt sales staff gave me a tshirt, and took care of listing me on the flights and giving me the predicted load factors for the flights. On my return apparently it was the saturday after all the school kids in london got out for summer vacation so the flights to the states were packed, none the less they took care of listing me and I got out on the second flight and was whisked on the plane at the last second and still got an isle seat close to the front of the plane. If their flights were full they said they would even have got me on the continental code share 777. My flight over was ATL-BOS on FL and BOS-LGW on Virgin
My return plans were origonaly the reverse, but when i found out it was vacation time realzied i would hit more flgihts out of Heathrow. I tried for LHR-IAD and that was the full flgiht. The next flgiht was LHR-JFK which was the one they got me on, I then took a bus for a few bucks from JFK to LGA and flew back on FL to ATL . The ground staff @ LGA were great. I heared horrer stories about New yorkers and figured they would put me in row 28 but they had me in first class..
Purdue Arrow From United States of America, joined May 1999, 1574 posts, RR: 10 Reply 2, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 2185 times:
Non-rev travel is great... especially now that it's free! I have had priveleges on American for my whole life, and though I've been bumped a few times I have also had many opportunities to travel all over the country, as well as to fly First and Business class. As far as I'm concerned, the hassles of finding decent flights are outweighed by the benefits of being able to travel on a whim at little or no cost. I just got off of my first flight since AA improved it's program last week, and the flight was great!
Che From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 537 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 2155 times:
As you I also non-rev on American. I honestly believe that because I have been able to non-rev on AA since I was little made me like planes and avation the way I do today. I have had great luck but I have also been bumped on occasions. (i am a D3) But being bumped for me is most times a good thing. I dont mind spending time at an airport. I am very thankful to my uncle for workinf for AA and me being able to nonrev on the greatest AAirline. -che
ContinentalCLE From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 127 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 2150 times:
Purdue Arrow From United States of America, joined May 1999, 1574 posts, RR: 10 Reply 5, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days ago) and read 2135 times:
What makes Continental's non-rev travel better, ContinentalCLE? How much do you know about AAs program? I'm not sure how much better it can get than free, unlimited travel to any city in the system, worldwide.
Teahan From Belgium, joined Nov 1999, 5255 posts, RR: 67 Reply 6, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 2132 times:
You have a great life non reving in the US. We in Europe have to pay either ID90s on the lowest fare with our home airline or ID90s or ID95 on the highest fare with foreign airlines. For example a ZRH-DUB-ZRH is over $50! )-: )-:. I heard from people on this forum who fly to HNL on Saturday morning and return that evening! We can never do stuff like that in Europe.
Here are a few samples of fares considering my home airline is SR
Zurich-Dublin return $50 (80CHF) LX Zurich-Geneva $25 (40 CHF) SR Dublin-JFK $120 (170CHF) EI Geneva-Hannover $35 (55CHF) SR/LX via Basel
Jeremiah Teahan
Goodbye SR-LX MD-11 / 6th of March 1991 to the 31st of October 2004
Delta15 From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 617 posts, RR: 6 Reply 7, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 2126 times:
For those that said continental and AA were the best, you obviously dont know about deltas nonrev benefits. After a month of working for Delta all flying is free. The only thing you dont get unlimited amounts of is transatlantic flights. You get like 18 a year; which doesnt even matter cause noone even flys 18 transatlantic flights a year. The only bad thing about flying Non rev is first class. I get it sooo much that i just expect it every time i fly. When I first started flying nonrev I was so happy when i got first, now its no big deal. Another bad thing is my benefits go away when im 23. Ill dread the day when it comes. Oh well ive still got six years.
If someone thinks their ailine has better benefits ide like to hear.
Purdue Arrow From United States of America, joined May 1999, 1574 posts, RR: 10 Reply 8, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2121 times:
Delta15 - American does give me free transatlantic flights as well. I could spend the whole year doing nothing but flying NRT-DFW-LGW-NRT-DFW-LGW etc. without paying a penny other than taxes.
B747-437B From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2116 times:
With my dad's seniority at AI, he (and by extension, his family) is now entitled to unlimited domestic First Class tickets within India (airline picks up the tax on the first 6 roundtrips/year after which you have to pay the tax only) plus 2 F/J Class systemwide ID00s and 2 F/J Class systemwide ID90s. These perks remain throughout his lifetime (after 37 yrs thats the least they can do) and even after that, a surviving spouse will retain the systemwide benefits for their lifetime. The F/J tickets give us priority for the F/J seats over upgraded revenue passengers from coach - so they are very useful for BOM-LHR-ORD and other longhaul flights where coach is a pain and everyone tries to upgrade.
Of course, AI also has reciprocity agreements with pretty much every major US carrier as well (DL, AA, UA, CO, NW, US, TW, HP, FF for sure since I have used the benefits on them!) and I get a variety of benefits ranging from limited D4 ID00s to unlimited D3 ID90s to positive space ID50s on them. All-in-all not a bad life...
I rarely use my dad's benefits anymore, but its a useful perk to have for leisure trips that don't involve a Saturday night stay.
Surf From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2109 times:
If you are the child of an airline employee, dont' your ID-90, and "Free Pass" travel run out at the age of 25? After that, you have to use the Companion passes (they go by other names elsewhere) and pay the per-mile surcharge (maybe some airlines don't require the surcharge) but in any case, your luck runs out for the rest at 25 does it not? What are the policies for different airlines?
B747-437B From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 2096 times:
As far as AI is concerned, I get AI benefits ad infinitum. Interline benefits are restricted by other carrier's policies (if any). This ranges from 18-25 depending on carrier.
Purdue Arrow From United States of America, joined May 1999, 1574 posts, RR: 10 Reply 14, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 2072 times:
Surf - American's travel benefits, like all other benefits (insurance etc.) are available until a dependent is no longer a dependent. As defined by American, a dependent must be under 23 years old and a full time student. Therefore, I will have benefits from American until I graduate from Purdue at the age of 21, unless I choose to pursue a master's degree.
Golfhaus From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 132 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 2055 times:
US Airways offers free standby travel to all employees, including the employees of the affiliated Express carriers, from day one. My third week with Piedmont, I flew across the country, and felt really smug looking around at me and thinking, "Ha! You people had to PAY for your tickets!" The only bad thing is that I've gotten so used to the idea of it that I'll have to work in the industry for the rest of my life. Granted, if that's the BAD thing, it's a pretty fair setup I have...
AA@DFW From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 397 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 2033 times:
Purdue Arrow:
Actually, American recently changed their policy on the age of dependent children -- they've bumped it up to 24 years of age! I graduated last year from my undergrad institution at the age of 22 and was so happy to see that I can non-rev until the age of 24 because I'm now in a 2 year masters program in Boston.
Check out the "AA Tripbook" (it's light blue with the AA logo on front) -- your parents will have a copy of the latest one and look up the age of dependent children. It's great news! Couldn't have come at a better time.
LordOfTheFlys From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 79 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 2027 times:
AA sounds just about the same as Delta. I have found non-rev'ing to be a pain...drive 45 minutes to the airport, park in the employees parking lot, take the shuttle to the terminal, check in, wait at the gate until the very last possible moment for the agents to add up what seats are left only to find out there is nothing left, go back to the curb, wait for the shuttle to take you back to the lot, drive 45 min home, and try it all again the next day. I find myself taking 1 A.M. flights and falling asleep during the flight, which isn't a good thing if you love airliners and want to experience the flight. But I guess the "goods" out weight the "bads".
Does AA give you deals on american eagle? I know Delta non-revs get breaks on ASA and ComAir flights.
AA@DFW From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 397 posts, RR: 1 Reply 19, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 2017 times:
American employees get parallel benefits on American Eagle -- there is no difference between the two. Also, you can fly on the other carriers AMR owns - business express, etc..
Purdue Arrow From United States of America, joined May 1999, 1574 posts, RR: 10 Reply 20, posted (11 years 7 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 2001 times:
I didn't know that, AA@DFW! That is perfect timing, as I too will soon be graduating from my Bachelor's program!
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The only bad thing is that I've gotten so used to the idea of it that I'll have to work in the industry for the rest of my life. Granted, if that's the BAD thing, it's a pretty fair setup I have... 
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