Zonal Employee Discount calculates mileage to determine the fare for space available leisure travel for employees of one airline trying to travel on another airline. Even though it's classified as "nonrevenue travel" it is certainly not free. Aside from getting charged taxes, fees, and other applicable surcharges, you will also be charged for the flight itself. Travel in a ZED agreement is based on the "fare level" and the "mileage zone". There are nine zones and three different fare levels.The fare level you will travel at depends upon your airline's agreement with that carrier and if you're an Employee, qualified eligible dependent, or parent. The levels are ZED low (ZL), ZED medium (ZM), and ZED high (ZH). The mileage zones are based on a range of miles traveled within each zone.

The ZED fare coupon (or ticket) is usually obtained through your own airline (they're the one that does the financial transaction with the other carrier). The coupon is usually paid for in cash or check, depending on the airline which you work for, or you can have it payroll deducted. The ZED coupon is almost always a paper coupon, which makes it irreplaceable. It is like carrying cash, and with few exceptions, you can always have it refunded by handing it back to your airline. Having a ZED coupon is completely separate from having a "listing" on a particular airline. You can make a listing on any ZED carrier as often as you want. You can make a listing on every flight of every day if you wish, but you can't get on the flight unless you present the Ticket Agent with a ZED coupon, which they're supposed to attach to your boarding pass and collect from you at the gate. Most boarding passes should say "not valid without coupon attached" or something similar.