How Do You Non-rev?

Fly2HMO · Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:40 am

I read that plenty of a.nuts here have nonreved. I was curious on how some of you get to do that. Do you/a family member work for an airline? Is it really flying for free? Any drawbacks to non-reving?

Thx Smile

charlienorth · Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:48 am

Have worked for a couple airlines,it is a nice way to go usually,most of the people who have problems flying standby didn't do their homework,they travel on the busy days,don't check loads in advance,it does cost,depends on the airline,some are a flat yearly fee,the companys I have worked charge a mileage based fee which is deducted from your paycheck,it is a great privilege,we've flown to Boston for the day for lobster dinner a few times!The biggest drawback is getting bumped,which I mentioned the causes earlier,but I've never had a major problem.

jhooper · Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:59 am

Some airlines offer better travel benefits than others, with varying degrees of eligible pass riders, which might include an employee, spouse, minor dependent children, and possibly even parents, non-dependent children, "domestic partners", and "buddy passes".

charlienorth · Mon Sep 11, 2006 9:03 am

I've had people ask about buddy passes,in most cases you can find better prices on the internet.

jetdeltamsy · Mon Sep 11, 2006 9:09 am

Delta offers FREE employee travel. It's all done via the internet. You show up at the gate, get on the standby list, then your boarding pass.

I know American charges services charges based you years of service. I think after 5 years domestic travel is free.

Most carriers require the employee to pay the tax on international itineraries.

jhooper · Mon Sep 11, 2006 9:45 am

Quoting Jetdeltamsy (Reply 4):
Delta offers FREE employee travel.

Well, used to be anyway. They now charge a $50 annual fee. Still, next to nothing for such a great benefit.

Evan767 · Mon Sep 11, 2006 10:09 am

Quoting Jhooper (Reply 5):
Well, used to be anyway. They now charge a $50 annual fee. Still, next to nothing for such a great benefit.

Yeah that's true. You now need to pay $50 annually for free flights anywhere. That includes all of your eligible pass riders. Hell, we'd even pay $100 for EACH pass rider if we had too. In fact I think it's a good idea. It could rake in some cash for Delta. $$$.

jetdeltamsy · Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:49 pm

Quoting Jhooper (Reply 5):
Quoting Jetdeltamsy (Reply 4):
Delta offers FREE employee travel.

Well, used to be anyway. They now charge a $50 annual fee. Still, next to nothing for such a great benefit.

Yea, i had a brain fart and forgot the $50 fee. And to be sure, it's not the benefit it used to be. it can be VERY difficult to get anywhere in these times of 90% plus loads. You have to load up on ZEDs and ID90's to optimize your chances of getting home again. I don't buy ZEDs or ID90's outbound...if i can't get out, i don't go.

about the only place i can get to (and back) easily is Huntsville, Alabama! everyplace else that I want to go to is jammed packed all the time.

ORDagent · Mon Sep 11, 2006 1:53 pm

I worked for AA for four years and it was great but you were always the first to be bumped. I worked on the international ops and the agony of getting bumped for the third day in a row to a city with only one flight and you have to be at the gate at 0600 the next day to work was horrible particicularly if you were me and had to inform the nonrev. If you watched closely at the gate you will see various nervous people dressed far to nicely for the general public then you know they are employees. Remember they put the "E" on the seatmap not to deisignate a middle seat but an "Employee" seat. You have verly little recorse if you can't get boarded.

Now as a travel agent I get passes through my office. 99% of the time they are confirmed. The airline employee would have to look closely at the e-ticket to see if I was on a pass. They almost never know now that they don't get a paper coupon from me. That doesn't make for smooth flying! XX (can't mention the airline) has a new pass policy that inibits me from assigning seats ahead of time or checking in on line. Tha agent at the airport is responsibe. Since you don't have a seat assignment that means you would be on the top of the "bump" list! I guess it's only fare that people that pay real money to fly should get that exit row aisle seat. No non rev can complain. This industry has alowed me to fly more kinds of aircraft to more places than most people dream of. Kind of makes the low pay, crappy hours and rude traveling puplic worth it. Working at an airline was a great dream of mine that I am still benefiting from.

Silver1SWA · Mon Sep 11, 2006 5:13 pm

For WN:

Unlimited FREE space-available travel for employees, their parents, spouses, and eligible dependent children. Pass agreements with other airlines through our Pass Bureau or through over-the-counter station agreements exist offering free, or discounted travel on other carriers.

Go online, or call a number, list yourself on a flight, show up to the gate, get on the standby list and as long as their is space, you're on.

Waking up on your day off and asking yourself what city/cities you would like to have breakfast and/or lunch and/or dinner is not uncommon at all. sun

DFW13L · Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:01 pm

At American, domestic Coach (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico) is free after 5 years of service. There's a charge for first class, but it's not bad. International flights also charge the immigration/customs fees, etc. One good thing at American, which seems rare in the industry, is that a person's position on the standby list is based upon who checked in for the flight first, rather than seniority. It seems like most airlines use seniority, while I prefer the first come first served method--it's more predictable.

I too use lots of ZEDs and ID90s. I have a ZED on NW* that I ended up not using last week and I might be a guest aboard a UA 777 DEN-IAD in a few days.

chase · Mon Sep 11, 2006 9:56 pm

I believe at UA it is free, although my information is 10 years old.
At ATA, employee and family could fly free on any domestic flights, but for intl flights the airline passed any gov't taxes on to the non-revvers. My wife and I flew IND-YQB and IND-NAS daytrips for about $25 each.
All of what I said above is subject to the "if there is an available seat".
ATA also had zed agreements with several carriers, but I never used them Sad

modesto2 · Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:05 am

CO is $12.50 for each domestic economy segment. Not bad but better if you're a pilot and can jumpseat!

United767 · Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:46 am

Quoting Chase (Reply 11):
I believe at UA it is free, although my information is 10 years old

Up until 5 years ago it was free. Right now it is a small charge depending on how far you fly or what class you get. Although, they have a "special" boarding priority that you can choose to be the last non-rev on the plane regardless of your seniority and in return have no service charge.

sk601 · Tue Sep 12, 2006 12:51 am

I work for a Skyteam carrier and we pay a fee, including taxes and fuel surcharges. Some examples:

AMS-LAX-AMS E215,- (appr $270,-)
AMS-JNB-AMS E201,- (appr $255,-)
AMS-LHR-AMS E101,- (appr $128,-)
AMS-BCN-AMS E105,- (appr $133,-)

Not as good as DL with their $50 annual fee, but I don't complain, since it saves a good amount of money compared to confirmed tickets. Also, non-rev tickets are fully flexible, whereas cheap confirmed tickets are restricted.

I stranded a couple of times, for example 1 day in CUR, and a few times in MSP and DTW, but that's part of the excitement.

[Edited 2006-09-11 18:05:17]

Fly2HMO · Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:09 am

Thx for the info guys.

So the only way for a person like me to non-rev, who is not affiliated with any airline, travel agency, etc, is to get a buddy pass?

charlienorth · Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:26 am

Quoting FLY2HMO (Reply 15):
Thx for the info guys.

So the only way for a person like me to non-rev, who is not affiliated with any airline, travel agency, etc, is to get a buddy pass?

If you have a friend that is eligible,as I posted earlier most of the time you can get a much better deal with some research and you are protected if you get bumped...the better road to go if you can

EWRCabincrew · Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:30 am

Quoting Modesto2 (Reply 12):
CO is $12.50 for each domestic economy segment. Not bad but better if you're a pilot and can jumpseat!

If you have under ten years, it costs $12.50. Over ten years it's free travel domestically in coach. Over twenty five years service it's free first domestically.

I get to jumpseat far too much commuting. It is not as glamourous as it sounds. In the least.

[Edited 2006-09-11 21:39:12]

Knightsofmalta · Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:34 am

In the company I work for, staff don't pay the fuel surcharge when travelling stand-by. Generally speaking though, nowadays within Europe you pay more or less the same as for the lowest public fare. The real benefit is on long-haul flights.

Fortunately so far I was only ever left standing once, in Santiago de Chile, which was a bit of a bummer. On the other hand, we made it all the way to Oz and back on a stand-by ticket and managed to get on to every plane we'd planed for. As Charlienorth said in the beginning, if you use your common sense and choose the dates and flights carefully, the chances of being left standing aren't that big.

spirtofalaska · Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:36 am

i go to our company website...and list....i get FREE unlimited travel...as often as a I want...My parents get it, my spouse, my kids....and i get 20 guest passes..its a great deal...

alaska has a great Non rev package!

cancidas · Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:38 am

i do it a few times a year, and never really have a problem. this past memorial day i went for the weekend out to cali and got the last available seat on the flights from LGA to PIT and then on to SFO. but hey, i got on. the process is simple, you use you employeee number to book a reservation then check yourself in on the day of travel. you have to wait for a seat assignment, but like it was said before... if you do your homework it's easy as pie to find a good flight with open seats to get on and go. i've nonreved to BOS, DCA, ACK, HYA, MVY, SFO, MRY, PHX, FRA, WAW, IND and loads of other destinations. my carrier has graet fares with most of the alliance partners, and usually on some you only have to pay taxes. i even was able to send my father to europe for a weekend for $125, first class!

it's the only way to fly!

f9darol · Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:09 am

At F9 we get unlimited space available for employee, spouse, parents, and dependants. Free domestic, and taxes only international. Canada usually runs around $20 and Mexico around $40. It all depends on the season. We also have companions (if you don't list your parents or spouse) who get unlimited $55-60 travel for domestic and that plus taxes for international. Then they throw in 20 Buddy Passes each year! It's a great deal.

cy319 · Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:25 am

Low costs do not allow free tickets to their employees.
u just pay a small amount and u geta confirmed seat.
Charters work in a similar way.

aircanada014 · Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:58 am

My dad worked for AC as a pilot. I get buddy pass whenever I travel on AC. I do my homework so I make sure there are open seats in economy and business class. I usually pay 150.00 plus tax for international flights on standby.

C133 · Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:12 am

Quoting Silver1SWA (Reply 9):
Waking up on your day off and asking yourself what city/cities you would like to have breakfast and/or lunch and/or dinner is not uncommon at all.

You must have a much greater tolerance for the hassles of non-reving than I do. After almost 34 years at a US major, when I must travel by air I usually buy a ticket, these days. Sad but true, for me.

FutureFO · Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:15 am

UA is far from free except on UAX. UA and AA are the 2 highest charges for NRSA travel. AA is a ripoff. When I worked there it was sometimes cheaper to buy a ticket than non-rev. UA is almost as bad. If I was able to use my mileage plus card on UA I would however be a lifetime 100K flyer with over 5,000,000 miles on account. DL and US are free. Primarily use those 2 to non-rev. And of course I can jumpseat on B6.

Sean

mjlhou · Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:07 am

Quoting FLY2HMO (Reply 15):
So the only way for a person like me to non-rev, who is not affiliated with any airline, travel agency, etc, is to get a buddy pass?

Like other posters have stated, sometimes it's cheaper to use preiceline or some other internet option if you don't work for an airline. At WN, we get incetive passes every now and then and can give them to whomever we choose. So, I guess it depends on who you know, which airline they work for and what that airlines pass privelages and rules are. It can be a great experience though as long as u check the loads before u travel and travel at off peak times. cheerful

GQfluffy · Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:47 am

Fly "off time" flights. Usually those later at night. I know flying out of Montana, the early morning flights are packed full (usually people trying to connect to the East Coast, as are the late afternoon flights (either for Red Eyes back east or for the West Coast, but if you try for the mid-day flights...no problem. Fly during "off days". Always watch the loads of flights you want to take. Try to have a back-up plan or three. One time I flew to SEA, and had passes on OO (both DLX and UAX) and QX. The only issue I've noticed in my 2+ years in the industry is that the availability is getting smaller. Like I've said, I only have about 2 years or so, but my seniority is alot more then alot of other people that I've N/R-ed with. You'd be amazed how irritated a 6-month employee of NW got at me when I was able to get on a OO flight and they weren't. Big grin

syncmaster · Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:49 am

I call flight ops and tell them I want on (space avail. of course).

-Charlie

andrewuber · Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:51 am

Quoting Syncmaster (Reply 28):
I call flight ops and tell them I want on (space avail. of course).

...and then we take cool photos looking out the windshields. bigthumbsup

Drew

How Do You Non-rev?

How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

RE: How Do You Non-rev?

Who is online

Popular Searches On Airliners.net