For those of you who travel a lot, please share any advice you have for your fellow non-revs.
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24 Responses to “What kind of advice do you have for your fellow passriders?”
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Always have a back up plan.Book with one airlines, but know of another airlines in case its not working out. Always ask how full they are and if there is a chance you will get bumped some place. Anything can and will happen.
Have a plan b Example WN goes from Hrl to Den you get bumped in dal go to tul instead then den.plenty of seats here!avoid major hubs go around
Be sure to pack a pair of close-toed, nondescript shoes and a set of business-professional travel clothes if you typically travel casually. In the event you get bumped from a flight and end up on another airline, you don’t want to be stopped from boarding because the non-rev dress policies differ from airline to airline!
When I went from Phoenix to Honolulu, my airline was fine with sandals as footwear, so that’s all I packed. It was Hawaii, after all! On the way back home, the airline I had to switch to due to full flights wouldn’t let me board. $50 later with ugly (but acceptable!) shoes, I was finally on my way back to the mainland.
Pack separately. My hubby and I shared some luggage but were split up. I didn’t have contacts in, and he had both the toiletries and my glasses. I walked around MSP without corrective vision. I survived, but it was a little scary. (Am I the only one who finds it easier to make eye contact when people’s faces are fuzzy?)
Creature comforts make it easier to wait. Have a good book, a blanket (which can double as a pillow), and chargers for all electronic devices handy.
Don’t be afraid to buy yourself a good meal if you are stuck. Airport food can be pricy, but being comfortable and full with good food makes the waiting more bearable.
Stay hydrated. I don’t like to have to use the bathroom on a plane, but I feel better when I get to my destination and am well hydrated.
Bring books.. lots of books to pass the time! Actually I’m new to this myself, but as someone else said – check the flight loads if you can, definitely avoid the major cities and go around. A friend told me once that so many times per year you can actually upgrade your priority (on a Delta flight). Don’t know if its true, haven’t tried it but that could help in an emergency.
Stay FLEXIBLE! Trying to get to DFW from ATL, 3 hours after ATL had been shut down 1.5 hours for thunder storms – there were 114 revenue standby’s listed for 4 available seats on the last flight of the day. The information counters in A & B concourses had at least 200 people in line for each. The only hope for a non-rev, is to just get out of town – anywhere! All those revenue passengers will be showing up for the next day’s flights, leaving the non-rev stuck. In this case, a brisk walk down the concourse looking for a flight to anywhere, yielded a seat to DEN. After a short night in the DEN terminal, a 6am AA flight to DFW finished the trip.
Have a computer or iPhone/iPad, with which to check schedules, availabilities, and change listings. Know how to get on-line with airport WiFi services. Consider subscribing to a service (ie. BOINGO), or use a cellular Internet provider. Accurate and timely information is vital to making important travel decisions, under pressure.
Plan plan plan… Non-rev is a pain at time especially busy season. Check a few options and take direct non stop flights whenever possible that way you don’t have stops where u may get bumped off buy revenue pax or that airlines employees who will bump you off.
Flight Crew: Take J/S whenever possible I know commuting home we all want a cabin seat to relax but i rather get home! If its vacation suck it up take J/S when you land change and start the party.
We travel a lot two crew members with our lap baby and usually always get on. One takes J/S one takes a cabin seat with infant and we always takes shift with the baby and rotate from J/S to cabin
Always show your employee ID in the security lines! You can sometimes go through the employee screening line when not at your home base and not have to wait in the paying passenger lines. This saved me when I was in MDW because there were so many people in the lines I wouldn’t have made it back to the gate in time to catch the ZED flight. I was through security in 2 minutes instead of 1 hour.
Just some thoughts
1. Sounds obvious, but make sure there are plenty of seats! My first couple of years of non-reving I wouldn’t go to a international destination unless there were 100 plus seats. 15-20 on the return a week out is not enough. Loads do change.
2. Never check bags. You never know when you’ll have to change your final destination (or if you even get on the flight). If you don’t get on, chances are, you’re bags are going without you. Also, there is always that chance of your bags getting lost. Not worth the chance.
3. If you are an employee, know your other airline routes. Most carriers have agreements with each other. There is usually a way to get home. Employees, if you are traveling with a buddy pass, make sure there are PLENTY of seats available. If you are brave enough to have him/her travel alone, make sure they know the ropes. Please make sure the loads are wide open, as buddy pass riders don’t have the back up plans that we do.
Stay FLEXIBLE! Trying to get to DFW from ATL, 3 hours after ATL had been shut down 1.5 hours for thunder storms – there were 114 revenue standby’s listed for 4 available seats on the last flight of the day. The information counters in A & B concourses had at least 200 people in line for each. The only hope for a non-rev, is to just get out of town – anywhere! All those revenue passengers will be showing up for the next day’s flights, leaving the non-rev stuck. In this case, a brisk walk down the concourse looking for a flight to anywhere, yielded a seat to DEN. After a short night in the DEN terminal, a 6am AA flight to DFW finished the trip.
Have a computer or iPhone/iPad, with which to check schedules, availabilities, and change listings. Know how to get on-line with airport WiFi services. Consider subscribing to a service (ie. BOINGO), or use a cellular Internet provider. Accurate and timely information is vital to making important travel decisions, under pressure.
I am a continental passrider and am planning a trip to Istanbul Turkey.
Does anyone know the what the best way to get there is using my pass???
Hi Adam,
Thanks for stopping by.
You did not say where you are located, but here is a stab at it.
You can take Continental to Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Zurich, Munich or London and then take Turkish Airlines or any other carrier with which Continental has an agreement to Istanbul (IST).
Turkish Airlines (TK) also flies from JFK to IST nonstop as well.
You can use the flight schedule application to the right for specific flight times.
http://www.passrider.com
Oh sorry from Houston to Istanbul. Just wanted to know if I can use my pass to get an interline fare from Frankfurt to Istanbul on a Continental Partner? If so how do I book it as a passrider?
We all know that gate agents don’t like people who non-rev but no one can tell us why. So…. check in with them to ensure you’re on the list (as you most likely already do)… then wait 5 minutes and go offer her/him a coffee on you. I’ve only had 4 people in 3 years accept (even if I’m in uniform) but they all get that SOMEONE is thinking about them and not just if they can get on the flight.
Hi Adam,
You can fly from Frankfurt to Istanbul on Lufthansa (LH) and Turkish Airlines (TK).
You cannot book these on passrider.com. It is necessary to list for LH at http://www.flyzed.com (contact CO for the username and password) and contact Turkish Airlines at 1 800 874 8875. Additional numbers can be found at http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-INT/contact_us/offices.aspx.
Purchase your ZED tickets from the CO pass office or at the airport.
Have a great trip.
passrider.com
Very nice Nancy!
Thank you for the comment.
passrider.com
Thanks for all the help from both of you!
Knowing which airlines talk with each other can be very helpful. For example, Delta will not send passengers from one of their delayed/canceled flights to Airtran. This means that Airtran could go out with a lot of empty seats to your destination while Delta ends up with full flights for the rest of the day.
Catherine,
This is a really good tip, thank you.
I always ensure that I look at alternate routes from time to time.
passrider.com.
When travelling on any Turkish Airlines flight, always introduce yourself to the Cabin senior, telling about your airline and function. Then ask nicely if there might be a seat available in Business Class. She will usually ask the Capt and he decides. Chances are good that you will get a seat in Business if there is space available.
You cannot list for any TK flight on flyzed. Go directly to the respective TK ticket sales office at the airport and list there.
We will introduce many more North American routes this year. I heard rumors about Los Angeles, Houston, Boston, Atlanta and Miami so far. Most will be served by brandnew Boeing 777′s straight out of the factory.
I Non-rev a lot. You dont always come across gate agents that dont like people who fly non-rev. If you go to them remembering that they have to put up with a lot of BS from people, offer them a kind word, joke around they will do what they can to get you on that flight. Sometimes when I am sitting in the gate area waiting and I see a gate agent getting an ear full from a pax (even if they are not the agent at the gate I am waiting at) I will give them a kind word. Sometimes if I have the extra money I will get them a candy or “goody” but I work for an airline and dont make much more then my mortage payment. Just treat them as you want to be treated when someone has given you a bad day. Kindness goes a long way.
I always list for first class and it shows on boarding card, this helped me out when I was in LA and had to run for a flight! United has a line at TSA for first class and other prefered customers!! This saved me!
A F/A showed me a site that gave load information for other airlines. Something with smiley faces when loads looked good, and sad faces when loads looked bad…does anyone know what site this is?
Hi Bob C, the site is ifc.id90.com