Flying Standby Overrated

[Sisson2011]

So I am in college majoring in aviation with goals to enter the airline world. I have always had a large amount of interest in the aspect of the travel benefits because I want to travel all and see the world (wife willing).

One problem is from a few people I have heard that that benefit is really overrated. Is that true?

Also is it truely free? Or is it just free for me but my spouse and parents have to pay? And what about us as a family(future family) flying on another airline is that aloud?

This is just one thing that I truely do look forward to I was just wandering how beneficial and the general facts about it.

Thanks
-Matt (University of Oklahoma)

[Stone Cold]

Oklahoma, eh...there are a few jokes out there for that, but I'll refrain. Welcome aboard. I've never worked for an airline, so I'll let all the airline guys and gals answer that one...

[EDUC8-or]

It all depends on how you look at it. If you are flexible and don't have to travel during peak times (weekends and holidays) it's fairly easy. It also depends on where you live. I have US Airways flight benefits and live in Charlotte. My parents live in Phoenix. You can get to just about anywhere from those two hubs in our system in one or two legs. Now if you live somewhere in Oklahoma you're probably looking at 2-3 legs. The more legs, the more chances of getting bumped.

[Doug Taylor]

It's not overrated, it's a great benefit.

And you bennies largely depend on the airline you fly for. Usually as you climb up the 'food chain', the benefits improve as well.

Also is it truely free?

Again, depends. Kristie and I can fly, unlimited, Delta for $50/year, on-time fee. But we pay international taxes when we fly to Europe which range from $20 to $80 depending on the country. The Brits are exceptionally "proud" of their services so charge accordingly.

Or is it just free for me but my spouse and parents have to pay?

Again, depends on the airline.

And what about us as a family(future family) flying on another airline is that aloud?

Sure, there are "Zed" fares, which I have no idea what they are and things like ID-90 and ID-75's (more or less 90% and 75% off the full fare) while traveling "offline" or a carrier other than the one you're employed by.

HOWEVER, if there's someplace you absolutely need to be, you're far better off buying a ticket. Like if you've got big plans to non rev to Las Vegas for New Years eve, or fly to Munich on a specific day for Oktoberfest, you'd better be flexible!

I've had pretty good luck non-revving so far, but when I get stuck or have to change travel plans last minute, I don't get too bent out of shape.

[Nick]

I non-revved about 60,000 miles in 2007 and only got bumped once once, and got first class eight different times on three different airlines. The one I got bumped from was due to an unusually large piece of cargo on a route that is never otherwise weight critical.

The cost of that travel for the year cost me about $200, including departure taxes in four countries. $130 of that $200 was on Qantas.

That is traveling single though, not with even one other companion who needed to be on the same flight (I traveled with other people one some trips but they did not have to be on the same flight as me, though that never was an issue). Adding in things like that, or kids, would make it tougher because one open seat is no longer enough.

Sometimes if there are 3 open seats left and there's a family of four at the gate, their inability to get on together will let 3 other people get on the plane even though they are lower priority. That's just an example.

As for your family and parents question, I think if I had a spouse they'd have to pay $12 per direction to travel, unless they used one of the dozen or so passes that I have right now. My parents non-revved a few times in 2007 and they paid $25 round trip each. So for them to go to someplace on a vacation was $50 roundtrip.

You have to be flexible and that is the bottom line. If you want to go on vacation one week, choose a few cities that have the best loads and start to plan a vacation at each of them. A week prior it may become obvious which city is going to have the most open seats. Or maybe you want the one that has the most open first class seats. The day before it will of course be plenty accurate by then and the places you had planned to go to but won't on that particular trip can just be saved for next time.

[Doug Taylor]

The smaller the group the better.

If you're dragging yourself, your spouse and three kids to Orlando for a pre-paid non-refundable vacation, you'd better buy a ticket else you'll spend 3X the amount in therapy!

[blee256]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

HOWEVER, if there's someplace you absolutely need to be, you're far better off buying a ticket. Like if you've got big plans to non rev to Las Vegas for New Years eve, or fly to Munich on a specific day for Oktoberfest, you'd better be flexible!

Our mothership airline offers tickets for 20% off the lowest fare, and its a guaranteed seat. So if you really have to be there, this is a nice option.

[Doug Taylor]

Here too. I still haven't done it yet!

[N826AW]

Getting bumped isn't too bad as long as your trip isn't time critical. Those days where flights are full, you may just need to get a little creative.

Case in point, A revenue ticket for my PHX-NYC Christmas trip would have been $503 roundtrip so instead I non-revved.

The PHX-EWR/JFK flights were really bad. I flew up to Vegas spent the night there and then did LAS-JFK.

On the way back I had to get a little more creative. Again the direct flights were poopy. So I did LGA-PHL-CLT. I got to CLT and basically played non-rev roulette. I listed for an SFO, LAX, and PHX flight and made the SFO. I spent the night there, got up the next morning, walked the Embarcadero and flew home.

Total cost for a round-trip ticket, 6 days in NYC, 1 night in Vegas, and 1 night in San Francisco, $182.38.

Originally Posted by blee256

Our mothership airline offers tickets for 20% off the lowest fare, and its a guaranteed seat. So if you really have to be there, this is a nice option.

US does that too.

[Kristie]

Originally Posted by blee256

Our mothership airline offers tickets for 20% off the lowest fare, and its a guaranteed seat. So if you really have to be there, this is a nice option.

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Here too. I still haven't done it yet!

I've heard that benefit isn't worth it because it's the 20% discount the day of flight cost....I'm pretty sure you can't get a 20% discount on an already discounted fare. or am i wrong on that?

[Doug Taylor]

20% off of the lowest advertised fare, whatever that is.

Say Orbitz has the lowest price from PHX to LGW.... It's showing $516... So you can call the pass bureau or Travelnet, I think and get it for $413 or so.

[EDUC8-or]

It's 20% off the lowest base fare, but the taxes aren't discounted.

[av8sean]

When I worked at US Airways I nonreved to Europe, Asia, and all over North America. Only got bumped twice, and once was on Northwest Airlines out of Bangkok. Got stuck behind and Indian NW employee with about 8 kids.

Pilots love to complain, but nonrev'ing isn't bad as long as you don't go during peak travel season and take a bit of care selecting your flights. It isn't rocket science.

[Ddub1214]

Flying standby is an amazing benefit and definitely not overrated, but at the same time, its easy and great when you get on, but can be a really long day when things don't go to plan. Sometimes you have to get creative and be really patient. The biggest thing I've learned is that its not what flight you want to take thats important, its what your backup is if you don't make it on.

Just on my last trip to Amsterdam over the holidays, I went from SFO-LAX-ORD-AMS, and on the way back AMS-IAD-DEN-SFO because of delays and cancellations. On a positive note, I got first class on both the transatlantic legs and paid less than $200 total. I've also spent 6 hours waiting at PHX because every flight on two airlines was full but luckily got the last seat on the last flight out. Sometimes you just have to get lucky.

As far as spouses, parents, and kids, different airlines have different policies but they have the same nonrev benefits you do, though some airlines charge a small fee. There are also ZED (reduced fares calculated by mileage) and ID90's (90% off of full fare) that let you travel on carriers you don't work with. I believe with most airlines you get charged a fee for business or first class, but even on long flights its not much, especially compared to the full fare. I also get a few buddy passes for friends and family, though it seemed like everybody wanted to travel for cheap right before thanksgiving or xmas.

Bottom line nonrevving is great if you're smart about it and have a backup plan. You'll have some bad days occasionally, but just think of all the money you're saving!

[ILSstud]

Hardly overrated if you really love traveling :-) I can only speak for myself, but being in college and having the benefit of traveling nonrev is a great benefit. I have traveled well over 20 trips (5 to Europe) in the past 8-9 months or so and I think total I might have paid like 200 dollars or less...businesselite and first quite a few times...just be flexible and enjoy! It is better than sitting at home on an idle weekend haha. Nothing beats being bored on a Saturday and just jetting off somewhere for lunch and coming back. Now putting up with the TSA that much is another story

[NJA_Capt]

Highly over-rated. For the exact same reasons that the "not over-rated" folks have stated.

You have to be flexible.
You never know if you will get on the plane to leave.
If you make it to the destination, you don't know if you will make the flight back.....or the next one.....or the next one.
If you want to vacation when/where the masses are vacationing, forget it.
You may have to "get creative" flying multi legs to get where you want.
Non-revs also get last dibs on meal flights.

I prefer the fewest legs possible and guaranteed seating (FC of course). I don't want to spend half my time waiting in terminals or airlining though cities I didn't plan on visiting. You either have to pony up the $$ or cash in some perk points (free/space positive).

[FlyboyZR1]

Originally Posted by NJA_Capt

Non-revs also get last dibs on meal flights.

I've never heard that one before. How would a FA even know who's nonrevving and who's not when serving meals?

[OldTownPilot]

Originally Posted by FlyboyZR1

I've never heard that one before. How would a FA even know who's nonrevving and who's not when serving meals?

The FAs get a list of where all the non-revs are sitting. You'll get last choice when you are up front (first class) going international. I've never been passed over in the back, It seems like that would be more of a pain for the FAs. Haven't been in first domestically in a looooooonnnnng time, so I dont know.

Yep, it's overrated domestically, you are better off buying a $200 (or less these days) ticket. I could have driven from Florida faster than this last non-rev trip. International kicks ass though.

[bwade210]

Overated?! Lets see, in the last 6 months my girlfriend and I have flown

SAT- LAS
SAT- ORD
SAT- DCA
SAT- LAS
SAT- SLC
SAT-RDU
SAT- DCA (got back yesterday)

all for free. Just for working in an enviroment in which I love for an airline which I enjoy. Plus all of my friends that have boring desk and construction jobs are jealous that we (airlines employees) have such great benefits which adds to the fun.

[Clocks]

As long as you understand there is a chance you wont be flying the day you planned, its fine. If you can't delay your travel plans (to your destination or back home) by a day, buy a ticket.

[E_Dawg]

It is not overrated in the least!!! In fact it might be underrated since not nearly enough people take advantage of this GREAT benefit. You can go almost anywhere in the world for 1-3% or less of what a normal ticket costs, including taxes. In some cases you're able to get business or even first class, which really makes getting there part of the fun instead just a means to get somewhere. It also allows for spontaneity, you can see an article in a travel mag and a few hours later be on an airplane to that exact destination.

Downsides being that it's hard to motivate yourself to go to the airport on a day off, even if you are going somewhere fun. Also nothing is 'free', and if all the seats are sold, you're not getting on. However there are ways to check loads in advance and modify your travel plans if need be. I never go international without good loads AND a backup plan to get back to somewhere in the US, be it another airline, multiple flights a day, standby tickets on a foreign airline (zed fares), etc.

Domestic is entirely free, but I figure if I haven't been there already, we probably have a layover somewhere similar...

[SoCalAprch]

Worth about as much as a used square of toilet paper. J/K I haven't even used any of my travel bennies yet...

[scramjet]

I grew up in an airline family and still have the bennies as a college student until I'm graduated. Man oh man are they worth it! Used to be you could get a lot of places out of PIT with just one leg or rarely two. Nowadays it's not so great with the hub gone, but it's not that bad either. Plus I like flying multiple legs, it's just fun to me. I won't even tell you the route I had to take to get to SAT from PIT one time!

As far as the meals, USAir doesn't provide them anymore, but when they did, we never had to "go last" that I remember. The only time I remember having to go last for the meals was flying from Pittsburgh to Frankfurt once (still got food) and another time flying First Class to Denver only because my dad didn't list us soon enough.

[Kristie]

Originally Posted by NJA_Capt

Highly over-rated. For the exact same reasons that the "not over-rated" folks have stated.

You have to be flexible.
You never know if you will get on the plane to leave.
If you make it to the destination, you don't know if you will make the flight back.....or the next one.....or the next one.
If you want to vacation when/where the masses are vacationing, forget it.
You may have to "get creative" flying multi legs to get where you want.
Non-revs also get last dibs on meal flights.

I prefer the fewest legs possible and guaranteed seating (FC of course). I don't want to spend half my time waiting in terminals or airlining though cities I didn't plan on visiting. You either have to pony up the $$ or cash in some perk points (free/space positive).

Originally Posted by bwade210

Overated?! Lets see, in the last 6 months my girlfriend and I have flown

SAT- LAS
SAT- ORD
SAT- DCA
SAT- LAS
SAT- SLC
SAT-RDU
SAT- DCA (got back yesterday)

all for free. Just for working in an enviroment in which I love for an airline which I enjoy. Plus all of my friends that have boring desk and construction jobs are jealous that we (airlines employees) have such great benefits which adds to the fun.

and that right there shows the perk....sure, you could get a guaranteed FC ticket and pay a bazillion dollars for that ticket...but you won't get to travel as nearly as often as you can when non-revving... it makes vacations a lot less expensive and therefore, more frequent.

I've never been denied a meal flying coach overseas or domestically.. sure, in FC, it's possible to get last dibs but i've really only experienced that maybe once or twice on the many trips i've had... and it really doesn't bother me to not get what i'd like to try... they're all "ok" and it's food.

The FA's do get a list that labels the non-revs but it also labels the passengers as well so if they need to call you by name, they can. esp in FC where technically you should be called by Mr, Mrs, Miss...

it's yin/yang!

[falconvalley]

Like others said, I think it's all in how you look at it. I look at it like investing. If you take the low risk, you might not really get much of a return, because you're not utilizing much of the investment. If you take the high risk, you could come out way ahead or you could bomb big time. Try the medium risk. It will give you the best average return and the chances you will be happy with your investment are good. This means, take stand-by for what it's worth. It's "stand-by", meaning you ride if there's a seat available and everything else works out. It shouldn't be counted on as dependable transportation, because it's not. It's great for those who want a free ride somewhere and can either find a way back or be flexible about when they travel. I've used it many times with great success but, I haven't used it for 100% of my travels. It has given me more time with my family and friends for much, much less money. You can't over-rate that.