anc-ord772

If you are flying as a nonrev (buddy pass) without the sponser (lowest of the low) on an international flight with C and Y full but F empty will the GA put you in F (I know only C & Y are allowed without the sponser) or move someone up to accomidate you, or will you have to try another flight? 2 of my friends heading out on BP's wanted to know.

kevanyalowitz

ANC-

Tell them they are cheap!!!

UnitedSkies

GAs will not allow a BP-8C to travel in 3-cabin first without the sponsor. In general, in case of oversell, the GA's priority is moving all paid C up to F, then moving select Y passengers up to C in order to accomodate any remaining passengers. I don't think a GA move other passengers up to F to accomodate additional non-revenue standby passengers to get on the flight. Flights have gone out with F cabins with empty seats while leaving passengers ineligible for 3-class F at the gate.

anc-ord772

thanks, thats what they wanted to know.

oskidunker

A friend may give our family 4 comps to use so we can fly to Miami from SFO for a cruise 12/29.

I notice there is a 6am flight on a 757. Someone once told me to go as early as possible when using comps as people don't wake up and miss the early flights. Anyone have any advise? Have not tried this before.

Plan to go a day early, maybe two to be sure we make it.

Liz

Do you mean companion tickets?

Bear96

That is very wise.

However, you will be in the middle of the holiday period, which is always somewhat risky on any type of employee stand-by ticket, especially for a family of four.

And if you are a family of four, make sure you have enough tickets. I am not exactly sure what you mean by "comps," but if they are companion tickets, and you have been given four coupons, that will only get four people on one segment, like SFO-MIA. Round trip would require eight coupons. And if you can't get on a nonstop and have to make a connection, you will need other coupons for each segment. Four people travelling, for example, SFO-DEN-MIA-ORD-SFO will thus require 16 ticket coupons.

Companion tickets are also rather expensive. You can often do better booking a cheap fare far in advance. If you already know about travel plans eight months in advance, I would shop around for a revenue ticket and compare it to the compainion ticket price. You could probably get a similar deal on price, and wouldn't have to worry about the hassles of stand-by (including a hotel for a few nights if you are planning to get there a couple of days early due to the stand-by risks).

Finally, I seem to remember some rule that only a couple people at a time can travel on any one employee's companion tickets. I forget the details -- maybe a current UA employee (Liz?) can fill in the gap in my memory ...

TMAYER

I would second the "look for cheap tickets" idea. ITs a personal preference, but I would be a nervous wreck sitting in the airport hoping to get on the flight.

oskidunker

he says he gets so many tickets per year he can give to friends. So I don't exactly know the details.

zabes64

Remember on these that there is a cost to the employee/retiree and you must switch planes in DEN, so you have to not only worry about getting on the SFO-DEN flight, but then the DEN-MIA flight which is TED.

Those companion passes still have a fee associated with them and in this case it is $70 1 way to DEN and $50 1 way to MIA and he must be a good friend if he is going to eat the $480 in fee's he's charged for you to use those passes. Just keep that in mind, and if you're flying r/t double that cost.. so at that time of year maybe a revenue ticket would be better?

I only use my friends companion passes when I have to do a last minute trip, like this weekend

oskidunker

Through Travelocity for $364.00 per person round trip.UAL out. Frontier back.Looks like I would have not saved much with the passes. I didn't realize they had that kind of a charge. How can they call them non revenue?

IFLYUA

As others have mentioned, buddy passes are *NOT* cheap! UA made some changes to the buddy pass system a few years ago. Buddy passes are better used for international travel rather than domestic. With flight loads at record-setting levels, I'd be very very VERY careful traveling on a buddy pass as you are literally at THE bottom of the list for a seat.

dhammer53

Just before September 11, I was going to fly to Central America with a JFK based flight att that I was friends with. Many United employees were collecting school supplies, stationery goods, and toys for the poor.
I told my friend that I would gladly donate boxes of supplies if I could go down there with her. The trip was planned in late September 2001. Needless to say the trip was cancelled.

So, did you ever fly on a buddy pass. <<< asked of United frequent flyers, not employees.

aisleorwindow

Yes. A friend's mother is a UA FA. She had passes that were expiring and I flew ORD-SEA and then later SFO-ORD. I reimbursed her and IIRC it was ~ $180. I did not get upgraded on either flight, FWIW.

Edited to add: This was at least 3 or 4 years ago.

UNITED959

I did once. Didn't like it too much as I had to sport lame khakis and a wrinkled polo shirt in the event I'd get a seat in F.