Delta buddy pass etiquette?
Jul 7, 2018, 1:32 pm
#61
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Atlanta, GA (KATL)
Programs: Delta SkyMiles KM, Sky Club/Priority Pass, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 458
Jul 7, 2018, 2:41 pm
#62
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: CONUS
Programs: HHonors, United, Delta
Posts: 828
Well, since we're all waiting in anticipation of what her odds are, I couldn't help peeking at the OP's flight. I assume it's the ATL>BCN one, even though all I gathered from the post is that it's JAX>BCN today, Sat the 7th. Also assuming here the pax first name starts with "D".
There's a total of 24 open seats to BCN.
2 that are in D1, 22 in the back of the bus.
She's #16 on the list of people waiting for seats, (6 of these are nonrevs, all the rest are paying pax).
Premium seating is probably out of the question, but a good-deal seat in the back of the bus beats being left behind at ATL. A seat, say, perhaps in the 22nd row wouldn't be out of the question.
Barcelona is awesome. I usually stay at the two Hiltons, the lounges there are nice, and the locations work for me. While you're strolling Las Ramblas, go grab me one of those fruit juices at the La Boqueria market!
Gotta get back there soon. Have a fun trip and a safe flight!
TDM
There's a total of 24 open seats to BCN.
2 that are in D1, 22 in the back of the bus.
She's #16 on the list of people waiting for seats, (6 of these are nonrevs, all the rest are paying pax).
Premium seating is probably out of the question, but a good-deal seat in the back of the bus beats being left behind at ATL. A seat, say, perhaps in the 22nd row wouldn't be out of the question.
Barcelona is awesome. I usually stay at the two Hiltons, the lounges there are nice, and the locations work for me. While you're strolling Las Ramblas, go grab me one of those fruit juices at the La Boqueria market!
Gotta get back there soon. Have a fun trip and a safe flight!
TDM
Jul 7, 2018, 2:51 pm
#63
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 13
Guess who's on her way to BCN?? This girl! 
You were spot on, we're in row 22. We both got the aisle seats. I'm ecstatic. I hope the rest of the trip goes this smoothly! :-:
Well, since we're all waiting in anticipation of what her odds are, I couldn't help peeking at the OP's flight. I assume it's the ATL>BCN one, even though all I gathered from the post is that it's JAX>BCN today, Sat the 7th. Also assuming here the pax first name starts with "D".
There's a total of 24 open seats to BCN.
2 that are in D1, 22 in the back of the bus.
She's #16 on the list of people waiting for seats, (6 of these are nonrevs, all the rest are paying pax).
Premium seating is probably out of the question, but a good-deal seat in the back of the bus beats being left behind at ATL. A seat, say, perhaps in the 22nd row wouldn't be out of the question.
Barcelona is awesome. I usually stay at the two Hiltons, the lounges there are nice, and the locations work for me. While you're strolling Las Ramblas, go grab me one of those fruit juices at the La Boqueria market!
Gotta get back there soon. Have a fun trip and a safe flight!
TDM
There's a total of 24 open seats to BCN.
2 that are in D1, 22 in the back of the bus.
She's #16 on the list of people waiting for seats, (6 of these are nonrevs, all the rest are paying pax).
Premium seating is probably out of the question, but a good-deal seat in the back of the bus beats being left behind at ATL. A seat, say, perhaps in the 22nd row wouldn't be out of the question.
Barcelona is awesome. I usually stay at the two Hiltons, the lounges there are nice, and the locations work for me. While you're strolling Las Ramblas, go grab me one of those fruit juices at the La Boqueria market!
Gotta get back there soon. Have a fun trip and a safe flight!
TDM
Last edited by Debra79; Jul 7, 2018 at 3:10 pm
Jul 7, 2018, 3:05 pm
#64
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 612
Did I sleep in airports? Lots of times, Chicago does have nice cots though. Did I have to wait? Plenty. Would I do it all over again? In a heart beat. First class to Tokyo, sure didn’t get to fly on the day I planned but unforgettable experience.
Only 2 issues I was afraid were going to Hawaii my first time for a direct turn around and not thinking would there be seats. Left work 5p Monday evening and got back 6:30a Wed morning. Not sure what would have happened if I didn’t show up to work Wed because I was stuck in Hawaii. Another time trying to get from MIA-NYC all flights full. Looked at connecting in Paris at CDG since Mia to CDG was wide open and CDG to JFK was wide open also but ended up getting on a flight to LGA without transiting in Europe. Great times though and that was just in 2015
Jul 7, 2018, 6:13 pm
#65
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, 1MM
Posts: 3,784
Jul 7, 2018, 9:17 pm
#66
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,947
With the upcoming changes where pass riders won’t be eligible for D1, it raises an interesting question. If a flight has 10 J seats and 0 Y seats available after everybody except pass riders has cleared, what happens next? Will the pass riders get J? Or will the GA op-up other passengers into J to make room in Y for buddy pass folks? Or do the buddy pass folks just not get to travel at all?
Jul 7, 2018, 9:29 pm
#67
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
With the upcoming changes where pass riders won’t be eligible for D1, it raises an interesting question. If a flight has 10 J seats and 0 Y seats available after everybody except pass riders has cleared, what happens next? Will the pass riders get J? Or will the GA op-up other passengers into J to make room in Y for buddy pass folks? Or do the buddy pass folks just not get to travel at all?
I would guess the latter as DL really has no reason to increase costs or violate its own policies to accommodate buddy pass riders. There might be exceptions, for instance, during natural disasters or when many buddy pass riders appear to be stranded (especially if bad PR is involved).
Jul 8, 2018, 12:36 am
#68
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 13
Jul 8, 2018, 4:26 am
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,022
Jul 8, 2018, 5:11 am
#70
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NYC, MSY
Programs: DL DM, 1.5MM, NEXUS, Sky Club Lifetime, Admirals Club Lifetime, LowValueCustomer everywhere
Posts: 6,447
With the upcoming changes where pass riders won’t be eligible for D1, it raises an interesting question. If a flight has 10 J seats and 0 Y seats available after everybody except pass riders has cleared, what happens next? Will the pass riders get J? Or will the GA op-up other passengers into J to make room in Y for buddy pass folks? Or do the buddy pass folks just not get to travel at all?
I would guess the latter as DL really has no reason to increase costs or violate its own policies to accommodate buddy pass riders. There might be exceptions, for instance, during natural disasters or when many buddy pass riders appear to be stranded (especially if bad PR is involved).
Jul 8, 2018, 8:23 am
#71
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,881
When you factor in that seniority is also used for schedules and shifts (not just non revving), then it makes sense. Birth date is how DL organizes seniority between employees that get hired on the same day (flight attendant classes are a great example of this), and they just apply that same process to the NRSA lists when two employees have the same hire date.
Lends itself to something concrete and fair instead of allowing employees to game the system the AA way by checking in for flights they know they will never take just so they can be higher on the list for a later flight.
Re the AA comparison, I think being on the same flight as someone with the same hire date is very rare for non-IFS employees.
Jul 8, 2018, 11:39 am
#72
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 159
As Fly_Delta_Jets mentioned, this is incorrect. Yes, age is a tiebreaker for seniority with bidding schedules, but anything on the airport standby list will use check-in time as a tiebreaker when all other factors are equal.
Re the AA comparison, I think being on the same flight as someone with the same hire date is very rare for non-IFS employees.
While it's rare, I've had it happen twice in my current trip! Remember Res sometimes hires several classes of 20-30 on the same date. Not as big as IFS, but not insignificant.
Jul 9, 2018, 1:29 pm
#74
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: UA Premier Platinum, DL Platinum
Posts: 597
My view on non-revving is that it is a game of chance that, for a traveler with great flexibility and very managed expectations, will tend to work out over multiple instances.
That is, for a certain busy route, there may only be a 20-30% chance of getting on one's desired flight, and only 50-50 odds of making it out that day. But, if you can spare a few days, you'll probably make it out.
Regardless, it's important for any non-rev, especially one with a must-be-back-by date, to have several thousand dollars in available funds on a credit or debit card, plus some cash. That's emergency money, but it's also important for lodging and the need to spend $1000-1500 to buy a one-way ticket (via Wow Air or some other inconvenient budget carrier) home.
I'd also strongly recommend having enough miles for a return ticket. Those are the situations when "standard" awards come in handy.
If you non-rev enough, you'll probably have to shell out for a walk-up ticket at some point. That's why non-revving really only makes sense if (a) you have no pressing commitments within several days of your intended travel dates and (b) you travel enough that, in the long run, riding non-rev and paying up when necessary still nets out.
Also: As other have mentioned, loads are especially tough coming back to the US from Europe. I think the problem is that American vacationers are more flexible on the outbound than the return. Sure, they can adjust their departures by a couple days last-minute for whatever reason, but many travelers have to be at work (or in school) a day or two after their scheduled returns. They will not miss those flights, which means a booked-full flight back from Europe is more likely to board full than a booked-full flight from the US.
That is, for a certain busy route, there may only be a 20-30% chance of getting on one's desired flight, and only 50-50 odds of making it out that day. But, if you can spare a few days, you'll probably make it out.
Regardless, it's important for any non-rev, especially one with a must-be-back-by date, to have several thousand dollars in available funds on a credit or debit card, plus some cash. That's emergency money, but it's also important for lodging and the need to spend $1000-1500 to buy a one-way ticket (via Wow Air or some other inconvenient budget carrier) home.
I'd also strongly recommend having enough miles for a return ticket. Those are the situations when "standard" awards come in handy.
If you non-rev enough, you'll probably have to shell out for a walk-up ticket at some point. That's why non-revving really only makes sense if (a) you have no pressing commitments within several days of your intended travel dates and (b) you travel enough that, in the long run, riding non-rev and paying up when necessary still nets out.
Also: As other have mentioned, loads are especially tough coming back to the US from Europe. I think the problem is that American vacationers are more flexible on the outbound than the return. Sure, they can adjust their departures by a couple days last-minute for whatever reason, but many travelers have to be at work (or in school) a day or two after their scheduled returns. They will not miss those flights, which means a booked-full flight back from Europe is more likely to board full than a booked-full flight from the US.
Jul 9, 2018, 1:33 pm
#75
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
I think the problem is that American vacationers are more flexible on the outbound than the return. Sure, they can adjust their departures by a couple days last-minute for whatever reason, but many travelers have to be at work (or in school) a day or two after their scheduled returns. They will not miss those flights, which means a booked-full flight back from Europe is more likely to board full than a booked-full flight from the US.