Good advice... know all your options and get back to the US if things do not go as planned. If you have a job to get back to, do not cut your return too close. One MX on your flight or another can send 100 paying passengers onto your "wide open" flight and the trickle down affect can last for days. Also, you priority will be based on the pass level and the employee DOE. I assume the buddy passes are still S-4s, so you will be behind any employees on the list and behind others on S-4 from people with older DOE.

Like it was said, you could end up in biz class both ways or you could end up sitting at gate after gate, day after day, hoping that a spot opens for you in a middle seat next to a sumo wrestler who just bathed in a tub of dead fish....

Check out theses guys:
http://www.twitter.com/nonrevassist

It looks like they're in sort of a "beta" stage and don't have a website yet, but I've heard good things about it so far.

DL757ATL

The seat availability from CDG-BOS does not look so good; that's why I'm returning from Rome, where it's also a nonstop direct flight but with 100+ open seats. AF does have a lot more availability cause they fly 747. Thank you all for help with the planning.

Just to reiterate....you are NOT allowed to fly on any other airline except DELTA / Delta Connection. (Delta Metal)
Delta Code share flights on Air France/Alitalia Aircraft cannot be booked as a buddy pass.
From Paris, look at JFK, or take a train to other nearby cities to JFK, CVG, ATL and then connect to BOS.

As a non-rev, let me give you some advice; get creative! Also, try to avoid JFK if you can. There is one measly 763 to CDG. BOS-CDG is good, but there is also PIT, PHL, CVG, MSP, SLC, CVG, ATL, so on and so forth. Coming back from FCO may be a little harder as there are less flights (and as far as I know, not a non-stop to BOS) so you may have to get creative if something goes wrong. I can assure you thought that leaving to CDG and returning from FCO will not be an issue. I had a friend on a buddy pass to JFK-VCE, MXP-JFK without issue. Just make sure you KNOW what city you want to fly out of on the return because changing a buddy pass once it's issued can be a nightmare.

Using Buddy-Pass on nearby leisure flights?
 

I have an acquaintance at DL who has his good friend on the buddy pass---this friend is also a very close friend of mine. I am planning a trip from MIA-LIH, late May-late June/early July.

First of all, is it much of a burden for DL employees (he's worked for over 15 years at DL, doing ticketing, reservation, etc) to give non rev tickets to HI? Or is it basically unlimited like the rest of the 48 states?

Second, what are the chances that he could find for me a non-rev ticket to HI at this time of the year?

Thanks for the help!

I have a friend who runs a Non-Rev/Buddy pass Travel Assistance company and I showed him your post (his outfit is the one linked in my Sig--figured I'd give him some free publicity).

He says:
1. It's not a burden to give buddy passes to HI--employees are given a certain #/year and they can be used on most flights. It's the same type of ticket (Buddy Pass).

2. He checked your itinerary for random dates in late June (outbound) and early July (inbound) and found plenty of flights...fares were ~200. He says keep in mind that it's not a "ticket", per se. It's a "seat request"--you'll be given seats after all DL/DL connection employees are taken care of. It may be risky to try to use a Buddy Pass to HI during the middle of the summer as finding flights with good availability can be tough.

Check out his site for more information: http://www.nonrevassist.com. The plans are pretty affordable and I've used it a couple times and have had great results and service.

Cheers! Hope this helps! I'll show him any other questions you may have.

DL757ATL

Thanks!

How many flights does such an employee have to give in a given year, for domestic flights?

Also, what are the chances that one gets upgraded to F?

He says (his words, not mine):

Hope this helps! :)
DL757ATL

Hmmm....curious to know how he monetizes this service while honoring the T&Cs of buddy pass travel on Delta. I process 40 or more passes a year for friends and family and would love to charge something for my time and effort but can't justify it in the face of the rules.

I've got some research to do I guess...thanks for the heads up!

8784515561848461

Let me see if I can clear some things up here too.

Employees are given 8 buddy passes a year; that is accurate. They are good for r/t or o/w travel, as many flights as you want to put on them. The cost is based on the distance flown and is paid by credit card. It is just as easy to issue a buddy pass from MIA-ATL is it would be to issue a buddy pass MIA-JFK-NRT-SPN. You are not required to use all 8 buddy passes, but they do expire at the employee's date of employment and do not roll over.

Hub to hub? Almost never. As an regular non-rev I rarely ever get F on hub to hub unless it's very off times of off days. (I.E last flight out ATL-MCO Tuesday night. Not really hub to hub, but close.)

He's right. You probably won't get F. You never know though. You will however, be under all active and retired DL and DL connection employees as well as buddy passes from employees more senior than your friend on the stand-by list.

Upgrades at the gate to HI are rarely taken. I've flown LAX-HI many times before and rarely see at the gate upgrades take place.

WK

Its been about 5 years since I've done this but I once went on a buddy pass from ATL to HNL for spring break. At the time we were in college and pretty crazy so we didn't let the talk of potential availability issues discourage us. Somehow we made it in on the 1st available nonstop flight to HNL and then off the island 10 days later relatively easily. 1/2 of us made the 1st nonstop back to ATL attempted and the other 1/2 then said "get us off the island" and we caught a connection through CVG (if that tells you how long ago this was) back to ATL about 5 hours later. Of course the order we came off the island was made in a rock-paper-scissors tournament as the gate agent was yelling at us that she'd close the door if we didn't get on the plane NOW and that she didn't care which one of us got on as long as we gave her the names of who was going, lol.

HOWEVER, All 6 of us were on passes where I believe the most-"junior" pass came from a 28 year Captain. We came across 2 people in the airport who had been stuck for 3 or 4 days trying to get out on ANY flight who were on passes from far junior employees. I'd say 15 years may be in the comfort zone but really watch those loads closely as you get closer and don't be afraid to get on any DL metal leaving the island b/c then your options improve dramatically. I've seen first hand that you truly can get "stuck" in Hawaii....if you consider that a bad thing :D

Figured I'd share my experience FWIW.

This happens quite often, especially in HNL and the islands. LIH isn't usually as bad, neither is KOA. OGG can get nasty. I've seen standby lists of 200+ leaving the islands. I was in OGG one time and they weren't even letting buddies check in because the agents knew they wouldn't make it. That said, every time I've looked at the LIH flight (there is only one, and that may be an issue if something goes haywire), it leaves with 60+ open seats.

When flying stand-by, you take whatever you can and have to get creative. There are worse places to be stuck than HI though :)

WK

FWIW looks like he's been shut down.

Effective June 21, Non-Rev Assist will be indefinitely ceasing operations.