buddy pass virgin stuck in frankfurt - advice
Jul 13, 2009, 4:19 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5
buddy pass virgin stuck in frankfurt - advice
First time Delta buddy pass flier, last time buddy pass flier... Did not know what I was getting myself into, but here I am and I would REALLY appreciate advice from people who are more familiar with the ins and outs of non-rev travel than myself.
My final destination is atlanta, but I'm willing to take anything that gets me over the pond (is that a bad idea?). Have tried 2 days from FRA (saturday and sunday) and not made it on any of the flights there, though there is really only two chances a day - atlanta and new york OR cincinnati. Apparently, the person I got the pass from is a recent employee because I was dead last on the priority list, behind all other buddy passes. Apparently school just let out in that state in germany, so vacation travel has increased dramatically on those flights.
I guess my questions are - if I don't get on the Frankfurt-Atlanta flight (flight 15), which should I try for, flight 107 to New York or flight 49 to Cincinnati?
Do you think I should try leaving from a different airport, such as BRU? I did not even try today as I was told I had no chance, but am going to try again Tues, Weds and Thu. I am in the worst possible place, as a student who has just blown every dime after 8 weeks in europe and is trying to get back. I don't have any real time deadline, other than all the money I am blowing trying to get home.
please, any advice welcome and appreciated. I know now it wasn't a good idea to try to fly out at this time, but as I said, here I am and I just want to know what I should do.
My final destination is atlanta, but I'm willing to take anything that gets me over the pond (is that a bad idea?). Have tried 2 days from FRA (saturday and sunday) and not made it on any of the flights there, though there is really only two chances a day - atlanta and new york OR cincinnati. Apparently, the person I got the pass from is a recent employee because I was dead last on the priority list, behind all other buddy passes. Apparently school just let out in that state in germany, so vacation travel has increased dramatically on those flights.
I guess my questions are - if I don't get on the Frankfurt-Atlanta flight (flight 15), which should I try for, flight 107 to New York or flight 49 to Cincinnati?
Do you think I should try leaving from a different airport, such as BRU? I did not even try today as I was told I had no chance, but am going to try again Tues, Weds and Thu. I am in the worst possible place, as a student who has just blown every dime after 8 weeks in europe and is trying to get back. I don't have any real time deadline, other than all the money I am blowing trying to get home.
please, any advice welcome and appreciated. I know now it wasn't a good idea to try to fly out at this time, but as I said, here I am and I just want to know what I should do.
Jul 13, 2009, 5:07 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: lax
Posts: 3,887
Your "buddy" should be the best one to help you, since they are the one who helped you get to your destination.
You may have to purchase a full fare to get home, as many of us have done.
You may have to purchase a full fare to get home, as many of us have done.
Jul 13, 2009, 6:02 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 2005
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This is hysterical. Sorry, OP, for finding humor in your misfortune, but of course this is a perfectly predictable scenario.
Perhaps you could find the location from which DL has the most flights to the U.S. (AMS?) and try parking there. Of course that says nothing about the demand for those flights but, absent any other information, that might be a better bet.
Too bad you're not stuck in Casablanca; that would be a more interesting story.
Perhaps you could find the location from which DL has the most flights to the U.S. (AMS?) and try parking there. Of course that says nothing about the demand for those flights but, absent any other information, that might be a better bet.
Too bad you're not stuck in Casablanca; that would be a more interesting story.
Jul 13, 2009, 8:05 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Munich, Germany
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First of all: Welcome to flyertalk, geckorlz.
My only advice to you: Never ever ever fly non-rev during main vacation time, or only if time doesn't matter and you don't care if you fly home today, tomorrow or even a few days later.
My only advice to you: Never ever ever fly non-rev during main vacation time, or only if time doesn't matter and you don't care if you fly home today, tomorrow or even a few days later.
Jul 13, 2009, 8:17 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: GNV which is not where we would like to be :)
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Can the buddy pass be used on SkyTeam carriers or only on DL metal?
Jul 13, 2009, 8:21 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5
It does not matter whether I fly today, tomorrow, or a few days later.. but I do need to fly, and the sooner the better, financially (duh). I was hoping someone might have some idea if Frankfurt is any better/worse than any other airport (AMS, BRU). Any way I can find out? Or, as I asked earlier, would Cincinnati or New York offer me a better connector to the US?
Glad someone finds humor in it, but it is only a predictable situation to anyone who is fairly familiar with the buddy pass situation. Of course I know better now, but "that was a bad idea" is not really helpful to me at this time.
Glad someone finds humor in it, but it is only a predictable situation to anyone who is fairly familiar with the buddy pass situation. Of course I know better now, but "that was a bad idea" is not really helpful to me at this time.
Jul 13, 2009, 8:41 am
#7
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: BOS
Posts: 3,534
You can always Greyhound it once you get back on this side of the pond so why not pick any available flight? If you think about it, there's a lot more departures from JFK and CVG to ATL daily than there are from any of the European airports.
How are you getting to BRU or AMS? Train? If there's an overnight train that will save you the cost of a hotel room that night at least. Otherwise it may be time to start shacking up in the cheapest student hostel you can find near the FRA airport.
How are you getting to BRU or AMS? Train? If there's an overnight train that will save you the cost of a hotel room that night at least. Otherwise it may be time to start shacking up in the cheapest student hostel you can find near the FRA airport.
Jul 13, 2009, 9:00 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Ask DL to check seat availability PRG/ATL and BUD/JFK, slightly less crowded departure points, accessible by train and discount air from Frankfurt.
Jul 13, 2009, 9:04 am
#9
Join Date: Feb 2002
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Posts: 8,184
Europe in the summer is tough. American Airlines did, and probably still does, embargo D3 travel (their equivelent to buddy pass priority) to Europe during the summer for just this reason. Doesn't help you much, now...
My advice is to try to get on any flight leaving anywhere in Europe that you can reach to anywhere in the US. For specifics about which flights would give you the best chance talk to the Delta agents at your location. They will be the most familair with the options.
My advice is to try to get on any flight leaving anywhere in Europe that you can reach to anywhere in the US. For specifics about which flights would give you the best chance talk to the Delta agents at your location. They will be the most familair with the options.
Jul 13, 2009, 9:53 am
#10
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Sometimes, the airport ticket and gate agents in non-US countries are hesitant to share load-factor information with a non-employee. If this is the case, try to contact the person back in the States who provided you the buddy pass, to determine whether he/she can check booking loads for DL flights leaving from various cities - in other words, so that they can advise you which flights have a better chance of having an available seat. (don't forget Stuttgart and Munich, which I believe have DL flights - you can easily reach them via train if needed).
Good luck and let us know what happpens.
Jul 13, 2009, 7:27 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: 64 miles North of SFO
Posts: 139
Although I was able to avoid this situation with my buddy pass receipients when I was a non-rev employee (with CO), I do know what you are going through.
Sometimes, the airport ticket and gate agents in non-US countries are hesitant to share load-factor information with a non-employee. If this is the case, try to contact the person back in the States who provided you the buddy pass, to determine whether he/she can check booking loads for DL flights leaving from various cities - in other words, so that they can advise you which flights have a better chance of having an available seat. (don't forget Stuttgart and Munich, which I believe have DL flights - you can easily reach them via train if needed).
Good luck and let us know what happpens.
Sometimes, the airport ticket and gate agents in non-US countries are hesitant to share load-factor information with a non-employee. If this is the case, try to contact the person back in the States who provided you the buddy pass, to determine whether he/she can check booking loads for DL flights leaving from various cities - in other words, so that they can advise you which flights have a better chance of having an available seat. (don't forget Stuttgart and Munich, which I believe have DL flights - you can easily reach them via train if needed).
Good luck and let us know what happpens.
You need some help from your Delta friends. They can check the loads and number of pax on standby list and give you some guidance. Three flights a day from FRA to US is a pretty good bet especially for one person.
My wife just spent a day and overnight non-reving from JAX to SFO She ended up in SMF and her bag in SFO
Good Luck
Last edited by Bwillis; Jul 13, 2009 at 7:36 pm Reason: hit wrong key!
Jul 13, 2009, 9:38 pm
#12
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As it's clear that air travel is required on Delta, I'll move this to the Delta SkyMiles forum for more discussion. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.
Jul 13, 2009, 10:02 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Los Angeles
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Sorry you're stuck.
If you do have to buy a "full fare" ticket to the US, a browse on Kayak shows some less-than-insane last-minute one-way fares for July 14...
Aer Lingus:
$939 FRA to JFK and BOS
$953 FRA to IAD
Air Berlin:
$898 DUS to JFK
On July 15...
Air India: $809 - FRA-EWR (non-stop)
Sure these fares aren't chump change, but DL's lowest fares are showing over $3400.
If you feel the need to fly DL, you can book a *cough* round-trip which is borderline-reasonable. DL is showing FRA-JFK departing on July 14 and "returning" July 30 at $1078.
If you do have to buy a "full fare" ticket to the US, a browse on Kayak shows some less-than-insane last-minute one-way fares for July 14...
Aer Lingus:
$939 FRA to JFK and BOS
$953 FRA to IAD
Air Berlin:
$898 DUS to JFK
On July 15...
Air India: $809 - FRA-EWR (non-stop)
Sure these fares aren't chump change, but DL's lowest fares are showing over $3400.
If you feel the need to fly DL, you can book a *cough* round-trip which is borderline-reasonable. DL is showing FRA-JFK departing on July 14 and "returning" July 30 at $1078.
Last edited by Culrain; Jul 13, 2009 at 11:19 pm Reason: updating fares
Jul 13, 2009, 10:07 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 229
You should have tried to get on the flights today, even though the agents told you had no chance. You never know, and you seem eager to get back, so why not give it a shot. Flights tomorrow from FRA-ATL don't look good, but the flight leaves at 9:45AM so try it (you never know), and that gives you time to try to FRA-CVG flight. Right now you would get on that one. That is your best shot, unless you want to travel to another city in Europe. In that case, talk to the Delta agent. If the Delta agents are no help, feel free to e-mail me at : [email protected] Luckily, you are in Europe. Really there it no need to panic. There is a way to get back, although you may have to travel to another city in Europe. Buddy Passes are for friends of employees, they are the responsibility of the employee. You are traveling at your own risk. But in saying that, and in the situation you are in, please do e-mail me if I can help.
Jul 13, 2009, 10:19 pm
#15
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Someone else could check the load factors for more precision - while ZRH-ATL seems like a challenge, the new (temporary) ZRH-JFK-ATL appears to be much less of a challenge. However, ZRH is very lightly served and by Thursday flights look very tough.
CDG or AMS (all else being equal) would give the most flexibility.
CDG or AMS (all else being equal) would give the most flexibility.