emma69

That sounds like a rubbish company tbh, maybe it is the industry, but not all companies are like that. I travel for work less than I used to, but in the last two companies, when I have travelled for work, I have usually been able to tack on personal time (anything from a few days, to 3 weeks) allowing me to visit new places, see family, etc. without having to shell out for my own flight. It works pretty well for me, and I usually do at least one 'big trip' each year off the back of a business trip - 3 continents over the past 3 years. I also get to take vacation when I like (within reason) allowing me to travel to a few more places each year for pleasure on my own dime.

The problem with lower paid manual jobs, even part time, is that you can rarely take off on a whim - schedules, rotas etc. are set weeks (or even months) in advance, and your work pattern for even, say, 28 hours a week could only leave you with a day at a stretch. And as the newbie, you will likely have all the shifts no one else wants (weekends, late-early etc) Just because you are part time doesn't mean that you can just take unpaid days off whenever you like either - they employ the minimum number of people to get the job done - if they can't count on you working your 28 hours a week, why would they want you? They assume those 28 hours a week are there to be scheduled, not that you will be off travelling any of that time.

Honestly, you would probably find it easier to take off on a whim in a more senior role - whilst I tend to be a planner, it is quite common for managers I work with to say 'hey, weather is going to be great later this week, I am going to take off for a long weekend on Wednesday so I can go on a golf trip'. Because we can work remotely if needed (unlike a manual labour job) that also gives us some additional flexibility (a colleague just spent two weeks at the cottage with family, but was working - she'd start at 5am, and be done by lunchtime, so they could spend the afternoons doing fun things!) Plus, more senior roles tend to be more likely to have more generous paid time off policies as well.

gfunkdave

You're forgetting/unaware of the fact that each open FA position for a big airline often attracts hundreds of resumes. It's very competitive.

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And good riddance! Who wants to spend a fortune on airfare?

YuropFlyer

Not in my country.. they're unable to find enough FAs here on the local carrier (Swiss) - 'cause the payment is 20% below than what a checkout cashier gets (you get around 3300$ per month as FA, with a supermarket checkout cashier getting around 4100$) - and you need a car to get to the airport at 3am, or a very central flat (very expensive unless really crappy - eating up around 1/3rd of your income already, even if just 1 room..)

Not me, certainly.. I just wanted to see that the advantage #1 of being an FA (flying to exotic countries every week) isn't really there anymore if I can fly there for a day's income what cost me a months income just a generation ago..

ChiefNWA

I'm 23 right now and have the ability to nonrev until I graduate from college this spring. I can tell you that there are certainly times it becomes stressful and frustrating due to flights filling up at the last second, being denied boarding due to weight, etc.

Other than the above, I can't think of a better perk for someone my age to have. As others have said, sa you age your priorities change. At some point you'll want to take you family somewhere specific or you'll need to be somewhere due to preplanned activities or hotels, etc. As a nonrev you begin to depend on the "I'll get one something" philosophy which may not work out in your favor.

I've watched both of my parents dread going to work for years now. Unless you're in management in HQ or you don’t mind much for advancing your career I’d stay away from the airline business. Believe me, I wanted to be a pilot for the longest time but the more I read about the less I wanted to pursue it.

FA and GA positions are not only hard to come by but fiercely competitive. I want to say last time DL hired 300 FAs they had a tad over 10,000 applicants. On top of that, do you really want to spend 20 nights a month in places like Tulsa, Rochester or Winnipeg?

My opinion on this (as it's something I've been contemplating myself for a while) is to stick with something you enjoy doing, which in your case sounds like engineering. As others have said, there are other companies out there that are much less restrictive and time consuming compared to the one you've described. Another option would be to go the contracting route as someone mentioned. Hilton offers part time work at home reservations jobs with a minimum of 20 hours a week. Maybe it would be a good idea to pick something like that up to save you from spending $$$ on hotels overseas and be able to splurge on premium economy or business to make the flights more enjoyable... or simply give yourself a few extra days at the destination.

My current employer (a large US bank) is pretty fair in terms of a work schedule and vacation; 40 hours a week M-F 8-5, all holidays off and three weeks paid vacation. Combine that schedule with nonrev travel and credit card miles/churning and I rarely pay for flights/hotels.

Taoyuan

Hah, some of my family is from YWG. Would not be my definition of a cool layover or destination point.

BearX220

Airline policies vary. With the US major I am most familiar with (my son is employed with a subsidiary), you get theoretically unlimited domestic NRSA access, but only six international segments per year.

You are also contending with 90+% load factors, low seniority (so you are the lowest priority), and all the related uncertainty. While you may qualify to visit Yellowknife in January, Paris in June is a real long shot.

The major airlines have very sophisticated extranets that let you check the loads for upcoming flights, "list" yourself for desired segments, check back and watch your position fluctuate depending on who else lists, and either check in or cancel at the 24-hour mark depending on how you like your odds. You can and will get bumped a lot -- by paying pax who missed earlier flights, to deadheading crew who have to be somewhere, to employees and relations with higher seniority numbers than you.

It is fun, but it is not a system to depend on if you have to be someplace. It is more for spur-of-the-moment spin-the-wheel travel. And there are scads of rules governing NRSA behavior, from dress code to attitude (e.g., don't quack about being given 38E -- be gracious about getting aboard at all).

It sounds like you are looking to put in menial effort / ambition / etc. at a menial job in order to extract maximum leisure time. Not only do I think that's a sort of sad surrender for someone only in his early 30s, I do not think the deal would pay off at all as you imagine.

cruisr

I flew once on a pair of buddy passes with my then five year old. Everything is great until it's not. Flying as a non rev and being faced with flt cancellations put you further down the list. I ended up with a connection after being in the airport for five hours. Connection went south when weather caused some xls.

I'd rather take out CC apps accumulate miles and fly with a confirmed seat in J or F.

Proudelitist

Be careful, those flying perks are less perky than you would imagine. With most airlines (I cannot speak for Air Canada) you fly as a "non-rev". This means you are essentially on standby for the flights, and may not actually get on them, as most flights are full nowadays. It also means you will end up in a middle coach seat most of the time, although sometimes you may end up above in J or F if there are available seats (and with everyone and their dog being a Plat these days, odds are low).

You may want to switch out of that Y middle...but almost all the airlines have STRICT rules about your interaction with revenue passengers. Asking a paying pax to switch will generally get your privileges revoked immediately.

And of course, it's not always free. Sometimes is just deeply discounted. So you may get a 300 ticket for 75 dollars. Still a good deal...if you think a stand by middle in Y is a good deal.

If you want to work for an airline, great. But if you are going to do it just for the flying perks, think twice.

paperwastage

given what's been said...

you might be better off finding a job that allows you to work remotely.... then work remotely while travelling, travel on those cheap fare deals etc

(cancel your apartment lease (well, you're living with parents)/bills. working remotely from some asian countries will definitely be cheap, ignoring visa complications)

darthbimmer

OP, folks who know the airline industry here are telling you that it's a bad move to join it just for the travel benefits. FWIW you're not the first person to ask about doing this, and the advice is always the same!

I suggest you parlay your education, certifications, and experience into another professional engineering job. Plenty of companies have need for traveling consultants and their demands shouldn't be as bruising as what you experienced in oil field services. Look at engineering consulting, IT, etc. Keep earning good money now so you can retire young! Or find a way to work part time so you can travel more while still earning enough to keep adding to your savings. I know a variety of IT consultants who work part time, often as individual contractors. They don't have to work every day of the week and can do a lot of their work remotely.

chgoeditor

For those in the know, I'm curious...

There were a lot of articles this summer about non-revs who were stuck in Madrid trying to get back to Mexico, I think, because flights were oversold for days. If that group included an employee who was scheduled to work, what are their options beyond purchasing a last-minute ticket? I can't imagine airlines would be too happy with employees calling in sick or asking to be rescheduled because they're stuck in another part of the world.

LondonElite

Amen to that, especially the final paragraph.

OP, it sounds like you have a university or professional degree/designation. Wouldn't it be better to get a job you really enjoy, and where you can presumably earn more money, and pay for flights yourself rather than settling for some menial job with limited prospects to enjoy some limited perks? Seriously, not to judge you or to judge baggage handlers, but give yourself a bit of a kick.

B747-437B

It is no different than any other job. Show up for work, make alternate arrangements if possible, or else be fired.

Some airline managers have the discretion to authorise a positive space seat for staff returning to work (not for their accompanying family/friends), but the cost of that seat is then deducted from employee's payroll.

Most employees only make this kind of mistake once.

chgoeditor

I suspected as much. Thanks for chiming in! (I guess there's no "calling in sick" when your employer knows you're sitting in an airport miles from home.

Pdnecro8617

I know in the case of DAL if you call in sick and then non rev you are automatically terminated. Not sure about other airlines but I have to imagine its the same.