United's New "Enrolled Friend" Employee Travel Benefit
Jan 1, 2007, 7:21 pm
#31
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Alameda, CA, USA
Posts: 799
Your friend will "LIST" you, which means that you are on the STANDBY list. You must be flexible in case you and your family do not make the flight. If your sponsor is not traveling with you, you are able to fly in COACH or BUSINESS. Also, if you make it in Business, there is a DRESS CODE. Your sponsor can let you know the details. Your sponsor, can LIST you for BOTH your outbound and INBOUND flights before your departure. Once your sponsor has listed you, you can call in and make changes. If there are non stop flights, as another poster has wrote, you will need 8 companion passes for your family of four. Each pass is good for ONE SEGMENT.
Jan 1, 2007, 8:06 pm
#32
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 4,772
Good luck. The Oz flights are the most weight restricted in the system, especially when the 747 they are using is one of the "bad burners". They frequently go out with 30+ empty seats with a bunch of dissappointed standbys at the gate waving goodbye. Companion pass travelers go after employees and parents so it can truly be a long shot.
Jan 1, 2007, 9:05 pm
#33
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GA
Programs: VA-PLT, QF-GLD, DL-GM, UA-ex1K, AA-exPLT, HH-DM, IHG-PLT, MR-GLD
Posts: 8,242
Jan 1, 2007, 9:36 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: port broad reach
Programs: NorthSails® | Starboard | ION
Posts: 6,525
I think they work great...
...on light loads
. Say hello to BP-8C
...on light loads
. Say hello to BP-8C
Jan 2, 2007, 1:41 am
#35
Join Date: May 2004
Location: OAK
Programs: UA Gold MM / AS MVP Gold
Posts: 2,504
Actually, your standby priority will typically be ahead of many United Employees since you will be BP8, while many UA employees use BP10 to save money.
Jan 2, 2007, 7:19 am
#36
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Princeton, NJ; Lviv Ukraine
Programs: UA 3.6MM, AF/KL Lifetime Plat, BA Gold, AA 1MM, IC Spire RA, Kimpton IC, Marriott Plat, et alia
Posts: 2,732
If you don't have a AAA card, it's well worth it; I can say that I've never ever been asked for my card when checking in or renting a car.
But even if you have to pay the higher cancelable rate, sounds like with 4 travelers to SYD you have a non-trivial chance of not making it. (or having a mix of C and Y seats, or having half your group leave one day and the remainder the second day).
Also keep in mind that Australia requires an electronic visa called an ETA (electronic travel authority) for US travelers (and many other passports). You can do this on-line for AU$20 (about US$15). You can do it online here:
http://www.etaaustralia.com.au/en/ApplyForEta/index.php
and it's good for a full 12 months, multiple entries.
If you forget, or are lazy, United can do this for you (call reservations) or when you "check-in" ... but they'll charge you $25.
Jan 2, 2007, 8:46 am
#37
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
Posts: 540
Not 100% true. Internationally, most employees go as an 8A (normal priority for employees) or use our performance passes that waive the service charge. Buddy pass travel is at priority 8C.
I've worked many SFO-SYD flights. Depending on the time of year, these flights can be EXTREMELY hard to nonrev on even as an employee. Keep in mind that a family of 4 is even more difficult. My advice would be to plan ahead and only expect to sit in economy. Squeezing your way into Business will be tough!
-IFLYUA
Jan 2, 2007, 11:26 am
#38
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SFO, SJC, OAK, LVK AA Lifetime Plat 2MM, LUV A-List, Hyatt Gold, SPG Lifetime Gold, Commercial Pilot (not employed by airlines)
Posts: 1,531
Not 100% true. Internationally, most employees go as an 8A (normal priority for employees) or use our performance passes that waive the service charge. Buddy pass travel is at priority 8C.
I've worked many SFO-SYD flights. Depending on the time of year, these flights can be EXTREMELY hard to nonrev on even as an employee. Keep in mind that a family of 4 is even more difficult. My advice would be to plan ahead and only expect to sit in economy. Squeezing your way into Business will be tough!
-IFLYUA
I've worked many SFO-SYD flights. Depending on the time of year, these flights can be EXTREMELY hard to nonrev on even as an employee. Keep in mind that a family of 4 is even more difficult. My advice would be to plan ahead and only expect to sit in economy. Squeezing your way into Business will be tough!
-IFLYUA
Can you give me an idea of the loads at different times of the year? Maybe I'll move the date if it looks like I'll have a better shot at us (1) all getting on and (2) getting into C.
Jan 2, 2007, 1:53 pm
#39
Join Date: Sep 2002
Programs: The opinions expressed here are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the airlines I worked for.
Posts: 1,894
Full, Full and FULL. Wow - trying to non-rev a family of 4 to SYD on BP-8C? That's GUTSY!
Best way to approach it is:
Have a very flexible schedule.
Consider having a completely different destination to try for the next day if SYD doesn't work out and it's eating into your time off)
Don't expect Business (you'd be lucky to even get Economy on many of these flights, so treat Business as a pleasant surprise if it even happens),
Pray that your 744 doesn't have a high burn and be weight restricted
Consider going out of SFO or LAX on a day where there are 2 SYD departures (domestic flights will cost more buddy passes and additional ID90 fares for each traveller)
The BP10 argument only works in your favor on days with extremely light loads. When the loads get heavy, no employee will use BP10 because it's simply an excercise in futility (or stupidity, depending on how you look at it).
Also, IIRC SYD is embargoed for companion travel during certain months - check with your sponsor - it's available on Skynet in the Travel section.
Jan 2, 2007, 2:05 pm
#40
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SFO, SJC, OAK, LVK AA Lifetime Plat 2MM, LUV A-List, Hyatt Gold, SPG Lifetime Gold, Commercial Pilot (not employed by airlines)
Posts: 1,531
We'd be going out of SFO so at least that's in our favor. We could also go into MEL if that's a lighter route. Any insights there? Are the any other East Coast destinations that UA goes into. We'd be pretty flexible on what city we go in/out of if it gives us a better shot at actually landing some seats.
Jan 2, 2007, 2:05 pm
#41
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SFO, SJC, OAK, LVK AA Lifetime Plat 2MM, LUV A-List, Hyatt Gold, SPG Lifetime Gold, Commercial Pilot (not employed by airlines)
Posts: 1,531
dupe.
Jan 2, 2007, 3:34 pm
#42
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 4,772
No MEL flight and no East coast options. LAX and SFO are it for down under.
Jan 2, 2007, 4:20 pm
#43
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SFO, SJC, OAK, LVK AA Lifetime Plat 2MM, LUV A-List, Hyatt Gold, SPG Lifetime Gold, Commercial Pilot (not employed by airlines)
Posts: 1,531
Jan 2, 2007, 4:49 pm
#44
In memoriam
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: IAD, BOS, PVD
Programs: UA, US, AS, Marriott, Radisson, Hilton
Posts: 7,203
took that a couple months ago, and I was surprised that they
filled every seat I could see on the aircraft ... and was not
surprised that we stopped at Brisbane for fuel.
By the way, back in the day when I could use buddy passes,
anything that smacked of bartering ("reward" for services)
was really, really frowned upon. Has that changed? I mean,
you're pretty open about that.
Jan 2, 2007, 4:58 pm
#45
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SFO, SJC, OAK, LVK AA Lifetime Plat 2MM, LUV A-List, Hyatt Gold, SPG Lifetime Gold, Commercial Pilot (not employed by airlines)
Posts: 1,531
I've never used a buddy pass before so I don't know. This isn't barter, per se' (like I'll do this and you pay me in buddy passes, please). I just did something very nice for someone and it was their suggestion, after the fact, that they send us on a trip.