mahasamatman

Pax is an abbreviation for passengers (though some people misuse it as an abbreviation for the singular form as well). So, revenue pax are the people who actually pay real money for their flights (as opposed to non-revenue, e.g. employees, and award passengers).

IFLYUA

PLEASE!......I'm sure you mean no harm but please refrain from doing anything remotely close to what you describe above. Rules are rules and agents are held accountable especially when it comes to NRSA travel. Unaccompanied buddy pass travel in 3-cabin International First is a strict policy that UA chooses to enforce. (Easy Checkin will not even check you in if you are listed in F without the employee - - it will print a card that says "see agent for checkin error xxx") If you were to say something like that to the wrong agent he/she could go back to your friend who is kind enough to extend a pass for you and the consequences could be dire. Techincally, the person giving you the pass should explain all of the rules/protocol to you. In short, if they call your name with a boarding pass simply take it, thank the agent and board the aircraft. Do not ask an agent to do something that could get them in trouble; simply inappropriate.

-IFLYUA

skyglider99

") If you were to say something like that to the wrong agent he/she could go back to your friend who is kind enough to extend a pass for you and the consequences could be dire. Techincally, the person giving you the pass should explain all of the rules/protocol to you. In short, if they call your name with a boarding pass simply take it, thank the agent and board the aircraft. Do not ask an agent to do something that could get them in trouble; simply inappropriate.

Not too sound like an alarmist**but i echo IFLYUA'S sentiments exactly!!!
I personally have known of several employees that have lost their jobs or pass privileges for offenses exactly like this**

chalta

Ok I understand fully now the possible ramifications of it, thanks. Really and truly just to get on the plane and have a seat with the buddy pass is good enough =)

thesilb

I've flown SFO-NRT-SFO, SFO-LHR-SFO and SFO-SYD-SFO as an unaccompanied companion. A couple things on the above posts:

1. The quote I highlighted above may be true, but gate agents can issue the F passes. On a trip SFO-LHR I actually managed to receive an F boarding pass, however I luckily said enough that the gate agent finally understood I was not the employee (I guess he didn't have a way to realize that by computer?) and he took the F BP back and gave me a C seat. I didn't really know the rules then, so I wasn't trying to game anything. I found out later two things, (a) if I had flown that out the back office post-flight accounting would have found out and the employee who sponsored me, an SF ramp person, probably would have had his pass privileges suspended for some time and (b) the sponsor should have given me a PDF guide for companions which is available on UAL intranet. Rather than just getting the "jist" of the rules this really helpful guide lays it all down. I would ask your sponsor to give you one.

2. If you do fly as a companion (as noted, with the sponsor only - not with any of his or her dependents), the boarding priority of both you AND THE SPONSOR are lowered. Unless the F cabin is way empty and with very few persons listed, it seems highly unlikely that companions will get international F. On all the flights I have taken, for example, there were often lots of open F seats, but TONS of people listed and from casual observation, mostly "one" employee alone. It seems really hard to get up in priority enough to get a sponsor+companion pass space in 3 cabin F.

John26

The PDF guides are helpful, although somewhat general. Of course, as one employee told me, the best guidelines to NRSA travel is, "Sit down, shut up, put your seatbelt on."

Almost but not quite. IIRC employees listing for BP8 (willing to pay the service charge) traveling with just one companion on the same PNR maintain BP8A for both the employee and the companion (i.e. same status as if the employee was traveling by themself). Employees listing for BP8 traveling with 2+ companions on the same PNR will be treated as BP8C (same BP as a companion traveling all by themself).

The one thing to keep in mind when traveling with an employee is that if the employee selects BP10 at checkin (service charge waived) the companion drops to 8C, even if there is only 1 companion. This can cause the employee to clear into int'l First but the companion to clear into Business even if the First cabin is empty and even though both people are traveling together on the same flight.

WindFlyer

This is my understanding as well (on both counts)

absolut1

that ual employees get for working for ual?

jhayes_1780

PAYCHECKS?

just kidding. You mean friends plus certificates? Or employee pass travel?

UnitedSkies

Do you mean companion passes where we can give them to our friends to fly standby on any UA or UAX flight?

absolut1

is it the companion ones that you get 12 a year? (the green ones i think?)

anyway.
can i use one to get to india? if so via FRA? from ord

garysw

I think they call them "buddy passes."

chalta

Hi there,

Usually the protocol for giving boarding passes for companions is to give it to them at the gate, but one flight I was on last year (ICN-SFO) the check-in lady asked me to wait about 45 mins before departure so that I could get a confirmed boarding pass before I cleared security or anything.

It was here (ICN) that I could actually access the lounge because I had a Business Class boarding pass, not just a waitlist pass or whatever it is called.

My question, is there any way to have this service in North America? Because I have tried to access the lounge in YVR and SFO with my waitlist pass and have been denied every time.

Thanks,

Chalta

Kurt

Lounge access on a buddy pass would seem to be asking a bit much. Such perks should be reserved for revenue passengers, I think. What's next, mileage accrual

BDLORD

If you really need to lounge it, buy a pass.