Thread: New to non-rev travel and now registered companion on AA--a few questions!

Hello everyone. It's been years since this original post I made, and I regret to say I didn't come back to check in. Life just got away from me and I started learning so much on my own that I didn't have anymore questions to ask. I should have realized that coming back and talking with other non rev-ers would be fun, so hopefully I'll drop in a little more from now on!

It's crazy what the last few years have brought. My relationship with my ex mentioned in the original post ended about a year later, though it was for the best and we're still friends. We did end up going to China, made both my flights there and back. My ex as a D3 was stuck in Hong Kong for an extra day (I wanted it to be me that was stuck!), and Dallas for a night on the way back. I was almost stuck in Dallas on the way back, and figured out how to list for a flight on the old US Airways portal. It's funny to think about how they were separated back then!

My old post with all my questions has me literally loling. The answers seem so obvious now, but back then I truly had no idea what I was doing!

Over the last three years I've been able to do some amazing things. I spent all my New Years away from PHX, one year in San Fran, the next in Paris followed by London in the New Year with my two best friends from middle school riding on D3s, and Toronto last year to visit a close friend that lives there (I'd been paying to visit Toronto in the years prior, funny to think how much I used to pay for those tickets! I used to fly into Buffalo because it was cheaper ). Was able to visit a friend studying abroad in London and travel around to Berlin and Prague and take off out of Paris. Paris and London twice in a year! Never in my life thought that would happen for me! I've been able to visit my friend teaching English in Tokyo four times, just got back five days ago from the last trip, and was able to visit during Cherry Blossom season! That one was a close call, one seat left with four D1s ahead of me, but they happened to be a family and didn't want to separate so I got the seat! Flew business class overseas twice (another thing I never thought would happen in my life!). My best friend moved to Denver, and we've been able to keep in touch so well since I can randomly pop out whenever. Got to experience Maui last year the two days before Christmas, and we flew home on Christmas eve to PHX with only 20 seats on the plane filled, haha. And through all of that, despite the close calls, I was never stuck anywhere for a night (though many times I thought I would be), always made it back in time for work, though one of those times was a hellish 13 hour journey back from DEN through PHL back to PHX.

I know you all have similarly amazing stories, I just wanted to share a bit of the journey this original thread started. The responses to this original post were so thoughtful and kind and informative for someone that had literally no idea what she was doing.

I will tell you, one of the biggest pieces of advice I always remembered echoing back in my mind was Migflanker saying, "Options, ( alternate flights, alternate airports, alternate routing) having a plan A, B, C, D is a requirement and understanding that weather, a mechanical, any number of things can throw all your well-made plans out the window. Trust me, it’s much easier coming up with plan B, C, D at your kitchen table than at gate 47A." I really took that to heart, and I credit it for being a key factor in being able to avoid getting stuck, though luck played a huge factor in that as well. And there were still even then times I had to come up with a backup plan at gate 47A, haha.

I just wanted to thank everyone that replied to this thread for the help they offered back then, and to let you all know how much it means to me! I truly feel so privileged and thankful to be leading this wonderful travel filled life.