Thread: What is a Companion / Buddy Pass (Delta)?

- Are these for just Family/Friends of Delta employees?
Yes, you must know a Delta employee. You may then request it from them.

- Is it only for Standby travel?
Yes, it is only for non-revenue standby travel. As a buddy pass rider, you are at the bottom of the list behind all employees.

- How long are they valid for?
They are valid for as long as you need them to be. You can just simply ask the employee to push back the reservation to a different date. There is no charge for this.

- What are the restrictions?
None that I know of. You just aren't really allowed to change your destination at the last minute. That will cost another extra fee. It's pretty much the same as non-revving as an employee.

- Is there still a cost involved (eg. taxes)?
Buddy passes aren't free. They are highly discounted standby tickets that are based on a full-fare ticket. You do have to pay taxes as well. You are likely to find just as good of a price for a confirmed ticket off of priceline. Here are some examples of how much they cost: ATL to MYR will run you about 40.00 plus taxes; ATL to LAX will run you about 170.00 plus taxes; ATL to SJU will run you about 126.00 plus taxes; and ATL to CDG will run you about 254.00 plus taxes. Buddy passes can however sometimes be worth it when going international because you sometimes have a good shot at a chance in F.

- Can one fly on international flights?
Yes, they can. On these flights you have a good chance of getting in F too since no medallions can upgrade on them.

- If flying from New York to Australia via LAX, if they confirm you on both legs or do you have then get another standby from LAX to Australia (that is do they leave you stranded or confirm you all the way)
Unless the flight you are on is a direct flight, such as I think NZ has a AKL-LAX-NYC flight then they might confirm you yes. Otherwise, you are stranded buddy. Better luck next time. I know on Delta if you are flying on a direct flight such as ATL-KOA via SLC, then you get to be first on the list SLC-KOA above all other non-revs.

- How far in advance can you get a standby confirmed flight?
It's never confirmed until the LAST 30 minutes of departure.

- Can an employee give pass to anyone?
Yes.

- What are the catches?
You are behind ALL other employees. This could mean you could be 35th on the list of non-revs to get on. Or you could even be 1st on the list depending on the flight. These days, it is damn near impossible to non-rev so make sure you pick your days smartly, otherwise you will likely be left behind.

- Any other info?
I think I just might have covered it all.

Thanks, Evan.

As I do not know anyone who would actually give me one of these passes, I saw someone offering to sell a "Delta Companion Pass" for $1000. Would this be worth it? My thought was that if I could get one trip to India out of it then it would pay for it self and if get two trips then that would be a bonus.

The only thing is what the chances are for me to get a seat to India. Delta flies to Frankfurt and from Frankfurt to India.

Buddy Pass travel and Companion travel are two totally different things...
Companion travel is available to employees who do not have a spouse that they want on thier flight benefits so they can name someone else who will have unlimited stand by travel priviledges on any Delta or Delta Connection flight at the same boarding priority as the employee - Travel Companions are not eligible for ID90 travel on other airlines or codeshare flights...the Travel Companion must pay a fare, but it is less then a Buddy Pass fare...
Buddy Passes are given to employees each year to give out to family and friends - we get 8 a year - and they are only valid for 1 year from date of issue...if you extend travel past the 1yr mark the passes become invalid and refundable...Buddy Pass travel is not available on other airlines or codeshare flights, only on Delta or Delta Connection flights..so give up on going to SYD on a Delta pass...your trip to India and Frankfurt would be possible, the employee who provides you the pass can check flight loads for ya...If you are traveling on a thru flight (same flight number all the way to the destination) it is possible to be cleared all the way thru, if only cleared to the transit point you would be at the top of the list at the transit point based on your priority (S4 for buddy pass) but you still would not be above employees...

As with any standby travel, seats can be assigned 45minutes to departure time depending on the loads on the flight (I try to clear as early as possible to eliminate the bugging questions)...

Never buy a buddy pass from anyone, only agree to pay the yeild fare...if you buy a buddy pass from someone and they get caught and terminated you would be stuck without travel and would have to purchase a full fare ticket...

As for restrictions the one that most Buddy Pass riders (and some employees) have trouble with is the dress code...
http://www.deltadt.com/dlnonrev/TravelGuide.htm

Evan, you seem to know quite a lot. Do you know if a Pilot, who was retired, dies does his spouse still get passes for her family and friends? Thanks for the info

Karolina