<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (trollydolly @ Dec 3 2007, 09:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Hi all:

I&#39;m just doing some research on how your stand-by policies work for travel companions. I was wondering what your company offers you as a travel companion (ie. do you have to be married to have a companion, if you&#39;re married does that have to be your companion?) Any thoughts or ideas? At my airline you can choose whoever you want as your companion until or unless you&#39;re married and then it has to be your husbnad/wife. Is this the norm for most airlines? [/b]
At American, if you are married, your spouse or company-recognized domestic partner and dependent children (up to 22 years old), have the same privileges as the employee (unlimited stand-by; service charges apply; free domestic coach after 5 yrs with the company; free int&#39;l coach after 25 yrs).

If you are not married or do not have a domestic partner, then you can choose one person (anyone - can be a sibling, friend, s.o., whoever) as your designated companion. The DC also travels at the same stand-by priority as you; BUT, their trips come out of your 24 one-way buddy pass limit for the year. Parents travel at a slightly lower priority, but higher than others on buddy passes. Basically, employees are "D2" priority (A-passes are employees traveling for business and certain higher level management, whether personal or business travel); D2P are parents, and D3 are buddy passes. D3s can be given to anyone, but you are limited to 12 people per year on your travel buddy list; and once someone is put on the list, they can not be removed until after one year of being on the list. This is for security reasons and to prevent fraud.

Employees do not get D3s for their first 2 years; and each employee and their eligible family members get 4 one-way D1 (higher priority) passes to use each year. Boarding priority is first come-first serve (NOT seniority based).

There are more rules, but that&#39;s the jist of it. Hope this helps.

-L