How good is ZED Light when it comes to swapping airlines?

**flyer146** · 02-Mar-2010, 10:49 AM

My question is fairly obvious: if am entitled to ZL fares on a given airline, but decide to swap to another airline operating the same route as well, am I correct in assuming I will not be able to use my ZL ticket with them if the agreement with that other airline is for ZM?

Is is possible to pay up the difference at the airport, similar like you sometimes have to pay extra taxes if you route otherwise (and more expensive) than first forseen, or is it not possible to pay the fare difference between ZL and ZM at all?

Just curious to your answers/experiences! Thanks.

**nightice** · 07-Mar-2010, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by flyer146

My question is fairly obvious: if am entitled to ZL fares on a given airline, but decide to swap to another airline operating the same route as well, am I correct in assuming I will not be able to use my ZL ticket with them if the agreement with that other airline is for ZM?

Is is possible to pay up the difference at the airport, similar like you sometimes have to pay extra taxes if you route otherwise (and more expensive) than first forseen, or is it not possible to pay the fare difference between ZL and ZM at all?

Just curious to your answers/experiences! Thanks.

your assumption is correct. your zed ticket will let the agent know the zed type purchased - the agent should know what the interline agreements are between your airline and the one you are flying on. normally, the low fare will trigger deeper investigation, as all zonal tickets are the same in each category (+/- due to int'l taxes). a zone 3 ZM is obviously higher than that of a zone 3 ZL.

you can't take a ZL and expect another carrier to board you if your employing airline agreement calls for ZM...technically, it would be travel fraud and possible cause for dismassal from your airline. not worth the risk..your employee number and airline employer is listed on those zeds....

your Zed ticket is transferrable between your airline's agreement partners - however, the mileage zone has to be within the same zone or the other airline won't take your ticket (ie: if you have a zed you paid for in zone 3, you can't use it for another zone above 3 but you can go down to zone 1 or 2). There are 9 mileage zones. Each connection requires a zed ticket. As for any additional charges or differences in fares, that has to be taken care of at your respective carrier.

that's the beauty of zed's...unlike ID-type tickets which are route-specific..

**flyer146** · 08-Mar-2010, 09:42 AM

Thank you for your reply; definitely much appreciated!

I can see how it works, although it looks weird to me for an airline with open seats left and a ZED agreement in place to leave somebody behind, just because they prefer ZM iso ZL, since in the end it means some revenues are lost for them, doesn't it? Okay, maybe they could have taken 100 dollars from a regular ZM ticket, but why snub at let's say 70 from the ZL and prefer nothing instead?

BTW, do you happen to know how it is done when taxes aren't identical to the ones paid on your ticket, for instance due to a last minute swap from hubbing through MUC to a routing through the more expensive FRA, even though both are in the same milage zone?

FWIW, I've been taken onboard by a certain ZED carrier which doesn't have an agreement with my company, although that was on a regular ZM fare, so maybe that's completely different then?

As a last question: how common are ZL tickets actually? We're entitled to them on a handful of airlines since a few months now, so I am fairly new to this, hence me asking.

**mrs767er** · 08-Mar-2010, 03:44 PM

we have only one agreement with an airline on zed low. good question regarding zones, tho.
our zeds are designated as point to point not zone to zone. according to the "rules" listed on our I can't interchange cities, but maybe a more experienced user can work with an agent to flex the conditions?

**flyer146** · 09-Mar-2010, 02:19 AM

Originally Posted by mrs767er

our zeds are designated as point to point not zone to zone. according to the "rules" listed on our I can't interchange cities, but maybe a more experienced user can work with an agent to flex the conditions?

That seems in contradiction with the ZED concept of the 9 milage zones. I've been using ZED tickets for one destination many times on different destinations, within the same zone.
For instance: I regularly swap from JFK to EWR and vv. when heading to New York from BRU. I've never bothered about the fact the taxes on both airports may not be identical, and in fact the carriers never seem to do so either.

**mrs767er** · 10-Mar-2010, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by flyer146

That seems in contradiction with the ZED concept of the 9 milage zones. I've been using ZED tickets for one destination many times on different destinations, within the same zone.
For instance: I regularly swap from JFK to EWR and vv. when heading to New York from BRU. I've never bothered about the fact the taxes on both airports may not be identical, and in fact the carriers never seem to do so either.

Sorry--what is vv?
But you are still flying into the NEW YORK airports--which are all considered equal points--
We're not talking CDG vs BRU vs LYS vs NCE from any NY airport-- it's still isn't zone to zone, according to our agreement. city to city. Maybe the agreemtn you have is different from ours-do I want to find out the WRONG way and the DL ticket desk is not open? nah--not me!

**SpainFlier** · 11-Mar-2010, 01:13 AM

I believe that delta is relaxing the rules, as far as the mileage is equivalent, you now can do it.

**mrs767er** · 11-Mar-2010, 10:14 AM

the point is not regarding DL acceptiing a zed--it's a zed tkt purchased per DL rules/agreement and if another carrier will or will not accept the DL issued zed (or whichever airline has whatever rules) I'm not crazy enough to buy a zed for AF CDG to ZRH and find out I can't use is for CDG to CAI or CDG to ARN (even if they are priced in the same zone--ZED is for zone pricing not ravel anywhere within that mileage zone) Thta's my take on the system as our rules read. Maybe it differs with another airline.

**aazed** · 11-Mar-2010, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by flyer146

I can see how it works, although it looks weird to me for an airline with open seats left and a ZED agreement in place to leave somebody behind, just because they prefer ZM iso ZL, since in the end it means some revenues are lost for them, doesn't it? Okay, maybe they could have taken 100 dollars from a regular ZM ticket, but why snub at let's say 70 from the ZL and prefer nothing instead?

There are generally some very strong business reasons for a carrier to NOT implement an agreement for ZED Low fares or, for accepting a ZED Low ticketed that has been walked over to it. ZED Low can often be lower that an airlines own employee travel fares, in which case, the transporting airline would be providing a better deal to another airlines' employees than they do to their own. Not acceptable.

**mrs767er** · 11-Mar-2010, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by aazed

There are generally some very strong business reasons for a carrier to NOT implement an agreement for ZED Low fares or, for accepting a ZED Low ticketed that has been walked over to it. ZED Low can often be lower that an airlines own employee travel fares, in which case, the transporting airline would be providing a better deal to another airlines' employees than they do to their own. Not acceptable.

Guess that's why we only have that deal w/AF--it's reciprocal.

Thread: How good is ZED Light when it comes to swapping airlines?

LinkBack

Thread Tools

Display

Hybrid View

How good is ZED Light when it comes to swapping airlines?

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

Similar Threads

Wow....good to be here!

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions