Hey all. I posted an article on my site about nonrev tips. Here's a copy and paste from that article. Anything I'm missing in this article that I should add? Anything you think I should get rid of? I know it's probably not the best but I'm still working on tidying up the articles and blog posts on my site in addition to adding more content. Thanks for the comments and suggestions!
For those unfamiliar with the term "nonrev" it refers to airline employees who travel standby. The term nonrev, short for non-revenue, gets its name because employees don't provide any revenue for the company. This article is geared towards airline employees as these tips provide no benefit for someone without travel benefits for an airline. With this in mind, here are 13 tips that may help make your next nonrev experience a little less stressful.
Buy A Ticket If You Must Be Somewhere
The cardinal rule of of being a nonrev is to never use standby travel when you have to be somewhere, even if the flight looks great weeks before. All it takes is a cancellation and you'll be in a world of hurt trying to find a way to get somewhere that you have to be. Some airlines, such as Delta, offer you the ability to buy discounted confirmed seats as well. This perk has come in handy because the "fly for less" fare is still a refundable fare. If I'm in need of an even larger discount, I can try Delta's "fly confirmed for even less." This fare is nonrefundable though, so I rarely use this type of fare. Check your airline to see if they offer something similar.
Don't Check Loads Too Early
It does absolutely no good to check loads more than a week in advance, especially domestically. International you can start to get a rough idea before that, but keep in mind the loads will still change a bit. Domestically, loads are changing constantly. I've seen flights with 70 seats a week out end up oversold for a variety of reasons. About a week out, you can start to get an idea. A few days before the flight is when you really start to get a good idea of what the loads will be. Do keep in mind that flights, especially to and from hubs, change up until departure for many reasons. Other domestic flights, such as ones that don't involve a bona fide hub (ie: Seattle to Las Vegas), won't change as drastically so you can start planning a little earlier. Always do your research!
Always Have A Backup Plan
This could involve a confirmed seat, a zed fare, or even a bus ticket. Don't depend on one specific flight no matter how open the loads look. A cancellation here, some last minute purchases there, and all of a sudden that flight that had 20 open seats is now oversold! One time in my early nonrev days, I tried to return home to Seattle from Washington DC on the Monday of Memorial Day weekend. I had to be at work on Tuesday. My routing was DCA-JFK-SEA on Delta. All other flights anywhere were oversold and this was my only option to get home. The morning of my flight JFK was experiencing thick fog, and several flights from DCA were cancelled. I was scrambling to find a way home. There was no way I was getting out on Delta, and my travel companion doesn't have the option to buy a zed fare like I can. My only option involved me buying 2, full fare first class mileage award tickets on United through Newark. Not having a backup plan cost me nearly my entire balance of United Mileage Plus miles! Avoid this mess by always having a backup plan.
Avoid Certain Destinations At Certain Times
This is a bit vague, but never travel nonrev to a certain city that is hosting a big event or convention That makes travel very difficult for revenue passengers, let alone a nonrev. Also, avoid popular tourist destinations during times such as spring break. You will be stuck at the airport for days trying to get out! Cities such as Miami, Orlando, Las Vegas, Honolulu, etc. during spring break are very difficult to travel to. Additionally, certain cities can be impossible to get in on a Friday and out on a Sunday. That's because everyone and their mother is trying to do the same thing! Cities such as Las Vegas and Miami spring to mind. As always, do your research! Winter time is better for nonreving across the board. Certain cities in the summer are impossible to nonrev to no matter what day of the week because of families on vacation. Keep that in mind!
Opt For Early Flights
I always try to catch the earliest flight out, which often leaves at 6am. The no show factor is so large for these flights that I've often made heavily oversold flights. Unless there is something insane such as 50 open seats on a later flight, I will try to get out as early as possible. Even if a 6am flight is oversold and the 8am flight has 20 open seats, I will still show up for the earliest flight. What happens if mother Kate can't get her family of 8 to the airport in time or frat boy Dan and his buddies are all too hungover to make the early flight? They all get bumped to the next flight. All of a sudden, the 6am flight went out with open seats while the 8am flight is oversold. As the day goes on, this problem compounds even more. The nonrev standby list grows from nonrevs who wouldn't get on previous flights as well. Needless to say, it's in your best interest to try to get out as early as possible.
Don't Check Baggage
You never know when you're going to have to switch flights on a moments notice. Even if I'm in Europe for an extended period of time, I still pack only a carry on bag. It allows me flexibility without having to worry if my luggage will make it to my destination or not. But, be prepared to gate check your luggage to your final destination. Since nonrevs often board last, bin space will likely be full. This can cause problems if you have a short connection in an airport on two different listings. I nearly missed a flight once because I was flying SEA-JFK-SJU on Delta and SJU-SXM on Jetblue. Thankfully, my flight into SJU was early so I was able to collect my bag at baggage claim and go back through security to get to my Jetblue flight.
Enroll in Global Entry
As a nonrev, you're going to spend a significant amount of time at airports. For $100, you can eliminate the ques at customs and immigration in the US as well as at the security checkpoint. You're looking at a couple of hours saved each trip, especially at the busier airports. The security checkpoint experience will be painless, and you get to use a kiosk upon arriving internationally. More information on global entry can be found here.
Never Book Nonrefundable Accommodations/Activities
I learned this the hard way. Immediately after receiving my flight benefits, I picked a week to go to Hawaii and booked a week of a nonrefundable hotel rate in Honolulu on Waikiki Beach. I got burned for nearly $2,000 when I found out that I wasn't going to be able to get that time off. Many things can change, so do yourself a favor and book only refundable hotels and activities. A trick I often use if I find a great deal on Hotwire or another travel site is to call the hotel and ask them to match that rate. I explain that since I'm an airline employee and I travel standby that I might not be able to get a flight in. Some of the time, they are able to match the rate and I now have a nonrefundable rate that I can cancel if need be.
Be A Courteous Nonrev
This isn't really a tip. Rather, it's just a reminder not to make life difficult for any of the employees. Always take your seat assignment without question, and don't argue with the gate agent. Be on your best behavior on the flight because you are a direct reflection of the airline. The primary focus of the gate agent is to get the flight out on time and to take care of the revenue passengers. They will get to you when they have time. Keep in mind, they nonrev as well so they know what it's like. When in the gate area, sit tight and wait for your name to be called or watch the gate information screen to see if you've been assigned a seat. After the flight has left, wait for the gate agent to help the revenue passengers before asking for help. They will appreciate not having to deal with an obnoxious nonrev!
Bring Something To Pass The Time
As a nonrev, you could spend the better part of a day sitting at the airport. Bring a book, magazine, laptop, or something to pass the time in the event that you are stuck at the airport. It gets pretty boring starting off into space for hours on end!
Consider Purchasing A Club Membership
Airline club membership, while expensive, are great to have. They often include perks such as free wifi, snacks, free alcohol, among others. There are some credit cards which include lounge access which are likely more cost-effective than flat out purchasing a club membership. If you are the type of person who spends money often at an airport on food or alcohol, you'll likely get a very good return on invesmtnt with a club membership. If you just plan on sitting in the lounge watching tv, than the $400 or so likely isn't worth it.
Always Check Loads
Never just show up at the airport without knowing the flight loads. This should go without saying, but I've had many coworkers complain about getting stuck because they didn't check the loads before leaving! If you're traveling on another airline that you don't have load access to, head over to Nonrev forums and ask one of the kind forum members to check for you.
Just Travel!
My final tip is just a word of advice. Don't give yourself a reason to not go somewhere. I've planned many trips and not ended up going because I was tired or some other excuse. I even drove to the airport once, got out of my car, and still ended up turning back! Some people would kill to have the perk that we as airline employees have. Get the most out of this benefit by traveling whenever you can.
I know some of these tips may seem like common sense to the experienced nonrev, but hopefully there is some information of value in this article. Nonrev travel isn't an exact science. It's more like a game of chance. There's only so much you can do to make the experience stress free, and sometimes that isn't even enough! But, since we travel free or at a reduced rate, the money saved easily makes up for all of the stress.
