New Member from STL

Hello,

I am new to this forum, as well as flying non rev, so I hope to learn a lot from this forum, so I am not up on the lingo.

My 2 kids and I will be taking our first flight via eligible dependent benefits (Trans States Airlines) next week and my husband has been a bit busy with the new job, so I am being proactive and trying to learn the ropes and try to figure things - he has already been to his benefits department 2x trying to get registered online, so I hope to learn as much as I can here so when I go to him, I can be of some help .

I would appreciate if you can direct me to any posts that I can get a "crash course" before our first flight, as well as FAQ's (dress codes (adults, kids, how to register for flights, etc).

Look forward to learning the ropes.

Kristi

Well, to start, what were you planning for next week? Airline? City pairs? What dates?

Hi, Kristie. Lots of basics but need to know who you have flight privs with--I'm ignorant about your airline. You've come to the right place for info and advice.
I learned one bit at a time and it's so much easier to get educated now. Happy to help if we can.

Welcome...

Thanks for the welcome. My husband told we can fly with United, US Airways, and GoJet as he met the 30 day employment requirement. I believe the others that have agreements require 3-6 months of employment before we can fly with them.

We are doing STL to ORD for the weekend. I initially thought about leaving on Friday (the first flight is at 6:30AM and one departs every few hours), but I think I just may try for the last departure on Thursday to see if I can get out earlier

7/25 for the 7:58PM flight; otherwise, heading out 7/26. Returning 7/28 - we are open to the departure. My husband would have joined us by then, so if we need to split up into 2 groups of two's (each of us with one kid) we wouldn't mind as I know it will be a challenge for one adult with 2 children (ages 5,12) which is why I would be hitting the airport at 6AM if we don't make it on Thurs.

We will be getting on MyTravelID for the first time this weekend which I believe where we go to get listed, but I also seen a few posts about id90???

Ok, cool. That actually helps out a lot. I can help you on UA, and a little bit on US.

First off, throw everything you've heard about ID90T and MyIDTravel out the window. Both are used when you're flying on airlines you don't have regular benefits for. You (or your husband) also need 6 months of seniority to do that anyway.

Ok, now with that out of the way, the listing sites for United is at http://skynet.ual.com (Travel -> EmployeeRES) and US Airways is at http://wings.usairways.com (TravelUS link on top). Your husband should have been given login info for both (UA username should start with an N, I believe AX for US Airways). Both sites are a little different, but you should get the hang of it. STL-ORD nonstop sounds great if you can get it, but that route can be a little full sometimes. Just keep an eye on things, have a backup plan, and be prepared for an annoyingly early flight if necesary. I'll be you'd get on any of the first few flights STL-ORD on 7/26, but if you're near the airport and don't mind going back, it could be worth trying on 7/25. If the flight gets delayed, people will probably get rebooked for the next day due to missed connections, freeing up more seats (that happened to me once MSN-DEN).

Coming home on Sunday, I'd strongly suggest keeping an eye on loads, and consider a weird routing (like ORD-IAH-STL, or ORD-CLT-STL, keeping in mind you can take US or UA ORD-CLT). Getting stuck is no fun, especially on your first time nonrevving.

Logistically, most airlines are all about the same. You list online. You check in as normal. You get a boarding pass with no seat assignment, TSA is fine with that. You can also check in online. You wait at the gate as much as you can, waiting for your name to be called. UA usually does this around boarding. If you fly UA and have a smartphone, be sure to get the UA app. You can check the standby list and seat map very easily from the flight status screen to see where you stand. Don't annoy the gate agent, they have a lot to do as it is. But if you're nice to them, feel free to introduce yourself and mention that it's your first time nonrevving. You'll probably win their hearts - they're nonrevs at times as well, and nonrev karma really is a thing. Just beware that even once you get on the plane, you're still not in the clear. It's increasingly rare, but sometimes you get pulled off for the "walk of shame" - if a passenger runs up at the last minute or something. Once the plane has landed at your destination, then you can exhale ;). No matter what happens, act like you're a guest at your in-law's house. Very nice, very polite. If you start yelling at the gate agent, they can mention you to their supervisor, and then your husband can get in trouble. It's happened.

Finally, remember that numbers change. If there are 4 seats and you are the only 4 nonrevs on a flight as of the night before, don't count on getting on. People may have missed the flight before (oversleeping, traffic, what have you), nonrevs may have listed at the last minute, what have you. It always helps to try early ("when in doubt, first flight out") to beat the people that have overslept (or misconnected, coming out of a hub) rather than compete with them on whatever flight they were rebooked on. Miracles also happen, too. My wife and I once gave up on a DEN-MSN flight, since it was so heavily booked. 0 seats, I think 5 standbys above us. All standbys ended up getting cleared, we could have made it. If possible, it helps to fly on your own metal (that is, a plane operated by Trans States). You'll get better priority - tied with United vacation passes, the top tier of them all. Next best is other express planes, where you'll go after United employees, but before their unaccompanied parents and children. Is your husband a captain or first officer, by any chance? If so, they can generally fly jumpseat for free on pretty much any airline. He'll only get the jumpseat if there are no other seats, but if there are 3 seats left and you guys are next, it could help.

Hope that helps. I took a lot longer writing it than expected, so it better have :-P

Thanks for the info - we'll take a look at those sites and see what the best options are and be prepared to get up at the crack of dawn.

Although my husband was not able to get logged in this weekend. The information I shared with him form this post was very helpful as he does have the UA username that starts with a N and he needs to get his password reset (already called the help desk, but he may have been using the wrong information for that website); I believe it was an information overload and he was not sure where to go to get us listed.

He is going back to his benefits coordinator for the 4th time, so hopefully with the information he now has and knows what to look for, they should be able to trouble shoot what he is doing wrong on his end so we can finally see which flights we have a better chance of getting on.

Thanks

Welcome aboard K72 and welcome to the nerve racking world of non-rev travel


Since Spongebue has given you the basics, thought I’d follow up with some tips on planning and what to expect at the airport.
1-- Familiarize yourself with your airline’s travel rules and policies.
2-- Be flexible - Tue/Wed are usually the best travel days, Fri/Sat/Sun/Holidays the worst and the first/early flights usually give you your best shot. Basically understand the travel habits of the average tourist and avoid it. *wink*
3-- Plan meticulously and always have backups - a plan A, B and C.
4-- Be patient - you might have to see a flight or two leave without you
5-- Carry a copy of the flight schedule. Knowing how much time you have to make it to at new gate means the difference between walking and sprinting.
6-- Don’t check a bag - carry-on only. (makes changing plans a lot easier)
7-- Dress for success-- business casual .
8-- Never leave the gate until push back
9-- Never argue with on-duty staff.
10-- Expect a curve - delays , diversions, weather, all can throw your trip for a loop.
Have a plan.
11-- Boarding - the dash down the jetway, the rush to find your seat and the realization there’s no room in the overheads -backpacks/carry-ons for the kids that fit under the seat will save a lot of stress.
11-- Expect to sit in a middle seat
12-- Expect to sit separately
13-- The wait - Non Revs breathe easy only with “wheels up”. A late arriving pax or an employee with a higher priority can have you gathering your things and marching back down the jetway. It doesn’t happen a lot, but it does happen.
14-- Sit back, relax and have fun. You don’t have to check loads until the trip back. :cool:

Lots of good advice,welcome.