Question about Nieces/Nephews as Extended Family on the Pass Riders...

Hey All!

My brother works for United. I'm his sister, one of his 2 "Enrolled Friends." Which means only Primary and Extended Family can fly on his Buddy Passes, right? Well we were looking at who qualifies as Extended Family, and Nieces and Nephews are not on there.

Is anyone else having this problem? My daughter is my brother's blood relative, and she can't be put on as Extended Family as his niece, but if got married, his non-blood relation in-laws could use the buddy passes?
And our other sister's baby flies as her lap child, but when he turns 2, he can't fly standby anymore as a nephew?

Any suggestions?? Much appreciated.

UA has stipulations on who can use an employee's buddy passes?

The way United seems to run things, the 2 year old can probably bump active employees like me.

Looking through United's website, these are the relatives that qualify for family buddy pass riders:

• Non-dependent children 26 years of age and older (adult children)
• Parents-in-law (spouse's and domestic partner's parents)
• Siblings (includes half siblings and adopted siblings, if adopted prior to attaining age 18)
• Grandparents (Must be blood related to the employee)
• Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren (blood related to the employee and adopted)

Because the employee has a second enrolled friend, it looks like only those family members can get buddy passes. I actually didn't realize that that was even a possibility until I looked it up.



SKC: anyone can use buddy passes, but UA has a lower buddy pass rate for those that fit those categories above, plus I think they can fly unaccompanied in GlobalFirst if I remember correctly. Both get counted from the same bank of allotted segments, however.

Isn't it strange that the blood-relative nephew or niece of the brother or sister under 2 years of age can fly lap, but then at 2 can't fly on the buddy pass anymore?
And that a non-blood relative like an in-law CAN fly on the buddy pass?
And does anyone have an idea of who to talk to at United to get the blood-relative nieces and nephews able to fly the buddy pass??

An infant is an infant, they are barely even counted as a passenger when they don't have their own seat. Totally separate thing altogether. The only reason that they really do that is because the FAA lets them (the 2-year limit is an FAA thing, not United or any specific airline). Parents in law may not be blood-related, but they can still be considered close family members. And I highly doubt that anyone in the employee travel center would change the policy because an employee's sister wants their kids to be able to fly, no offense.

Hello sis to the employee. I swear to God you can talk to someone about nonrev travel until you're blue in the face, and things will never change. Nonrev travel policy is not made up of only one person. (I think its a team of people beyond my pay grade that determines.) I don't even know whom comes up with the final policies or determines whom flies to what relationships to whom or whatever. I can agree with your sentiment about blood relatives while, for example significant others can fly same as an employee though not active employees with the airlines themselves. What you deem to be fair isn't always a fair outlook to someone else. And that really truly sux just like congress and legislation is alot like this. It's a free country, go ahead and send your gripes via a letter. I doubt you will hear anything but don't let anyone stop you.