Who killed non-rev shoulder season?

[Roger Roger]

There's always myUAdiscount too, assuming other airlines have similar to UA. I make less than most of you for sure and even with child support and having to fly to Fresno, Minneapolis, and Cebu often (Jeddah before that), I'm almost flipping Star Alliance Gold lol. I mean SFO-FAT for example is usually $350-600 one way to keep those seats open for juicy connecting fares from EU, Asia, and other places. With myUAdiscount, its $128-160 usually. If a few days out its already over 75% full, I just buy a ticket. $175 usually MSP-SFO, so since I fly in then work a few hours later, I buy a ticket for protection in case it cancels or I need a reroute or OAL rebook. •, SFO-MNL is like $358 in economy and I did Polaris MNL-SFO like $1700 which is a STEAL when you won't get it standby.

At age 36, I'm 100% "shut up and take my money" over the nonrev game if its reasonable. Dunno why pilots are so cheap, I mean you got there, you're getting paper, buy your commute tickets home and chill out. I get upgraded over 50% of the time I buy a ticket now.

AS definitely does not have that. Just a flat discount I think 20% off the website price. I have heard about the UA discount program though, isn’t it really flexible with cancellation and changes too? Met a few guys at the old pad who used it all the time.

I bought tix for our family trip to MI and MN this summer. And avoided the airlines for everything except the trek to and from Alaska.

 

[Sculprit]

isn’t it really flexible with cancellation and changes too? Met a few guys at the old pad who used it all the time.

For the most part. If you purchase the non refundable tickets, you can get a full refund within 24 hours of purchase. After that you can still refund it, it just goes into your travel bank aka future credit so it’s not completely lost.

 

[Roger Roger]

For the most part. If you purchase the non refundable tickets, you can get a full refund within 24 hours of purchase. After that you can still refund it, it just goes into your travel bank aka future credit so it’s not completely lost.

Yeah, I forget the details but I think guys were just putting that credit in and out of the travel bank and only using it if they absolutely needed to or something.

 

[///AMG]

AS definitely does not have that. Just a flat discount I think 20% off the website price. I have heard about the UA discount program though, isn’t it really flexible with cancellation and changes too? Met a few guys at the old pad who used it all the time.

I bought tix for our family trip to MI and MN this summer. And avoided the airlines for everything except the trek to and from Alaska.

Other bummer of our CET program is that it only extends to your primary travelers. So I can't just buy tix with discount for multiple family members that are outside that small group. Oh well.

 

[ChasenSFO]

For the most part. If you purchase the non refundable tickets, you can get a full refund within 24 hours of purchase. After that you can still refund it, it just goes into your travel bank aka future credit so it’s not completely lost.

All you do is change it to a refundable ticket via upgrade right before you refund it.

 

[Skåning]

Psssh I was skeptical about Sept flights being full, but here I sit stuck in AMS, trying to get to Stockholm for a friend's wedding.
Will try again tomorrow!
Also not sure why the Dutch pump the heating in the airport, it's only 62° out!

 

[bike21]

Psssh I was skeptical about Sept flights being full, but here I sit stuck in AMS, trying to get to Stockholm for a friend's wedding.
Will try again tomorrow!
Also not sure why the Dutch pump the heating in the airport, it's only 62° out!

Thus Schipol is a no-hat zone for me. Always too warm. Also, if you're near gate E8, Olea has the best coffee in all of Schipol.

May the non-rev gods ever be in your favor!

 

[A150K]

Psssh I was skeptical about Sept flights being full, but here I sit stuck in AMS, trying to get to Stockholm for a friend's wedding.
Will try again tomorrow!
Also not sure why the Dutch pump the heating in the airport, it's only 62° out!

Headed to Europe monday via LHR. Plenty of seats to LHR, so I'll nonrev, but definitely decided to buy my tickets to get around this time vs zed. Very few smiley green faces in myidtravel.

 

[bike21]

Headed to Europe monday via LHR. Plenty of seats to LHR, so I'll nonrev, but definitely decided to buy my tickets to get around this time vs zed. Very few smiley green faces in myidtravel.

After delaying a day due to crazy loads, we had seats available to CDG via JFK tonight but never left DEN since the engineering marvel known as the 737 decided not to comply after pushback. Could have made a JetBlue flight, but since we committed the non-rev sin of checking a bag (yes, yes...we're gone for over a month in multiple climates) we couldn't be that flexible.

Thankfully since we more time work with, so going on Monday now as loads look better. Could have tried again tomorrow via JFK (CDG wiiiide open if anyone needs it) but in part due to the cancellation and the UN General Assembly going on, good luck getting to NYC. We could get more creative and suck it up in steerage, but I'm too lazy and spoiled. After 6 hours of go nowhere airport time today, we'll rest up and hope to be sipping some bubbly in lie flats soon.

 

[tcco94]

I feel bad saying it but it really has gotten hard for me to see the same value in flight benefits that I used to. I had a couple weeks off recently and had the same issue. Anywhere in Europe was single digit available seats that I knew wouldn’t last. Throw in being a commuter and it gets less desirable to go to the airport and inevitably play “scramble to figure out plan D” on your days off. Doubly so spending a lot of your vacation wondering what wrench will be thrown into your plans with the added time pressure of getting back to work on time.

Can’t tell if I’ve just gotten tired or snobby of standby but my favorite benefit is the confirmed for less. I don’t even bother non rev domestic anymore I just buy tickets. lol I don’t even care. It makes my trips way less stressful and with a wife who has a normal work schedule I don’t have to wake up at 3am to catch a 5am departure or have 7 back up flights all oversold. Oh and 2 leg it home when I could just go direct? Nah, I’m good. Feel like you need a nomad kinda planning go with the flow vacationer to non rev these days.