Great Job ExpressJet

I wish we were starting more destinations on the east coast too!
As long as it's not the northeast. That would hurt us in my opinion.

Looking back, man am I happy that our management didn't hand those aircraft to the nice folks at RepubloTaco. And even those internal emails from the reverend stating how we are hurting the industry by going forth with this venture. Fond memories. ;-)
RepubloTaco? ROFL!! :laff::laff::laff:

Who's the reverend? :confused:
 
If you are trying to go to places that not everybody else wants to go then it's not a big deal. Try explaining to someone who wants to go to SEA, MCO, DEN or many other places that it's no big deal to non rev and get ready for their less-than-friendly reaction. Not many years ago, airlines used to be able to break even at 55 to 60 percent load factors. There would always be seats because the airlines didn't need to market so heavily. Today, almost 90 percent of the seats need to be filled to just break even. You can bet that the airlines are doing everything they can to fill those last few seats usually leaving the non-revs waiting for the next flight or the next day.
If you have a great deal of flexibility and a lot of patience, non revenue travel can be a good thing. If your anxiety level is pegged as you watch the loads climb on a daily basis and you absolutely have to be somewhere at a certain time, do yourself a favor and book a seat, preferrably a few weeks out. As a cruel sidenote, I booked my daughter on a flight for tomorrow from SAN to IAH several months back fearing that July loads out of SAN, which are always full, would strand her as a stand-by passenger. I just looked at the loads out of SAN tomorrow and there are TONS of empty seats throughout the day. The other non-revs travelling tomorrow have me to thank for their good fortune, as had I not booked her a seat, the flights out of SAN would all be over booked. Your welcome!:hiya:
Yeah, sometimes you have to do some weird stuff, but I absolutely refuse to pay for a ticket when I can go free!! :laff: Last September, I went to my cousin's AF Basic Training graduation, I went PIT (hometown)-DEN-PHX-SAT then on the way home I went SAT-PHX-LAS-PIT (redeye). Another time I was going to BUF to visit some family, but the loads were sold out so I went PIT-DCA, missed the connection in DCA so hopped on the tram and went to the Washington Mall then a few hours later back to DCA and then to BUF. It's all fun though. I love it, ya never know where you might end up!:D
 
See, if it's just me and my wife, I don't mind "doing what it takes" to get where I need to go. Toss in a 2 year old, and it's a WHOLE new ball game (Amber will back me up on this one). There's a HUGE difference between non-revving just you and your SO and taking your family. It might have been different "back in the day" before the load factors skyrocketed and the prices plummeted, but it's not like that now. Try telling an airline employee on SA that there's an overcapacity issue and see what kind of response you get.
 
I hope to pick this non-rev thing once I get a job with someone hopefully, but non-rev is pretty much go to the airport, hope they have a seat for you and your SO (or just you) and if they do have a spot, you get on the plane and go?

when you guys buy the tickets, how much do you pay? say if calcapt got a ticket in XJT plane, does he pay full price? discount?

man, I have so many questions about this thing, I think its goign to be harder then getting a type rating lol
 
Non-revving seems a lot different today! My parents used to work for TWA and NWA about 15 years ago, and we non-revved with them quite a bit. The only trouble we had that I remembered was that we once flew into Tampa Bay when we were trying to go to Orlando. My grandparents picked us up in Tampa and drove us to Orlando to get our bags.
 
I hope to pick this non-rev thing once I get a job with someone hopefully, but non-rev is pretty much go to the airport, hope they have a seat for you and your SO (or just you) and if they do have a spot, you get on the plane and go?

More or less. For security reasons, you have to call ahead and "list" yourself (and whoever is travelling with you) on the flight. If you don't make that flight, you get rolled over to the next one, etc, etc. Some airlines charge a fee for pass travel, some don't. Really depends on the airline. NWA charged a fee up until this past January. I think they still charge for 1st class.

when you guys buy the tickets, how much do you pay? say if calcapt got a ticket in XJT plane, does he pay full price? discount?

Once again, it depends. If you want a for sure seat, you're better off going to Orbitz or some place like that just like a normal traveller. Anything else is probably gonna be "space available," which means you get on after everyone else if there are empty seats. Now, there is a program at NWA, so I assume other airlines have it, called "fly confirmed for less." As an employee with pass benefits, you can get a positive space ticket for a discount off the normal price. That means you get a seat (unless it's oversold, and even full fare people might be left at the gate), but you'll pay a bit more for it. That's only available on NWA, though, not other airlines.

Now, to toss another monkeywrench into the details, there are things called "over the counter agreements." Essentially, these are deals brokered by the individual station managers for that station with other airlines. For example, at SWA we had to ID-90 on Continental (buy a discounted ticket, but it was still space available ie strand-by). BUT, in MCO we could go to the CAL ticket counter, show the ID, and they would print us a paper ticket for the flight if we did it in advance for free. We were still space available, but didn't have to buy an ID-90 for it. With Virgin Atlantic, we only had to pay $90 each way. Even though you're paying, however, it's still stand-by.
 
thanks kellwolf! that halped :)

Its just always shocking to hear there are no seats avaliable. I always see empty seats here and there when I commercially fly (obviously as a paying customer since thats my only option right now lol) so its kind of weird to hear 'no seats left'
 
I think non-rev is most certainly a benefit if you look at it from the view point that it allows you to see a TON of places without even paying a dime in most cases. That is a benefit in my eyes. Usually, a week out I just see which flights are open and take a chance and go somewhere. I've made it to Edinburgh and Munich (both up front in businesselite) and visited lots of friends across the country. Just takes some planning, patience, and flexibility.

But yes...as most have said, if I NEED to be somewhere, or people are assuming that I will be there wheN i say I will...I'll stick to buying a ticket (or reduced fare).
 
when you guys buy the tickets, how much do you pay? say if calcapt got a ticket in XJT plane, does he pay full price? discount?


I search for deals like everybody. I prefer to buy from airline sites over orbitz, travelocity etc. If I have a problem, the airlines seem more willing to work with me if I purchased on their own site. Continentals confirmed employee tickets are almost always more expensive than I find on my own so I have never used them. I have also found that the cheapest fares are found in the 30 to 15 day window before departure. I tried being clever once and booked seats three months out thinking I was doing good. Three weeks before departure the published fares were 30 percent less than I had paid for them several months earlier. After crying on the phone to a sympathetic agent, I was issued credit vouchers for the difference in fares less a small change fee. I always seem to learn my lessons the hard way. :banghead:
 
I may not be an airline pilot, but I think that the non-rev benefit is exactly that . . . A BENEFIT.

In my Marine Corps days, we used to be able to fly Space-A on military aircraft in the Air Mobility Command (Once called the Military Airlift Command). It was strictly Space-Available, and a lowly Lance Corporal trying to get to Pensacola from New River, NC might have to go through Norfolk, Willow Grove, Millington, Polk and finally to Pensacola.

But, you know what? It was free. You knew going into it that it was Space-A, and you made the choice.

Personally, I'm looking forward to it!
 
But, you know what? It was free. You knew going into it that it was Space-A, and you made the choice.

Technically, then, a company could offer free health care, but set it up where you could hardly use it. Would that still be a benefit?

"Sure, Mr. Williams. We honor your health insurance, and we're glad you choice Baptist South as your hospital. Unfortunately, we don't have any doctors available. But we can try to put you in with the next rotation, assuming no other patients with higher paying insurance don't take all the positions. What's that? No, I'm sure you won't bleed to death in the meantime."

I just don't see how I can call something my company gives me but I can't (not don't want to, but CAN'T) use a benefit.
 
Technically, then, a company could offer free health care, but set it up where you could hardly use it. Would that still be a benefit?

If the company offered free medical care, on a strictly space-available basis, and it was free - yeah, I'd call it a benefit!
 
I guess we're just gonna have to agree to disagree on this one. Here's what ole dictionary.com says:

2. a payment or gift, as one made to help someone or given by a benefit society, insurance company, or public agency

If they're giving something, but I'm not receiving it, I don't count it. If I spend my day trying to get on a flight to MCO with my family and never make it, I don't consider that a benefit. I consider that a waste of a day. The only thing worse would be trying to go through another city and getting stuck there. You haven't non-revved until you've slept in an airport. :)
 
You haven't non-revved until you've slept in an airport. :)

What if you're non-reving through military bases, flying Space-A, without the luxury of anyplace to even buy something to eat while you're sleeping in the terminal.

Does that count?

;)
 
What if you're non-reving through military bases, flying Space-A, without the luxury of anyplace to even buy something to eat while you're sleeping in the terminal.

Does that count?

;)

Depends. Did the flight to Qatar cancel, thus moving all the devil dogs that were supposed to be on that flight to yours, leaving you stranded? If so, then I guess it does. :)
 
Depends. Did the flight to Qatar cancel, thus moving all the devil dogs that were supposed to be on that flight to yours, leaving you stranded? If so, then I guess it does. :)

Oh, all of those things happened, and then some. Mechanicals, Generals on "official business" showing up, "weather", re-routes . . . you name it!
 
If you're flexible on travel days & times, watch loads carefully, and don't try to go to MCO in June, you CAN go many places & see some really cool stuff using your nonrev passes.

If you have to be somewhere at a certain time, if you're travelling with a large party or small kids, you're better off buying tickets.

Your butt only needs one seat. So, if the flight is fairly full, that doesn't necessarily mean you're not getting on. Just for fun I've watched loads from CVG to LGW, and spending a "weekend" in London would be difficult non-rev-wise, however, if you're willing to go on a Tuesday and come back on Friday, that's pretty doable. Flexibiliby, watching loads and keeping an eye on the weather is important.

We non-reved once with our oldest when he was 10 months. We were uber-careful about watching loads and everything, and we got on every flight we wanted, but it was pretty stressful. We've decided not to non rev with the kids until they're old enough to understand "space available", sit by themselves (if we can't get seats together) and be counted on to behave. It's going to be a few years :) However, I am looking foward to when that time comes, that we can show them the world! I've never traveled much (okay pretty much at all) outside the U.S. and I'm really excited about sharing that with them!
 
...I tried being clever once and booked seats three months out thinking I was doing good. Three weeks before departure the published fares were 30 percent less than I had paid for them several months earlier. After crying on the phone to a sympathetic agent, I was issued credit vouchers for the difference in fares less a small change fee. I always seem to learn my lessons the hard way. :banghead:
Maybe this site could help out in the future. ;)

http://www.farecast.com/
 
Originally Posted by calcapt
...I tried being clever once and booked seats three months out thinking I was doing good. Three weeks before departure the published fares were 30 percent less than I had paid for them several months earlier. After crying on the phone to a sympathetic agent, I was issued credit vouchers for the difference in fares less a small change fee. I always seem to learn my lessons the hard way. :banghead:
Maybe this site could help out in the future. ;)

http://www.farecast.com/

Good site, here is another to help you find out if your fare has dropped.

clarkhoward.com
May 31, 2007 -- Save money on airfare after you buy
Have you heard of airfare envy? It’s when you buy a ticket and find the same itinerary for less money afterward. The good news is that there are a handful of airlines that will give you a voucher for the difference if you ask. They are Alaska, Southwest, United, USAir and JetBlue. So how do you know if the fare goes down on your particular flight? There is now a site that e-mails you when your flight goes down in price. It's called yapta.com and you must register to get the alerts. Then, you must jump on the deal immediately. Of course, it will take a little while to figure out if it’s worth it. But for now, it’s a great way to save money on flights. On the other hand, keep in mind that some airlines charge outrageous fees if a cheaper flight comes along and you want to buy it. American and Continental charge $100. Delta charges $50, Frontier charges $35 and Northwest charges $25.
 
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