Buddy Pass Changes at UAL

ChasenSFO said:
Sort of related, United swiftly added $25/leg domestic and $50/leg international segment fees to all Skywest employees. Until now, Skywest managed to strike a deal with UA where they didn't have to pay these fees which many(if not all) other UAX carriers were paying for several years now. I wonder what caused that to happen, trouble in paradise? Had to happen right when I started a series of Brasilia photography trips too, ugh.
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The way I'm reading it is the segment fee is for a parent or buddy pass. The employee and dependents don't pay the fee.
The whole industry needs to go away from the pass travel. It's just a perceived benefit so they don't have to pay a more suitable income. Cost the carrier basically nothing in extra gas.
That is being said from someone who would never drive back to an airport on my day off.
 
elev8 said:
The way I'm reading it is the segment fee is for a parent or buddy pass. The employee and dependents don't pay the fee.
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Looking at it now, it is for parents AND enrolled friends, which applies to me. So I still have to pay it. Employees don't, you are correct.

I'm not sure if that fee subtracts from premium cabin charges, but they will subtract the segment fees from the percentage of the fare that becomes imputed income. This is despite United saying the surcharge is on top of the imputed income, which is misleading.
 
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ChasenSFO said:
Looking at it now, it is for parents AND enrolled friends, which applies to me. So I still have to pay it. Employees don't, you are correct.

I'm not sure if that fee subtracts from premium cabin charges, but they will subtract the segment fees from the percentage of the fare that becomes imputed income. This is despite United saying the surcharge is on top of the imputed income, which is misleading.
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Enrolled friends & parents have to pay:

1. Segment Fee
2. Tax if applicable
3. If premium cabin it's 50% of a medium zed fare

Employees and dependents pay 2 & 3
 
jcremy said:
Enrolled friends & parents have to pay:

1. Segment Fee
2. Tax if applicable
3. If premium cabin it's 50% of a medium zed fare

Employees and dependents pay 2 & 3
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The premium cabin and taxes aren't bad. It was about $33 roundtrip to Japan tax only in coach, and $300ish for bizfirst. Out of curiosity, other than Delta, are there any other carriers that either allow several free premium cabin international flights each year or don't charge at all? I know US charged pre-merger, not sure about AA or any of the other carriers.
 
elev8 said:
The way I'm reading it is the segment fee is for a parent or buddy pass. The employee and dependents don't pay the fee.
The whole industry needs to go away from the pass travel. It's just a perceived benefit so they don't have to pay a more suitable income. Cost the carrier basically nothing in extra gas.
That is being said from someone who would never drive back to an airport on my day off.
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In a way, I agree. Pass travel does not hold any real value any more because the airplanes are always full. A pass you can't use is worthless. It didn't used to be this way. Back in the 90's I almost never had a problem getting a seat. There were a couple of times where I didn't make it on to a flight, but once on I never got bumped off. Granted I planned travel carefully and didn't bother with any flights where there weren't at least several seats available. I think, rather than unlimited space available travel, I'd like to have 2 or 3 guaranteed round trips for my family.
 
I'm sorry. Eff working for a carrier like that. I bust my ass part time at DGS but at least my flight benefits are free aside from ththe 50 dollar a year fee. I know they'll still be able to staff their contracted carrier but I'm just about fed up.
 
Phil Schuyler said:
In a way, I agree. Pass travel does not hold any real value any more because the airplanes are always full. A pass you can't use is worthless. It didn't used to be this way. Back in the 90's I almost never had a problem getting a seat. There were a couple of times where I didn't make it on to a flight, but once on I never got bumped off. Granted I planned travel carefully and didn't bother with any flights where there weren't at least several seats available. I think, rather than unlimited space available travel, I'd like to have 2 or 3 guaranteed round trips for my family.
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Hell, I rarely had problems in 2009 and noticed it got WAY worse just a couple years after that. I do wish I had the possibility of going places for free again, but honestly I hardly miss the aggravation and headache that came with it. I traveled quite a bit and got stranded more times than I can count, even got pulled off a plane after I was cleared once or twice. Didn't really make the $10.00 an hour ramp job worth it.
 
I flew give or take 50 nonrev legs 2009-14 while working on commercial, instrument, multi, CFI. Sometimes had to stay overnight in NY and buy a fare to get where I needed. Sometimes had to fly back into manchester or Brussels and get the train to London. Delta and United were both greet and I got business about 1/3 of the time. Used it for holidays every couple of years also.

Now on UAL I'll have to be more strategic, and probably only make 1 trip/year but it's still cheaper than buying a rev ticket. It's been fantastic for what I needed.
 
I remember one time at "Surejet" I had an F/A approach me after a flight and ask if I'd be interested in making 500 dollars if I'd only let her use a few of my buddy passes. At the time I was naive, confused, and just said "nah I'm good", but in retrospect this is a common scam. I guess when you pay your employees 18k/year they will often look to other, not always legal means, to supplement their income, and is probably why they're continuing to clamp down on these passes.

I really don't miss my "travel benefits" much at all; I just booked a roundtrip for my fiance and I halfway across the country on AA for $10 using frequent flier mileage. Much better than the crap "beneifts" they were giving us when I left S. jet. At mainline they're probably still good, but they were absolute garbage at my regional when I left (which is sad, because they had been decent when I started).
 
Alchemy said:
I really don't miss my "travel benefits" much at all; I just booked a roundtrip for my fiance and I halfway across the country on AA for $10 using frequent flier mileage. Much better than the crap "beneifts" they were giving us when I left S. jet. At mainline they're probably still good, but they were absolute garbage at my regional when I left (which is sad, because they had been decent when I started).
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Somehow I missed that news. Congrats!
 
Alchemy said:
I remember one time at "Surejet" I had an F/A approach me after a flight and ask if I'd be interested in making 500 dollars if I'd only let her use a few of my buddy passes. At the time I was naive, confused, and just said "nah I'm good", but in retrospect this is a common scam. I guess when you pay your employees 18k/year they will often look to other, not always legal means, to supplement their income, and is probably why they're continuing to clamp down on these passes.

I really don't miss my "travel benefits" much at all; I just booked a roundtrip for my fiance and I halfway across the country on AA for $10 using frequent flier mileage. Much better than the crap "beneifts" they were giving us when I left S. jet. At mainline they're probably still good, but they were absolute garbage at my regional when I left (which is sad, because they had been decent when I started).
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I wonder if she was involved in other "money making" schemes. You know, like the FAs that caused us not to be welcome at the LAX Marriott anymore.
 
ERfly said:
I wonder if she was involved in other "money making" schemes. You know, like the FAs that caused us not to be welcome at the LAX Marriott anymore.
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Probably; I always like reminiscing about that when I encounter other ex-surejetters here at brand funbux™
 
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