Buddy Pass Restrictions for DKR and ACC

derg

derg

Apparently a "terse" writer
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New restrictions for buddy pass travel
May 10, 2010


Delta is restricting all buddy pass travel to or from Accra, Ghana, and Dakar, Senegal, starting June 15, after a recent review showed a significant amount of lost revenue in some markets attributable to buddy pass use.

Revenue Management recently conducted a systemwide review of buddy pass use by market. The review showed the impact on passenger revenue in specific markets where there is particularly high buddy pass volume.

“The reality is that many passengers who use buddy passes would have otherwise purchased a confirmed ticket at a higher fare,” said Tom Bach, s.v.p.-Revenue Management, and Rob Kight, v.p.-Compensation, Benefits and Services, in a memo to all employees. “Essentially, in many markets Delta is competing with the buddy pass program to sell seats and retain profitability. In some extreme cases, we’re even losing pricing power because many revenue passengers will not pay more than what they could for a buddy fare. This has to be corrected.”

The study showed that buddy pass use typically accounts for 1% or less of the total revenue passenger traffic in a given market. Some markets have virtually no buddy pass riders and others, usually popular tourist destinations, may reach as much as 2% to 3%. Markets with buddy pass use at 5% or more create a significant problem with revenue dilution, the memo said.

Displaced revenue in these markets, such as Accra and Dakar, is estimated at more than $1.5 million each year, according to the study.

For travel to Accra, the study showed that revenue passengers can get a roundtrip buddy pass for about $500 instead of the peak season fares of $1,500 to $1,900 for coach or $3,800 for BusinessElite.

“This is a direct hit to Delta’s bottom line and a direct hit to the amount we pay in profit sharing,” the memo said.

Employees and retirees who have buddy passes listed for travel to or from Accra or Dakar on or after June 15 should contact their buddies to change their listings. The embargoes will be in place for at least one year or until the revenue impact has recovered in these markets, the memo said.

Employees and retirees, and their eligible pass riders, are not affected by the new buddy pass embargo and may continue to use their travel privileges to these cities.

Delta will continue to have systemwide buddy pass embargoes on peak travel dates and market-specific buddy pass embargoes during special events. Additionally, new international stations will continue to have a buddy pass embargo during the first year of operation to allow frontline agents to familiarize themselves with Delta’s policies and procedures.
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That's interesting that people could use that many buddy passes... to two specific destinations anyhow.
 
OldTownPilot said:
Hmmmm, quite the precedent being set here.
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I once had a flight attendant offer to help me "make some quick cash" by using some buddy passes to lagos. Needless to say I don't have any "buddies" in Lagos, nor do I have any who have ever been or even wanted to go there.

As much as being a regional slave can make you want to be fired at times, I had to decline ;)

I suspect something like this is going on (scam).
 
African people. When they want to go somewhere the first thing they ask for is buddy passes. I deal with this a weekly basis. "OOO my son I want ticket to go home!"
 
Alchemy said:
I once had a flight attendant offer to help me "make some quick cash" by using some buddy passes to lagos. Needless to say I don't have any "buddies" in Lagos, nor do I have any who have ever been or even wanted to go there.

As much as being a regional slave can make you want to be fired at times, I had to decline ;)

I suspect something like this is going on (scam).
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Delta has had an indefinite embargo on buddy passes to Lagos since I don't know when. Don't think it will ever be lifted:D
 
What the?? So is the issue that they're are many employees selling buddy passes thus affecting the bottom line or just that there are that many buddy pass riders and the airline would (obviously) rather be selling them tickets?

I like how they spin it "...a direct hit to the amount we pay in profit sharing." Yeah, great.

I'm curious if the pilots or any other union will put up a stink, something tells me the typical Southernjet Bubba pilot isn't rolling in and out of Accra and Daakar frequently.

Bottom line is that airlines (management) are continuing to erode one of the few perks that being an airline employee had.
 
It's a nice way of saying that some employees are selling buddy passes in violation of the pass policy.
 
Baronman said:
What the?? So is the issue that they're are many employees selling buddy passes thus affecting the bottom line or just that there are that many buddy pass riders and the airline would (obviously) rather be selling them tickets?

I like how they spin it "...a direct hit to the amount we pay in profit sharing." Yeah, great.

I'm curious if the pilots or any other union will put up a stink, something tells me the typical Southernjet Bubba pilot isn't rolling in and out of Accra and Daakar frequently.

Bottom line is that airlines (management) are continuing to erode one of the few perks that being an airline employee had.
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Delta has ALOT of African employees. Many of them give buddy passes to family who buddy pass their way to Dakar or Accra then buy a ticket to their home country. Tons of Liberians use buddy passes to get to Accra then buy a ticket on Kenya Airways of Virgin Nigeria to Monrovia. And that's just one small African country of 3 million.
 
Alchemy said:
I once had a flight attendant offer to help me "make some quick cash" by using some buddy passes to lagos. Needless to say I don't have any "buddies" in Lagos, nor do I have any who have ever been or even wanted to go there.
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Only to collect their money from that prince who just needed their bank account. :)
 
Trip7 said:
Delta has ALOT of African employees. Many of them give buddy passes to family who buddy pass their way to Dakar or Accra then buy a ticket to their home country. Tons of Liberians use buddy passes to get to Accra then buy a ticket on Kenya Airways of Virgin Nigeria to Monrovia. And that's just one small African country of 3 million.
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Yeah? Many employees work these crappy jobs just to have such benefits. I know of outstations whose employees state the only reason they work at such a place is to have flight benefits for themselves and families to travel (usually oversees).

Now if people are selling buddy passes in direct violation of buddy pass policy, they should be reprimanded/fired. Otherwise as far as I can tell, what DL is doing is shady and putting the screws to their employees.
 
You can non-rev in and out of those cities as an eligible employee, spouse or dependent. But the S4 "Friends and Family" passes are the ones that are embargoed.

Unfortunately, a lot of people are misusing their privileges. I've heard many a story about S4's raising a stink at the gate because they "bought a ticket", when in fact, they were just sold a bottom-of-the-barrel priority buddy pass. Hell, they probably even paid the person above and beyond what the buddy pass actually costed.

Personally, if I ran the company, I'd ferret them out and give them their walking papers if I could prove it.

I've had complete strangers offer to "buy" buddy passes so you know there's an underground market.
 
I once traded a Mesa buddy pass (which you didn't have to pay a fee to use) for a few lift tickets in Telluride, but it was to a buddy of mine. I guess to make it kosher I should say I gave it to him out of the blue and the gave me the equivilent of a buddy pass for lift tickets (ie free ones that employees get.) also out of the blue. I made sure he knew the score... worked out well for him I guess, he just wanted to go to PHX and back.
 
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