For the love of travel...?

[JordanD]

Flight benefits are nice, but it is hard to find the time/money to really get to use them anymore. And I swear that I have the worst non-rev luck out of anyone I know. Been pulled off less than 10 minutes prior to push because revenue passengers showed up, deplaned and then had the flight cancel on the same day the computers in the airport went down, air return+cancellation, aircraft downgrade on a vacation to a one flight a day Caribbean destination that resulted in an oversell, when we had the resort booked, thus spending my unpaid week off at home because everywhere else was full... Getting stranded in PHL for 2 days coming back from the Caribbean on a different trip... Almost not making it back to the airport in FCO because it snowed for the first time in 20 something years and shut the trains down, luckily we made it home, but again, had to connect to a second hub and only made it home that night due to two misconnects... Then spending about 24 hours in PHX coming back from Mexico with rolling standbys of 55+, although that was our gamble due to it being the weekend before a holiday. Then when we finally got on a flight, when we pushed back and felt the plane jolt and come to a screeching halt since the tug driver snapped the shear pin. They said they were going to have to check out the nose gear, fortunately we still went.

I always joke that I need to nonrev on different flights than my friends and family so I don't curse the whole trip.

 

[Jet]

I definitely still enjoy the travel. I often will bid or swap to fly with Captains that I know will be interested in renting a car and exploring since I find it not as fun going out solo. We've gotten cars for under $20 with all the fees so it works out to be a minimum expense by the time you split that 2, 3 or 4 ways. On layovers there seems to be endless spots to explore in Denver and I also enjoy some of our other layovers in Salt Lake City, Boston, Montreal, Albuquerque, Jacksonville and Miami. During my time off I use the benefits often to explore California and national parks out west and although I haven't done it yet, I plan on traveling oversees. When I travel I will try to stay with friends or stay at a hotel that I got for free with points from work so essentially it's a free vacation except for the cost of food and entertainment.

 

[etflies]

I enjoy traveling in my time off, but finding enough time off to go anywhere, finding flights, and my wife getting the time off to go prove to be difficult. Being on first year pay again doesn't help. If I have time on an overnight I love to get out and explore, on foot, bicycle or car. Whatever is available to me. In fact it is one of my favorite parts of the job.

Lately most of the schedules I've been getting only give me 2 days off between blocks of 4 or 6 day work weeks, so the last thing I want to do with 2 days off is spend them on more airplanes and in more airports.

 

[cmhumphr]

I travel internationally about once every 2-3 months to somewhere. I usually end up in Asia somewhere, but lately I've had cravings to go back to Europe again. Easily, the best part of my job!

 

[FlySooner9]

If you could be home every day, still fly, but only fly within a 150 mile radius of your home, would you do it and travel on your own time as you could afford it?

THIS at least if i had a choice. Granted im only a regional pilot right now but most of our overnights are at best 12 hours, your so beat by the time you get to an overnight even if a long one you just want to lay around. Then when you get days off all i want to do is go home and see my wife and relax. Hopefully this will change as i move up the ranks in my career, but right now i would take said job above in a heart beat.

 

[falconvalley]

Andrea and I haven't gone out of the country yet, but we've hit Vegas a couple times and gone to Napa Valley. When I was single, I went all over the country. Would love to take her to Europe, though. If I get a legacy job, she'll work less and we might set some time aside for her to accompany me if I fly international.

 

[Adler]

Flight benefits are nice, but it is hard to find the time/money to really get to use them anymore.

Agreed. In just shy of two years I did 118,00 miles of non-rev and jumpseating; trying to learn from the master Nick, yet seeming to never have matching days off. I loved that part of the job; the ability to work highspeed, and then hop on a plane to meet up with g4downin in Puerto Rico, only to head back home with a mild headache after waking up on a balcony the next day. My friends didn't call me to say "hey want to meet up at xyz bar", we'd just arrange to meet up in say... Ecuador. The local ski mounds weren't good enough, so bronco21016 and I went to Utah for the day. Travelling was great - but then came bankruptcy, seniority list integration, and a schedule that just wouldn't allow any fun. Honestly, the liesure travel was the only thing keeping me in the regionals...and once that left, I did too. I know I'll miss it, and I hope to one day get to have that flexibility again.

 

[Eric Bohn]

Adler, if you dont mind me asking, what job did you leave the regionals for and what are you doing now? Your travel experiences with friends sounds perfect for a younger guy...if only I were still a younger guy.

 

[Adler]

Adler, if you dont mind me asking, what job did you leave the regionals for and what are you doing now? Your travel experiences with friends sounds perfect for a younger guy...if only I were still a younger guy.

Going to try some boxes. Traveling with friends was fun, but I also did a ton of solo travel. I loved just showing up to a country with no real plans, just knowing one place I might stay.

 

[jafra98]

What about the buddy passes????

 

[N519AT]

Going to try some boxes. Traveling with friends was fun, but I also did a ton of solo travel. I loved just showing up to a country with no real plans, just knowing one place I might stay.

IFL?


This post brought to you by beta from my iPhone.

 

[amorris311]

Oh absolutely. I got my just-elapsed old paper copy of my medical signed in highlighter by Elvis a few years ago in Nashville. Not an Elvis imitator, but the real, actual, Elvis.

More than anything else, it depends on the crew too. Boring crew in a cool place can be way better to just go out solo. Good crew even in a boring city can still be a good time. I enjoy the fact that I know almost everyone in my base; there are only 100 pilots and 100 FAs.

Less than two months. There will be no such thing as a boring overnight.

 

[future_av8er]

My wife & I have traveled to six of the seven continents so far. We're fortunate that my regional has access to some pretty decent travel benefits with our major partners.

Travel is one of the biggest reasons I got into the 121 side of the business. I fly with some guys who never use the travel bennies and that down right perplexes me. Oh well, more first class seats for me

Seriously though, it does become just a job, but I've made the most of many of my big & small town overnights. I'll honestly miss the likes of Missoula, Lincoln, Houghton, Springfield, etc. I mean, when else would I have been able to visit the President Lincoln museum? That said, I will gladly trade those for Sydney, Tokyo, Paris, etc if that day comes and look forward to the next adventure.

Travel & being away is part of the job, you can either embrace it or bitch about it. I say embrace it.

What he said... And, my kids get to travel, too. That said, my wife has bugged me a couple of times now: "If you hadn't given our kids those travel bennies, they would not have been able to continue dating across state lines..." The oldest is getting married this weekend--which will put THAT "kid" into a different travel status.

I have not used the travel bennies internationally (yet), but I plan to when I can get the time, and enough seniority to predict my vacation a little better. I have enjoyed seeing folks across this country that I would not have been able to catch up with otherwise.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Non rev benefits at most carriers (even the regionals) are about the same. The BIG thing is to make sure you have good zed fare deals. That said, there is no way I would trade good quality of life and an upgrade slot for better non rev agreements.

Shack.