whoareyou310
Well-Known Member
How many open seats would you say need to be open on any given flight, for you be able to get on a non-rev flight successfully? how about if you are traveling with your family? thanks
How many seats do you need free to Succeed?
- Thread starter whoareyou310
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greaper007
Well-Known Member
Zero I sit in the cockpit 
. Seriously though, anything more than about 3-5 the night before the flight and you should be fine with a family of four. You figure that they overbook the flight by about 5-10 depending on the size of the aircraft. Just be careful that it's not a weight restricted plane (Like the Saab that I fly).
Also always strive to take the first flight of the day. I know it sucks to get up at 4 am, but you'll be rewarded when people that pay for their ticket really don't want to get up at 4 am. Also if you get bumped from the first flight you still have a bunch of flights as back-ups. My mom and my two sisters and I spent my early childhood non-reving around the country. We used to meet my Dad on his overnights. We probably flew 2-4 times a month and very rarely had a problem by following the first flight of the day rule.
. Seriously though, anything more than about 3-5 the night before the flight and you should be fine with a family of four. You figure that they overbook the flight by about 5-10 depending on the size of the aircraft. Just be careful that it's not a weight restricted plane (Like the Saab that I fly). Also always strive to take the first flight of the day. I know it sucks to get up at 4 am, but you'll be rewarded when people that pay for their ticket really don't want to get up at 4 am. Also if you get bumped from the first flight you still have a bunch of flights as back-ups. My mom and my two sisters and I spent my early childhood non-reving around the country. We used to meet my Dad on his overnights. We probably flew 2-4 times a month and very rarely had a problem by following the first flight of the day rule.
The answer is simple: you need one open seat for every butt in your traveling party 
There is no way to guarantee that while non-reving you'll be able to get on any flight you want. Delays, cancellations, mechanicals can all contribute to a flight that HAD been open, suddenly being oversold or revenue standybys showing up to travel. Or, conversely, a previously oversold flight may be able to accomodate you because of misconnects from other flights. I have been bumped off many previously wide-open flights, and I've been seated on many previously oversold flights.
Watch loads, watch weather, and know that there's just no guarantees. Flight loads are heavier than ever now, and it's a different world now that it was even when I started in 1995. It is possible to go many places, you just have to be flexible and maybe be willing to go through another hub, or be patient and sit and watch a couple flights go without you.
There is no way to guarantee that while non-reving you'll be able to get on any flight you want. Delays, cancellations, mechanicals can all contribute to a flight that HAD been open, suddenly being oversold or revenue standybys showing up to travel. Or, conversely, a previously oversold flight may be able to accomodate you because of misconnects from other flights. I have been bumped off many previously wide-open flights, and I've been seated on many previously oversold flights.
Watch loads, watch weather, and know that there's just no guarantees. Flight loads are heavier than ever now, and it's a different world now that it was even when I started in 1995. It is possible to go many places, you just have to be flexible and maybe be willing to go through another hub, or be patient and sit and watch a couple flights go without you.
I've gotten on flights overbooked by six and got bumped off flights undersold by 20+
Sometimes it's a large number of standbys and I'm at the bottom of the list, other times it's a flight that got canceled.
Never ever assume a flight in the middle or end of the day will have that many seats, there are always paying passengers who miss the first one so get put on the later ones as standbys (and higher priority than you!) This also means that even if the early flights are booked it might be worth it to show up for them anyway to give them a shot.
There no guarantee. I've shown up for a first flight that had 50 open seats and didn't get on becuase the last flight the night before or sometime the day before had a ton of misconnects. I've also gotten on a mid day overbooked flight before because a connecting flight was delayed and there were 20-30 connections... even though it had been overbooked with a ton of standby passengers.
I've also watched a full day's worth of flights on Alaska Airlines going from Seattle go out with empty seats and a ton of standbys trying to get on because they were weight restricted because they had so much cargo (Gold Streak etc).
Sometimes it's a large number of standbys and I'm at the bottom of the list, other times it's a flight that got canceled.
Never ever assume a flight in the middle or end of the day will have that many seats, there are always paying passengers who miss the first one so get put on the later ones as standbys (and higher priority than you!) This also means that even if the early flights are booked it might be worth it to show up for them anyway to give them a shot.
There no guarantee. I've shown up for a first flight that had 50 open seats and didn't get on becuase the last flight the night before or sometime the day before had a ton of misconnects. I've also gotten on a mid day overbooked flight before because a connecting flight was delayed and there were 20-30 connections... even though it had been overbooked with a ton of standby passengers.
I've also watched a full day's worth of flights on Alaska Airlines going from Seattle go out with empty seats and a ton of standbys trying to get on because they were weight restricted because they had so much cargo (Gold Streak etc).