Regional Travel Bennies

[bike21]

So I have a request. I'm the travel benefits committee guy for SAPA at SkyW. I'm wanting some feedback on other carrier's programs to compare what each of us have or don't have for that matter.

Items such as annual enrollment fees, intl first/business class fees, boarding priority on your own metal, vacation passes, # of 'free' transoceanic days, which carriers you can non-rev on (if your regional flies for multiple legacies), access to ZED programs etc.

I'm happy to reciprocate info, just looking at how we stand among our peers. PM or post here is fine.

Appreciate any feedback!

 

[BobDDuck]

We are a wholly owned so this isn't the norm but...

No enrollment. Free travel for self, spouse and kids. Parents pay a segment fee. Transcon roundtrip works out to about $150 so it's not always a good deal. If you don't have a spouse you can have a domestic partner or registered guest. Both get charged imputed income which you are then taxed for on any trips taken.

Travel same priority as mainline on seats in the back, based (mostly) on DOH. You can up yourself to SA1 using passes. I think we get 6 a year.

Unlimited international travel.

$25 or $50 domestic and $100 international (and HI) upgrade fees, although domestically we normally get moved up if there are any seats left (which there never are).

Same ZED fare access mainline has, so pretty much every carrier, and most at low or medium zed for pass traveler and medium to high for parents. Plus some Business Class zed agreements.

I'm sure I missed something, but that's about it as far as I can remember.

 

[JOEFRIDAY2]

What Bob has listed is correct. I would like to add some to it.

It used to be that you paid $175 a year or $350 a family for a travel card that allowed you, your spouse, your kids and your parents unlimited SA travel in the US with no additional fees other than first class upgrade fees.

Sometime about 15 years ago, they went to a "no charge" benefit for SA travel and did away with the $175 or $350 a year payment. I never figured out why they did that.

While that sounds good, it has created another problem for those without married spouses but those with domestic partners or registered guests and that is the imputed income 1099 from the tax man. 1099's for imputed income are never good. It also means that your parents now have to pay up to $150 for each SA flight they take.

IMHO, it would be better to go back to the yearly fee for the travel card. That would eliminate the parents fees and the imputed income 1099 since we would be "paying" for the ability to travel if seats are available.

Joe

 

[BobDDuck]

I didn't know that about the travel card. Before my time. The imputed income isn't too bad. Of course it depends on your tax bracket, but for me, when my wife was listed as my registered guest before we were married I paid about $300 for her to fly:

SFO-LAS-SFO
SFO-CLT-DAY-CLT-SFO (x2)
SFO-PHL-FRA
ZUR-PHL-DAY
DAY-PHL-BTV-LGA-DCA-PHL-CMH(that trip sucked!)

So the imputed income isn't too bad.

I forgot to add that we also get a bunch of buddy passes, but they are pretty much useless as they cost almost as much as a confirmed seat and travel at a very low priority unless the pass traveler is going along as well.