US Airways non-rev costs increase

SpiraMirabilis

Possible Subversive
Got an e-mail that US Airways is doubling the price of buddy passes (which was expected) but also that they're adding a $25/one way fee for travel for parents (sorry mom!) which was not expected. At least, not expected for me.

So domestic buddy passes now cost $50-80 one way so they're essentially worthless now. Anyone disagree?
 
Yeah, I'm disappointed by it. I think giving guest passes out now is practically worthless. I really don't think they needed to double the fee- it's freaking space available. I understand that carrying more weight does increase fuel burn, but I don't know about doubling the cost. Ah well, doubt I'll give out all my guest passes this year.
 
I've given all of mine away...still a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a ticket. $80 plus taxes to go coast to coast...
 
At Continental a domestic buddy pass is $102.50 one way. Up from $52.50.

As Colgan, Continental Connection, employees we don't get any buddy or vacation passes on Continental including our own Q400 airplane because Continental owns those seats too. :banghead:
 
As Colgan, Continental Connection, employees we don't get any buddy or vacation passes on Continental including our own Q400 airplane because Continental owns those seats too. :banghead:

Yea, pretty ####. United too, no buddy passes or registered guest.

At least US Airways hooks us up with 8 buddy passes. Well... If you fly the US Airways routes.

-Rob
 
And CAL upped the international buddy pass fee to $200-one way/$400-round trip! I had a friend I wanted to bring along to Mexico and decided against it, there were plenty of seats available but I'm not dropping 4 bills to hang out in mex for 15 hours. I understand oil pressures, but geez...this is huge perk for many of the lower paid company employees who basically have the job so that their family can travel back to their home country. This affects them worst of all unfortunately.

As for Colgan not getting any buddy pass/vacation passes even on your own aircraft, that's bunk. Thank your management for not looking out for you guys when negotiating a contract with CAL.
 
Yep, apparently you don't need to be a business major or even graduate college to run an airline. Pass the cost to your employees/family members, genius.
 
RT on US Air, $153 for my mother in law. I about had a fit. Southwest was $250 for a confirmed seat. Although there were plenty of seats open, unfortunately for US Air...
 
And CAL upped the international buddy pass fee to $200-one way/$400-round trip! I had a friend I wanted to bring along to Mexico and decided against it, there were plenty of seats available but I'm not dropping 4 bills to hang out in mex for 15 hours. I understand oil pressures, but geez...this is huge perk for many of the lower paid company employees who basically have the job so that their family can travel back to their home country. .
CAL is not in business to help employees travel "back to their home company".
 
RT on US Air, $153 for my mother in law. I about had a fit. Southwest was $250 for a confirmed seat. Although there were plenty of seats open, unfortunately for US Air...
CAL is also not in business to get your inlaws around the country for free.(Not just you Wheelsup, but everyone who says this).
You have a friend who wants to fly with you to Mexico, they should be buying a ticket. You have a cousin who wants to visit someone in Ypsilanti, Michigan, they should be buying a ticket. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for pass travel for me and the wife/kids. Other than that though, I don't ever bother with buddy passes, I just tell them to look online for the best rate.
 
CAL is also not in business to get your inlaws around the country for free.(Not just you Wheelsup, but everyone who says this).
You have a friend who wants to fly with you to Mexico, they should be buying a ticket. You have a cousin who wants to visit someone in Ypsilanti, Michigan, they should be buying a ticket. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for pass travel for me and the wife/kids. Other than that though, I don't ever bother with buddy passes, I just tell them to look online for the best rate.

You have a good point but here's what upsets me.

At Colgan if you're not married you can't designate a pass rider like you guys at ExpressJet can. We also don't have any buddy passes on Continental at all. On top of that we're SA5's.

So if I want to take a vacation with my girlfriend or a buddy, I can't without them buying a ticket. We don't make decent wages. At least give us some perks. Give us a reason to go beyond the call of duty sometimes. Give me a reason to pick up a trip on a day off just to help out the company.

I'd be happy with passes limitied to the employee having to acopmpany them. That to me sounds fair. $100 round trips for your neighbor from EWR to LAX is kind silly in these desperate times.
 
I think the point is it's a "space available" ticket. Which means, the seat went unsold at normal ticket prices. I could see them charging whatever the cost of the seat was based on fuel, but doubling the price is a little out of the ballpark.

Of course the airlines aren't in the business of offering free transport. That's why it's offered as a benefit of employment. Start charging more for buddy passes and employee travel, you're essentially reducing employee benefits, reducing the quality of workers you may attract. People would be up in arms if they had charged this before, and just cut wages. Essentially, they've just reduced employee benefits across the board.
 
Not to mention employee passes are so high, it drives us to just buy tickets on SouthWest. Oh well, US Air's loss.

Pass travel is a benefit of working for the airlines. No I don't think it's my god given right to use my 8 passes a year to move my in-laws, but they are offered and I use(d) them. Now I just buy a ticket on a competitor. Smart move US Air.
 
Not to mention employee passes are so high, it drives us to just buy tickets on SouthWest. Oh well, US Air's loss.

Pass travel is a benefit of working for the airlines. No I don't think it's my god given right to use my 8 passes a year to move my in-laws, but they are offered and I use(d) them. Now I just buy a ticket on a competitor. Smart move US Air.

That is pretty F'ed up when airlines start losing potential revenue b/c their employee benefit prices are too high.....
 
I've noticed they're enforcing the First fee more too. Used to be the gate agent would let you slide if it was a regular domestic flight. Hawaii and Mexico flights have been strict about it for a while. But I got hit for the fee going LAS-JFK a couple weeks ago.
 
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