zed fares
- Thread starter Hootie
- Start date
AngelFuree
Well-Known Member
I think it's airline dependent. I've never gotten first class when I've used ZED fares before. I almost feel like you'd have a better chance getting first in a domestic carrier than a foreign one.
AngelFuree
Well-Known Member
In that case, I think you might have a chance if you can sweet talk the gate agent or the flight attendants into giving you one. I've never used a ZED w/ a US carrier but I think you might have some luck if they see you as a nonrev. I've jumpsat with off-line airlines before and some have been nice enough to give me first class. It's only been good luck mixed with friendliness. Foreign carriers are pretty anal though.
ozziecat35
4 out of 5 great lakes prefer Michigan.
I've heard stories from a credible co-worker here in PHX about being upgraded on a ZED. We ramp for US, he bought a ZED on BA to LHR, and once onboard one of the FA's saw his badge which he "forgot" to put away, and pulled him and his wife up to Business IIRC...all depends on the crew I think. I know US has a Business ZED agreement with Lufthansa. There's also the Business only layout on Thai..so if you listed for that flight from LAX to Bangkok, well, that's what there is....
Nick
Well-Known Member
Sometimes those types of flights and other routes will be restricted from ZED pass riders.
Out of curiosity I checked Thai and they have no restrictions so any flight they operate is fair game.
ozziecat35
4 out of 5 great lakes prefer Michigan.
I think a ZED on Thai LAX-Bangkok is like 70 bucks...hell I'd do it just for the meals there and back!! Make a little overnight trip.
Nick
Well-Known Member
It's probably more than that because the last Pacific crossing flight I did on a ZED pass was $130 and it was a ZED medium which Thai is also. Still a cheap flight though.
Looking again Thai's does say "coach only" so I'm not sure if that also applies to a flight that has no coach seats. It might.
ChasenSFO
hen teaser
It all depends. Every now and then I talk to a QF pilot on another forum and he gets first class all over the place on QF, so I'm not so sure that they don't upgrade their own employees. The airline I work for doesn't have an official policy on OA non-revs sitting in first, it is at the gate agents discretion. I always put jumpseaters and ZED/ID90 non-revs in first on our flights if a seat is open when I get to them on the standby list. Some people don't, but its just a power-trip. So even if it is okay for you to sit there, a bitchy gate agent can ruin everything. You're more likey to run into these kind of agents flying carriers that contract out their ground handling(like most int'l carriers in the US) to people who don't get flight benefits. They can't non-rev period so of course they don't see why you "deserve" an upgrade.
Even at airlines that do have policies not to upgrade OA employees, such as Air France/KLM, I know of people talking their way into first class or business. The exception would be really high-class airlines, such as Emirates, Singapore, and Cathay Pacific. Singapore actually has all business class A340-500s flying EWR-SIN and LAX-SIN non-stop and they do not allow non-revs on the flights, period. They are very strict on these rules. Here in the states, Virgin America is the only airline I can think of that absolutely will not allow any employees, even its own, in first class.
Another option that is more of a sure thing would be business class ZED tickets. Some airlines have these agreements with one-another where you can buy a more expensive ZED ticket that is for business class. You would have to ask around with your travel center to see if you have any. At Skywest, we do not, but mainline United has these options with a few airlines including Lufthansa. Seeing as we use Delta's ZED agreements, I'm assuming they don't have any either, but maybe Mr. Taylor can confirm.
Even at airlines that do have policies not to upgrade OA employees, such as Air France/KLM, I know of people talking their way into first class or business. The exception would be really high-class airlines, such as Emirates, Singapore, and Cathay Pacific. Singapore actually has all business class A340-500s flying EWR-SIN and LAX-SIN non-stop and they do not allow non-revs on the flights, period. They are very strict on these rules. Here in the states, Virgin America is the only airline I can think of that absolutely will not allow any employees, even its own, in first class.
Another option that is more of a sure thing would be business class ZED tickets. Some airlines have these agreements with one-another where you can buy a more expensive ZED ticket that is for business class. You would have to ask around with your travel center to see if you have any. At Skywest, we do not, but mainline United has these options with a few airlines including Lufthansa. Seeing as we use Delta's ZED agreements, I'm assuming they don't have any either, but maybe Mr. Taylor can confirm.