Marry me and fly for free
or something like that…
My kids and I are frequent fliers, as standby passengers. They don’t know any other way and I have only purchased one ticket in the last 13 years.
We are great at flying “space available” or “non-rev”.
If you are reading this I am assuming that you are going to get the privilege of flying as a stand-by space available passenger. Congratulations! Someone really trusts you with this honor. Not everyone will get this chance. As some airlines (my husband’s included) no longer have buddy passes.
It’s really simple… if there is a seat and you are next in line the seat is yours. If there are no open seats you don’t go.
Sounds easy enough. Until it isn’t.
We have had trips that went picture perfect. We all got to sit together on all the flights and we got on every flight that we tried for.
We have also had trips where we have to buy a stand by ticket on another airline so that we can try and get home. My son was sitting in middle seats between strangers by the age of 5. We have stayed longer, cut our vacations short, and flown as close to home as we can and rented a car, and OF COURSE we cancelled our Spain vacation and lost all our AirBNB deposit because there was no way to get there. (And my poor brother once had to pay a full price day of fare for sending his two kids back home… ask him how great those “free” tickets were and you will get a big groan.)
It can be picture perfect or a nightmare depending on how you really look at it.
The biggest advice I have for standby travelers is to relax. Actually thats my biggest advice to anyone flying no matter the circumstances. You can’t always be in control, accepting that will make it go much smoother.
Check your flights well ahead of time. It may make sense to leave a day earlier than you wanted, or come home earlier than you initially planned. Being flexible is very helpful. The weekend schedule is usually a reduced schedule so traveling on a weekend is generally harder. If you are going to Orlando be prepared for it to be a challenge. There are a lot of people that like to go visit the mouse. Pay attention to holidays. Surprisingly I have had lots of luck flying on the actual holiday. Christmas day has always held lots of luck for me. (and you can bring some Christmas cheer to the crew).
Fly early! Leaving earlier in the morning on your first flight doesn’t sound that great to most of us,(which is why those flights are open) but it may be necessary if you want to get there. The middle of the day flights tend to have less seats than early morning or late evening.
Try not to check a bag. This isn’t always possible, but I have checked bags as a standby and it hasn’t gone well. I have also done it and had no problems so I guess it really is up to you. I just prefer to pack lighter and not check any bags. (Join my email list and I will send you my free ebook as well as a printable packing list.)
Check out my post on our Family Travel essentials!
Use the app for the airline. When your seat is cleared it usually shows up with your seat assignment. You may also be able to check to see that you are listed on the next flight if you miss the first one.
BE KIND! I can’t stress this enough. If you are rude the gate agents are far less likely to work to get you on. Check in with them and let them know you are at the gate. Smile, use courtesy, and I have never had one turn down chocolates. (Also flight crews really love goodies. We have had a trip where they showered us with attention over a few dollars worth of chocolates.)
Every airline has a dress code for non-revs. Don’t dare think you can get away with ignoring this. You are putting the gate agents in a bad place if you show up in Daisy Duke cut offs and flip flops. The latest fashion trend is not approved on all airlines, so while you may think you are looking good they don’t always allow the latest runway trends. Dressing in your comfy, but cute workout attire isn’t going to work. Sure you may be running through the airport and your gym gear may make sense… it will not always be approved attire. You don’t want to get to the airport and be turned away and miss your flight over your clothes.
If you don’t get on be kind. The gate agent can’t make seats appear. As a general rule the gate agent wants to get everyone on the flight. It is quite likely they have been in your shoes, so they know how you feel and want to get you on. If they are pushed for time they will generally err on the side of getting the flight out before delaying a flight to get non-revs on. It’s not what you want, but it happens.
There is a priority order. You may have missed the last 3 full flights and are sure that you will get on this one because you have already outlasted everyone else. But it doesn’t work that way. Another family could walk up with a higher priority than you and bump you yet again. Is it fair? yes! They have been with the company longer and have a higher priority. It is a benefit you will be glad exists one day.
Get creative. I have gone from Atlanta to Orlando via South Bend, Indiana. There were a million direct flights, but they were all full. These two flights were wide open so I got there just fine. Just be flexible and ready to take a longer route. Several times we have flown to a closer airport to our destination and rented a car to get where we needed to go.
Don’t ever leave the gate area until the plane pushes back. Just because the gate agent says the flight is looking full. People miss connections all the time. One person’s missed flight could very well mean you get on and get where you are going. BUT don’t get too comfortable yet. Just because you get on a flight doesn’t mean they won’t pull you back off because the original passenger shows up. Graciously gather your belongings and exit the airplane. Be kind to everyone on your way out.
Please please please please!!! Remember, this is a privilege! A privilege that the airline worker has trusted you with. You are representing them. If you misbehave you could put their career in jeopardy. I have seen first hand an employee (probably an ex-employee by the end of his day) misbehave traveling on passes and those travel benefits being revoked before the plane even landed. Everyone you come into contact with knows you are traveling on passes.
Traveling while using an employees benefits whether as a family member or on a buddy pass is a serious deal. If you get lucky enough to experience this, you MUST be on your best behavior.
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