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Get Your Feet Wet

 

So you just got Non Rev benefits, there are many rules both written and unwritten. The stress of whether you're going to make a flight can be daunting, but with these beginner's tips hopefully its enough to jump in. Like anything else, proficiency requires you to take the first step, practice, sometimes fail and learn from both your own and other's mistakes along the way. This section is designed to make you're initial attempts as simple and stress free as possible. 

01

Definitions:

 

  • Non Rev: passengers who fly standby and are non revenue passengers meaning they are not generating revenue for the airline. 

  • Jump Seat: a reserved seat for active crew members which requires entry into the CASS system

  • ZED Fare: Zonal employee discount, a reduced fare that qualifies for standby sevice and is a reciprocal agreement between two airlines which allows you to list standby on carriers you do not have benefits on for substantially lower fares, see your travel department for a list of ZED agreements your company has. 

  • Hub: Like the hub on a bicycle wheel, it is where all the spokes, or routes connect. Each major airline has a few hubs throughout the country, often if you are not based in a hub, you have to connect through a hub to get to your desired destination.

  • Red Eye: An undesirable (to paying passengers) flight time that occurs overnight, or arrives in the early morning. Think no sleep = blood shot red eyes

  • Gate Check: You carry on your bag through security to find out there is not enough room in the overhead compartments to carry your bag onto the plane. There are two types of gate checked baggage: 1) Gate checked to your final destination, this is where they print a baggage ticket and hand you a stub with the matching barcode. In this case, your bag will be brought to baggage claim at your final destination. 2) Gate checked to be picked up in the jet bridge. Your bag will have a colored tag that was pre-printed and has a tear off stub. You will leave your bag where the gate agent says, and you'll notice others like yours with colored tags. In this case your bag will be taken to the cargo compartment and returned to the jetbridge as you deplane. You need to claim your bag in the jetway. This is most often done on smaller regional aircraft as lack of overhead space is to be expected. 

  • Priority Code: Your status and position on the standbylist is determined by multiple factors but non will affect your rank more than this. Every airline has its own ranking system. Become familiar with yours.

02

Know the Rules

 

There are many rules you need to make sure you know, not limited to the dress code, behavior, procedures and ettiquette. These may very from airline to airline, so make sure you study your company's Non Rev manual and ask questions to the appropriate employee relations person. 

  • Dealing with Gate Agents

    • Avoid approaching them when they have a line of revenue passengers, or when they are busy on the computer.

    • Dont ever ask if you are getting on, they will call your name at the end as seat assignemnts are being given.

    • ALWAYS be courteous  and polite-- remember, this is a privelledge not a right. 

    • Under NO circumstance get verbally abusive or yell at them, this could cause you and your primary employee to lose their flight benefits. Gate agents jobs are VERY stressful, do not take it personal.

  • Dress appropriately according to the airline policy

03

Non Rev Mentality

 

Do no ever Non Rev to get somewhere that you MUST be at a certain time. This is the quickest way to become very frustrated with the process and could turn you off ot future Non Revving. If you have to be somewhere, give yourself multiple days on both ends of the trip and only during low travel periods, otherwise JUST BUY A TICKET. Even if the loads look good during peak travel times, other airlines may buy up te empty seats leaving you stranded. If another airline cancels or oversells, it may buy the seats on the open airline you're trying to fly. Ask us how we learned about that first hand.

04

Non Rev ToolBox

 

As you begin to travel more and more, you are going to find yourself with a bag of must haves for every trip you go on not only for the vacation, but to help you pick flights, routes and destinations. Some things to make sure you have with you include:

  • Smartphone, Tablet with WiFi connection, or another easy way to access the travel sites while at the airport

    • download the Apps both crew member and public apps to help watch the standby list, flight times, reroutes etc. 

    • Check the loads as you spend your day at the airport. Easily list for flights on the go. 

  • Current Route maps

    • Know where your airline goes, connects through and any other backup stops along the way to your destination

  • Carry On Bag

    • Even if you are flying international. Learn to pack the essentials anything else you can buy there. If you absolutely must heck a bag, only do so if you have someone waiting for you to claim your bag if you do not make it. Unless the flight is wide open with no worries about getting on, or someone can pick up your bag, carry on. Most airlines will hold your bag and have it ready for when you arrive, but it is better for you to not worry about that. Inernational flights are required to remove your checked bag if you do not make it on. As with checking a bag with a paid ticket, avoid checking valuable or fragile items and have a few days worth of clothes in your carry on. Having my bags lost on my way to Italy, I was relieved to know that i had three days of clothes with me, where my teammates had not planned for this an were stuck wearing the same clothes for 3 days. Flying Non Rev if your bags are lost, you are required to return to the airport to claim them, the airline will NOT pay for them to be delivered to your hotel. 

  • Entertainment

    • Keep in mind the more entertainment you have with you the less frustrated you will be when you have to spend the better part of a day at an airport trying to make a flight. Entertainment at airports along with food is usually quite expensive so don't be afraid to bring food with you, it is usually much cheaper and healthier to bring your own. 

  • Food and Snacks

    • be mindful of TSA, but bringing your own healthy snacks to eat througout the day can save $$$$$

  • Empty water bottle

    • Most airports have water bottle filling stations, or atleast drinking fountains to refill your bottle once you get through security. 

  • Comforts

    • Noise canceling headphones, neck pillow, jacket, sweatshirt, whatever is going to make you comfortable, especially when you get that middle seat in the last row. 

05

Try Your First Hop

 

You've read up on your company's rules and you have an idea how to read the loads? Give your first trip a trip but keep these few points in mind:

  • Go somewhere with a lot of flights

  • Give yourself a few days to go somewhere with two full days to get back 

  • Stay domestic

  • Avoid going Hub to Hub 

  • Keep your expectations low, the lower they are the more you will enjoy the experience. 

  • Know how to read your loads, standby lists, and have backups ready

  • Avoid top tourist locations during popular events, and avoid high travel times (there may be a lot of seats open, but last minute other carriers may buy up the seats to meet their demand for overselling, and missed connections)

  • Do not look at loads too early. Domestically, loads can change up until 20 minutes before departure. Internationally a day or two before. 

  • List and try and take the earlist fligh possible

    • Many people do not give themsevles enough time to wake up, get ready and through security and miss the first flight. These flights are routinely sent out without a portion of their paying passengers which is great news to a Non Rev. Also, remember those people who do not make it on their scheduled flight gte rolled over to a later flight as a revenue standby which bumps all other standbys which increases the difficulty in getting out later in the day. Also try and find a route that has a red eye, becuase these are typically unpopular and can be a great way to get home if all else fails. 

 

 

 

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