My View from 30,000 Feet: non-rev

non-rev

Showing posts with label non-rev. Show all posts

As you may know, my SuperHeroHusband is deployed to a Faraway Land. One of the reasons it was okay by me for him to serve away from home is because of our non-rev benefits. You know, that tee shirt that says "marry me, fly free". The current state of the industry has changed that tee shirt into "marry me, fly standby." I can't give this stuff away!

Ahhhh, standby travel. When it works, it's a brilliant benefit. When it starts to fall apart, it is defeating and frustrating.

A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to spend the weekend with Norm. We were both on the phone, looking at the loads of all three flights to Frankfurt (FRA)--where we planned on spending the weekend together--and all three flights looked beautiful for non-revving (standby travel.)

Of course, arriving at the airport changed all that...and two of the three flights to FRA were suddenly overbooked--maybe a Lufthansa (LH) flight cancelled--who knows?

See on the right side of the screen- it says:

"Seats Remaining: 0"

I was forced into a decision. The last flight to FRA wasn't looking very good--so my friend Shelby, also a Flight Attendant, was on the phone with me and helping with Plan B.

There was a London (LHR) flight that was leaving about 10 minutes before the last FRA flight, and it had plenty of seats. I'd take that flight, then hop on a LH flight from LHR to FRA.

I had to quickly go to the ticket counter, outside of security, buy a ZED ticket--a discounted, yet still standby travel ticket--to get me from LHR to FRA; go back through security and to the gate for the London flight. And hopefully not look like a sweaty mess when it was all done. (FAIL!)

It went like clockwork! Well, except for the sweaty mess part...

And, yaaaa-ay, me! I flew to LHR in First Class.

I was at LHR for about 2 hours total--just enough time to pick up this bag for my daughter Casey at the Harrod's shop at the airport. (London is "our" city.)

I flew down to FRA on LH, an hour flight--then took the train from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof, and finally, a taxi to the hotel.

Plan B worked beautifully!

Norm drove up from Stuttgart (STR) and we had dinner at the Klosterhof. This is a restaurant very close to our layover hotel in FRA that we call the "Orange Door" (anyone guess why?) It's just a good, inexpensive German restaurant that I happen to love!

The next day we took a Rhine River tour which included a cable car ride down the mountain, overlooking the river, a quaint town, and vineyards. It was lovely!

And, hot! It was 36C (97F) that day and not a cloud in the sky!

Assmanhauser Hollenberg vineyards

Lunch at a cute restaurant on the River...

Loreley

Castles, castles and more castles!

Beautiful churches and vineyards...

On Sunday, we just hung out together--finding a good pizza restaurant and watching the World Cup play out on televisions all over the city.

With Norm back to work on Monday, I headed to the airport. I had my Plan B in place (the LH 747 later in the day!) However, Plan A worked just fine--I was given a seat in the village, and opted to go ahead and get home. The seat in Coach was a sure thing...and in the the non-rev world, you always go for the sure thing!

PS...Blogger, I still hate you...I have spent so much time trying to move pictures around and make this post pretty. As soon as I learn it, I am going over to WordPress. You frustrate me so!

I had the bright idea that I would fly to Virginia Beach (ORF) instead of driving on Tuesday. No need to deal with the terrible traffic on Interstate 95, I'd save time, save money, save gas, save the environment, right? That's right--use those benefits!

I flew down on Tuesday evening--no problem. Had a lovely time with my family. The Most Amazing Child on the Planet had a T-ball game, and I was able to watch him knock in two, count 'em two, homeruns (though they don't count in T-ball, they don't go unnoticed by his Mimi!) While I was there, I didn't have to drive all over the city to see everyone--they all came to me! Perrrr-fect, right?

Not so much!

After running some errands with my daughters yesterday, Casey dropped me off at the airport. Kiss, kiss, see ya later, call ya in an hour when I get home...

Yeah, right!

At the ticket counter, the agent issued me a "pre-boarding pass" -- it acknowledges that I am listed as a standby for the flight I want, and can be used to go through Security. All I need to do is sit at the gate and wait for my name to be called. The agent even let me know that there were over 20 seats available on the flight I listed for. Plan A was working like a charm!

When called, the gate agent let me know that there was no "jumpseat" agreement with this certain carrier and my Company. A cabin jumpseat agreement is for Flight Attendants to be able to fly standby on another carrier. You are very low on the priority list, and you don't actually sit in the other carrier's extra jumpseat, you sit in a regular cabin seat. This flight was a US Airways "Express" flight-with a regional jet. A different company, Air Wisconsin, operated this flight for US Airways. She made three phone calls on my behalf to be certain...nope, no jumpseat agreement. (Funny, I flew down on that same carrier three days ago...)

No worries the agent tells me! She'll just send me down to Charlotte, NC (CLT), and I can fly to Washington, DC (DCA) from there, all on US Airways mainline, which does have a jumpseat agreement with my Company. This is Plan B. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Unexpectedly, Plan C develops! Walking to the gate for the CLT flight, I passed a Southwest flight that was boarding for Baltimore-Washington (BWI). Southwest does have a jumpseat agreement with my Company. Since it is always better to have a non-stop flight versus changing planes, I decided I'd deal with getting home from the BWI airport later. I spoke with the agent and she said the flight had checked in full and that there were three revenue passengers (real, cash paying people) that were trying to go, as well. Going back to Plan B, I walked to the CLT gate, which was just starting to board.

Terrific Flight Attendants, nice new plane--it was on the Embraer-190--it was a really nice flight! Got to CLT and over to the gate for the 5:50 pm flight to DCA--I was #28 on the Standby list! The Golden Rule of non-revving is "Do Not Leave the Gate Until the Plane Pushes Back." I stayed--just in case. Didn't make that flight.

Plan D began to evolve. Grabbed a bite to eat while headed over to the 7:24 pm United Express flight to Washington Dulles (IAD) in Concourse A (from Concourse D). All I needed was one itty bitty seat. Just one. That flight went out full.

Started thinking I was going to be spending the night in CLT. Then I noticed the Delta gates. Hmmm... From Atlanta (ATL) Delta generally has almost hourly flights to the airport I want to go to: DCA. And, if I'm going to get stuck in CLT, might as well get stuck in ATL. So, I boarded the flight to ATL, as Plan E materialized.

Once in ATL, I headed over to the DCA gate. The 9:30 departure had a huge standby list--Delta shows it on a screen at the gate, as well as the number of seats available. Easy to do the math--I wasn't getting on.

Time for Plan F.

Thought I'd see if, at this late hour, there was one last flight going to Washington Dulles (IAD) or Baltimore (BWI). Anything. If not, I'd find a hotel for the night and start again in the morning--Plan G.

Walking away, towards the Departure Boards, I saw a gate with a flight to DCA. This flight, originally scheduled to leave at 8 pm, was now leaving at 9:05. (And it was already past that time.) With barely a smidgeon of hope, I approached the gate and waited patiently. After boarding everyone, he took my information and handed me a boarding pass! <insert chorus of angels singing Hallelujah here> Plan H was my ace-in-the hole, my mini-miracle!

My Delta flight arrived at DCA around midnight last night. I could have driven to Virginia Beach and back in the time it took me to get home yesterday. But, with our benefits, there was no need to deal with the terrible traffic on Interstate 95, and I would save money, save gas, and save the environment, right?

Blondie

I'm in Virginia Beach (ORF) for a couple of days-my hometown-visiting with family and working on the business my sister and I have. For the first time, I used jumpseat benefits to come down here, instead of driving the 187 miles one way like I have over (and over and over...) the years. Instead of 3.5 hours in crazy-mad traffic down Interstate 95, I had a very quiet 50 minute flight!

I think I have to do it this way a little more often!
Blondie

Weekend in Frankfurt

The ABC's of Non-Rev Hell

In Virginia Beach

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