What's it like for Industry staff to travel on standby on airlines

[dfcatch]

It's interesting the manner in which US airlines handle staff STBY vs say QF/VA.

There are plenty of threads here on AFF where pax are unhappy at the perception of missing out on upgrades/awards due to staff in those seats.

(many times these are assumptions, and ignore duty/leisure travel etc etc; AND the international upgrade system at QF is much improved these days) but that's not my point.

My point is about PERCEPTION, and you always want to avoid pissing off revenue pax.

So... QF/VA handle it quite well I believe.

But the sheer numbers of STBY non-revs that AA/UA put on their TPAC flights is mind-boggling. I of course have no issue with staff getting vacant seats per se.

But the way they rub it in the face of revenue pax via the Upgrade/Standby lists is not what I would call "good marketing".

 

[UP4014]

It's interesting the manner in which US airlines handle staff STBY vs say QF/VA.

There are plenty of threads here on AFF where pax are unhappy at the perception of missing out on upgrades/awards due to staff in those seats.

(many times these are assumptions, and ignore duty/leisure travel etc etc; AND the international upgrade system at QF is much improved these days) but that's not my point.

My point is about PERCEPTION, and you always want to avoid pissing off revenue pax.

So... QF/VA handle it quite well I believe.

But the sheer numbers of STBY non-revs that AA/UA put on their TPAC flights is mind-boggling. I of course have no issue with staff getting vacant seats per se.

But the way they rub it in the face of revenue pax via the Upgrade/Standby lists is not what I would call "good marketing".

I don't know if it's carried over, but Continental staff travel was (back in the 90's anyway) confirmed tickets. Just because you're staff doesn't mean you should be at the whim of every other single thing.

It's part of the deal of working for an airline.

 

[dfcatch]

I don't know if it's carried over, but Continental staff travel was (back in the 90's anyway) confirmed tickets. Just because you're staff doesn't mean you should be at the whim of every other single thing.

It's part of the deal of working for an airline.

I didn't say that staff shouldn't get the perks of travel.

I'm just commenting on manner in which it's handled, and the perception that paying pax get - rightly or wrongly.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It's interesting the manner in which US airlines handle staff STBY vs say QF/VA.

There are plenty of threads here on AFF where pax are unhappy at the perception of missing out on upgrades/awards due to staff in those seats.

(many times these are assumptions, and ignore duty/leisure travel etc etc; AND the international upgrade system at QF is much improved these days) but that's not my point.

My point is about PERCEPTION, and you always want to avoid pissing off revenue pax.

So... QF/VA handle it quite well I believe.

But the sheer numbers of STBY non-revs that AA/UA put on their TPAC flights is mind-boggling. I of course have no issue with staff getting vacant seats per se.

But the way they rub it in the face of revenue pax via the Upgrade/Standby lists is not what I would call "good marketing".

Aren't the standby list a combination of non-rev pax and elites who can standby at the airport?

Ditto for upgrade lists being for Exec Plats etc. Whenever I've flown F on AA, pax in First Class always board first ie no last minute arrivals like you sometimes see in Oz where staff are onloaded or upgraded at the last minute after the flight has closed.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Is staff travel a fringe benefit?, I wonder if the difference in $$ can be classified as income and so be taxed according to FBT legislation?

Yes, it brings with it FBT

 

[dfcatch]

Aren't the standby list a combination of non-rev pax and elites who can standby at the airport?

Ditto for upgrade lists being for Exec Plats etc. Whenever I've flown F on AA, pax in First Class always board first ie no last minute arrivals like you sometimes see in Oz where staff are onloaded or upgraded at the last minute after the flight has closed.

I'm talking about TPAC situations (specifically the 7 I've recently flown on UA). It's VERY easy to see who are the elite's standing by for their GPU to clear, vs the staff who are standing by for ALL cabins simultaneously.

A little harder to discern on domestic flights as you rightly point out - but obvious as dog's balls on the internationals.

 

[UP4014]

I didn't say that staff shouldn't get the perks of travel.

I'm just commenting on manner in which it's handled, and the perception that paying pax get - rightly or wrongly.

I was just making a statement as follow up to your comment. Not questioning anything.

 

[Warks]

I have no experience of it but know a QF engineer with 30 years on the job and he says he's in the first half of the list but not very high so has struggled in recent years to get anything for the family. He says most staff he knows just buy cheap tickets instead and save the bother.

Another bloke I know has a son in QF and has horror stories of standby travel trying to get back from London and getting stranded in Dubai before heading back to London again! 72 hours to get home is not unusual he says.

I'm sure it was better in the past?

 

[Boris spatsky]

Even an EK 777 captain mate got done last week trying to go DXB to Aus. 2 day wait to get anything in any class!

 

[OATEK]

Daughter and Son-in-law have travelled extensively together, he on staff and daughter on paid fares. Lots of times not on the same plane or even the same day, but have managed ok. Their honeymoon was the biggie, to LHR/FCO. They both finished up on the same flights for every leg, but not sure my daughter has forgiven him for the J upgrades that she did not share in.

 

[Musongman]

Back in the 70's staff travel for AN personnel was always Y, but I travelled extensively every year, rarely got bumped, except a 5 day wait to get out of LHR with my dad, oddly enough my first experience of being racially discriminated, but that's another story.
Most recently in the 2000's, I had use of QF staff travel through a friend. Being retired I had plenty of time, so got everything right and never got bumped, dressed the part and mostly got J. I wish I still had those concessions!

 

[rebem]

Wow, lots of negative comments here about staff travel. I've traveled extensively for the last 8 years on my wife's staff travel and with a bit of planning (i.e. not school holidays!) and flexibility, it has been great. Yes I've been bumped while onboard a flight and yes we've had to travel to another country to get to our destination but come on people - life's an adventure!

 

[Quickstatus]

but come on people - life's an adventure!

Though I would like to start my adventure ASAP. There is no airport in the world that would fit any of my description of an adventure.

 

[anat0l]

Wow, lots of negative comments here about staff travel. I've traveled extensively for the last 8 years on my wife's staff travel and with a bit of planning (i.e. not school holidays!) and flexibility, it has been great. Yes I've been bumped while onboard a flight and yes we've had to travel to another country to get to our destination but come on people - life's an adventure!

When you say "planning", do you mean basically selecting a period which is not supposed to be as busy and deciding to travel then, thus marking / bidding for annual leave at that time?

By "flexibility" I assume this means leaving some days on either side of your normally desired travel dates. How many days flexibility do you normally allow for yourself? How does this fit in with making your other travel arrangements, e.g. hotels, supplementary transport, tours / cruises, meeting family or friends, special events like birthdays, concerts, restaurant reservations, theatre shows, etc.?

 

[Robert Qld]

Don't know about other airlines but AA staff have res system access from home to check loads and put themselves on the standby list (for AA only).

I can confirm my ex (who worked for DL) has the same dealeo

 

[Limewood]

Have a few friends who are senior QF FA's they tell me they are finding it more difficult to get J seats international flights.

 

[drivatruk]

Virgin put you behind row 16, never forward and thats the same place they put the kids...

 

[Katy]

Flexibility is a perhaps a lot easier when there's only 1 or 2 pax to worry about, it's a bit more challenging when you have children and even more so when those children are school-aged.

I've also observed that the more senior in an organisation someone gets the less likely they are to use staff travel; time is a precious resource and the benefits of staff travel stop being so alluring when weighed against the cons.

 

[Musongman]

I remember it used to be that one could buy an ID50 firm space? Taking much of the sting out of staff travel!

 

[UP4014]

Have a few friends who are senior QF FA's they tell me they are finding it more difficult to get J seats international flights.

But is that because there are less flights/destos.