Since airfare has become so expensive, more people are looking for cheaper ways to travel.
If you have a family member or friend who is a flight attendant, and if they are nice enough, they may offer you a buddy pass, which allows friends or family of airline employees to fly at a cheaper rate. However, the catch is you will be flying standby and you will have to pay a fee which may include taxes and mile charges depending on where you are going. No flying is for “free.”
Standby Nightmare
People who obtain buddy passes have to fly standby. That means you are not a priority for your flight and that sometimes you may not get on the flight. There are numerous reasons the airline may bump your seat, but the most common one is that there are no seats available for non-priority customers. After the airline agents call paying customers in order from first class to economy, if there seats left, standby customers will be called to get on the flight.
Sometimes you will spend hours waiting . It’s recommended you get to the airport early to put your name on the list and increase your chances. If it turns out that you cannot get on your flight, the airline is not responsible for compensation. It’s recommended that you either find another friend or family with a buddy pass or sleepover in the airport until you can get on another flight. Also, if you desperately need to get your destination you may have end up having to purchase an expensive last minute ticket.
Dress Codes
Buddy passes are a privilege for airline employees and yourself, therefore if you do not act accordingly or dress appropriately, you may be kicked off the flight or your friend or family member could lose their passes. Some airlines have dress codes that employees and their guests are required to follow in order to board the flight.
Before the United Airlines recent publicity catastrophe this week where police forcibly removed a man from an overbooked flight leaving him bloody, two young teens traveling on a buddy pass were prevented from boarding for not being dressed appropriately while using an employee’s buddy pass in late March.
It is unknown if the girls were aware of the rules. Before accepting the buddy pass your friend or family member should give you the rundown of the rules and dress code. Generally, you have to dress business casual.
How to secure a seat as a standby?
If you want to make your flight, look up the best days to travel. Usually holidays and weekends are the worst time to be a standby traveler.
Sometimes, there are more seats available when flying overseas because some people may not be able to make the flight.
In my case when I flew to France, I was able to make the flight. If your friend or family member are important employees that will put you up higher on the list this becomes easier to do.
Flying standby does not have to always be a nightmare. If you have a flexible schedule it could be worth the wait, but be aware of the risks you are taking.
photo credit: Anne Worner On the Move – Color Version via photopin (license)
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