Welcome to Standby travel in 2022 post-pandemic(?) 1- Shortages of pilots, flight attendants, ground personnel, etc. causing delays or cancellations. 2- Airlines have not fully returned their fleet into service; reducing flight choices. 3- Planes are thus flying near 100% severely reducing your chances of flying standby. 4- Airlines have reduced non-stop flights pushing passengers into multiple hub segments thus increasing your chances of being bumped mid-travel. I worked for a semi-private airline; the pay was minimum wage with a small COVID premium, the draw was being able to fly standby on a number of popular airlines. However, I found that even using the employee insider travel website, almost any flight I chose had a very low to no probability of snagging a seat (see above reasons). I resigned.
So my husband now gets reduced standby flights. On average, about 70% discount. If we buy the tickets in advance (has to be within 90 days), how aren't we confirmed on the flight?
The amount of uncertainty you guys can manage is incredibly. If you can make family travel work, anyone else should be able to do that. Btw, been to Bozeman once and it was a nice airport. Always prefer smaller airports
It’s a whole other ball game. But we will say... the uncertainty of it is a certainty. And so when you are expecting to have to pivot, it just becomes something else you plan on. Ok, definitely going to visit Bozeman now!
Yes, human are so adaptable. You are the best example. Should be an inspiration for everyone. Btw, how does the youngest one change your travel pattern?
Very! And thank you so much for the kind words 😭😍 Honestly, he hasn’t changed our patterns just yet. That will come in a few months. Right now he’s still in the “sleeping all the time” stage. So pretty portable.
Very true, I remember telling people baby is just another piece of luggage when we travel when they are very young. It all changed when terrible 2 hits, haha.
What happens if you don’t get the flight do they put you on standby for the next flight? & Can you get a refund on standby tickets if you get denied the flight?
Ya, they normally roll the remaining list over to the next flight. Since you aren't paying in advance, if you're flying standby the charges if there are any don't happen until you get a seat.
@@jrya1988 yes With cx I tried it before The 9:05am HKG -> NRT was full one day, then we were bumped to the next one at 10:20am. Being also in the queue to fly to NGO, staff came to us asking if we were going to NGO, and we got boarding passes for the 10:35am HKG->NGO. We got on the flight, then continued on to Tokyo via the bullet train. We arrived in Tokyo 5 hours later than originally scheduled.
great video. just wondering, you said you get some ticket to go through tsa. if you go to any lounges like amex or priority pass, is that ticket good enough, or do they need to see a boarding pass with a confirmed seat? thank you.
The. Greatest. Nonrev. Perk. Outside of the tickets, of course. No confirmed seat necessary for most lounges. Aside from the Centurion Lounge and some carrier flagship first class lounges, you can visit them all. We have a Priority Pass membership and use that bad boy all the time.
Hi! What happens if a flight you were likely to board gets cancelled last minute? Do rev passengers get transferred to the next flight? Does that lower your chances of boarding that next flight? And if a specific route (domestic) has only 4 flights per day, would you recommend to book the earliest one in case you need to take one of the remaining three?
Cancellations will really mess with standby lists. But the passengers on the flight usually get put on the next flights or connect somewhere else. First flight in the day is always recommended.
International travel is expensive, sometimes. Unfortunately, to fly standby. you have to be an airline employee or on an employee's benefits. You should keep an eye on Google Flights... there are cheap fares that pop up all the time!
I am not working for airline, I don't know anyone from airlines either, can I buy " staff travel " standby ticket, ticket agent said to me I can buy " staff travel standby " ticket, is it true , or it's scam ?
I’ve always wondered how this works! Thanks for the informative video! You guys look like you have a ton of patience for the standby gig. I would say I have the patience for this kind of travel but with how anxious my wife is I doubt it would work for us :(
Keep in mind, the more days that go by missing your flight, the more people trickle down to your standby flight, and more likely to become desperate and buy confirmed seats, which reduce your chances of getting on even more..
I have question about buddy pass ticket …so if I’m got on the flight and there’s 1 stop before my destination I’m I going to struggle again to find a seat during the second flight or as long I got a seat on the first flight then I’m good to go ??? Thanks 🙏🏼
Absolutely! Gate agents are super accommodating and kind. Just let them know you’re non-rev and require extra time for boarding. Unfortunately, just by the nature of standby, you likely won’t be assigned seats in time for pre-boarding, but that’s ok. They’ll help you as needed. Happy flying!
Airlines must follow the rules of ADA regardless of whether you are a paying passengers or flying on a buddy pass. You won't get special priority as a disabled passenger travelling on a buddy pass however, if you do get a seat, you will be given assistance you require.
@@FamilyonStandby lol I figured. Thank you!! I recently just got a job as a baggage handler for Delta and they gave me flight privileges. And I been watching y’all channel for a year, amazing ! Thank you again
@@calvinridley5297 Glad to hear you were employed by the best airline flying. I worked for Delta for 32 years. Good luck and enjoy the benefits Delta gives employees.
@@FamilyonStandby how about xmas day? One person in the family has to return early and will get a flight leaving in the afternoon on Xmas Day, while the rest go back 3 days later. But we are considering to change that, to the whole family flying back on the last flight out on Xmas Day as the load is significantly smaller.
Yes. All airline employees are eligible for free flight benefits. There is usually a 6 month probationary period which you may only get 1 or 2 passes during that time but after that, you do get unlimited free travel benefits.
That's how we do it. There are other ways to fly standby, but honestly, it's probably easier to just have a confirmed seat! One of our favorite ways to replicate it though is to use the Google Flight Search tool and to leave destination blank. How fun?
One time in Salt Lake City airport delta offered a 1000$ credit for future travel to whoever would exchange their seat for next day flight. I was the first one to go up They gave me that plus put me on a first class then next day, set me up in a penthouse luxury suite at the most expensive hotel there for the night, and gave me 30$ in 2 meal vouchers to use at the airport. Is that a stand by?
@@Will324 No no. That's a luxury dream. Standby is "We don't have seats for you, and the next flight isn't until tomorrow. You can feel free to sleep in the terminal tonight or try to fly through three airports to get home." LOL
@@Will324 Interesting - we can if we click the three dots on the right hand side of our comments! But not sure if that's because it's our channel or in general.
I was thinking the same thing. There is some real slowness and slurring and odd body movements. Lol I'm def glad average folks are doing these vids though, I have so much to learn.
Different for every airline, but ours: you list for business and if there are seats available by the time they get to you, they'll give you one. Normally there's a fee associated. If there are no seats open but there are seats in coach, you'll get that instead.
❤️💛🧡💚💖💙💜💝❤️ Can You get free or discounted international flights on other Airlines? Like Singapore or Emirates? Even get a round-the-world-trip? Is it restricted to the Airline Alliance?
Ok so I booked a flight threw a third party, and I find out ITS A STANDBY FLIGHT, with delta, I’m 21 on the list COOL WTF, and it can’t be canceled EVEN COOLER! And it’s out of a smallish airport, what does this mean, it’s a 625 am flight I’ve never had this happen😑
Ya, I would definitely call DL. You should have a 6-digit code that came with your booking. Just ask if you have a confirmed ticket. You could have purchased basic economy which doesn't let you change your seat, but there is a seat on the plane for you!
okay, so you're not paying anything but then you have to pay much more for your stays because you're booking hotels only and those even last minute. Doesn't sound so good to me actually. I'd rather take a cheap flight for 250$ across the pond and back and then have a nice air bnb that I actually like and all of this on a fixed date without any problems
Not really, actually. Last second deals are totally a thing! But we hear where you're coming from. It's the thrill of the adventure and not knowing where you're going for us.
Flying standby was stressful as hell, but I've only done it once with a buddy pass. I had no idea such a thing even existed when my friend offered it to me and to this day I am forever in his debt. 🤣 As airline employees I'm sure you've developed a better gut feeling about it (and you're able to track the non-rev list). Now that I know better, I would never ask a friend for a buddy pass knowing they have to constantly be checking for me and that it's a very limited perk. I would only do it if it's offered to me again and I have no plans for the date. Also, this is the first video I ever see of your channel and I really really like it! The Have you guys ever talked about why it's supposedly easier to get standby on International flights rather than domestic? That statement has never made sense to me. 😅 And Google flights has definitely saved my life. This year I found and booked a LAX to MIA through MCO that didn't even show up on the airline's website, for 170 on Thanksgiving week. I did have to wait 8 hours at MCO, but it was so worth it.
Thank you for stopping by!! We might have been at MCO at the same time, we kinda got stuck there for the day lol Ya, standby life has it's ups and downs. You have to really be flexible, which is why we started this channel. To teach people to be flexible in their travels. We've not done one on the international availability, but that's a wonderful idea. We should totally do it. Thanks for joining us, and we hope you stick around and subscribe!
@@FamilyonStandby I got to MOC 11pm Nov 27th. Flew to MIA the next morning at 7am on American airlines. And yes, definitely subscribed! Looking forward to the international vs domestic video!
Spouses and children of airline employees get the same free travel benefits as the employee. Some airlines give employees buddy passes for friends and family, but they are not free.
Welcome to Standby travel in 2022 post-pandemic(?)
1- Shortages of pilots, flight attendants, ground personnel, etc. causing delays or cancellations.
2- Airlines have not fully returned their fleet into service; reducing flight choices.
3- Planes are thus flying near 100% severely reducing your chances of flying standby.
4- Airlines have reduced non-stop flights pushing passengers into multiple hub segments thus increasing your chances of being bumped mid-travel.
I worked for a semi-private airline; the pay was minimum wage with a small COVID premium, the draw was being able to fly standby on a number of popular airlines.
However, I found that even using the employee insider travel website, almost any flight I chose had a very low to no probability of snagging a seat (see above reasons).
I resigned.
Such a cool perk! The uncertainty is a downside, but I think it's definitely worth it! 😃
It really is. We love it so much. As people like to say, it's the most expensive free benefit you'll ever get haha
Great video! Love the mention about the empty middle seat being taken by non-rev people. The “non shout out” shout out. Lol
😂😂😂
Just a teaser for a great conversation that might or might not be forthcoming.
high risk with a great value.... love it....stuck in the airport with kids ... not sure if we have that type of metal....
It’s actually great fun! But you can see why lounge access is key here lol
Where do you buy your tickets? I just started working at United.
“50 people ahead of us on the list-we just go for it”! For sure!! You’ll miss 100% of the flights you don’t try :)
Hey, why not? Stranger things have happened!
So my husband now gets reduced standby flights. On average, about 70% discount. If we buy the tickets in advance (has to be within 90 days), how aren't we confirmed on the flight?
The amount of uncertainty you guys can manage is incredibly. If you can make family travel work, anyone else should be able to do that. Btw, been to Bozeman once and it was a nice airport. Always prefer smaller airports
It’s a whole other ball game. But we will say... the uncertainty of it is a certainty. And so when you are expecting to have to pivot, it just becomes something else you plan on.
Ok, definitely going to visit Bozeman now!
Yes, human are so adaptable. You are the best example. Should be an inspiration for everyone. Btw, how does the youngest one change your travel pattern?
Very! And thank you so much for the kind words 😭😍
Honestly, he hasn’t changed our patterns just yet. That will come in a few months. Right now he’s still in the “sleeping all the time” stage. So pretty portable.
Very true, I remember telling people baby is just another piece of luggage when we travel when they are very young. It all changed when terrible 2 hits, haha.
What happens if you don’t get the flight do they put you on standby for the next flight? & Can you get a refund on standby tickets if you get denied the flight?
Ya, they normally roll the remaining list over to the next flight. Since you aren't paying in advance, if you're flying standby the charges if there are any don't happen until you get a seat.
Does this apply also on stand by international? Thanks in advance
@@jrya1988 yes
With cx I tried it before
The 9:05am HKG -> NRT was full one day, then we were bumped to the next one at 10:20am. Being also in the queue to fly to NGO, staff came to us asking if we were going to NGO, and we got boarding passes for the 10:35am HKG->NGO. We got on the flight, then continued on to Tokyo via the bullet train. We arrived in Tokyo 5 hours later than originally scheduled.
great video. just wondering, you said you get some ticket to go through tsa. if you go to any lounges like amex or priority pass, is that ticket good enough, or do they need to see a boarding pass with a confirmed seat? thank you.
The. Greatest. Nonrev. Perk. Outside of the tickets, of course. No confirmed seat necessary for most lounges. Aside from the Centurion Lounge and some carrier flagship first class lounges, you can visit them all. We have a Priority Pass membership and use that bad boy all the time.
Hi! What happens if a flight you were likely to board gets cancelled last minute? Do rev passengers get transferred to the next flight? Does that lower your chances of boarding that next flight? And if a specific route (domestic) has only 4 flights per day, would you recommend to book the earliest one in case you need to take one of the remaining three?
Cancellations will really mess with standby lists. But the passengers on the flight usually get put on the next flights or connect somewhere else. First flight in the day is always recommended.
@@FamilyonStandby Thank you!
I need to travel internationally next year and I'm a student, so I don't really have the money for that. How would I get on a standby list?
International travel is expensive, sometimes. Unfortunately, to fly standby. you have to be an airline employee or on an employee's benefits. You should keep an eye on Google Flights... there are cheap fares that pop up all the time!
@@FamilyonStandby Ah, ok. Thank you :)
I am not working for airline, I don't know anyone from airlines either, can I buy " staff travel " standby ticket, ticket agent said to me I can buy " staff travel standby " ticket, is it true , or it's scam ?
I'm not sure about a scam, but there's no way to purchase a staff travel pass that we're aware of.
I’ve always wondered how this works! Thanks for the informative video! You guys look like you have a ton of patience for the standby gig. I would say I have the patience for this kind of travel but with how anxious my wife is I doubt it would work for us :(
What airline are you guys with I’m with united airlines looking to fly stand by
I've lived in Bozeman for the past 8 years. The airport IS really great. Definatly worth traveling for hotprings and Yellowstone National Park.
Definitely! It’s Nick’s bucketlist airport!
My son work there now how can me and my othere go can we just do the discount
Can infants/ kids sit in first class if they’re flying stand by with parents?
Keep in mind, the more days that go by missing your flight, the more people trickle down to your standby flight, and more likely to become desperate and buy confirmed seats, which reduce your chances of getting on even more..
I have question about buddy pass ticket …so if I’m got on the flight and there’s 1 stop before my destination I’m I going to struggle again to find a seat during the second flight or as long I got a seat on the first flight then I’m good to go ??? Thanks 🙏🏼
You’re going to have to play the game again! The confirmed seat is only for that single leg, unfortunately.
You can be removed from a flight if fare paying passengers fill all the seats.
I just got hired on the spot for American Airlines. Im looking forward for day trips where i leave in the morning, and come back at night. Lols
Can I get 2 ticket and use the discount if my son puts me on as his parent
So, I am using a wheelchair and I have a friend who will give me a buddy pass. Would you recommend a buddy pass for a disabled traveler?
Absolutely! Gate agents are super accommodating and kind. Just let them know you’re non-rev and require extra time for boarding. Unfortunately, just by the nature of standby, you likely won’t be assigned seats in time for pre-boarding, but that’s ok. They’ll help you as needed. Happy flying!
Airlines must follow the rules of ADA regardless of whether you are a paying passengers or flying on a buddy pass. You won't get special priority as a disabled passenger travelling on a buddy pass however, if you do get a seat, you will be given assistance you require.
What would you suggest are the best days to fly standby?
Any day that’s not Friday through Sunday lol
@@FamilyonStandby lol I figured. Thank you!! I recently just got a job as a baggage handler for Delta and they gave me flight privileges. And I been watching y’all channel for a year, amazing ! Thank you again
You’re welcome! And congrats! You’re going to love the world of nonrev travel.
@@calvinridley5297 Glad to hear you were employed by the best airline flying. I worked for Delta for 32 years. Good luck and enjoy the benefits Delta gives employees.
@@FamilyonStandby how about xmas day?
One person in the family has to return early and will get a flight leaving in the afternoon on Xmas Day, while the rest go back 3 days later.
But we are considering to change that, to the whole family flying back on the last flight out on Xmas Day as the load is significantly smaller.
hello i was wondering what airline postions get free tickets
As far as we know, it's all fulltime roles within the airline.
Yes. All airline employees are eligible for free flight benefits. There is usually a 6 month probationary period which you may only get 1 or 2 passes during that time but after that, you do get unlimited free travel benefits.
I want to do this, but for international flights only.
What airline do you work for?
How do the discount goes
When you want to buy confirmed seat, do you pay full price?
Depending on your airline, you might be able to buy discounted fare tickets. Ours allows for this :)
Not necessarily but you are eligible for discounts.
Yes!!! Do a video on cheaper flight ✈️ with google!!! That would be cool...
You got it!
How do you pack luggage not knowing if you are guaranteed a seat
Great question! Lots of guessing and little bit of luck. Plus we only carry-on instead of checking bags.
So you have to be an airline employee in order to get standby seats?
That's how we do it. There are other ways to fly standby, but honestly, it's probably easier to just have a confirmed seat! One of our favorite ways to replicate it though is to use the Google Flight Search tool and to leave destination blank. How fun?
One time in Salt Lake City airport delta offered a 1000$ credit for future travel to whoever would exchange their seat for next day flight. I was the first one to go up They gave me that plus put me on a first class then next day, set me up in a penthouse luxury suite at the most expensive hotel there for the night, and gave me 30$ in 2 meal vouchers to use at the airport. Is that a stand by?
How come youtube doesn't allow editing of comments anymore ?
@@Will324 No no. That's a luxury dream. Standby is "We don't have seats for you, and the next flight isn't until tomorrow. You can feel free to sleep in the terminal tonight or try to fly through three airports to get home." LOL
@@Will324 Interesting - we can if we click the three dots on the right hand side of our comments! But not sure if that's because it's our channel or in general.
Y’all look high as hell 💨 Lol or maybe just east coasters
🤣🤣🤣
Def not. But maybe sleep deprived?
I was thinking the same thing. There is some real slowness and slurring and odd body movements. Lol
I'm def glad average folks are doing these vids though, I have so much to learn.
I somewhat travel I'm going to twitchcon this weekend
Enjoy!
So if I work at the airport how can I get a ticket for stanby?
You'd need to work with the airline itself to get flight privileges, not the airport. It's part of the airlines' employment benefits packages.
@@FamilyonStandby oh okay thanks
I haven’t used them for years and just got tickets recently. How do you list nowadays?
How often do you guys sit next to eachother
Probably 50% of the time? It's rare enough that it feels like a surprise when we get it!
@@FamilyonStandby thanks for the reply just was wondering I’m working with southwest in Los angles but trying to switch to AA
@@FamilyonStandby is it more sitting by eachother if it’s international
I’m new to standby. Can you explain how you do the business class on standby?
Different for every airline, but ours: you list for business and if there are seats available by the time they get to you, they'll give you one. Normally there's a fee associated. If there are no seats open but there are seats in coach, you'll get that instead.
@@FamilyonStandby how much does if usually cost? If u dont mind me asking.
❤️💛🧡💚💖💙💜💝❤️
Can You get free or discounted international flights on other Airlines? Like Singapore or Emirates? Even get a round-the-world-trip? Is it restricted to the Airline Alliance?
We do! And it varies on the airline you work for and what their inter-airline agreements are. But Alliance partners are cheaper than non-alliance.
Generally speaking, yes. But airline policies vary depending on an interline agreement between the carriers.
Ok so I booked a flight threw a third party, and I find out ITS A STANDBY FLIGHT, with delta, I’m 21 on the list COOL WTF, and it can’t be canceled EVEN COOLER! And it’s out of a smallish airport, what does this mean, it’s a 625 am flight I’ve never had this happen😑
That's crazy! We didn't even know that was a thing! It's legitimately a standby flight?
Family on Standby I called the third party, I didn’t think it was a thing either, should I maybe call delta? I got a reservation number too
Ya, I would definitely call DL. You should have a 6-digit code that came with your booking. Just ask if you have a confirmed ticket. You could have purchased basic economy which doesn't let you change your seat, but there is a seat on the plane for you!
okay, so you're not paying anything but then you have to pay much more for your stays because you're booking hotels only and those even last minute. Doesn't sound so good to me actually. I'd rather take a cheap flight for 250$ across the pond and back and then have a nice air bnb that I actually like and all of this on a fixed date without any problems
Not really, actually. Last second deals are totally a thing! But we hear where you're coming from. It's the thrill of the adventure and not knowing where you're going for us.
Hotels, car rental agencies and various other businesses give us discounts as well, sometimes even free.
❤️💛🧡💚💖💙💜💝❤️
How many percentage is the average free employee travel acc. to Your estimates?
You didn’t tell us how to do it. I need step by step.
Btw your guys are High tech know..so much better with the mics!!!
Thanks! It's def a learning curve, but we're getting there haha
Thank you!
You're welcome! I'm just your ordinary demi-guy.
(Sorry, couldn't resist)
Flying standby was stressful as hell, but I've only done it once with a buddy pass. I had no idea such a thing even existed when my friend offered it to me and to this day I am forever in his debt. 🤣
As airline employees I'm sure you've developed a better gut feeling about it (and you're able to track the non-rev list).
Now that I know better, I would never ask a friend for a buddy pass knowing they have to constantly be checking for me and that it's a very limited perk. I would only do it if it's offered to me again and I have no plans for the date.
Also, this is the first video I ever see of your channel and I really really like it! The Have you guys ever talked about why it's supposedly easier to get standby on International flights rather than domestic? That statement has never made sense to me. 😅
And Google flights has definitely saved my life. This year I found and booked a LAX to MIA through MCO that didn't even show up on the airline's website, for 170 on Thanksgiving week. I did have to wait 8 hours at MCO, but it was so worth it.
Thank you for stopping by!! We might have been at MCO at the same time, we kinda got stuck there for the day lol
Ya, standby life has it's ups and downs. You have to really be flexible, which is why we started this channel. To teach people to be flexible in their travels. We've not done one on the international availability, but that's a wonderful idea. We should totally do it.
Thanks for joining us, and we hope you stick around and subscribe!
@@FamilyonStandby I got to MOC 11pm Nov 27th. Flew to MIA the next morning at 7am on American airlines.
And yes, definitely subscribed! Looking forward to the international vs domestic video!
What about your family or friends? can they fly standby on your tickets?
Some airlines have guest passes, but that's totally dependent on the company rules of the airlines!
Spouses and children of airline employees get the same free travel benefits as the employee. Some airlines give employees buddy passes for friends and family, but they are not free.
❤️💝💜💙💖💚🧡💛❤️Any connection to the many airline bankruptcies because of the free air travel by airline employees?
Ha - definitely not. We only fly if there are open seats. So usually, flights are packed full. No worries on that front.
Who is here after not making it to a flight with standby ticket? :)
Oh no! Hopefully you got where you were going...
🤚
Cool!)
In american airlines we dont pay for business upgrades 💅
Lucky!!
Should be a 1min video
Sure, but how else do we get watch time?
Lol 😂 yes!! I “hate” you guys!!! Always don’t want someone next to me!! J/k
We get that look all the time! It's amusing lol
10 minutes long!!!
Sure is! And we coulda done more.
I want to know about standby tickets not the state of your marriage. I will find another channel
Bye!
f＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊ou
Thanks!