How to fly standby on a buddy pass is a question that comes up often for me. Here I’ll cover the basics of what a buddy pass is and what the rules are for using a buddy pass. If you have a friend or family member that works for an airline that you can request a buddy pass from, remember that buddy passes are a privilege given airline employees that can be taken away if abused. For this reason, it is the employee’s sole discretion as to whom they choose toshare their buddy passes with. Especially since the number issued each year may be limited.
Photo credit: Chris Bird, Standby TravelingMom
What is a Buddy Pass?
Buddy passes are non-revenue, standby tickets provided as a benefit to all airline employees that they can share with friends and family. While they are non-revenue, the passenger must pay any taxes, fees and charges for each leg of the flight. A typical Frontier flight will cost $62 round-trip. The price will vary from airline to airline.
How Are They Issued?
Typically they come in the form on a credit that is adjusted every time the employee books a flight for a friend or family member. An employee may get up to 10 buddy passes per year that expire annually.
How Do I Book a Flight?
This will vary from airline to airline and may involve calling a reservation agent to “list” yourself on a flight using a confirmation code the employee will give you, or the employee doing it for you online themselves. Either the reservation agent or the employee can check flight loads for the dates and times you wish to travel to see your chances of getting on that flight. Once decided upon, your name will be put on the standby list for the flight. You can change your listing up to the time of travel and it is advised to be checking the flight load daily to see if you need to adjust things.
Keep in mind, the busiest days of travel are weekends and Holidays, and busiest time of travel is afternoon. If you can be flexible and are willing to take a 6am or 10pm flight, then flying on a buddy pass will work well for you.
Photo credit: Chris Bird, Standby TravelingMom.
What Do I Do at the Airport?
Present your confirmation code to the ticket agent or enter into the kiosk for self-check-in, to be issued a standby ticket. Should you need to check bags, the ticket agent will attach a special “standby” tag so that if you don’t make the flight, your bags won’t take off without you. I prefer to bring all bags with me to the gate and gate-check them after I’ve been cleared for the flight.
If you have checked in early online, with airlines that offer that service, you can skip the ticket counter altogether, unless checking bags, and use the ticket you printed out online to head straight to the gate.
At the Gate
If the ticket agent has checked you in, there is no need to approach the gate agent. Their computer will show all standby passengers who have checked in and now you will just wait for the flight to finish boarding and the gate agent to clear standby passengers by calling them by name up to the podium to be issued a boarding pass.
If you checked in online, notify the gate agent that you are there and on their standby list and then take a seat.
How Standbys are Cleared
The priority for boarding all listed standby passengers is:
- Pilots and flight attendants ‘en route’ to work.
- Full-fare passengers that were bumped from their flight.
- Full-fare passengers flying standby to catch an earlier flight.
- Off-duty pilots.
- Other airline employees and designated family members.
- Buddy pass travelers in order of time of check-in. (It pays to arrive early.)
Be sure to sit close to the gate and listen for your name to be called. If you don’t approach the podium in a timely manner, the gate agent will call the next standby passenger on the list.
Be prepared with other flight options should you not get on the flight. Once the gate agents are free, ask them to list you for the next flight available.
Standby Passenger Etiquette
Airlines have a dress code for all standby passengers including buddy pass travelers. You are considered a representative of the airline and may be required to dress in business attire, or business casual. The employee will inform you of the dress code – follow it closely. You may not be allowed to board otherwise.
As a representative of the airline, you are also expected to be polite and courteous to the airline employees. Do not pester the gate agent, they have the power in deciding whether you board or not.
Enjoy your flight!
Great tips!!
for reservation for standby ticket
see link
http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/get+link+code/id/5244265
i just read an article online about 2 people that were informed to change their attire before boarding US Airways while flying 1st Class using Buddy Passes. I instantly became interested in reading for myself US Airways’ Buddy Pass Policy. I checked their website with no luck. the info you posted towards the end has made me more interested in reading this. is it possible that you direct me to how I can go about gettin this online orby some other means? thanks you in advance…
That is very true if not dressed correctly eg in jeans or tracksuit you will be asked to change
What happened to the US Air Buddy Pass program? My brother works for US Air and they informed him that he no longer has any buddy passes.
“Should you need to check bags, the ticket agent will attach a special “standby” tag so that if you don’t make the flight, your bags won’t take off without you.”
This will only apply to international travel. A standby flying domestic that did not make their flight, but checked a bag will have to pick it up in it’s location. The domestic bag will go without you.
Do you have a specific airline that you are getting this information from?
from Liberia or San Jose (Costa Rica) to Montreal (Canada) round trip on May 18th to 25th best prices?