Delta to add fuel surcharges to buddy pass tickets!

[jstyle13]

I don't even give out buddy passes to people who ask for them anymore and add this to it now and there is no way I'll give one out. I have a hard enough time getting on Delta flights to get to work and back. An S4 has no chance to get anywhere you'd want to go on a Buddy pass these days anyways

 

[BOX OFFICE]

Not that I think buddy passes are of any value, but how much more fuel does a flight from Buffalo or Cleveland use to ATL than a flight from Toronto to ATL? But they charge an extra $15 for that extra 100 miles across the border?

As somebody else said, the seat would be empty anyhow! Delta is trying to profit off its employees and their friends. Kind of sad, really. If Delta really thinks buddy passes cost them that much, and employees hate to give them so much, then why doesn't Delta just get rid of them?

 

[gator_hater]

I'm sure Delta is just trying to find a way to kill the program. It is just more people sitting around the gate asking stupid questions. Even if it is a couple bucks less to buy a confirmed seat on the web the trouble that Delta goes through dealing with the often less than seasoned travelers more than makes up for the difference.

They probably make money on some of the longer legs and international flights, but i the end all it means is that they will now buy tix and it will be even harder to non-rev.

 

[TristarJS30]

I don't think Delta's trying to kill the buddy pass system... remember, it's part of our "benefit package!" As Box Office said, it's just a way for Delta to make a quick buck at it's employees expense.

 

[No.W.]

Buddy passes are useless anyway...as has already been stated in this thread.

 

[i fly boxes]

my mom was going Dtw-atl a month ago, it was only 50 more for her to fly on delta than it was for her to non rev on nwa, and her seat was confirmed

 

[Beergut]

So, you're saying the little kid was a gifted poet and aspiring actor?

He must have been 9 or 10 and his pants were hanging off of his a$$ and his neck was covered in bling. I was surprised he could hold up his NY Yankee's black knit hat covered head while he talked to his peeps on his cell phone.

 

[IronCityBlue]

So your buddy should bump mainline employees, retirees, and everyone else? I don't think so.

If they paid more than the lowest paying revenue pax then yes. Now theoretically this should never happen, since there is no logical reason for tickets to be that low. But some passes, like intl and ID-90's can be 300-400 bucks, and you can occasionally see super savers on the web for 199-299 on the same route. Add a fuel charge to the buddy pass that's already 1 or 200 bucks more expensive then the cheapest revenue pax and they should absolutely go ahead of them.

 

[Speedtape]

If they paid more than the lowest paying revenue pax then yes. Now theoretically this should never happen, since there is no logical reason for tickets to be that low. But some passes, like intl and ID-90's can be 300-400 bucks, and you can occasionally see super savers on the web for 199-299 on the same route. Add a fuel charge to the buddy pass that's already 1 or 200 bucks more expensive then the cheapest revenue pax and they should absolutely go ahead of them.

Within 6 months, all Delta employees will be "paying" a surcharge or whatever you want to call it, when they non-rev. Northwest made $5 or $6 million a year a few years ago off non-rev charges. The day of free travel is about to end! However, with fewer passengers travelling in the future, getting on will be no problem!

 

[wms]

If they paid more than the lowest paying revenue pax then yes. Now theoretically this should never happen, since there is no logical reason for tickets to be that low. But some passes, like intl and ID-90's can be 300-400 bucks, and you can occasionally see super savers on the web for 199-299 on the same route. Add a fuel charge to the buddy pass that's already 1 or 200 bucks more expensive then the cheapest revenue pax and they should absolutely go ahead of them.

Like everyone has said, tell him to do the logical thing and buy a ticket. It's cheaper and the seat is confirmed.

 

[Bugsmasher Plus]

Like everyone has said, tell him to do the logical thing and buy a ticket. It's cheaper and the seat is confirmed.

All depends on the market and the research you do in advance. I just purchased two international passes to Europe for less than half the price (including the surcharge) of one normal ticket on any airline, and the flights have been running with ample extra seats both ways.

This has always been true non-revving though, even back in the late 90's when I was at a regional and you didn't have the mainline carrier to use. Those flights were always full and you had to pick and choose where and how you traveled (sometimes using an intermediate stop to avoid the crowds).

Non revving is what you make out of it. If you expect to travel like a paying passenger, yep, you are gonna get bumped.

If you are smart, choose tues, wed, thurs and sat flights that are early morning (6AM or earlier if possible), you won't have anywhere near the problem. I rarely have problems, and when I do it's usually weather related and not because I chose the wrong flights. The biggest problem I normally have is getting the wife and kids up at 4 AM.

BTW, my non-revving goes on AirTran, Jblue, Delta and SWA and my own carrier. For nearly 20 years I've done this and never (or very rarely) had a problem.

 

[Rally]

Not that I think buddy passes are of any value, but how much more fuel does a flight from Buffalo or Cleveland use to ATL than a flight from Toronto to ATL? But they charge an extra $15 for that extra 100 miles across the border?

As somebody else said, the seat would be empty anyhow! Delta is trying to profit off its employees and their friends. Kind of sad, really. If Delta really thinks buddy passes cost them that much, and employees hate to give them so much, then why doesn't Delta just get rid of them?

Not to mention that the person that gives out the buddy pass is essentially responsible for the person using the buddy passes behavior. I've heard of people losing their benefits because some threw a tantrum because they got bumped.

 

[rogerwilcoout]

Buddies need to be paying their own way. I say let the airline charge 'em.

Well well. Arent you the tool? Buddy passes are part of the limited amount of benes we get and you are ok with charging them full rate. I suppose you think it is ok to reduce pilot pay too. Tool !

 

[RJAA]

Delta still has the best non-rev program in the industry period.

 

[WSurf]

Delta still has the best non-rev program in the industry period.

Why is that?