Buddy Pass Travel to Europe

[Chrispythegull]

Hello.

I've been doing some research on the use of the buddy pass and I understand that 'friends don't let friends fly via buddy pass'.

I absolutely understand the inherent risks involved flying to London and I will have well over three weeks vacation time to handle being bumped repeatedly.

That out of the way, I am still interested in using the buddy pass and am interested to hear what people recommend would be the best way to London. Again I do understand that I could be stuck in, say, Charlotte for several days. So my question is, given my trip will begin in San Diego, where do people suggest I fly to have the best chance of getting to London and on what days? Would it be Charlotte on a Wednesday?

For the record, i will be traveling to/from London on or about April 3-April 27 2014. I very much appreciate any information.

 

[flyer63]

Go to Philly and then you can go to Manchester and take the train if you don't get on the LHR

 

[Chrispythegull]

Go to Philly and then you can go to Manchester and take the train if you don't get on the LHR

Excellent idea, definitely a viable back up plan. Wouldn't mind visiting Manchester anyway!

So here's another question... I am a good 7 months or so away from my trip and my airline worker friend is no necessarily sure if she will be working there anymore by then (she's looking to move to a different field). How does this potentially impact a 7 month pre-booked journey?

 

[autofixer]

You have 7 months, buy a "real" ticket now. I work here and always buy tickets to go on vacation or I don't go.

 

[jimntx]

As someone who works for AA, let me say ditto to what autofixer posted. I have no problem letting friends use buddy passes to travel domestically because there is always a way to find a reasonably priced last minute ticket to get home--even if you have do something like drive/take a bus from Vancouver to Seattle, then home. I would never let a friend run the risk of being stuck in another country where the price of a last minute walk-up ticket would require you to sell the children into slavery in order to get home.

I don't know how US Airways prices buddy passes, but at AA if bought this far in advance (and the fact that your time frame is not high travel season), you could probably buy a coach seat guaranteed for not much more money than the buddy pass fees.

 

[UPNAWAY]

I think the buddy pass price is $199 each way + taxes so you are well over $500 for a ticket maybe close to $600. I have bought positive space to Europe for less than that. I would think you could get something in the $700 range if you watch for sales. Not to mention that is easter/spring break time for much of your travel.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Excellent idea, definitely a viable back up plan. Wouldn't mind visiting Manchester anyway!

So here's another question... I am a good 7 months or so away from my trip and my airline worker friend is no necessarily sure if she will be working there anymore by then (she's looking to move to a different field). How does this potentially impact a 7 month pre-booked journey?

7 months? Buy a discounted ticket.

Buddy passes are false economy when it comes to transatlantic trips. How many hotel rooms (at what cost) might you need to sit around Heathrow for days trying to get out?

How much will the train cost between London and Manchester, aside from the cost of getting to/from the Manchester train station from the airport?

Why spoil a vacation with the thoughts of whether or not you will get home in a timely fashion?

Even if you think you've found a day with plenty of empty seats, all it will take is for one carrier to cancel out of LHR to the US and USAirways will fill up.

 

[nycbusdriver]

I have no problem letting friends use buddy passes to travel domestically because there is always a way to find a reasonably priced last minute ticket to get home--even if you have do something like drive/take a bus from Vancouver to Seattle, then home.

By my own ruling, my buddy passes are restricted to BOS-LGA-DCA Shuttle flights only.

 

[Harry Callahan]

You have 7 months, buy a "real" ticket now. I work here and always buy tickets to go on vacation or I don't go.

+1 except I'm retired but same difference. Also read nycbusdriver's advice.

Harry

 

[Phoenix]

You have 7 months, buy a "real" ticket now. I work here and always buy tickets to go on vacation or I don't go.

I work here and would never give out a buddy pass. I buy tickets for my buddies, and never buy a USAir ticket. I don't let friends drive drunk either.

 

[28L_or_10R?]

You can also fly to Brussels or Paris and take the train or ferry to England.

 

[jimntx]

Assuming the merger goes through in the long run, and given that which ever company's policy costs the employee the most tends to prevail, let's assume that AA's travel policy is the survivor in the new company. In that case,

a "buddy pass" which is D3 status (boarded after all eligible women, children, cats, and dogs have been given seats) would cost for a JFK-LHR-JFK roundtrip,

First Class $825.00 (a good deal, but highly unlikely that even a D1 (employee--and we only get 4 D1 segments/year) will get F/C;

Business Class $675.00 (see comment in F/C in parentheses...Ditto)

Coach $470.70.

Though the websites won't show it for a flight that far in advance at this point, as they approach departure date, the coach fares in a lot of cases will start to come down--and if they get desperate enough, they will reach parity with that coach fare. By that I mean within $200 of that coach non-rev pass fare. $200 is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that you will get back home in time for work/school/your wedding/whatever.

The prices increase with distance. A non-rev charge for DFW-LHR is more than a ORD-LHR or JFK-LHR, and those prices listed above are subject to change on a moment's notice. Only travel currently in progress or completed is exempt from a raise in non-rev charges. Also, if you give someone a D3 pass for a domestic flight, you might as well list them for F/C because they pay the same regardless of the a/c and class they fly in.

Interestingly enough, unless the general business climate is really bad, they have no problem whatsoever selling the First and Business Class seats; so, getting one with a non-rev pass ain't generally going to happen. And, unlike some other airlines, AA does NOT automatically upgrade even employees on space available--much less a friend of an employee.

 

[nycbusdriver]

You can also fly to Brussels or Paris and take the train or ferry to England.

Buddy passes can be the perfect way to spend $20 in order to save a nickel.

 

[nycbusdriver]

And, unlike some other airlines, AA does NOT automatically upgrade even employees on space available--much less a friend of an employee.

Well, there's one policy that AA and US have in common.

No doubt, then, that the New AA will keep that one in place.

 

[wings396]

While several people on here have had nothing but bad experiences with these, I can't say the same. Out off all the times that friends have used them over the years, only ONE person has gotten jammed up and had to buy a ticket. And even this case was due to an extenuating circumstance with the recent incident in SFO. Use them at the right time, and in most cases it works out. Many people tend to think that they can use them on a Saturday morning to the islands or Florida, which never works.