Ed20 Boarding

[Doctor]

For the first time I'm planning on purchasing an ED20 for a trip I have to be able to make. However, I am wondering if doing so affords the same boarding priority as any other positive-space ticket. In other words, if the plane is overbooked with pax who purchased tickets through agencies, online, etc., would I be more likely to be bumped, or would I be on the same level as all other pax?

Thanks for any clarification,
D

 

[USFlyer]

On a similar note, does anyone know how ZED tickets are treated? Do employees get to earn miles on the operating carrier? Are these considered "normal" tickets or do they carry special restrictions? For example, if the flight you are booked on cancels, how do you get reacommodated? Are you last on the list to be helped?

 

[Light Years]

I'm curious about the ZED thing too. I know next to nothing about it.

 

[robbedagain]

i asked about the zed thing a while back and i was told by a few cwa people that the zed program is based only on a space available just like the rest of usair employees who fly. it is only a standby thing on the carriers only in the zed program. i dont know much else hope this helps

 

[Light Years]

I was under the impression that it was a simplification of all of the complicated rules for non-revenue/reduced rate travel on other airlines. I heard it has something to do with flat rates for zones/mileage rather than other formulas. I'm wondering if its better deal than ID95s on UA.

 

[Doctor]

Well, I found the answer to my question (ED20) at theHub:

"You will travel as a revenue passenger, board with the same priority as all of our ticketed customers, and you will earn Dividend Miles for your travel (providing you are a Dividend Miles member). "

Thanks,
D

 

[atoguy]

On the ZED fares. They are space avail. But the way the ticket is written you can use it on any airline that flies the same route that participates in the ZED program. The ZED fare tikets are not wriiten for a specific airline. We now have ZED agreements I believe with over 20 airlines now.

 

[lindy]

I have talked to Corporate Travel about the ZED fares. For all intents and purposes, they are taking the place of ID95's, ID 90's for those participating
carriers...

Hope that helps..

Lindy

 

[Light Years]

So if one wanted to travel from, say ORD-IAH, they would buy a ZED ticket between the two cities (at a US counter?), and they could travel on UA, AA, or CO (assuming they all participate)? Or could they also go ORD-CVG-IAH on DL or ORD-MEM-IAH on NW? It it strictly between the two city pairs or just any intinerary that gets you there?

What are the rates like?

 

[ErinSaoirseOBX]

The ZED program works like this: instead of trying to figure out 90% of which fare, what airlines is using it is based on the mileage instead. For example, 1-499 is $19, 500-999, $29, 1,000-3,000 and so on up to 5,000 and above. You pay a flat rate based on mileage. BUT - before we all go thinking this is a terrific deal, the flat rate is EXCLUSIVE of applicable taxes. Which means that you still pay US tax, PFC's, segment taxes, departure taxes (up tax, down tax, thumb tax, tic tax). I priced a flight from JFK to ATH (Athens, Greece) on Olympic AT $257 RT. But Alitalia flies the route as well. So you're not stuck with a ticket you can't use on another carrier, as the fares are all the same based on the mileage.

There IS a ZED website, but it's about as useful as a trap door on a life raft. The only things it gives you is a schedule of who flies the route and little smiley faces that indicate your chances of getting on the flight (but they all look identical, so it's not much help). No fare info and very little in the way of help. (Hmmm...a friend of mine had a python named "ZED." I wonder if there's a connection...).

 

[usairways_vote_NO]

So if one wanted to travel from, say ORD-IAH, they would buy a ZED ticket between the two cities (at a US counter?), and they could travel on UA, AA, or CO (assuming they all participate)? Or could they also go ORD-CVG-IAH on DL or ORD-MEM-IAH on NW? It it strictly between the two city pairs or just any intinerary that gets you there?

What are the rates like?

I thought I heard you purchase them in increments of miles (not city pairs) and they can be used on any participating carrier

 

[FLYUSAIRWAYS]

The ZED program was created to replace having to buy several ID90's on several different carriers to get from Point A to Point B. Lets say you want to buy a ZED fare non rev ticket from LAX to HNL. US does not go to HNL, but CO,DL,AA,UA,NW, and every other REAL airline does. So instead of buying 5 different ID90's, you only need to buy one ZED ticket from LAX-HNL, and its good for all 5 of them. It's also cheaper than an ID 90. Everyone likes them , that I have talked to so far.

 

[Prince of PAWOBs]

Seems to me that a ZED fare could be very useful for a non-rev traveling to or from a place where everyone wants to go (i.e. LAS, FLL, MCO, MIA).

 

[Justaramper]

It seems the ID 95 on UA, is taken from the highest "Y" fare and ZED fares are cheaper