DL Buddy Pass - Payload Optimization?
05-02-2013, 11:35 PM
#1
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DL Buddy Pass - Payload Optimization?
Is there any way to gauge the chances of a person with a buddy-pass getting on a payload optimized flight? One of my in-laws is trying to get to England (lives in US) but he's currently in Bogota on a trip visiting his in-laws. The flight from BOG-ATL says it's payload optimized, so I don't really know if I should tell him to buy a ticket back to the US, and I'll book a buddy pass to England from there, or if he could save the cash and fly standby back to the States on the way to the UK. Anybody have relevant experience/guidance? Thanks!
05-03-2013, 03:43 AM
#2
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Originally Posted by todd1200
Is there any way to gauge the chances of a person with a buddy-pass getting on a payload optimized flight? One of my in-laws is trying to get to England (lives in US) but he's currently in Bogota on a trip visiting his in-laws. The flight from BOG-ATL says it's payload optimized, so I don't really know if I should tell him to buy a ticket back to the US, and I'll book a buddy pass to England from there, or if he could save the cash and fly standby back to the States on the way to the UK. Anybody have relevant experience/guidance? Thanks!
That said, since BOG is high-altitude, and is flown with the 737 these days, I would say the odds of the flight being performance limited are high (i.e. buddy pass riders won't get on).
I recommend that your relative buy a ticket.
05-03-2013, 07:42 AM
#4
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Originally Posted by todd1200
Is there any way to gauge the chances of a person with a buddy-pass getting on a payload optimized flight? One of my in-laws is trying to get to England (lives in US) but he's currently in Bogota on a trip visiting his in-laws. The flight from BOG-ATL says it's payload optimized, so I don't really know if I should tell him to buy a ticket back to the US, and I'll book a buddy pass to England from there, or if he could save the cash and fly standby back to the States on the way to the UK. Anybody have relevant experience/guidance? Thanks!
05-03-2013, 08:00 AM
#6
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Originally Posted by Doug Masters
I don't give out passes anymore. Too much hassle. I'm assuming you offered the buddy pass only because he's your in-law?
05-03-2013, 09:11 AM
#7
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Dont forget to look at BOG - JFK, we do that daily as well. I have done that one many times, and we usually have a pretty decent load coming back, that with all the flowers in the cargo hold means all the flight is almost always payload optimized. The station manager told us once that the cargo pays the bills on that route and all the passengers are gravy....FWIW.
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