Traveling on Buddy Pass on full flights
 

Alright, here's the deal. Me and lady friend are going to Cozumel later this week. I don't know what the best thing to do is. We live in Chicago, so we're going from O'Hare and I have passes on United and US Air.

Should we take US Air and try to go to CLT?:
The load for the 6am which would allow us to go to CZM has 0 seats available, and the 930 to czm has 3 seats available
The load for the 740am which would allow us to take the 1130am has 5 seats and 0 seats (respectfully)
We can take the 1130am from CLT-CUN also, which also has no seats available

Other option is to take United:
812am ORD-CZM is oversold by 5
But there's an 854, 1014 and 1054 all to CUN afterwards, but i beleive they're all full.

Reason why I list CUN is because we can go to Cancun, take the bus to playa del carmen and take the ferry over to cozumel.

I guess I'm asking, WWJD?

I just need 1 seat really, for the girl friend. I can jumpseat, and it looks like the ord-clt are on 190's, then all the other flight are on 319's or 320's with both carriers

Thou shalt not attempt to non-rev to Mexico during Spring Break. Maybe see how much a pos space ticket would be for her and you have the option of jumpseating. I just buy pos space tickets if I'm going to be travelling at peak travel seasons. A vacation should be stress-free. Sorry I'm not more help.

I would find a new destination (or travel date) with at least 10 seats open. You're either not going to make it there or somebody is going to get stuck in Mexico.

Plenty of options for you in ORD. Just stay there. I'm sure 1 flight on the 320 will have 1 passenger not show up.
If you can't get on any, oh well you are still at home.

I dont know...that goes against my personal non rev policy of either being at ord for as little time as possible, or not going through ord at all.

O'Hell is usually a nightmare.

We live 15 minutes from O'Hare, so I get the benefit of miscommuting passengers.

And seeing that all the flights are at around 8-11am, you know there's going to be a mx Mesa aircraft flying those pax in that'll get stuck.

All the loads are showing oversold with no non revs out of ORD, and the only thing I like about ORD is I have 4 options, where as in CLT I have 3 options, and they're all after a connection as well

This is the first week of spring break. It's going to get much worse, and this is my last month for travel, seeing that I'm upgrading here soon

The ALMIGHTY ID-90!!! Get some!

hmmmm, maybe and ID90 from ORD-MEM-CZM on Northwest?

How much should ID90's run? And are those guaranteed positive space?

Huh!?:confused: Is English a second language or something? What does miscommuting even mean?

Theres a reason there are no non-revs listed. No one in their right mind non-revs to Mexico during Spring Break. And someone correct me if I'm wrong, but you might be able to jumpseat to Mexico, but you will not be able to ride THE JUMPSEAT to Mexico. International flight, bub. You're gonna need a seat in the back whether you are listed as a non-rev or a jumpseater. Like someone else said, one or both of you is gonna get stuck coming or going. Speaking from experience, if only one of you is going to make it on a flight out of Mexico, it better be your girlfriend if you ever hope to see her again when you get Stateside.:D

Don't believe they are positive space but I think they are a step above standard space available non-revs since you basically pay a fare. The price is based on 10% of the unrestricted coach fare plus taxes and fees.

I meant misconnecting. And I was talking about seats available.

The loads coming back from Mexico are VERY light. I'm talking 50 seats available from CZM-CLT and 30 seats from CLT-ORD because we're leaving in the middle of the week

I tried to look at a USA3000 ID90, but we have to reserve them 21 days before flight, and we're leaving at the end of this week. I just got the hotel and resort all booked the other day to :(

It never occurred to you that non-revving to Mexico in Spring might be a problem?

None the less, I wish you luck. Stranger things have happened. Let us know how it turns out.

I agree. If you've already booked it you might as well try and go or at least have the hotel's number handy so that maybe you can change your reservation if you don't get on a flight. Stranger things HAVE happened. I've gotten on oversold flights that they were soliciting volunteers for. Just have an A, B and C plan ready to go. Hope your lady friend enjoys an adventure:D My girlfriend and I went to Cabo last April and the flight we were trying to get on said it was oversold the night before. But when we got to the airport, lots of misconnects and we ended up in first class. Go figure.

As far as the ID-90s, it might be worth talking to someone in your company's travel office about it and find out who you can get one on and what the rules for using it are. Usually it puts you a step above standard non-revs but you are still below revenue pax obviously. But if theres no non-revs you need to trump, no need to use one really. They are nice to have in your back pocket though and you can usually get a full refund if you don't use it. I'd just keep an eye on it. Best of luck to you.

Non-rev to Mexico during spring break - Gutsiest move I ever saw, man

Yea, kinda, but at the same time it was a last minute decision to go, and we found an all inclusive resort for $980 for both of us for 4days, 3 nights, and this is our first vacation together.

Each flight is oversold only by 2 people, and like i said, all early flights. I've been able to get on oversold flights from vegas to o'hare, and many other places as well. I just remember what one captain has told me...you never know until that door closes :o

I talked to the travel agent through perx.com, and she told me I had alot of options that may help. She recommended maybe going somewhere else, but seeing that I could go to CZM or CUN, it doesn't seem too bad.

I'm just hoping for bad weather in ORD on that day

The best option is to let your lady friend use US air and fly into clt or phl the night before and take the first flight out the next morning. US air standby list are not usually that long and the first flight out of PHL and CLT should have space. I always go the night before and take the first flight out of PHL. you want to pick a early flight where paying passenger can't connect to.

The standby list for ORD-CLT has 9 people on it with 5 seats, including me and gf.

I have 4 options from home, or I'd have to go to CLT to get 3 options. Remember, I live in ORD. And the first flight leave ORD at 812am and the first flight that leaves CLT is at 930am

Best person to ask is(brace yourselves) maybe a us airways or united gate agent. They pretty much know the flights(percentage of misconx, on time history, etc) and would be able to give a more accurate answer. This is spring break(as mentioned previously a few times) and there are specials that may even be cheaper than the buddy pass. ID90s and ZED fares(ask an agent near you. they are better than ID90s) are also options. If you must go as planned, try smaller conx cities.

They are not positive space. They are actually below space available because you are going to another airline(no airline is gonna allow another employee to get on before their employees) and your seniority would be the day you check in. They are refundable which is good.

My buddy got stuck trying to non-rev home last spring break, had to buy an $800 one way on another airline to get home.

You can not ride jumpseat on international flights so that option is out.

good luck but I would not try it, you may end up wasting your time. I hear Kansas City is nice for spring break:D

And Winnipeg.

Actually I don't think you can sit in the actual jumpseat internationally, so I wouldn't count on that. I would probably advise against non-reving to Mexico during spring break. Also, if the flights are oversold, how many other non-revers are listed that could potentially bump you? I would guess alot.

I would check out www.flyzed.com and check the loads. Although they are not 100% accurate, in my limited experience it seems pretty close. You may have to me make some crazy arrangements if you really want to make it work. (i.e. 3 legs and an overnight)


This is very good advice. I did this last year to Jamaica during spring break. I went to Miami the night before, spent the night, and hitched the first flight out in the morning to MBJ as there were 30 seats open. Also, as always, avoid the weekends.

Good luck

You're correct. As mentioned earlier, whether you list for the jumpseat or not, you can NOT ride THE jumpseat. One way or other you will need a seat in the back of the plane.

I dunno if people are actually reading what i'm posting here :o

I'm taking the First flight out of O'Hare at 812am to CZM and the 851am to Cancun.

And on the way back from CZM, we're coming back on a Tuesday, and there's 50 seats available on our flight.

So if we get stuck anywhere, it'll be at home at ORD. That's why I don't want to go to CLT, because if we get to CLT, but not to CZM, now we're stuck in CLT

I dunno...I hear CLT can be a happening Spring Break spot:D

Sounds like if you can get there, getting back won't be an issue. Always a good feeling. Getting stuck in Mexico can be not so fun. It also sounds like you already plunked down for the hotel so that sucks if you can't make it down. I think you have all the advice you need: get their early the morning of your flight and hope for people getting hung up at security or being late to the airport or missing early morning connecting flights. Hopefully there will be at least 2 folks who miss the flight and you and your girlfriend can get on.

PS
I don't know your buddy pass rules but I assume you can't split up on an international flight and one of you go to CUN and one go to CZM and then meet when you get there?

Are you reccomending I go ORD-CLT and try to get on the 3 flights out of CLT rather than the 4 out of ORD?

And I'm sure I can get something worked out there, or I'll just set up a PNR's for us to go ORD-CUN and ORD-CZM

Nope. Pure, unadulterated sarcasm.:D

I think you got it figured out. Your best bet is to try and get out of ORD. Like you said, if you don't make it out, you're stuck at home. No biggy. If you go to CLT and get stuck and lose your reservation in Mexico, now you're stuck trying to get back to ORD, or paying for a hotel in CLT on top of losing your money for the hotel in Mexico.

Ohhh, gotcha :D

I'm just REALLY nervous. When i've traveled before (I've gone to Vegas, San Fran, San Jose, Amsterdam) the flights have been tight, but it's always been nice knowing it's just myself going. I'm just nervous cuz now I'm taking someone else with me on flights that are full, although this is United with mx everywhere :o

If worse comes to worse, i think i'll just swallow the first day of the hotel fee and try to go out on Sunday

Let me know how it turns out.

I dont know who you work for, but at NWA, the companion can go by him/herself only to meet you in base or meet you at a final destination. But ONLY on NWA, Mesaba, and PCL flts. Companions cannot use ZED fares. (its that way for all).