Flight Benefits On Us/hp Comparison

[HPearlyretiree]

IMHO I favor Seniority. I think there should be some reward for showing loyalty while working for peanuts/pretzels. Ooops, they're gone too. It is brutal to get up at 2am to list for an early departure. What happens when the agent doesn't show at the gate until an hour before departure?

boxer

[post="282121"][/post]​

Why favor seniority, lots of dead wood at the airline has seniority, folks in positions that are not subject to frequent layoffs, people who only work the minimum.

You drag your ass out of bed, show up early and check in, at that point, in your classification, you shouldn't worry about your place in line.

I sure as hell don't want to be proactive and check in early, just to have some overaged hag show up at the last minute acting like a drama queen expecting to get on the flight because of their past glories.

You check in early, you get the seat, its fair, its just.

(BTW, I retired with 14 years of seniority, a lifetime at AWA, I would do quite well at SA3P under the seniority method.)

 

[barbeetantrums]

Someday I will learn how to reply properly...
I should have been more specific as I am not a US employee. Didn't mean to ruffle your feathers and I did note your screen name. The airline I retired from uses the seniority system and it always seemed to work. Some grumbling where retirees with 25 years seniority had priority over active employees regardless of seniority.
Is first come, first serve all computer driven or don't you have to check in with an agent?
Again, sorry for the confusion.
boxer

[post="282126"][/post]​

Please excuse me. Now I feel bad. I just don't want my excellent travel bennies to change one iota. It is the only reason that many of us have stayed.

Check-in is all computer driven. If you check in at the ticket counter, check-in begins when the ticket agent hits the enter key. Kiosk when the boarding pass prints.

 

[boxer]

Why favor seniority, lots of dead wood at the airline has seniority, folks in positions that are not subject to frequent layoffs, people who only work the minimum.

You drag your ass out of bed, show up early and check in, at that point, in your classification, you shouldn't worry about your place in line.

I sure as hell don't want to be proactive and check in early, just to have some overaged hag show up at the last minute acting like a drama queen expecting to get on the flight because of their past glories.

You check in early, you get the seat, its fair, its just.

(BTW, I retired with 14 years of seniority, a lifetime at AWA, I would do quite well at SA3P under the seniority method.)

[post="282131"][/post]​

Man, I can see why you retired. You sure they didn't help you out the door. Your opinion of airline employees sucks. Checking in by computer is not being proactive and you don't even have to drag your ass out of bed.

 

[boxer]

Please excuse me. Now I feel bad. I just don't want my excellent travel bennies to change one iota. It is the only reason that many of us have stayed.

Check-in is all computer driven. If you check in at the ticket counter, check-in begins when the ticket agent hits the enter key. Kiosk when the boarding pass prints.

[post="282132"][/post]​

Don't feel bad. Good luck with the merger and may all go well with you and yours.
May you have fair winds and following seas. Is that mixing metaphors? Rhetorical question.

boxer

 

[barbeetantrums]

For SA1P, you give 3 buddy passes (aka Flexi-Pass) to the ticket counter or city ticket office (they will probably have pass travel offices at PIT, PHL, CHS, DCA, BOS and other large stations) and you will be given a paper ticket. The SA1P ticket is good for 90 days. Unfortunately, you will have to check-in at the full service ticket counter, not the kiosk. Buddy passes are rewarded for attendance. Perfect attendance nets 10 buddy passes per quarter. Any sick day (WHICH WE GET PAID FOR, IAM!!!!!!!!! ) loses 2 passes. Call in sick once during a quarter = 8 buddy passes. You cannot buy SA1P tickets. Buddy passes are paper.

Buddy passes are good for one RT companion pass (2coupons), one OW 1st class upgrade (1 coupon), 1 RT guest pass (1 coupon), and one RT cabin pet pass (1 coupon). Yes, Fluffy can also use buddy passes.

[post="282118"][/post]​

BTW, I meant CLT, not CHS.

 

[tadjr]

You read the thread wrong. As of a couple years ago US agents pay NOTHING for normal pass travel, except for INTL taxes. Also our spouses, dependents and parents get unlimited travel. We can have a Domestic Partner (same or opposite sex) on our pass and if you dont have a spouse or DP, you can designate someone (anyone) to be put on as a Registered Guest who can travel unlimited. I currently have my sister and last year had my roommate. The DP and RG travels gets taxed for income purposes at the end of the year, but everything else is free except the FC Upgrade and INTL taxes.
Each station has their own local agreements. We currently get free on WN/CO/DH/DL/FL/NK/AC/WS/B6/F9/HP in my station.
We can also do most of our interline ticketing right at the counter without having to go through or send things to a pass bureau. Zed fares, ID90s, SVC Chgs, etc can all be done right at the counter just by checking the employee travel manual and doing them.
Fluffy can also fly in the cabin free of charge without a buddy pass. Down below, she does pay though.

 

[Ramp Rogue]

If you have no passes to give to your parents, how much do they have to pay to fly on HP? At US parents fly as many times as they want too, FREE! The same goes for spouses and children.

 

[HPearlyretiree]

First flight to HNL had about 45 non rev's listed within the first hour!

LOL

I figure, with my status at SA3P, I'd be better off buying a ticket.

BTW, another benefit, employees and retirees can buy a regular positive space seat on HP at 20% the lowest fare available.

And you can get FF miles for that.

Way cool

 

[barbeetantrums]

If you have no passes to give to your parents, how much do they have to pay to fly on HP? At US parents fly as many times as they want too, FREE! The same goes for spouses and children.

[post="282358"][/post]​

Same thing at HP.
:closedeyes:

 

[tadjr]

BTW, another benefit, employees and retirees can buy a regular positive space seat on HP at 20% the lowest fare available.

And you can get FF miles for that.

Way cool

[post="282370"][/post]​

US has ED20s as well.
Booked this one last year with the parents, they downsized the plane, got FF miles and 3 free tickets for the next trip!

Clarification on the parents. I've seen parents can use buddy passes for free travel and then its mentioned they get to travel for free like US anyway. What is the difference if there is one? Are they free or do they pay unless they use a buddy pass? Can they use the buddypass to move them up the checkin code? Please explain.

 

[drifterreno]

Hey everyone--please please read this carefully. At HP we have other people on our flight benefits. Yes, we have committed partners and just partners plus children and parents, but--this is important--we also have NON DEPENDENTS who do not have to use our flexi passes to fly. My children are in their 30's and both of them can walk up to an HP ato and show their id and since they're listed--which they do as a good person flying non rev. They can purchase a tkt--standby but less than flexi flyers--and get on the plane. That means you don't have to use your buddy passes for older children, they don't have to be in college and they can still fly. One lady has a son in his 50's and he's still on her pass. Isn't that nice!!! I don't care who boards first--if you've checked the flt then you should be flying on the plane. Please let's not argue about seniority verses first one there. Let's just keep as many benefits as we can!!!

 

[WorldTraveler]

don't worry about seniority or first come, first listed rules. The rest of the industry is just as split. I believe AA uses first come, first listed while DL uses seniority. Not sure about others but the legacy carriers probably have similar seniority and they do not do the same thing.

Although I have no stake in the argument, being able to list from your computer doesn't mean you'll be at the gate. Given the work most gate agents face, I would think it makes more sense to only have people on the standby list who are at the airport and ready to travel. My 2 cents...which doesn't count for much in this particular discussion.

 

[tadjr]

Given the work most gate agents face, I would think it makes more sense to only have people on the standby list who are at the airport and ready to travel.

[post="282501"][/post]​

Actually, even this doesnt work at times since plans change and someone who is at the airport and listed for a flight might find out last minute that something better opened up and they're gone. Only problem is on a full flight trying to go thru the list in a timely manner, thats about it. Otherwise, if you're there when your name is called for final boarding, you're on, if not, you'll be ahead of the rest of the gang for the next flight!

 

[osunut]

If you have no passes to give to your parents, how much do they have to pay to fly on HP? At US parents fly as many times as they want too, FREE! The same goes for spouses and children.

[post="282358"][/post]​

They would then pay $15 each way, which comes out to about $34 some odd dollars with taxes..

 

[drifterreno]

They would then pay $15 each way, which comes out to about $34 some odd dollars with taxes..

[post="282514"][/post]​

Or you can use flexi passes and they fly free