Sounds Like Another Deliberate Non-rev Nightmare

[nycbusdriver]

From today's Jetwire:
 

Know before you go
Our LAX-SYD route has proved to be a popular one for revenue and non-revenue passengers alike and there are a few things you need to know to successfully non-rev back from SYD. Once you’re at the SYD airport, standbys are cleared at the ticket counter, not the gate, and you should only go through security once you have a boarding pass with a seat assignment. What can you do to prepare? Give yourself plenty of time, plan for alternate routes and remain flexible. Learn more about planning your trip to Australia, including how to get your ETA (electronic Visa), on Jetnet.

 
 
I have never been to Sydney, but have heard of this tactic used by several carriers to "mess with" their non-rev travelers at other non-U.S. locations.
 
Here's the scene (although Sydney may be better): 
 
1.) Non-revs must wait at the ticket counter to be cleared.
 
2.) The ticket counter is a 15 minute all-out run to the departure gate (this is particularly true of LUS where the Tempe Brain Trust always leased the most distant, inconvenient boarding gates.  This plan will be phased in at the New American as gate leases come up for renewal).
 
3.) Of course, the ticket counter will begin printing non-rev boarding passes when allowed to clear them.  That likely happens, at best, 25 minutes before departure time.  They can't do it any sooner just in case a busload of last-minute Y-fare passengers now arrives curbside to get on the flight.
 
4.) Once cleared with boarding pass in hand, not only will these non-revs have to wait on security lines but likely passport control lines, too, before they get to the mile-long departure concourse.
 
5.)  Boarding gate must close D-10 NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!
 
6.) Non-revs all miss flight with the exception of the Olympic champion runner.  His, or her, luggage (of course) won't make it.  Gate agents smirk under their arms.  Ticket counter agents are ROTFL for the past 15 minutes.
 
 

 

[1AA]

British airways did this to me twice in London trying to get back to JFK. AA was full so I used my back up. I flew into London from Frankfort on British Airways. Because I was a non rev, British Airways made me terminate my travel leg and had to clear customs and recheck at the front counter as if I originated in London. Had too wait up to one hour before departure too see if there were seats available. Next thing I'm running like hell to get to my gate. If I was revenue it would have been handled as an intransit. British Airways employees are nice people but that rule sucks for non revving.

 

[jimntx]

From today's Jetwire:
 
 
2.) The ticket counter is a 15 minute all-out run to the departure gate (this is particularly true of LUS where the Tempe Brain Trust always leased the most distant, inconvenient boarding gates.  This plan will be phased in at the New American as gate leases come up for renewal).
 

We (LAA) are way ahead of you in this department.  This policy has been in effect since I started in 2000.  There was one airport (one of the one-gate per airline except for WN operations) where TWA had the gate farthest from security and AA had the next farthest, next door.  After the merger took effect, we dropped the pre-merger AA gate and moved all operations to the former TWA gate.  

 

[nycbusdriver]

We (LAA) are way ahead of you in this department.  This policy has been in effect since I started in 2000.  There was one airport (one of the one-gate per airline except for WN) operations where TWA had the gate farthest from security and AA had the next farthest, next door.  After the merger took effect, we dropped the pre-merger AA gate and moved all operations to the former TWA gate.  

 
Yeah.  In Paris, it appears that the airport had to build on an extension to the terminal so AA gates could be even farther away.  MAD is no better;  our thirdworld alliance buddies, Iberia, park us at the absolute very end of that huge Terminal 4S.  But, in our own hub in PHL, the most convenient gates go to British and Lufthansa.

 

[goodstew]

Say what you want about stupid non-rev rules but I have to tell you about my AMAZING surprise at LAX this Spring.  I landed from SYD (Terminal 6) and was attempting to catch a flight to the east coast 1 ½ hours later.  I was dreading the walk to terminal 4 and the mile long security/customs lines.  As I was getting off the SYD flight thinking there was no way I was going to make it - debating even if I had time to stop and pee - I saw a board with pax names/connecting boarding passes marked with an orange envelope in the jetway.  Coming from LUS - we would never have been that thoughtful or forward thinking.....just saying.  I proceeded to be waived to the front of every mile-long line and was at my boarding area with time to get a coffee and pee.  I would have never been able to get home that day if it wasn't for the special treatment of both pax and non revs by AA.  It was my first time non-reving on AA metal/crews and it left a great impression!

 

[nycbusdriver]

Say what you want about stupid non-rev rules but I have to tell you about my AMAZING surprise at LAX this Spring.  I landed from SYD (Terminal 6) and was attempting to catch a flight to the east coast 1 ½ hours later.  I was dreading the walk to terminal 4 and the mile long security/customs lines.  As I was getting off the SYD flight thinking there was no way I was going to make it - debating even if I had time to stop and pee - I saw a board with pax names/connecting boarding passes marked with an orange envelope in the jetway.  Coming from LUS - we would never have been that thoughtful or forward thinking.....just saying.  I proceeded to be waived to the front of every mile-long line and was at my boarding area with time to get a coffee and pee.  I would have never been able to get home that day if it wasn't for the special treatment of both pax and non revs by AA.  It was my first time non-reving on AA metal/crews and it left a great impression!

 
I will forward that story to the Tempe Brain Trust.  No doubt you experienced some leftover policy from LAA; the New AA will definitely have to phase that out.

 

[Kev3188]

Say what you want about stupid non-rev rules but I have to tell you about my AMAZING surprise at LAX this Spring.  I landed from SYD (Terminal 6) and was attempting to catch a flight to the east coast 1 ½ hours later.  I was dreading the walk to terminal 4 and the mile long security/customs lines.  As I was getting off the SYD flight thinking there was no way I was going to make it - debating even if I had time to stop and pee - I saw a board with pax names/connecting boarding passes marked with an orange envelope in the jetway.  Coming from LUS - we would never have been that thoughtful or forward thinking.....just saying.  I proceeded to be waived to the front of every mile-long line and was at my boarding area with time to get a coffee and pee.  I would have never been able to get home that day if it wasn't for the special treatment of both pax and non revs by AA.  It was my first time non-reving on AA metal/crews and it left a great impression!

Nice! How cool would it be if that type of thing became the rule and not the exception?

 

[strangiatotheme]

This has happened to me a quite a few airports and airlines around the world; AMS, JNB, PPT, and SYD, to name a few. It's a ridiculous policy IMO and absolute madness if the flight is close to full. I'm not sure if it's the airline or the airport that's responsible for it though.

 

[Filter]

It's the airports decision I believe...Tel Aviv has worked this way for years...it is stressfull, but my daughter has never missed her flight...I will add that the last two times she has flown from there it was on LUS...

 

[strangiatotheme]

It's the airports decision I believe...Tel Aviv has worked this way for years...it is stressfull, but my daughter has never missed her flight...I will add that the last two times she has flown from there it was on LUS...

Agreed that it seems like it would be an airport decision vs. an airline. Probably a good thing to take away from this topic. I havent missed a flight yet being cleared at the ticket counter instead of the gate. Stressful for sure though.

 

[eolesen]

Oh, please. This is not an airline decision -- it's the local airport and immigration authorities.

Put simply, they (the immigration authorities) don't want you going thru border control unless you're actually getting on an aircraft and leaving. They're also not equipped to have you come back out, short of having to clear passport control and re-enter the country. Since your passport info isn't already logged as having departed on a flight from an upline city that day, trying to re-enter can create its own headaches.

The advantage to this system (clearing at the ticket counter) is that the cutoff for check-in is usually a hard & fast 60+ minutes prior to departure, so you're not as likely to see late arriving revenue customers being cleared at the last second.

 

[cynic]

Oh, please. This is not an airline decision -- it's the local airport and immigration authorities.

Put simply, they (the immigration authorities) don't want you going thru border control unless you're actually getting on an aircraft and leaving. They're also not equipped to have you come back out, short of having to clear passport control and re-enter the country. Since your passport info isn't already logged as having departed on a flight from an upline city that day, trying to re-enter can create its own headaches.

The advantage to this system (clearing at the ticket counter) is that the cutoff for check-in is usually a hard & fast 60+ minutes prior to departure, so you're not as likely to see late arriving revenue customers being cleared at the last second.

Spot on. 
 
In Aruba, I've had to get my seat assignment at the ticket counter. Then clear outbound immigration, airport security, us customs, then airport security again before heading to the gate.

 

[john john]

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