EK Staff Travel

[HPJ]

OK, so got the job (non-operational, based in UK) but not at all sure about concessionary travel with EK.

Any currently serving staff able to update me on what we get?

Thanks and hopefully it's something to cheer about :D

[BYMONEK]

Depends on your grade as to class of travel but all your answers are in Groupworld. Somewhere!

[A345]

try the Staff Travel Manual on Groupworld

[Trader]

...good luck getting on Groupworld!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HPJ]

Is Groupworld an intranet of sorts? Couldn't access it but either way, since I've got to wait at least six months (?) for concessions to kick in, then what's another few weeks...

In the meantime, if anyone wants to expand briefly here, then please feel free to go ahead...

Thanks anyway fellow EK posters.

[Desertweasel]

6 months waiting time
Class of travel dependant on Grade 8,9 is Y/J and 10+ J/F below that Y.
Seniority dependant on staff number (joining date) unless a big wig or his family turn up then all bets off.
Reasonable agreements with OAL but J class only available on LH
Impossible to buy J class cat C and FOCs very difficult to use unless booked months in advance.
All in all it's ok and availability on EK is reasonable there is a decent prediction service that does ok so saves too many airport waits.

[HPJ]

Big thanks for the lowdown, fellow desert camels (or whatever they call EKers...)

[Raise or Fold]

Can you buy business or first class standby tickets?

What is the price to travel to the USA?

Thanks for the responses.

[tbaylx]

Captains are entitled for First class tickets standby and confirmed (if you can get em) F/O's get business or cattle class only.

Pretty close to ID 90 industry rates for the stby tickets.

[Wiley]

Staff at outports generally very co-operative and helpful (there are exceptions). However, as a rule, in Dubai, the staff handling staff travel seem to take it upon themselves to pay you back personally for 200 years of British colonial rule over India.

Again, some individuals do go out of their way to be helpful, but you could be forgiven for thinking that the vast majority of EK/DNATA staff you will encounter when attempting to fly sub-load out of Dubai have been allocated staff travel either as a punishment or because the company considers them too incompetent to be let loose on paying customers.

If they can screw you around, eg, by delaying the issue of your ticket so that you have to run to make the flight, (it's a very long way from the standby desk to the gates), or by allocating you a seat in Economy when there are seats available in Business or First, they will do so.

[Three Wire]

Actually, it is not the people at Staff check in who are the real problem. Believe it or not, the Flight Load Controller authorizes the release of seats for staff. The CSO only allocates the seat.
The Load Controller has his/her rules and the main thrust is the revenue payload. Staff are seen as "freebies" and if the rules states X, then that is what they do. They are as fearful of their jobs and income stream as we are.

[MrMachfivepointfive]

@Seastain

That's plain bull. Travelled subload virtually hundreds of times. Ballpark figure for upgrade would be about 25%. Mostly at the gate - sometimes by the crew.

@Whiley

Use online check-in or the self service counter and your exposure to those ungrateful clerks shall be minimized.

[whatzmyname]

Best to use self service kiosk.
Had a flight with a confirmed annual leave ticket and only asked for an aisle seat and was told there were no aisle seats. Got on the flight and the flight was half empty with PLENTY of aisle seats. The seat allocated to me was between two very 'odorous' men (you get a lot of those on EK flts but thats another topic)....Just to give you an idea of the negative mentality that exist here when it comes to flying crew.:}
Outstations is another thing. Most of the time there you get treated like a human being.Most of the time....

[White Knight]

Never had any probs with standby travel, even been given lounge access at a couple of outstations on ID90:ok: Only problem is that sometimes the 'flight status and predictions' cán be way off the reality.......

[mini cooper]

Upgrades from my limited knowledge - staff - in Dubai at Check in, not a chance. Onboard - pursers not allowed to do it - however if the aircraft has a few empty seat plus the purser takes a risk then maybe. As a normal (non staff) pax may get upgrade on an ad hoc basis - don't count on it. At outstations you may get upgrade at check in, if you know the guys and it helps them out, on board same as before unlikely. If you get an upgrade make the most of it because it is not the norm!!!

Bottom line Ek does not upgrade in the same way as you may get with other 'proper,long established' airlines.

In my opinion Ek as a company does not treat staff well in relation to staff travel. I am comparing EK to my past experiences using staff travel in UK and Europe when travelling with major international flag carriers.