stand by tickets at EK

[tknapp]

How much are stand by tickets? Is it unlimited tickets.
Thanks

[tknapp]

Ok how much does it cost you as an employee to travel on your own airline. As an employyee do you get to fly for free as well as you spouse and children?

[Watchdog]

you get unlimited standby for self and family - parents and siblings get a couple of tickets per year.
The subload rates are typical of ID90.
Other than full flights, I have found the staff travel to be generally no better or worse than other major airlines (other than no freebies/jumpseat availability).

[tknapp]

Thanks for the info

[jack schidt]

I might have 3 rugby 7s FINAL tickets for sale at cost price by tonight!

Any buyers?

[Wiley]

Be aware that ID 90 tickets have "small" ad-ons like local taxes, fuel surcharges etc, which are not rebated.

[mini cooper]

You may get unlimited ID90s, however the real question is 'will you get on the aircraft?'. Emirates for some unknown reason has a very high load factor = often full = you won't get on. So yes you do get the chance of lots of ID90s, but more often than not you will not get to the destination that YOU want ie going to Sydney you are unlikely to get on,therefore you will have to go to Perth, then get another ticket/ flight onto Sydney - this is eating into your precious time off / leave. Equally the UK, LHR is almost always full, therefore you have to go back via Birmingham, or Gatwick etc.
Secondly, EK is NOT as good as other 'major' airlines as you will NOT get upgraded. You buy an economy ID90, you sit in economy even the aircraft is almost empty - end of story. If you buy a business ID90 ticket and if you are lucky enough to get on that is where you sit don't expect to get upgraded even if First is empty.
Thirdly, if you are an FO married with kids under 16, you will only be allowed in Economy if you travel with the kids. So as an FO when using your annual leave ticket the rules state that one parent has to sit with the kids. If they are under 16 they are only entitled to economy class (remember NO UPGRADES), so even though you and the wife are eligible for Business one of you has to sit with the kids in economy. Great situation as you and your wife then have to discuss who gets to sit in business and who goes to economy with the kids.:=
Fourthly you have to get the time off to use the tickets!!!!

So yes it sounds great, you get lots of tickets available, lots of destinations, but reality is VERY different to what the propaganda puts out. You will find that on far too many occassions staff are stuck down route waiting for days trying to get back to Dubai. EK staff at outstations try their hardest but their hands are tied by the totally inflexible hierachy ie the top EK management all the way down. :ugh:

[Flip Flop Flyer]

staff at outstations try their hardest but their hands are tied by the totally inflexible hierachy ie the top EK management all the way down.

Not to pish on your parade there Mini, but if the flights are full with fare-paying punters, are you suggesting its the problem of HQ in Dubsie for not off-loading them in favour of ID90 passengers? I know of no airline who would stuff their customers in favour of staff on ID90s.

I personally gave up on the whole ID90 idea many years ago - simply not worth the hassle. Furthermore, the ID90 price is based on the full fare. Quite often its possible to get a confirmed, but discounted, ticket at not far above the ID90 price. Some airlines sell confirmed ID50 in C-class. Obviously there are loads of if, but and when in the fare rules. But the thing is, once you've got the ticket you have a confirmed seat - and a comfortable one to boot.

All airlines fill their employees heads with the wonders of ID90 flying. In reality its a pain. You try book an ID90 ticket to BKK anytime between OCT and MAR, and find yourself stranded in BKK until such time you cough up enough cash to pay your way home. Or be prepared to go the longway home (provided you've secured plenty of tickets for alternative routes). Mate of mine found himself flying BKK-HKG-NRT-MOW-TLL-CPH for what should have been a straight forward BKK-CPH adventure.

Do keep in mind that you'll be bottom of the priority list - yes, lower than cargo and mail. And that's nothing exclusive to Emirates, all airlines work like that.

So, ask not your company what price for an ID90. Ask yourself what price you're willing to pay to keep your sanity.

[singleseater]

Even positive space company tickets can come with fish hooks.
While on holiday last summer a Mate traveling on ALT's with his family. Captain so first class for him and the boss, kids in business cause under 16. Surposed to be high priority, firm seats, had been booked for ages.
On the return leg "sorry, over booked, you are down graded to economy for the return 8 hr sector"
When back in the sand, wrote to the management
"sorry, thats tough".

Staff travel looks good in the glossies, does not work as well.
Yes, the load factors are a problem, but the real prob is that staff, and particularly flt crew are seen as a required evil and treated as such

[IXNAT]

Staff travel on ALL airlines around the world is almost worthless now. With most airlines having load factors averaging 80-90%, this perk has been long gone. It's not exclusive to EK. Good luck!

[harry the cod]

singleseater

Funny, I thought the rules clearly state that children under 16 have to be accompanied by 1 adult so strange both parents booked into First and 'kids' in J. Otherwise old mini cooper would be sat in J with his missus while his 'kids' enjoy the delight of fresh faced newbies down the back!

Also strange that if on their contractual ALT, they didn't insist as these seats are confirmed in your class of travel. End of! :suspect:

Harry

[White Knight]

Hey Jack - if you've still got 7's tickets for Saturday let me know....... In fact if anyone's got Saturday tickets they can't use I'll buy 'em....

[MAN330-300]

I personally find travelling on standby really easy. I usually take ZED tickets and always do my homework in advance of travel and will always take a back ticket which can be refunded later. Last year When I was in SIN I planned to travel onwards to OZ on QF however all flights where fully booked so therefore I used my back up ticket to travel with MH.
Maybe I have just been lucky. A friend recently got stuck for nearly 1 week on SB tickets so at the end of the day it's the chance you take.

[bus canuck]

If they are under 16 they are only entitled to economy class (remember NO UPGRADES), so even though you and the wife are eligible for Business one of you has to sit with the kids in economy. Great situation as you and your wife then have to discuss who gets to sit in business and who goes to economy with the kids.


Hmmm, that's a short discussion in my family. What's business like anyway? My wife says it's quite nice...:{

[CAYNINE]

Spot on Man 3,

Do some homework when travelling ID, buy back up tickets, and travel on days that don't start with Frid and Sun.....

In other airlines, no ticks for the siblings, no ticks for the parents, kids lose the benefit at 18....bla bla. (read Qantas, but, oh daaarling you can have your partner on the benefit)

EK not unique in it being difficult, but in around 40 staff trips (mainly on high vol sectors like mel, syd) been left behind twice, 1 ex DXb and 1 BKK. Staff in central europe, and other out stations bust their guts to get you on, (not so in DXB unfortunately).

Mini, hope you feel better with all that off your chest mate.

cheers, got to go order a ticket for me Dad.

[mensaboy]

I have found EK staff travel to be quite variable wrt to accomodating me on flights. Sometimes they are great, sometimes they are a nightmare but quite frankly I'm accustomed to the nightmare scenario from previous jobs, so it comes as no shock to me.
I had a funny incident at EK....... a bit off topic sorry....... where a wife of a Captain was causing quite a scene because she had been bumped from First Class. I don't remember all the details but suffice to say, it all became an issue prior to departure and the ground staff and crew were doing their best to accomodate her, yet she continued to cause problems to the point that we took a short delay.
Later in the flight the Purser advised us that she was Staff Travel, much to our amazement and quite frankly, disgust. I don't know how this fact had alluded everyone until later in the flight. We then made it a point to have the Purser have a frank discussion with her and make certain things very clear to her. Apparently this worked as she became very apologetic and obviously further action was not required.


Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.


I must say though, that some airlines such as Lufthansa, the old KLM and a couple of others have been exceptionally good to me when travelling on ZED's. I wish EK, my own airline, would be so accomodating but I suspect that will never happen.

[mini cooper]

Heard a story - quite amazing, TC's family broke almost all the rules in the staff travel rule book the other day coming back from LGW to DXB. If you read my message here on 27 Nov, none of what I wrote about ie age requirements for kids in various classes, not being able to get onto a full flight with a standby ticket, they don't apply to him.
Full story in the Emirates forum for consideration:mad: