EK Staff travel with kids
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Sure, it is nice to be able to plan ahead, but load factors can change quickly and unexpectedly especially when there are canceled flights due weather, strikes, weight limits etc. You can choose not to travel outbound, but once you are away I would certainly expect to be allocated ANY available seat to get me back home. I know Singapore is popular on all airlines, but so is Bangkok and lots of other places. Many times my family and young children have traveled business on BA staff travel when economy was full, no big deal and great for our comfort and to get us back home. If EK cannot accommodate its own staff and help them out once in a while, it certainly tells a story about the general attitude and I am sure few will disagree. So can you buy firm ID50 business seats for the family?
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Not many airlines allow staff kids below the age of 12 in business or first. Search out the ones who do, and plan accordingly. If EK has an age limit, then that is what they have. Don't expect them to bend the rules for you.
Last edited by ManaAdaSystem; 2nd Jan 2011 at 10:06.
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a few pointers on EK and other staff travel
For those less experience in the wily ways off staff travel, a few pearls of wisdom which in my experience can apply generally to most airllines, including those in the Gulf -
1. Understand that 'confirmed' means you are on until you're off. 'Standby' means you are off until you're on.
2. Rules are rules, and are better broken with a smile than a yell
3. Very often an airline's staff travel rules are less kind to their own people than to others. Examples: ID90 interline rules may permit other airline staff kids travel in cabins excluded to own staff
4. The majority of airlines will not leave staff behind if there are empty seats in any cabin (BA are one of the best for this)
5. Always travel with back-up tickets for alternative on another airline. You CANNOT buy ID tickets downline from other carriers, so make sure you have that sorted before you leave.
6. Follow the hashtag #nonrev on the tweetting service if you want to keep up with the vibe on how others are faring. (Can't say tw$tt$r as it gets changed to PPrune...odd!)
7. Consider idDeals.com for checking loads on any flight in real-time (membership required)
8. If you can, travel without checked bags, and never give up until the gate is closed.
9. Be nice to your fellow employees. They have a job to do, while you are off on vacation. It pays dividends!
1. Understand that 'confirmed' means you are on until you're off. 'Standby' means you are off until you're on.
2. Rules are rules, and are better broken with a smile than a yell
3. Very often an airline's staff travel rules are less kind to their own people than to others. Examples: ID90 interline rules may permit other airline staff kids travel in cabins excluded to own staff
4. The majority of airlines will not leave staff behind if there are empty seats in any cabin (BA are one of the best for this)
5. Always travel with back-up tickets for alternative on another airline. You CANNOT buy ID tickets downline from other carriers, so make sure you have that sorted before you leave.
6. Follow the hashtag #nonrev on the tweetting service if you want to keep up with the vibe on how others are faring. (Can't say tw$tt$r as it gets changed to PPrune...odd!)
7. Consider idDeals.com for checking loads on any flight in real-time (membership required)
8. If you can, travel without checked bags, and never give up until the gate is closed.
9. Be nice to your fellow employees. They have a job to do, while you are off on vacation. It pays dividends!
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Lets face facts here.
Most airlines desire their business/first class passengers to come back and purchase more tickets, and having ankle biters messing up their premium cabins does not bode well for repeat business.
Most airlines desire their business/first class passengers to come back and purchase more tickets, and having ankle biters messing up their premium cabins does not bode well for repeat business.
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Then again, nowadays there are a lot of commercial passengers paying full fare business or even first for their 'ankle biter' kids. Sure, some kids are a pain and if they were mine I'd feel very uncomfortable in business. But like my 10 year old, she is very very well behaved when flying, no bother to anyone. I'd certainly agree with some age limit, but 16 seems a bit excessive.
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Mate, we're going over and over the same thing......
If you don't want to get bumped, put your hand in you pocket and buy a firm ticket!
Simple!!!!
Standby travel is a perk not a given..... Ask the striking BA cabin crew
As someone mentioned earlier, there are several issues and problems at EK, but Staff travel really isn't one of them! Dare I say, it's actually ok!! Move on buddy and good luck with the interview
If you don't want to get bumped, put your hand in you pocket and buy a firm ticket!
Simple!!!!
Standby travel is a perk not a given..... Ask the striking BA cabin crew
As someone mentioned earlier, there are several issues and problems at EK, but Staff travel really isn't one of them! Dare I say, it's actually ok!! Move on buddy and good luck with the interview
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Okay... I must be bored.
Just went through my diary and HR Direct.
I am not commuting, but I love to shop and hang out in some places.
I have had 112 subload tickets over the years. Here are my stats:
Offloaded: 2
Downgrades: 4
Upgrades: 17
I am not commuting, but I love to shop and hang out in some places.
I have had 112 subload tickets over the years. Here are my stats:
Offloaded: 2
Downgrades: 4
Upgrades: 17
Last edited by MrMachfivepointfive; 2nd Jan 2011 at 14:07.
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"If you don't want to get bumped, put your hand in you pocket and buy a firm ticket!"
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Posted on another thread by MARI, this is confusing me!:
EK TRE who I recently spoke to personally told me the same as above, so why is there conflicting info on EK staff travel as far as Business Class eligibility with kids younger than 16? This is why I posted it on Pprune, to get to the bottom of this. My current salary is sufficient to afford myself commercial business class tickets for the family once a year from where we are now to the other side of the pond, so if we are likely to save money on this after joining EK, I can take this into account in my disposable income comparison when trying to decide whether or not to join EK. It's only one aspect, but it's all about painting a somewhat accurate picture and having some certainty and peace of mind leaving a stable job here in Europe for the ME.
MrMachfivepointfive: 112-17-4-2=89, so if it's not an upgrade, a downgrade or an offload, which class were you in then those 89 times?
Answer to the question: yes, you and your immadiate family members are eligible for Business Class id tickets. A captain and his family can travel in First Class.
You can buy firm tickets but if the flights are overbooked (many times they are), the system will not allow you to order them. You can be off-lodaded with those tickets as well. (Actually, even with Annual Leave Ticket, it happened before.)
You can buy firm tickets but if the flights are overbooked (many times they are), the system will not allow you to order them. You can be off-lodaded with those tickets as well. (Actually, even with Annual Leave Ticket, it happened before.)
MrMachfivepointfive: 112-17-4-2=89, so if it's not an upgrade, a downgrade or an offload, which class were you in then those 89 times?
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Comanche,
Simply put, as an FO, you are allowed into Business class and can purchase Business class staff travel tickets (as can your wife, in laws, etc). Your children, aged under 16, are not available for any type of travel in Business class, period. If you and your wife are traveling with your children, either you or the wife must sit in economy with your kids and the other may sit in business. As an FO, your kids simply cannot travel in business under age 16.
Once you upgrade, your kids can travel in business and you and your wife can travel in first. If your kids are under 16, same rules as above apply with one of you sitting with them. So, as a captain, your kids can travel in business. If they are under 16, either you or your wife must sit with them in business, and the other can ride in first. As a CA, your kids cannot travel in first under age 16.
Hopefully that's clear. Your kids will not get business.
Simply put, as an FO, you are allowed into Business class and can purchase Business class staff travel tickets (as can your wife, in laws, etc). Your children, aged under 16, are not available for any type of travel in Business class, period. If you and your wife are traveling with your children, either you or the wife must sit in economy with your kids and the other may sit in business. As an FO, your kids simply cannot travel in business under age 16.
Once you upgrade, your kids can travel in business and you and your wife can travel in first. If your kids are under 16, same rules as above apply with one of you sitting with them. So, as a captain, your kids can travel in business. If they are under 16, either you or your wife must sit with them in business, and the other can ride in first. As a CA, your kids cannot travel in first under age 16.
Hopefully that's clear. Your kids will not get business.
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Fred you are spot on apart from 1 point....
When the kid is 12 years old, they may travel unacompanied in the lower class ie. you and the missus can sit in J (or F as a Skipper) and the kids can sit by themselves in the lower class, but as a kid of an F/O, they do need to be 16 to travel in a Premium Cabin.
When the kid is 12 years old, they may travel unacompanied in the lower class ie. you and the missus can sit in J (or F as a Skipper) and the kids can sit by themselves in the lower class, but as a kid of an F/O, they do need to be 16 to travel in a Premium Cabin.
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If your contract covers Business Staff travel
Then it is a legal right, not a special privilege.
Yes it is a perk, buth then so is medical cover...
But as we know staff contracts are worth as much as toilet paper....
glf
Yes it is a perk, buth then so is medical cover...
But as we know staff contracts are worth as much as toilet paper....
glf
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MrMachfivepointfive: 112-17-4-2=89, so if it's not an upgrade, a downgrade or an offload, which class were you in then those 89 times?
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just a few more questions....
What carriers can EK staff get ID90/zed fares with?
Are there any other limitations with the EK staff travel system?
Does EK issue paper or e-tickets for staff? What about for use on other carriers?
How are tickets purchased? Payment first, or pay after the sector is flown? At my current company, we can print off tickets with our airline and the money is deducted from our accounts only after the sector/ticket is used and we only pay upfront for tickets on other airlines.
How long in advance does one have to purchase tickets? Can ones spouse do this?
How does the refund system work on unused tickets, does it take a long time to get a refund?
What other staff travel perks are available with EK? Hotel discounts and other industry concessions?
Is there any cost with the yearly annual leave tickets? If so, how much? at my current firm, we have to pay taxes on the tickets, so they're not 100% free.
Are there any other limitations with the EK staff travel system?
Does EK issue paper or e-tickets for staff? What about for use on other carriers?
How are tickets purchased? Payment first, or pay after the sector is flown? At my current company, we can print off tickets with our airline and the money is deducted from our accounts only after the sector/ticket is used and we only pay upfront for tickets on other airlines.
How long in advance does one have to purchase tickets? Can ones spouse do this?
How does the refund system work on unused tickets, does it take a long time to get a refund?
What other staff travel perks are available with EK? Hotel discounts and other industry concessions?
Is there any cost with the yearly annual leave tickets? If so, how much? at my current firm, we have to pay taxes on the tickets, so they're not 100% free.
Last edited by Humber10; 4th Jan 2011 at 06:11.
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So I guess the logic is that as soon as you get command your kids are no longer possible to be brats and upset the other pax.
Only as an FO are your kids considered to be a nuisance.........that seems pretty logical to me.......NOT
Could somebody possibly explain what the difference with respect the age limit for an FO's child is and yet there is no restriction for a Captains child???????
And before I duck for cover.....this has absolutely no bearing on my travel plans as I pay full fare anyways.....but just curious.
Wadi
Only as an FO are your kids considered to be a nuisance.........that seems pretty logical to me.......NOT
Could somebody possibly explain what the difference with respect the age limit for an FO's child is and yet there is no restriction for a Captains child???????
And before I duck for cover.....this has absolutely no bearing on my travel plans as I pay full fare anyways.....but just curious.
Wadi
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For Christs sake guys, what bloody difference does it make. Those are the rules, we can't change them, so just accept it! No matter how angelic your kids are, they ain't going to be in a comfy seat until you either become a Captain or they're 16......period!
Gulfstreamaviator
The only 'contractual' part of flying with EK is our ALT. Everything else is a concession. I hope your flying skills outweigh your legal ones!
Harry
Gulfstreamaviator
The only 'contractual' part of flying with EK is our ALT. Everything else is a concession. I hope your flying skills outweigh your legal ones!
Harry
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Arry
I have been over here, for many years, and before that visited many times, on short contracts. Having spent many years in aviation, and not actually killed anyone, or bent (m)any airframes.
I was trying to say that if your contract, and addendums, etc, say staff travel, and detail the conditions then that is part of your contract of employment.
If there is no reference to these "perks:, then there is no entitlement.
Perhaps an EK flyer can advise if the EK contract covers Staff Travel.
glf
I was trying to say that if your contract, and addendums, etc, say staff travel, and detail the conditions then that is part of your contract of employment.
If there is no reference to these "perks:, then there is no entitlement.
Perhaps an EK flyer can advise if the EK contract covers Staff Travel.
glf
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Gulf, it's quite simple. As an F/O you DO get business class as per your contract, your kids do not.
That is quite clearly stated in the staff travel manual, and therefore by your reasoning there is NO breach of contract!
One thing to remember of course is that the company employs YOU and therefore has an agreement with YOU and not you kids........ I certainly don't remember my kids travel perks being part of my decision to come over here. I knew I had to do my time in the RHS before my kids were able to travel in J.
Whether I agreed with the policy or not is not important (for the record I think its a stupid policy!!), because it has been there since WAY before I came here. As the Cod says, just accept it.
BTW Comanche, do your kids get J class in your LCC?
That is quite clearly stated in the staff travel manual, and therefore by your reasoning there is NO breach of contract!
One thing to remember of course is that the company employs YOU and therefore has an agreement with YOU and not you kids........ I certainly don't remember my kids travel perks being part of my decision to come over here. I knew I had to do my time in the RHS before my kids were able to travel in J.
Whether I agreed with the policy or not is not important (for the record I think its a stupid policy!!), because it has been there since WAY before I came here. As the Cod says, just accept it.
BTW Comanche, do your kids get J class in your LCC?
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What carriers can EK staff get ID90/zed fares with?
Are there any other limitations with the EK staff travel system?
Does EK issue paper or e-tickets for staff? What about for use on other carriers?
How are tickets purchased? Payment first, or pay after the sector is flown? At my current company, we can print off tickets with our airline and the money is deducted from our accounts only after the sector/ticket is used and we only pay upfront for tickets on other airlines.
How long in advance does one have to purchase tickets? Can ones spouse do this?
How does the refund system work on unused tickets, does it take a long time to get a refund?
What other staff travel perks are available with EK? Hotel discounts and other industry concessions?
Is there any cost with the yearly annual leave tickets? If so, how much? at my current firm, we have to pay taxes on the tickets, so they're not 100% free.