Where are all these non-travelling pax??

[ZQA297/30]

I have tried using my rebate travel "privelege"recently, and have been bumped on 2 out of 3 attempts on Caribbean flights, and 1 of 2 attempts on African flights.. .The rumoured catastrophic drop in travel that led to so many redundancies does not seem to be as dramatic as some had led us to believe.. .What is becoming very clear is that rebate travel is going to become much harder as airlines match bottoms to seats much more closely now. There just aren't many empty seats flying around.. .I just saw CNN saying that NorthWest is blaming the US Govt for lengthy airport security delays, thereby driving away the lucrative business traveller. Double digit losses quoted.. .Yet still the front cabin is always full, and not non-revs. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" /> . .. .Whose rumour can we believe, and is there a source of unbiased statistics we can use? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="rolleyes.gif" />

[A-V-8R]

Gosh, I gave up non reving. I think you call it rebates where you are from.. .. .I find if you book on the internet, and well ahead of time, fares are cheaper for most trips than paying for a hotel when you are bumped off.. .. .There is a caveat though. Although I hate to non-rev, my wife wanted to go to Las Vegas. I sez "Honey, look for a package tour, I'll buy, but I will not non-rev." So she finds this charter out of BDL to LAS nonstop. I am absolutley delighted at the package price.. .. .About a week before departure, we get a letter from the Agency, our Itinary has beene changed. We now will go from BDL-SFO-LAS and return LAS-DEN-BDL. I get a cold chill, cuz there is no way that I will ever ride on Continental Airlines. Then I realize the only people who go from DEN-BDL is my own carrier.. .. .Yep, bought tickets on my own airline. BDL SFO I got to enjoy a flight attendent sitting down and watch an entire move. No, I didn't need any stinking water. Or Jack Daniels.

[maxalt]

AV8R, how did the cabin crew treat you?
Anytime we travel full rev on one of our own we're given funny looks and remarks for not wearing a tie etc. I've even heard of one colleague being threatened with off loading because they didn't like his casual dress standards! He was full revenue (and was wearing clothes...honest).

[DCS99]

ZQA297 - I know what you mean, I was supposed to use my last ID90 concession on a certain carrier from Switzerland to go away to Lisbon at the weekend, but we couldn't get out of Zürich, it was rammed full and the skipper would only take SR Flight Crew in the jumpseats. We also had to skip a trip to Chicago last month as well as we couldn't be sure to get back on time. And it wasn't all folks hoping to fly SR for the last time.

At least I have the fine pleasure of doing the washing up and watching MD-11s covered with SWISS stickers on departures from the kitchen window, whilst Mrs DCS enjoys her lunchtime soap-opera

The value of flight benefits has gone down so much over the years, once we were all 1 happy family, but now we're a bunch of outsourced pawns (apart from Flight and Cabin crew!) all busily cross-charging each for our services, a lot of that "you help me, I help you" spirit has gone.

[tinyrice]

Forget non-revving in the US. Airlines are falling all over themselves to give away the seats and the upgrades, (America West 60% reduction in business fares ), so that the "alleged" perquisite of working for the "airlines"is negated. Not only that, most airline employees can afford full length mirrors, therefore they invariably stick out like the proverbial dogs from the SLF. Gate agents and Cabin crew are thus pre-warned about who's going to sit in that bulkhead seat, across from the inoperative lav, or get tonic water only because we're out of gin - yeah right! This assumes you win their lottery and actually get on in the first place. Added to that in the USA is a fairly strict adherence to seniority rules for boarding. Even if the Gods are smiling, your crusty travelling companions aren't, thus further limiting your chances to fly,"for free". I'd sooner they just paid me a bit more and dumped this non-rev crap, because in todays environment its false advertizing to say join FlyByNIght Airlines and enjoy the "perks" of reduced rate travel. Then I'd buy a ticket on whoever I damn well please, and travel when I want, and where I want. Not as it is today, you can only go where nobody else wants to go, because thats where the only open seats are. And those seats will more likely be in steerage.......yuk!

[PAXboy]

Here is an observation from the UK side of the pond.

A neighbour of mine is a London Black Cab driver and works Heathrow five days a week. Chatting with him last week, he said that LHR was getting back to normal. The flow of biz people (and other pax) is nearly at pre 9/11 levels. If he and his mates tell you - then you had better believe it!

And - Yes, I can hop a free lift to LHR now and then! I barter by helping him out with his computer.

[tasjarv]

Where have all the PAX gone...

Well - it's more than six months since the events and that's just about how long it takes for people to regain confidence...
The same thing happened with the ferry disaster in the Baltic sea back in 1994. After a half a year people just start coming back.

Most companies in Europe are reporting that they're coming back to last years numbers. And it's about time...