buddy passes are not free anymore!

[woodstock]

whoa!

I won two buddy passes on Delta last year.

I finally decided just to get them for Paris, I have at least a year before I have to use them so maybe next April or May I could go.

anyway, I heard back from my friend, who said that he checked into the price and they are 110 bucks on way plus taxes! i.e. 220 bucks each, plus tax. my guess is around 300 buck each. however, there is a good chance I'd be in business class or first, but then again, it's only through Atlanta and of course on standby you can be bumped. I am not sure yet if this means I have to get myself to Atlanta or if he can buddy me the whole way through.

man! if first is assured this is a super deal, but if it isn't it's actually a hassle. doesn't detract from his thoughtfulness in giving these away, not at all, but the airlines are really clamping down.

I wonder if I should just go for Paris or muse on something else now. once I am in Paris I can get easyjet elsewhere...

 

[Auburn_CFI]

When you use a non-rev. pass to go international you still have to pay the taxes and it has always been like that unless you are riding the jumpseat. Unless you have what is called an ID90 or ID20, which are just highly discounted standby tickets available to employees and dependents on most airlines, then you should be able to fly domestically for free. Just to give you an idea of price, when I flew to Rome in March 2004 I think the taxes on my non-rev ticket were aobut $120 each way, overall $240 to go to Europe first class aint bad. Good luck.

 

[woodstock]

very true - 300 or so bucks for first class, if I get it, is fabulous. if it's steerage, the few hundred bucks savings to be shuttled to Atlanta to sit around may not be worth it.

the 110 each way isn't taxes, that's on top. My regular flights to Paris seemed to be around 80-100 bucks in taxes which is where I got my estimate from.

 

[Lance F]

Delta doesn't have First Class international. They have Business Elite, which is very, very nice. On a buddy pass you'll be at the bottom of the standby ladder. Check very carefully in advance for availablility - Paris is tough. You can find out in advance how many unsold seats there are in Business and also how many standbys have listed. Better figure you'll be at the bottom of the list. If you get over there, you have to get back too and standby. The cost of the buddy pass is based on mileage, so if you want to throw in a domestic leg to get to ATL - no problem, but you'll be on standby for that flight too. don't mean to discourage you. You just need to know the way it is. A great deal if you get in business. Not so great if you have to go out to Degaul (sp?) airport day after day to try to get home.

 

[woodstock]

hey Lance, I know, my thoughts exactly... I can use these anywhere... so I had thought of just picking something domestic that wasn't complicated. maybe I'll still do that. I can get tickets to Paris for 600 bucks or so but they are guaranteed. it's WHERE to go, domestically, that's uncomplicated is the issue. you have to be on a Delta plane - no codeshares.

 

[wsuffa]

hey Lance, I know, my thoughts exactly... I can use these anywhere... so I had thought of just picking something domestic that wasn't complicated. maybe I'll still do that. I can get tickets to Paris for 600 bucks or so but they are guaranteed. it's WHERE to go, domestically, that's uncomplicated is the issue. you have to be on a Delta plane - no codeshares.

Now don't you wish that DL were still running the flights to Frankfurt & Zurich out of Dulles?

 

[woodstock]

I think I've decided to get these passes for my parents, for next May-June, and buy my own ticket and go to Paris with them. their time is a lot more flexible and I'm sure they'd enjoy first class.

yes, I wish I could go to Zurich through Dules! or FF even.