Qantas employees! Help needed! Staff travel question

[vanessabrooker]

Hi

My brother is thinking of listing me (I'm his sister) in his group B travel beneficiary section which he is able to do as long as he doesnt list anyone in Group A (i.e partner, travel companion etc). Does anyone know if he lists me as a travel beneficiary in Group B, am I able to book travel for my husband and kids too - say if we decided to all go on holidays together. Would they too get the discount because I'm listed as a beneficiary? Just wondering if that is the case or is it just for me only?? Thanks!!

 

[meloz]

Hi

My brother is thinking of listing me (I'm his sister) in his group B travel beneficiary section which he is able to do as long as he doesnt list anyone in Group A (i.e partner, travel companion etc). Does anyone know if he lists me as a travel beneficiary in Group B, am I able to book travel for my husband and kids too - say if we decided to all go on holidays together. Would they too get the discount because I'm listed as a beneficiary? Just wondering if that is the case or is it just for me only?? Thanks!!

You would be the only person able to travel under staff travel.

Meloz

 

[simongr]

And although it is cheap it is generally standby so not good for booking around school holidays etc.

 

[MelUser]

The people I know in Qantas don't bother as you get booted for a fare paying passenger.

Far better to book a special - eg at the moment SYD/MEL to LAX return is $999 including all taxes. This gives you a confirmed seat for which you can't get bumped.

 

[Homer]

Far better to book a special - eg at the moment SYD/MEL to LAX return is $999 including all taxes. This gives you a confirmed seat for which you can't get bumped.

Perhaps. The wife of a friend of mine is a QF international FA, and he (the friend) would never book a special like this because it would mean travelling in whY. Because of the staff travel rates he hasn't travelled in international whY in many, many years - always in J or F.

 

[djfuzz]

The people I know in Qantas don't bother as you get booted for a fare paying passenger.

Far better to book a special - eg at the moment SYD/MEL to LAX return is $999 including all taxes. This gives you a confirmed seat for which you can't get bumped.

That's only true if they don't have any flexibility or if they travel during high load periods. There are tools available to staff travellers that make picking the right flights to get on much easier.

 

[Fifa]

The people I know in Qantas don't bother as you get booted for a fare paying passenger.

Far better to book a special - eg at the moment SYD/MEL to LAX return is $999 including all taxes. This gives you a confirmed seat for which you can't get bumped.

I agree!
I was a Group B member, but found it only useful when travelling by myself or with my brother when he was operating.

If travelling with your family, buy confirmed tickets for all of you and travel on the same flight. Much more enjoyable and less stress.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Perhaps. The wife of a friend of mine is a QF international FA, and he (the friend) would never book a special like this because it would mean travelling in whY. Because of the staff travel rates he hasn't travelled in international whY in many, many years - always in J or F.

If he was on a special fare (ie not staff travel) and it was a busy time eg school holidays he could volunteer for offload if a flight was overbooked and be entitled to receive denied boarding compensation and/or upgrade to Y+ or J if he was then bumped to a later flight or the following day.

There is precious little difference between a Group B staff beneficiary fare (QEB) and the many discount economy fares on offer these days - do the sums anyway to get the exact dollars but you may even find the commercial fare is cheaper!

As already said above IMHO you're much better off all of you buying normal tickets, being able to pre-allocate seats together, get frequent flyer points and (aircraft going u/s notwithstanding) pretty much guaranteed of arriving on the days that you are booked for.

Cheers

Oz

 

[possumFF]

It has all been said. B Category puts you at the bottom of the heap, unless you are listed on the same flight as the staff member. Be prepared to be left behind unless you choose to fly at the least popular times.
If he his a FA, you might get J, certainly not F. Depends when he joined.
Sometimes it is better to buy a cheap Y fare & know that you will fly.

 

[jb747]

As previously stated, cabin crew cannot buy staff travel F seats.

My mother is listed as B beneficiary. I would not dream of buying her a ticket on staff travel...we've always been able to find her a real ticket, at a price that is close enough.

I personally haven't used a staff travel ticket for overseas use in the past 20 years. Real tickets are cheap enough, and the virtual certainty of being bumped off at some point, into accommodation which will eat any saving, and into uncertainty, which will ruin the trip makes staff travel worthless.

 

[taswegian77]

As previously stated, cabin crew cannot buy staff travel F seats.

My mother is listed as B beneficiary. I would not dream of buying her a ticket on staff travel...we've always been able to find her a real ticket, at a price that is close enough.

I personally haven't used a staff travel ticket for overseas use in the past 20 years. Real tickets are cheap enough, and the virtual certainty of being bumped off at some point, into accommodation which will eat any saving, and into uncertainty, which will ruin the trip makes staff travel worthless.

Unless you are preared to travel at off peak times, check loadings and fly routes that have multiple flights like MEL-LHR ot SYD-LHR etc. I agree it can be painful as I used to be a B with my sister but I did get to travel from EL-LHR in J all the way with MEL-LHR issued bp all the way through as nto full but coming back was stuck in LHR for 3 extra days at 55 pounds a night hotel cost. But I planned for that and had a good tiem still.

 

[jb747]

Unless you are prepared to travel at off peak times, check loadings and fly routes that have multiple flights like MEL-LHR ot SYD-LHR etc.

Problem is that it is very rare for it to be 'off peak' in both directions. Especially on the 380, I generally find that we're always full in one direction. And multiple routes are all well and good, but if you're attempting to take someone on a working trip, they are useless. I've departed places with over a 100 staff attempting to get a seat (and none did). And that sort of thing isn't uncommon.

There was a time when we could use jump seats, but some cough ruined that for us all.

But I planned for that and had a good time still.

Which is fine, if you aren't time limited. And 3 days is pretty short. Many times people on staff travel end up buying very expensive seats just to get home. Another gem....normal passengers pay taxes/surcharges/etc only once on a trip. Staff tickets attract those costs on every stage. It simply isn't the lurk that people think it is.

 

[ziggyboy]

Hi

My brother is thinking of listing me (I'm his sister) in his group B travel beneficiary section which he is able to do as long as he doesnt list anyone in Group A (i.e partner, travel companion etc). Does anyone know if he lists me as a travel beneficiary in Group B, am I able to book travel for my husband and kids too - say if we decided to all go on holidays together. Would they too get the discount because I'm listed as a beneficiary? Just wondering if that is the case or is it just for me only?? Thanks!!

Only you.

Although..if you are the only sibling planning to use his benefits then he should just nominate you as a travel companion so you get Group A rates. Still though, only you will get discounts.

 

[taswegian77]

Problem is that it is very rare for it to be 'off peak' in both directions. Especially on the 380, I generally find that we're always full in one direction. And multiple routes are all well and good, but if you're attempting to take someone on a working trip, they are useless. I've departed places with over a 100 staff attempting to get a seat (and none did). And that sort of thing isn't uncommon.

There was a time when we could use jump seats, but some cough ruined that for us all.


Which is fine, if you aren't time limited. And 3 days is pretty short. Many times people on staff travel end up buying very expensive seats just to get home. Another gem....normal passengers pay taxes/surcharges/etc only once on a trip. Staff tickets attract those costs on every stage. It simply isn't the lurk that people think it is.

that is true. i woudl only ever use it for leisure, not business and on long stay trips. I agree I have been in LHR years ago, 10+ in the small cramped BA staff sectiona nd waited for hours only to miss out and then come back. the issue is dunno know but you then have to relist for the next days flights, do you still have to do that.

 

[ziggyboy]

Which is fine, if you aren't time limited. And 3 days is pretty short. Many times people on staff travel end up buying very expensive seats just to get home. Another gem....normal passengers pay taxes/surcharges/etc only once on a trip. Staff tickets attract those costs on every stage. It simply isn't the lurk that people think it is.

I'm not sure if it's appropriate to talk about staff travel in these forums but I want to say a few things.

Staff travel is a hit and miss thing. People who plan their holidays well will get the most out of them. Others are won't be as lucky due to location, ideal travel dates, etc. You also get the most benefit if you live in Sydney as majority of international flights depart from Sydney. It may also depend on how often you fly. If you fly once a year, say Christmas time, then ST is of very little use as loads are bad in that season.

 

[BAM1748]

Problem is that it is very rare for it to be 'off peak' in both directions. Especially on the 380, I generally find that we're always full in one direction. And multiple routes are all well and good, but if you're attempting to take someone on a working trip, they are useless. I've departed places with over a 100 staff attempting to get a seat (and none did). And that sort of thing isn't uncommon.

There was a time when we could use jump seats, but some cough ruined that for us all.


Which is fine, if you aren't time limited. And 3 days is pretty short. Many times people on staff travel end up buying very expensive seats just to get home. Another gem....normal passengers pay taxes/surcharges/etc only once on a trip. Staff tickets attract those costs on every stage. It simply isn't the lurk that people think it is.

Don't forget, could nominate you as an A, and change it in 6 months after you've travelled, it's not a once only process.

 

[trooper]

My only experience with folks on staff travel/buddy pass type things was when I flew home from LAX on NZ last October.

Flight was absolutely chockers in all classes - first upgrade I'd missed in 2 years actually and I am Gold Elite...:shock:.... There were also 80 people standby-ing (is that a word?) that night...

I had an exit aisle at least... and the young woman in the window seat had paid NZ$3000 for a one way ticket just to make sure she could get home for work.. SHE was travelling as a staff members designated beneficiary... but she had waited more than 3 days already IIRC and had little choice...

Some folks were apparently stuck for a week... that is hearsay I must admit... but not impossibly unlikely I suspect.

Ouch. I can see why so many airline employees say they just buy tickets!

 

[Justinf]

Hi

My brother is thinking of listing me (I'm his sister)

Sorry, i just had to laugh at this bit.

 

[straitman]

Just to reinforce a few comments.

I have many friends who are able to fly on staff travel. They rate each and every trip by degree of importance of arriving at a particular time and use their staff travel privileges accordingly. Very few even try to use it internationally as it can really bite at critical times and cost the earth to sort out. Domestically is a little better though it still can often be an issue.

It's a bit like flying Tiger really. If you need to be there on time then buy a real ticket on a real airline :!: :shock: