Decoding Delta Airlines Non Revenue Travel: A Comprehensive Guide to Employee Travel Benefits

As a Delta Airlines employee, navigating the array of travel benefits available is a key part of maximizing your career perks. Understanding the intricacies of non-revenue travel is essential, whether for commuting, leisure, or emergency situations. This guide dives deep into Delta Airlines Non Revenue Travel, offering a comprehensive look at how these valuable benefits work for you and your eligible pass riders.

Delta’s non-revenue (non-rev) or standby travel program (NRSA) is a significant perk, allowing employees and their qualified family members/companions to fly on Delta flights either free or at a reduced rate. This benefit becomes accessible soon after your documentation and eligibility are verified within Delta’s HR system.

One of the links you might find helpful as you explore Delta benefits is this resource on delta airlines non rev travel.

Eligibility for sharing these pass privileges extends to your spouse/domestic partner or a designated travel companion, dependent and non-dependent children, and your parents. It’s crucial to remember that all pass travel falls under the standby category, meaning a seat is not guaranteed and depends on availability.

Understanding Your Delta Non-Revenue Travel Options

Beyond standard standby travel, Delta offers several distinct travel benefits catering to different needs, from daily commuting for flight attendants and pilots to international leisure trips. These include crash pads, jumpseats, flowback agreements with other U.S. carriers, and ZED/Interline agreements covering numerous airlines worldwide. Each option comes with its own rules, eligibility requirements, and procedures.

Decoding Boarding Priority and Pass Travel Codes

When checking in for a non-rev flight, you’ll encounter various pass travel codes. These codes determine your priority on the standby list, ordered from highest to lowest:

• S1A: Emergency Travel (Requires Manager Approval)
• S1: Relocation (Requires Manager Approval)
• S2: Higher Priority. Each employee, along with their parents OR spouse/domestic partner/travel companion, receives six S2 travel days per year, starting from their date of employment.
• S3: Standard Priority. This code offers unlimited use throughout the year.
• S3B: Parents, Nondependent Children, and Retirees. This also offers unlimited use per year.
• S4: Buddy Passes. These are typically the lowest priority.

In instances where multiple employees are listed under the same Priority Code for the same flight, seniority within the company serves as the tie-breaker, with the employee holding the highest company seniority receiving a seat first.

Mastering Delta Non-Rev Travel Procedures

Successfully utilizing your Delta Airlines Non Revenue Travel benefits requires understanding the standard procedures from check-in to boarding.

Check-in can be completed either at the airport or online via the Delta website, though some international airports may have restrictions. Standby passengers must adhere to the same check-in deadlines as revenue passengers. If you need to change your standby code after initial check-in, you can ask an agent before the local deadline, but availability for assistance might be limited. Once the check-in deadline passes, the standby code cannot be altered.

Regarding baggage, non-revenue customers are typically allowed to check up to two bags, each weighing 50 lbs, free of charge. This allowance aligns with the standard rules for main cabin revenue customers. Be aware that specific exception markets may have different baggage rules; always check resources like Deltanet for details. For those interested in related travel nuances, understanding rules like traveling with weed medical card or can you travel on a plane with medical marijuanas involves separate considerations from standard airline employee benefits.

Seat assignments for pass riders are generally distributed at the boarding gate. Many airports display standby lists and seat assignments on overhead screens. You can also monitor the standby list via Travelnet or the Fly Delta app. Punctuality is key: standby passengers must arrive at the gate at least 35 minutes before domestic departures and 60 minutes before international departures.

All non-revenue pass riders must adhere to a specific dress code. Referencing official Delta resources (like Deltanet’s Programs & Policies Handbook) is necessary for the current dress code guidelines.

International non-rev travel may incur applicable local taxes and fees, which vary depending on the origin and destination cities. These costs are usually deducted from active employees’ payroll or billed to inactive/retired employees’ home addresses.

A crucial rule is to avoid listing yourself on multiple flights simultaneously for the same travel date (e.g., listing for both MCO-ATL and MCO-JFK on the same day).

The Non-Rev Listing Procedure

Listing yourself and your pass riders for a flight is a required step before checking in. The most common and easiest method is via Travelnet on Deltanet.

1. Access Travelnet through Deltanet.
2. Enter the origin and destination airport codes and select one-way or round-trip.
3. Choose the departure and/or arrival date and click “search”.
4. Review the list of available flight options. Pay attention to “Total Avail” to see the actual number of open seats. The “Stby List” icon allows you to see the number of employees and pass riders already listed. Clicking “view airport standby list” shows those who have checked in.
5. Select your desired flight(s) and click “Continue to Listing”.
6. On the next page, you can add more flights or proceed to select the pass riders. Enter your email and phone number and click “Continue”.
7. (For international travel with local taxes): The total price will be displayed, which will be payroll deducted. Click “continue”.
8. TSA Passenger Name Validation: Enter the full name and date of birth for all pass riders exactly as they appear on their photo ID. Redress or Known Traveler Numbers can also be added. Click “Create Listing”.
9. Your listing is created, and a booking code appears. You should also receive an email confirmation.
10. To manage (change or cancel) a listing, go to “Manage My Account” > “Find Listings and Reservations” on Travelnet and click the record locator.

Pass Travel Information Chart

Utilizing Cabin Jumpseats

Cabin jumpseats on most mainline Delta flights provide another travel option, primarily for Flight Attendants. These seats can be used for both personal travel (including commuting) and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, though Delta can cancel jumpseat bookings if needed for operational reasons.

Eligibility for Jumpseats: Flight Attendants must hold current FAA qualifications to occupy a cabin jumpseat. While aircraft-specific qualification isn’t mandatory, unfamiliarity requires an instructional briefing from a working Flight Attendant. International jumpseat travel necessitates a valid passport, applicable visas, and potentially payment of local fees at the ticket counter.

Booking Parameters: The purpose of your travel dictates when you can book a jumpseat:

• Commuting to work: Booking opens no earlier than 5 days plus 11 hours before the flight day.
• Personal travel: Booking opens no earlier than 3 days plus 11 hours before the flight day.

Setting an alarm is a helpful tip for booking commuter jumpseats precisely when booking opens.

Reserving a Jumpseat: The MiCrew app and iCrew are the easiest platforms for jumpseat management.

MiCrew:

1. Tap the “Jumpseat” option.
2. Select the reason for travel: “Personal” (leisure/commuting back from base) or “To Work” (commuting to base for an assignment within 1 calendar day).
3. Enter the date, departure, and arrival airports.
4. Optionally enter a flight number or leave blank to see all options.
5. Type: FA.
6. Tap “Search Available Jumpseats”.
7. Select the desired flight from the list.
8. Answer the safety question and tap “Book Jumpseat”.
9. A listing is made, and your booking code is visible.

iCrew:

1. Go to the “Flight Info” tab and click “Jumpseat”.
2. Click “Book Jumpseat”.
3. Select booking type: “Personal” or “To Work”.
4. Enter the date, flight number, departure, and arrival airports.
5. Click enter.
6. If a jumpseat is available, click the green “Continue Request” button.
7. Enter the Captcha code and click “OK”.
8. A listing is made, and your booking code is visible.

Jumpseat Attire: If not in uniform, jumpseat riders must wear business casual attire (no jeans, shorts, open-toed shoes, sandals, or sneakers). Your Delta CREW ID must be displayed at all times.

Check-in: Jumpseat riders must be at the gate by 15 minutes (domestic) or 45 minutes (international) prior to departure, or the reservation may be canceled. Check in with the gate agent and the operating crew. If checking luggage, check-in must be done at the ticketing counter. Note that agents cannot tag checked luggage onto connecting flights for jumpseat travel.

Generic aircraft image, often used to represent airline travel

Cabin Jumpseat on Endeavor (9E)

Delta Flight Attendants have limited access to cabin jumpseats on specific Endeavor-operated flights (CRJ-900 fleet only). This is often considered a last resort due to the uncertainty. Listing for these jumpseats can only occur at the departing gate, and confirmation from the agent is typically not possible until 15 minutes before departure, as active Endeavor Flight Attendants have priority.

Leveraging Flowback Agreements with Other Airlines

The flowback agreement is a beneficial program allowing active Delta Flight Attendants to list on a space-available basis on select U.S. carriers. This is free for domestic flights and useful for commuting or leisure. Participating airlines include Air Wisconsin, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, American/Envoy Air, Frontier, Hawaiian, Horizon Air, JetBlue, Mesa Air Group, Piedmont Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Southwest, Sun Country Airlines, and United/United Express.

Eligibility: Only current and active Delta Flight Attendants are eligible. Employees on furlough, leaves of absence, sick leave, OJI, or who are retired cannot use the flowback agreement.

Listing/Travel Procedures: Procedures vary significantly by airline. Always consult Deltanet (search “flowback” followed by the airline name, e.g., “flowback Hawaiian”) for the most current information. Some airlines permit international travel under flowback, but local departure/arrival taxes apply.

Exploring ZED / Interline Travel on Other Airlines

For broader international and domestic leisure travel options, Delta employees can utilize ZED (Zonal Employee Discount) and Interline agreements with over 100 airlines globally, offering non-revenue or reduced-rate travel.

Eligibility: This benefit becomes available after 6 months of continuous employment (typically 6 months from the first day of flight attendant initial training). Certain individuals are ineligible, including children 23+, Buddy Pass riders, Nondependent Children, and Travel Companions. Parents are eligible but may face higher fees than the employee or their spouse/domestic partner.

Listing/Travel Procedures: The myIDtravel website is the central hub for listing on airlines with ZED agreements. Access it via Travelnet (“Leisure Travel” > “Interline Travel”).

1. On Travelnet, navigate to “Leisure Travel” and select “Interline Travel” to open the myIDtravel site.
2. Click “New Flight/Ticket”.
3. Select pass riders and click “continue”.
4. Choose “One-Way, Round Trip or Multi Leg”.
5. Select the desired airline.
6. Leave Travel Status as “R2 Standby”.
7. Enter the origin and destination (dd.mm.yyyy date format).
8. Click “Find Flights”.
9. Review the list of flights with load indicators (smiley faces: green = good availability, yellow = fuller, red = full/oversold). Remember these are estimates, not guarantees.
10. Click “Select” for your preferred flight.
11. Click “Continue” to confirm.
12. The ticket price will be shown (refundable within one year if unused). Click “Continue”.
13. Fill out personal information.
14. Enter Credit Card information and click “verify”.
15. Tick the boxes to confirm policies.
16. Click “Finish and Confirm”.
17. You are now booked and listed. Consult the specific airline’s rules for dress code, check-in, and baggage allowances.

Economy vs. Business Class Listing: ZED/Interline travel is typically listed as Economy Class, except for Virgin Atlantic, where Delta employees/eligible pass riders are listed in “Upper Class.” Other airlines may upgrade passengers at their discretion, but it’s not standard practice.

Conclusion: Maximizing Your Delta Travel Perks

Understanding delta airlines non revenue travel benefits, including NRSA, jumpseats, flowback, and ZED/Interline agreements, unlocks significant travel opportunities for employees and their eligible pass riders. While non-rev travel requires flexibility due to its standby nature, the ability to travel free or at a reduced rate globally is an invaluable perk. By familiarizing yourself with the eligibility rules, priority codes, listing procedures, and specific guidelines for each travel type, you can effectively navigate the system and make the most of your employee travel privileges. Always refer to official Delta resources like Deltanet for the most current and detailed information.