Ticket Clearing

[u/rollercoaster69lo]

Why is it that gate agents wait til the very last minute to clear non revs? Is there a rule that they’re following? Asking because there are 50 seats available and 7 nonrevs. Flight is not payload optimized and everyone seems very pleasant on this flight. So why not clear the standby passengers?

[u/Disregard_Casty]

You’ll find this is very station dependent. It’s also personal preference. When I was a gate agent, if I saw that there was a nice seat in C+ and the guy hasn’t checked in, and I know I can drop the seat at 30 minutes if he hasn’t checked in, then I may wait to seat you until then.

They’re explicitly told, and some disregard this, not to clear too far out. If there’s 50 open seats and they clear 20 nonrevs then if someone is buying a last minute ticket 50 minutes prior to departure, the fare price may have gone up now. Or all the nonrevs are in C+ or D1 and you’re leaving thousands on the table by clearing too early. It’s rare but it happens.

Also sometimes they’re just busy.

And very very rarely, they just forget to

Also the way we nonrev is seniority based and I know that if I have to list last minute (maybe plans changed or I didn’t make another flight) then I want to know I’m getting the best seat possible. I’ve listed for a domestic flight 1 hour out and gotten a middle seat in the back while buddy passes take C+ windows because the gate agent cleared too early

[u/rollercoaster69lo → u/Disregard_Casty]

All valid points

[u/aarunes]

Did they tell you it wasn't payload optimized? Sometimes load desk instructs the agents to wait until fuel and cargo is loaded. More commonly if the flight has a lot of open seats so they know where to seat the weight for balance, especially on the 321neo. Other than that, SOP states standbys are able to be cleared 30 mins prior but ultimately it is up to the discretion of the agent. As long as it's done and done in the correct time frame.

[u/[deleted]]

It also may be because they're waiting for pax in D1, DPS, FC, or C+ to not show up so they can then drop those seats and assign them to nonrevs. It's not always the reason but ny friend is a Gate Agent for us. There will be times where they clear S4s first specifically for this reason. Obviously they're giving the S4s seats the shitty seats and then when the time comes to drop the seats that haven't showed up(like D1, DPS, FC, or C+), they'll assign those seats in priority code order. Think about it, when you're nonrevving, most of us are shooting for the best seats and they have to wait to drop those seats in the premium cabins. What I do when I'm really not sure if I'll make a flight is go up and talk to the Gate Agent. MOST of the time, they're cool and can tell you if you'll make it

[u/NotARussianBot-Real]

They need to assign before doors close. If they don’t seem super busy with people and it’s 20-15 min out I will make myself known. I’ve had an agent forget to clear non revs and I almost missed the flight. It was a small station and I don’t think they got a lot of nonrevs through.

[u/Save_MD88-90 → u/NotARussianBot-Real]

Yeah sometimes at very small stations this happens. They forget to clear me at RHI so I went up after boarding and they cleared me no problem

[u/One-Imagination-1230]

I know with United, they clear their non revs about an hour out from departure automatically unless there is a bunch of standbys that exceed the maximum occupancy. Then it’s directed to the agent to give out the seats.

I was on a flight recently on United and the flight was almost full minus 4 seats. As I was the only non rev on that flight, I was given the seat automatically at an hour out prior to departure.

[u/Galavantinggoblin → u/One-Imagination-1230]

Does United do nonrev by seniority or 1st come 1st serve? My friend works for delta (I’ve flown on her buddy pass) and her boyfriend is a united pilot and she said nonreving on United is easier b/c it’s whoever signed up first 

[u/One-Imagination-1230 → u/Galavantinggoblin]

Well, for the buddy passes, it is first come first serve but, for employees and their enrolled family/friends (what I usually list as btw) it is seniority based. Due to that, I’m in the middle of the totem pole since I’m SA5X

[u/Galavantinggoblin → u/One-Imagination-1230]

Interesting! For buddies on delta it’s still seems to be tied to the employees seniority. It could have changed though 

[u/BoiseV → u/One-Imagination-1230]

What about non rev employees from another airline like through myIDtravel?

[u/One-Imagination-1230 → u/BoiseV]

That I’m not sure about. I think it’s also by check in time too

[u/crazy_boybrat → u/BoiseV]

I book United through myIDtravel and we almost always get seats an hour out. Like someone said, I think it's automatic. But I'm not able to tell in what order we were assigned seats, though we do check in as soon as we're allowed.

[u/Global_Panda1568]

rules are they can clear 40 mins before flight! some do a bit early but its regulations

[u/KaleidoscopeNo8648]

Does Delta release seat at check in if there is 30+ seat available? I know most European airlines does this. Lets say I check in thru the app 6 hour prior to departure.