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Originally Posted by rythym
I hope this is the appropriate place to ask. I am flying to Europe via buddy pass on Delta on Friday, July 10th. We have a pretty intense schedule that I would love to maintain. I am afraid I won't make it out that evening and then the whole trip will be a bit of a train wreck due to my over planning. What is the safest time of day to fly, and where would be the best to fly into regarding the buddy pass? My options are Manchester and Dublin. Also, if I get bumped can I let the airline know of my flexbility as far as destinations go? i.e. " If you can't get me on a Dublin flight tonight, can I be put on the first available Manchester flight?" This is my first buddy pass experience and I am slightly panicky. Thank you for any response. I know you guys are the pros.
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Let me just say that I hope your friend has great seniority at Delta. Buddy passes are the last standby passengers to be processed and they are processed in seniority order.
Here is some food for thought.
Go a day early. It may mean that you have to get a hotel room for one night but isn’t it worth your sanity. Leaving a day early really increases your options. There are a lot of super low fare carriers in Europe. If you have to fly into another city you have some options and some time to get to the city you really want to be in.
Beggars can’t be choosers. Closer to July 10th sit down with your friend and consider all your options. If there is weather in ATL on that day you may need to adjust your plans to a city where there is none. Maybe you will need to fly to New York and connect to a flight to Europe. Have an open mind about flying into EDI, LGW, or LHR. Also don’t panic if you have to fly into another country to get to Ireland. Europe is covered by a network of low cost carriers so do your homework and consider all your options.
Gate agents are NOT travel agents. You are on a buddy pass and they are at work. It is their job to see that each flight they work gets off on time while catering to the request of the paying passengers. If they can help you they usually do but if they have to go don’t get frustrated because they have to go. Deputize your friend as your personal travel agent to help you navigate the world of non-revenue flying.
Pack a days worth of clothes and toiletries in your carryon. Let’s face it stuff happens and no airline is immune to missing bags. Also consider this… if you are checked in for the Dublin flight, it fills up at the last moment, and you have to race to catch the Paris flight just to get across the pond, your clothes will most likely end up in Dublin while you are arriving in Paris.
Dress for success. The dress code for Delta has become much more relaxed. However, do not assume that you will be allowed to sit in Business Elite wearing shorts and flip-flops. To be quite honest, since you are traveling during the height of the travel season, you will most likely get coach. But you will want to dress business casual at the off chance that the only seat left on the plane is in Business Elite.
I hope this helps. If you have any further questions feel free to ask.