WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF AMERICAN AIRLINES
Non-rev travel – Free of charge Loral Blinde
Vice President – People and Employee Services
December 15, 2015
Dear Fellow Employees,
Travel is one of the best privileges of working at an airline. As the largest airline in the world with the best network, it's an even more compelling benefit at American. It's our goal to have the best travel program in the business, and each year we review our travel program and compare it to our peers to make sure that statement remains true.
In 2016, once all the necessary system updates can be programmed, we are excited to announce that non-rev travel for both main and premium cabins will be free of charge.
Here's how it will work:
Employees, eligible retirees and your eligible dependents (spouse, domestic partner, registered companion and kids) will enjoy Main Cabin, Business and First Class travel at no charge. If the seats are available, you will be in them.
Just like some popular credit cards, there's no annual fee! Some carriers waive premium upgrade fees yet require eligible travelers to pay an annual fee for their travel benefits. That's not the case here. American's program is ALL free of charge, NO fee travel. Note: Some taxes when traveling internationally will still apply; they're required by certain countries and airports, and are out of any airline's control. Similarly, under IRS rules, an employee is subject to imputed income for travel by domestic partners or registered companions.
As you might expect, we're excited to bring these changes online and begin putting them to use. And although we can't implement them system-wise January 1, 2016, we anticipate we'll be able to have them up and running by June 1, 2016.
We are the world's largest airline, and we're building the best team in the business by offering the best travel program in the business. Watch for more information in the year ahead. In the meantime, if you're traveling over the next several weeks, be sure to thank a frontline colleague. It's a stressful time of the year for many travelers and our team is doing a fantastic job of taking care of them as they make their way home for the holidays.
Loral
Boarding priority Same code for everyone Old American code Old US Airways Code
Vacation pass travelers D1 D1 SD1V
Active employees (mainline and wholly owned) and eligible travelers
D2 D2R SD2E
Retirees (including TWA)/former employees with travel privileges and eligible travelers D2R D2R SD2R
Parents D2P D2P SD2P
Active non-wholly owned regional employees and their eligible dependents AAC AAC N/A
Guest pass travelers D3 D3 SD3G
oneworld personal travel ONE ONE ON1E
Other airline company business travel D4 D4 SD40
Routine interline personal travel ZED ZED ZE1D
Does "boarding" mean getting on the airplane or the issuing of a boarding pass?
Non-revenue "boarding" priority means the order in which non-revenue travelers are issued a boarding pass or accommodated on a flight. The priority is determined by a combination of your travel/pass classification and the time that you check in for your flight. In all cases, revenue customers will be accommodated before non-revenue travelers.
Do my parents board at my priority or a different priority?
If your parents (the two registered in NRTP) are traveling with you, they travel at your priority (D2 or D2R). If they are traveling without you, they travel at D2P, behind vacation passes (D1), active and retired employees and their eligible travelers (D2/D2R).
Do my guest pass (D3) travelers board at my priority or a different priority?
All guest Pass travelers board at D3 priority whether they are traveling with or without you.
Did the boarding priority for non-wholly owned regionals change?
Yes, we launched a change to our non-wholly owned regional travel program Sept. 1. Here’s how it works:
Boarding priority on own metal: Non-wholly owned employees and their accompanying eligible travelers will always have the highest boarding priority on their own metal. So, for example, a SkyWest employee will board before all other non-revenue travelers on SkyWest-operated flights (including mainline D1 travelers). As such, these travelers will be cleared out of order - which can be a little confusing to other non-revenue travelers.
Boarding priority on other metal: Non-wholly owned employees and their eligible travelers will be accommodated before guest passes (D3) when traveling on all other metal. That means priority AAC will fall after D1, D2, D2R and D2P travelers, but ahead of D3.
Do people with connecting flights have a higher boarding priority?
Yes. You'll still board at your same priority at your connecting city, but will automatically be listed as a "through passenger" for that flight.
And if you're connecting to an American flight from another airline, you can show your inbound boarding pass to an agent at your connecting city to be placed on the standby list as a "through-passenger."
If I check in for a 3:00 p.m. flight and don't get on, will I be rolled over to the next flight ahead in boarding priority of other employees that originally checked in for the 5:00 p.m. flight?
The standby list will be integrated by time of check-in. If you checked in 24 hours in advance and are traveling on the same metal, then yes, you would be ahead of someone who checked in later for their flight.
In this example, if both employees checked in 24 hours before departure, you (originally on the 3:00 p.m. flight) would keep your earlier check-in time, and would go in front of those checked in for the later flight.
this info is from retiree.aa.com
What is a (D2R)
You are currently an active AA employee with 35 years seniority and plan to retire. Your non-revenue status is D2.
When you retire, you become a D2R which places you in a lower stand-by category when travelling.
ALL (Pilots , Flight Attendants
& Supervisors & Agents , Fleet Service Clerks)
will be come D2R's