Delta Airlines Buddy Pass is offered to Delta Airlines’ employees. This way employees have access to free standby flight tickets for domestic as well as international travel. The US-based carrier offers Delta buddy passes that employees can issue to friends and families every year. In other words, the buddy passes are the stand-by fares available at concessional prices.
Let’s deeply understand Delta Buddy Pass policy, how it works, the cost of applying for the airline-affiliated pass, and more.
What is a Delta Airlines Buddy Pass?
Delta Airlines buddy pass is the standby pass, and it is not a confirmed flight ticket. This means passengers who are flying on the buddy seats will only be able to travel if there are vacant seats after all passengers boarded the flight.
These Delta Buddy Passes do not let passengers book a seat on a plane.
The perks and privileges are not just limited to its members but they can extend to friends and family on flights and holiday packages at dirt cheap fare, and even in case for free.
How does Delta Buddy Pass Work?
To access the Delta Buddy pass, members must complete the Delta SkyMiles registration. Members above 18 years of age are eligible to access buddy passes.
You can earn a Delta SkyMiles reward and redeem it for the following services:
- Hotel Stays
- Delta flight upgrade
- Delta Vacations
- Transfer or gift miles to family/friends
- Exclusive events and local experiences
- Buying checked luggage
After the passenger is listed on the Delta Amex buddy pass, the airline agent will ask for the Record Locator/Booking Reference.
What does flying standby on Delta Buddy Pass mean?
The standby offered on the buddy pass is the low-priority standby pass. In other words, it is an open seat available for Delta Airlines employees, and family/friends of Delta’s employees.
To understand this, if the flight has space available it would be first offered to the eligible passengers. In the end, passengers with Delta employee buddy passes will get priority provided there are empty seats available.
Here’s how standby on Delta Buddy pass works as the priority would be given to the passengers in the following order –
- Pilots and Flight Attendants on official duty
- Delta Airlines employees and their immediate family members
- Retirees of Delta Airlines
- Friends traveling on the Delta buddy pass
Rules & Regs of Delta Buddy Pass
You must comply with these Delta Buddy Pass rules to get eligible to travel with Delta Airlines –
- As per Delta Buddy Pass policy, the airline issues standby passes for each direction. For instance, passengers who are flying from Chicago to New York via Charlotte one-way require 2 buddy passes, one from Chicago to Charlotte and another from Charlotte to New York.
- Passengers with buddy passes are put on the lowest priority on a standby list. In case the flight is full, you may be asked to wait for the next flight or may wait for 24 hours depending on the peak travel season.
- Delta buddy pass baggage allowance remains the same as other eligible passengers, depending on the class of service and travel route.
- Passengers traveling with buddy passes are not eligible to redeem to earn any Delta SkyMiles.
- With Delta buddy passes, passengers are not entitled to request seat selection. Eligible passengers who are traveling with kids may not be seated together.
- Passengers with Delta Buddy Pass may be denied travel or get their flight delayed by at least 24-48 hours during peak holiday seasons such as Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, or New Year’s Eve.
- When traveling on a Delta Airlines buddy pass, always choose a route that has multiple flights in a day. This is because there are high chance that you will not get a seat on the first flight of the day, and if you are a holder of the lowest priority standby pass you may be put on the next flight or may be on the last flight of the day.
- Delta Airlines online check-in is not permitted for buddy pass travelers.
- As per Delta buddy pass policy, flight cancellation or changes are not permitted for the concessional fares.
Also Read: Delta Airlines Name Change Policy
Final Thoughts
Delta Buddy Pass is accessible for travelers from all walks of life provided your friend or any immediate family members must be a Delta Airlines employee. The only benefit entitled under buddy pass is concessional fares where passengers are waived for the base fare, and are only required to pay taxes and fees.
With the buddy pass, passengers must note that they may be put on standby on any flight available in a day, or they may not be seated in their favorite spot on a plane, so you need to be flexible, and open-minded while traveling!
Frequently Asked Questions
Passengers cannot buy Delta buddy passes. Only airline employees and retirees are entitled to get the buddy pass to get a concession while traveling with Delta Airlines.
Yes, eligible passengers who can access Delta Airlines buddy passes are allowed to travel on any flight outside the US, provided the flight must be operated by Delta Airlines.
No. Any standby flight which gets confirmed is non-refundable and cannot be rescheduled.
No. Delta buddy pass is issued for each direction. For instance, passengers are traveling on a direct flight from Las Vegas to Houston round trip, in that case, they need 2 buddy passes.
Yes, Delta buddy passes are issued for each flight segment and are issued per passenger for single use.
Delta buddy pass is the terminology used for discounted tickets that airline employees are entitled to. This is issued to the employees yearly where employees use an in-house digital portal to manage and book their travel. This is not a confirmed flight ticket but a standby travel.
There is no relevant information available on the airline’s website regarding the number of Delta buddy passes issued to current or future retirees.
Delta buddy passes get kicked in after the employee completes 6 months of tenure with Delta Airlines. The number of buddy passes issued to employees is subject to Delta Airlines’ internal policies.
As per Delta Buddy Pass rules, this privilege program is meant for Delta Airlines’ employees, and cannot be purchased.
The standby confirmed tickets are entitled to get a similar baggage allowance as other passengers. For instance, passengers get free carry-on bags and checked baggage allowance depending on the class of service and the trip type.
The airline issued two types of Delta Airlines buddy passes – Fly Confirmed For Less and Fly Confirmed For Even Less. Fly Confirmed For Less offers a 20% discount on the adult base fare, and Fly Confirmed For Even Less accounts for a 40% rebate on the adult’s base fare.
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