putting a kid on stand by flights

[bonkers101]

What is the name of your state?texas

Are there any stipulations on putting a child on a stand by flight? Ex has remarried a lady in the airlines industry and has benefits.

We live 250 miles apart and right now meet halfway first third and fifth driving, but he has made many comments about wanting me to put our son on a flight to go to dads.

I jsut don't get it - the airport is 45 minutes away, by the time I get through security and everything, then if my son doesn't get on a stand by flight I have to wait for another one? I could drive the halfway mark in two and a half hours tops, i just don't see why we should go though all the trouble. And son is only 7.

They have tried to go places (together) on three occasions and missed out on flights every time, so it must be pretty difficult to get a stand by seat. Why put a kid through that when he could hang with mom for two hours then dad for two hours in the car?

 

[stealth2]

Call the airline. It would surprise me if they would allow a UM to fly on standby.

 

[trustknow1]

Every airline has their own rules for unescorted minors (traveling alone). Here is a general idea of what you will run into:

http://www.vacationshop.com/specialnews/childalone.htm

If your ex's wife is in the airline industry, she may have "benefits",(until the airline files bankruptcy..lol), but your son may not qualify as immediate family for her discounts, so she is suggesting the "stand-by" routine hoping you think it is a string she is pulling. It isn't, anybody can do that (if you want to spend your visitation time running between gates at DFW). Add in the UM problem and you will have a real horror story to put in your diary. Even if it is just DFW to Houston.

I used to do 100k/yr as a road warrior...nothing at an airport goes down smoothly except the cocktails. Call the airline, call your ex, and don't throw away your roadmap....

 

[stealth2]

Actually, airline personnel (or those they give them to) using flight bennies usually do have to fly standby.

 

[Zephyr]

Every airline has their own rules for unescorted minors (traveling alone). Here is a general idea of what you will run into:

http://www.vacationshop.com/specialnews/childalone.htm

If your ex's wife is in the airline industry, she may have "benefits",(until the airline files bankruptcy..lol), but your son may not qualify as immediate family for her discounts, so she is suggesting the "stand-by" routine hoping you think it is a string she is pulling. It isn't, anybody can do that (if you want to spend your visitation time running between gates at DFW). Add in the UM problem and you will have a real horror story to put in your diary. Even if it is just DFW to Houston.

I used to do 100k/yr as a road warrior...nothing at an airport goes down smoothly except the cocktails. Call the airline, call your ex, and don't throw away your roadmap....

the benefit part comes in when she only has to pay taxes on the retail value of the ticket, so her actual ticket is free, that's the benefit

 

[Flnative]

No airline

Will allow a minor to fly standby unless there is an adult with them. Every airline offers a stewardess or airline representative to escort a minor child, usually charging the ticket buyer extra for it. Even with a stewardess escorting the child they cannot fly standby. It has to be a parent or guardian flying with the child.

Even if the child does not qualify for the free airfare (which she does) the airline employee can buy her ticket and use one of her buddy passes and still pay substantially less than normal fare.

It cost me 50 dollars each way to fly from Florida to Texas using a buddy pass.
Also they are all standby so if you get to the airport and all of a sudden they get a group that comes in and buys all the tickets then you are SOL ,you would have to wait for the next available flight.

 

[bonkers101]

thanks all, I am actually mom and it is our son. Ex's new wife is in the industry.

Appreciate the info, I don't like the idea of him flying stand by and it is quite ridiculous - it is only DFW to Houston, a nice drive actually, silly to go through the hassle and I don't think either parent and child should go through missed flights, having to wait, it is usually on holidays that he wants me to fly him and those flights are usually overbooked. Finding a stand by flight over Christmas break woudl be a nightmare. A purchased ticket I wouldn't have a problem with.

 

[Zephyr]

thanks all, I am actually mom and it is our son. Ex's new wife is in the industry.

Appreciate the info, I don't like the idea of him flying stand by and it is quite ridiculous - it is only DFW to Houston, a nice drive actually, silly to go through the hassle and I don't think either parent and child should go through missed flights, having to wait, it is usually on holidays that he wants me to fly him and those flights are usually overbooked. Finding a stand by flight over Christmas break woudl be a nightmare. A purchased ticket I wouldn't have a problem with.

well that may be the better option, splitting the cost of tickets, transfer gets done much quicker....

 

[CJane]

Could this also turn into a 'denied visitation' issue? If the kid is supposed to fly standby and y'all are waiting around the airport for the plane that has room for him, and you lose a drop off day... whose fault is that?

 

[casa]

thanks all, I am actually mom and it is our son. Ex's new wife is in the industry.

Appreciate the info, I don't like the idea of him flying stand by and it is quite ridiculous - it is only DFW to Houston, a nice drive actually, silly to go through the hassle and I don't think either parent and child should go through missed flights, having to wait, it is usually on holidays that he wants me to fly him and those flights are usually overbooked. Finding a stand by flight over Christmas break woudl be a nightmare. A purchased ticket I wouldn't have a problem with.

Stepmom can fly herself and one family member - stepkids count...so why doesn't she fly out, pick up the kid and return (no 'stand by'). This is how we do it with a family member who works for the airline. It's worth a suggestion~ Save the cost of paying for a chaperone/escort for the child. (which will just be another employee on the flight anyway).

 

[jslopez711]

DFW to IAH?

I used to travel from PHX to HOU until I moved here to TX. I bought my tickets in bulk almost. A sale would come up and I would gobble about 5 or 6 tickets to come see my child. I did this for almost three (3) years. It saves a great deal of money. Yeah, the initial buy in is rought but from DFW to IAH you can fly AmericaWest, and if you go from LUV to HOU you can fly Southwest (these guys are best because of their frequent flyer program, every now and again you get two credits each way if you book on line. You only need 16 credits for a free ticket) Those two airlines are pretty competative in pricing. In advance, you can get those tickets as cheap as $76 round trip tax included, and that is good for your kid, and safer. It is also cheaper than gas at times, not to mention time.

I also used to work with an airline when I lived in Las Vegas. The trick to flying stand-by is taking the VERY FIRST flight out to your destination.

 

[bonkers101]

good idea casa I'll bring that up, we have mediation tomorrow.

As it is now with gas prices when they are up it takes a full two tanks a weekend to meet halfway so that is roughly $75.00 a weekend - $150.00 or more a month plus meals etc and time...half the child support or more goes to gas!

Don't know about the denied visitation thing, but if I am doing anything in my power to get my kiddo on a flight i couldn't see it being my fault especailly when I am totally for meeting halfway driving. Two options there and if it didn't work out with flights I would hope it wouldn't be considered denied visitation because dad didn't want to drive and requested flights instead.

Then what happens if they can't get the flight back when son is supposed to be back? It would go both ways, he would not be following a court order if he didn't have him back for school on Monday, while I'm sitting there waiting for a call saying yes or no on if they happened to get on a flight or not so I can rush to the airport to pick him up. It just doesn't work well with stand by. Can be quite the mess and I would rather not have to deal with the what ifs and what could happens...

I think they can only fly american with her benefits - dfw to iah so that cuts down the options on flights

 

[trustknow1]

Stepmom can fly herself and one family member - stepkids count...so why doesn't she fly out, pick up the kid and return (no 'stand by'). This is how we do it with a family member who works for the airline. It's worth a suggestion~ Save the cost of paying for a chaperone/escort for the child. (which will just be another employee on the flight anyway).

I agree with you, casa. My partners (married couple in Vegas) (she was Am West emp) used to do this version alot to transport their daughter (and mine) around the country during racing season. It was great. And really Cheap!!!

 

[jslopez711]

Over 100 miles visitation

good idea casa I'll bring that up, we have mediation tomorrow.

As it is now with gas prices when they are up it takes a full two tanks a weekend to meet halfway so that is roughly $75.00 a weekend - $150.00 or more a month plus meals etc and time...half the child support or more goes to gas!

Don't know about the denied visitation thing, but if I am doing anything in my power to get my kiddo on a flight i couldn't see it being my fault especailly when I am totally for meeting halfway driving. Two options there and if it didn't work out with flights I would hope it wouldn't be considered denied visitation because dad didn't want to drive and requested flights instead.

Then what happens if they can't get the flight back when son is supposed to be back? It would go both ways, he would not be following a court order if he didn't have him back for school on Monday, while I'm sitting there waiting for a call saying yes or no on if they happened to get on a flight or not so I can rush to the airport to pick him up. It just doesn't work well with stand by. Can be quite the mess and I would rather not have to deal with the what ifs and what could happens...

I think they can only fly american with her benefits - dfw to iah so that cuts down the options on flights

I'm making the assumption that you created the distance b/w father and son simply because you guys meet half way and are still under the 1st, 3rd and 5th weekend.
Have you and your ex discussed the Over 100 Miles visitation deal? Seems to me that you guys are on the road a lot, and I know, I spend a lot of time on the road.