Do Flight Attendants Get Free Flights? Experts Weigh In

When it comes to job hunting, many employment seekers aren't only looking at salary — they're seeking benefits, too. For most people, that means things like health insurance, PTO, and retirement funds. But if you work for an airline, it also means travel perks. So, if you've ever wondered whether or not flight attendants get free flights, the answer is yes — mostly — with some caveats.

"At a given airline, all employees receive more or less the same flight benefits," says airline pilot Patrick Smith of AskThePilot.com. "Normally, an employee and his or her immediate family members, partners, and/or a designated companion are entitled to complimentary space-available travel." Retired airline employees might also be eligible for such benefits, depending on how long they worked for the company.

Such employees (or retirees) who fly on their benefits are known as non-revs. "Non-rev is shoptalk shorthand for non-revenue, as the airline makes little or no income from your patronage," Smith explains.

Depending on the airline, however, non-revs may have to pay certain fees in order to fly for "free," whether that's a per-segment charge or an annual fee. Sometimes, upgrading to first or business class might incur additional charges, too, but the specifics are different for every airline. And airline employees are still responsible for paying the taxes on each flight.

But there is a catch to non-revving, and it all revolves around that "space-available" descriptor. Airline employees only fly for free (or close to free) on standby, which means they can only fill seats that are empty.

"If there are three empty seats and 20 standby employees, 17 will get bumped, and they will all look for another flight, any flight, with empty seats," says Sue Fogwell, a retired United flight attendant. "Sometimes, employees have to be creative in getting to where they want to go. We're all used to getting bumped from flights and getting stuck — sometimes for days — at a destination."

As for the order in which non-revs end up on the standby list, it's the same situation as passengers on complimentary upgrade lists: There's a hierarchy. "Each active and retired employee has a boarding status code, and boarding is based on seniority," says Fogwell. "Active employees have a better boarding priority than a retired employee. As an example, a retired pilot with 30 years of service will board after a new active employee with six months of service who works in ramp or an office."

Pilots and flight attendants, however, do have a bit of an edge over other airline employees when flying standby — they can fly in jump seats. "Pilots may ride in one of the auxiliary cockpit seats, while flight attendants can ride in one of the unused fold-down cabin seats," says Smith. "Neither are comfortable, but it’s a useful benefit if you’re in a pinch."

Ultimately, flying non-rev is a stressful game that's part strategy (i.e. looking for flights that aren't fully booked) and part chance, requiring careful planning, a healthy degree of flexibility, and plenty of patience. "Try not to be jealous. None of this is as fabulous as it sounds," says Smith. "Non-revs are often conspicuous at the boarding gate — they're the ones sweating, looking nervous, and occasionally weeping."

If an airline employee doesn't want to play the standby game, though, many airlines do offer discounts on airfare. "We can get discounted tickets on French Bee flights and on airlines French Bee has staff travel partnerships with," shares French Bee flight attendant Matt Seynave. And that's still a good perk in itself.

Plus, if you're friends with an airline employee, you may be able to benefit from travel perks, too. "Most airlines also grant a limited number of reduced-rate tickets each year, commonly called 'buddy passes,' that can be given out to friends or extended family," says Smith. "These tend to be considerably more expensive than the passes used by employees themselves, and are subject to numerous restrictions." 

But hey, a discount is a discount.