The Ultimate Non-Rev Travel Survival Guide

Have you seen the standby list in July? If you have, then you completely understand the stress and crazy things passengers go through at this time of the year. Non-Rev travel in the summer is not for the weak! You need a solid backup plan, good weather, and hopefully—an extra tablespoon of patience.

Non-revving can be chaotic, and that’s okay! It has taught us the value of patience and flexibility.  Plus, our loved ones always get a thrilling sense of adventure out of it! 

In this episode, we are sharing our ultimate Survival Guide for Non-Rev flyers. Here are the 15 most important travel tips you need to survive the summer fiasco!

For new merch, practical travel advice, and more aviation gossip, join the Galley Gang!

Episode Highlights:

[0:00] Welcome to Episode #36!
[1:16] Drew & union duties
[2:32] Rich & crazy people 
[5:45] Non-rev & standby
[6:34] Tip #1: You need StaffTraveler!
[8:50] Chaotic summer travel experiences
[11:27] Tip #2: Stay flexible
[12:23] Tip #3: Avoid peak travel times
[13:15] Tip #4: First flight only
[13:54] Tip #5:Backup plans are essential
[15:07] Tip #6: Get ready for connecting flights
[17:06] Tip #7: Small baggage is queen
[17:49] Tip #8: Pack for every scenario
[19:17] Tip #9: Dress comfortable
[20:37] Tip #10: Monitor flights constantly
[22:09] Tip #11: Be nice to the crew!
[23:23] Tip #12: A backup ticket
[25:20] Tip #13: Extra time on both ends of your trip
[27:19] Tip #14: International standby
[29:02] Tip #15: The art of airport survival
[30:59] We’ve got to love non-rev trips
[31:35] A tarot reading inflight?

Transcript

Welcome to Episode #36!

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Have a plan. Have a plan for your plan. Have a plan B, a plan C, a plan D, a plan E, a plan F, a plan Fox truck. If you've listened to our alphabet episode, I had a suitcase with like a bum wheel. You sure did. I was pissed. Because you were like ready to run through these airports.

SPEAKER_02 0:18

And I was like, oh the gate agent was like, I've got two seats. And I was like, we'll take them. And my mom was like, where are we going? And I was like, does it matter?

SPEAKER_01 0:27

But I'm still gonna pack my bathing suit and a ball gown. Oh, for sure. And maybe a boa. I don't know. What kind of event are we going to? Let's just say non-rev travel is not for the week. Trying to do it in the summer, well, be prepared to enter battle because things are gonna get a little hectic. Uh, today we're talking about our best tips and tricks as two flight attendants who've actually purchased airline tickets maybe once in the last decade, maybe twice, but for the most part, we stick to the non-read travel and we think we're getting pretty good at it. We sure try. We sure try. Andrew,

Drew & union duties

SPEAKER_01 1:16

how's flying been this week?

SPEAKER_02 1:18

Um, good. Uh, no complaints. Um, it's been a pretty mild uh couple weeks. I honestly I haven't been flying a lot for work um because I've been doing a lot of like my side work uh recently. So um pretty I've only been flying like two days at a time instead of like five or six days at a time, and you know that makes Andrew a way happier place.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

Way happier. I love you said side work, like you have some shady side hustle.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

No, I think it's a known thing that I'm a union activist. Uh we do two guys on a plane things. Like I have like 76 full-time jobs and I um pretend like I fly. I mean, I do. I fly over a hundred hours a month and then do all of these other things on top of it, but the union stuff has kept me traveling um outside of like actual flying.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

I feel like there's always this gripe among flight attendants that union leaders and officers don't fly. And I'm like, most of them fly a lot, and you'd be surprised how much they're flying because they want to help you and be real flight attendants.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Yeah, it's really hard to speak on things if you're not on an airplane knowing what's really going on. But yeah, that's mine.

SPEAKER_01 2:31

How's

Rich & crazy people

SPEAKER_01 2:32

flying been for you? Flying with me, and I feel like this is becoming a recurring theme for me, so like forgive me for this, has been good, but I've been flying with some crazy people. I can deal with a lot of passenger behavior, but when things start going down in the galley, it's where I draw the line. Listen, I flew with this guy, he was the eyebrows. It's the eyebrow racist, homophobic, misogynistic, just all the bad things that you could be. And I was like, There are quarterly trainings about sexual harassment and things like this because of people like you. You were the reason. And he was just miserable to fly with. We were doing like a very much a short haul, like hour-long flight. Yeah. And we're finished service, we have like maybe 10 minutes before we have to prepare for landing. And he goes, I'm just fed up. And he goes and he takes his shoes off. Oh no. In the galley, no, again, not even on a long flight, like there's no justification for this. And he kicks his shoes off, uh uh, opens up a beverage cart, uh uh, one of the more empty ones. Not that that makes it better, stuck his feet into the cart, like this, no, and he goes, I think I'm just gonna put my feet up for a while. And I was like, A while? Our flight time is like an hour and three minutes. What is wrong with people? So many things. He didn't pick up trash, he barely set up the carts, he didn't close a single bin. One of just the laziest, grossest people I've ever met.

SPEAKER_02 4:24

I hate these days for you. It was can you all stop doing this to Rich? He comes home in such a bad mood. I and You should stop making me have to deal with that merge. Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

It's gotten to the point where I'm like, Am I the problem? Like, am I the crazy one? He took his shoes off. You were not the problem. Thank you. Thank you. But speaking of taking your shoes off and the crazy things that we deal with, summer flying is here. Yay, it's chaotic as ever. Passengers are off their rocker, per ush, peruge, and you and I are trying to non-riv places everywhere, and we thought, what better topic for the podcast than for us to talk about flying in the summer as non-rev travelers, flying standby, and all the tips and tricks that we've learned over the years, because this is not for the faint of heart. Um, if you can avoid non-riving in the summer, highly recommend it. But if you're gonna brave the battle, come on a journey with us. We've got we've got some tips for you.

SPEAKER_02 5:25

I want to say that I'm good at it, and I am gonna tell you that I'm really good at it, and I'm gonna give you some good advice on how to do it. But my husband will tell you that we get to the airport and I'm an anxious, nervous mess, and I pop off on everyone. And that's me at summer travel. Same.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

Before we

Non-rev & standby

SPEAKER_01 5:45

get started, mom, if you're listening, non-rev and standby are two terms that we use often in the aviation industry. But it non-revs are passengers that are traveling as non-revenue passengers, and we are using our flight benefits, whether you're an airline employee or have someone's benefits. Um, that's how you're traveling. And you're flying standby, which of course means you're not confirmed on a flight. You may or may not get a seat, but that's just the nature of the game. It's the nature of the beast. Um, so this episode is going to be pretty much part survival guide, part therapy session. Um, flight loads are often full in the summer, weather delays cause disruptions. Standby lists can be unpredictable and even a little unreliable. But we have some tips and tricks for you.

Tip #1: You need StaffTraveler!

SPEAKER_01 6:34

And our first and most important tip is to download Staff Traveler.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

Please immediately go right now. Stafttraveler.com slash two guys t w o G U I S.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

Exactly. Um, and download the app. It is free. It is the number one non-rev app. It changes the way you travel. Yes, they sponsor our show, but I promise you we will never promote anything on our podcasts or our socials that we do not 110% believe in. And Staff Traveler was created by a crew member, four crew members, four employees. We're traveling on standby benefits, and they keep making things better. Just recently, they changed the whole way you can search, you can do multi-stops, you can kind of look at you know what your best outcomes are, you can look at backup options. There's so much flexibility, two-stop routes, interline routes, connections, nearby airport range. Like they have added so much to this app. Wow. Where it's like impossible not to have a good time using this app. They've made it so much easier to travel. Like, aside from having flight loads and all this stuff, it's so comprehensive now. It's not even funny.

SPEAKER_02 7:46

Like, you know, the multi-airport thing has to be a game changer, particularly for us, because that's what we use it for. Exactly. Not just for loads, but we use it for routing and multi-airport airports close by within a radius. Uh, that would make travel like out of unknown cities so much easier. Yeah. You don't always know what your options are, which is what I love about Staff Traveler. They have rooted us out of some pickle of a situation.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Exactly. And it's like there's so many cities where there's multiple airports you can find. New York, you've got three, Philly, you've kind of got Newark, you've got, you know, um, there's Atlantic City. There's a couple like little airports. London, you have Heathrow and Gatwick, Paris, you've got Charles Seagal, and you've got the other one that I'm flanking on. Is that where Oslo is? That's Norway. Oh. Um, but you've got different options everywhere, and it's really nice to be able to see the full picture of like, oh, if I just get in this quick train ride, I might be fine. So game changer at stafftraveler.com slash two guys, you will not be disappointed.

SPEAKER_02 8:48

Love it. All right. So

Chaotic summer travel experiences

SPEAKER_02 8:50

before we get heavy into the episode, do you have like a summer travel story of what gone wrong? Gone good.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Um, I feel like coming back from Croatia was probably our worst summer travel chaotic experience. It really was. It was a gamble. We didn't know if we were getting out of Croatia. We didn't know which city in Europe we were connecting to, but we knew we couldn't go from Croatia to Philadelphia. Directly, we'd have to connect to Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt. And it was like this gamble. And I feel like we just kind of we used to have traveler.

SPEAKER_02 9:26

We used to have traveler, but we barely snuck out.

SPEAKER_01 9:33

And we made it through Frankfurt. Yeah. But that was kind of the most chaotic. What about you?

SPEAKER_02 9:39

You know, that probably was one of the international wise. That was one of the uh most gamble that we took. Um, but truthfully, like last week getting home from Chicago, because like thunderstorms were rolling in, you're trying to figure out which airline the flight that you're listed and have been cleared for has been delayed five hours. So then you're like in staff traveler trying to figure out what other airlines you can use. Is anyone going on time? Or do they have seats if they are going on time? No, it works to my benefit because the one I was listed for got delayed for three hours, and then um I ran to another airline and it got delayed for four hours, and then I ran to another airline. I mean, if you're gonna do summer travel, you have to stay nimble and you have to be in shoes that you can run in.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

Shoes that you can run in is a must.

SPEAKER_02 10:29

I mean, I was all over O'Hare, I was in every concourse of O'Hare like three days ago.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

I think it was Frankfurt that you and I were in, where speaking of shoes and like making yourself like easier to move, I had a suitcase with like a bum wheel. You sure did. I was pissed because you were like ready to run through these airports, and I was like, oh, I was so mad, and I'm not gonna name the brand, but I was not pleased with you that day. Um, because my wheel gave out and I I mean you can't help that.

SPEAKER_02 11:02

It gave out on the way over, it wasn't broken before. We were traveling somewhere to get we were leaving, I think, Barcelona to get to, and we were walking through the airport, and we had already gone halfway, and we're just like, my suitcase is not working anymore.

SPEAKER_01 11:15

I was ready to fall on like office space. If you've seen it when they like attack the printer with a baseball bat, I was ready to do that with my suitcase. So invest in a quality suitcase. But um,

Tip #2: Stay flexible

SPEAKER_01 11:27

what's tip number two?

SPEAKER_02 11:28

Tip number two is flexibility is everything. And I think I just mentioned that. Like you just you just have to be ready to like pivot and change plans. With flexibility, it's not just the airline that you're taking. I think whether you're taking nonstop or connecting, like you have to be open to all of the ideas. Yeah, because at the end of the day, sometimes just getting out of the city that you're in is more important than getting to your final destination. Because once things start backing up, it's days before you can get out.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

You might be going further in the opposite direction, but like if it means getting out and getting home, yeah, you gotta do it.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

We've talked about this before. When I used to commute, one of my favorite routes to get home was from Charlotte to Vegas and Vegas to Nashville because I mean it you left late and got late, so you were still able to like get home before midnight, but it was the wildest routing for no reason. A seatsa seat. A seatsa seat and home is home.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Uh tip number

Tip #3: Avoid peak travel times

SPEAKER_01 12:23

three, avoid peak travel times. This is so important, especially in the summer. You've got like 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day. You've got a bunch of different holidays and weekends and like specific days that people are traveling. Try to avoid those. Like, don't fly on the weekends, don't fly on the holiday weekend. Like weeks, you know, midweek travel is always going to be your best friend. Um, it's so important to kind of look at the calendar and be like, what could be causing this day's flight loads to be insane?

SPEAKER_02 12:53

But this is the hardest one to actually avoid because your family is going to plan the big 4th of July thing that you want to go to or the holiday thing that you want to be a part of. And so weekend and holiday travel is really hard to avoid. So buckle in.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

And that's why taking tip number four is the most important.

Tip #4: First flight only

SPEAKER_02 13:15

Uh, take the first flight of the day.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

Take the first flight of the day.

SPEAKER_02 13:18

Always, always take the first flight of the day.

SPEAKER_01 13:21

This has always been our best trip tip for non-reving because as much as it sucks to get up for that four or five a.m. departure, that is the time when people are sleeping in, missing alarms, getting stuck in traffic, something went wrong.

SPEAKER_02 13:37

Misjudged the security line that just opened 20 minutes ago. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Like this is your best bet for getting on a flight. So I don't care if you were out until midnight, you rally and get your ass on that first flight because that is your best bet for getting somewhere. Uh, number

Tip #5:Backup plans are essential

SPEAKER_01 13:54

five, always have backup plans. This is kind of the underlying message for this whole episode, I feel like, is have a plan. Have a plan for your plan, have a plan B, a plan C, a plan D, a plan E, a plan F, a plan foxtrot. If you listen to our alphabet episode, but you know, think of other plans like use staff traveler, route explorer, like use those things to figure out where you're going, other times a day you can go, other cities you can connect through. You've always got to have a backup plan and have a backup emotional support plan, whether that's a snack in the airport or a husband you can lean on.

SPEAKER_02 14:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:34

Emotional support is just as important.

SPEAKER_02 14:36

And sometimes your backup plan is extending your vacation. At like we got in Frankfurt, we didn't know if we were gonna get out. And instead of like trying to like run around the airport and figure out another way to get back to America, our plan was to stay. We had one flight that we were gonna do. We knew we were tired, we knew we weren't in a mood to do it. Um, when we were leaving Croatia, we connected through Frankfurt, and our backup plan was to just stay and stay until we could figure out another way to get out.

SPEAKER_01 15:05

What's next?

SPEAKER_02 15:06

Uh, next

Tip #6: Get ready for connecting flights

SPEAKER_02 15:07

is don't get emotionally attached to non-stops. I knew it was in there. I knew we were coming on this tip. You have to be able to figure out how to route yourself around and take different uh flights uh to get where you need to go.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

It really is the best tip because you obviously want the nonstop, but like if it means connecting two or three times to get seats, you gotta do what you gotta do.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

Um, in addition to that, if you're traveling together, be willing to separate. I can't tell you the amount of times that we, Rich and I, have booked on direct flights and weren't able to get it. And we'll end up connecting through different cities and we'll get home at different times. But like, I I know not everyone loves to split up, but like you have if you're gonna non-rev, you have to be brave enough to split up. So it reminds me of one time I was non-reving with my mom and we were leaving Orlando and we were on the verge of splitting up because we were both trying to get back to Nashville and I don't know where we were going, but the gate agent was like, I've got two seats, and I was like, We'll take them. And my mom was like, Where are we going? And I was like, home at some point. And she like had no idea what flight we got on, she didn't know where we were going. Um, you know, Southwest does it like the through flights that like you stop somewhere, they'll ticket you from Orlando to Nashville, but you have to stop somewhere in the meantime. Detroit or something. We didn't know where the stop was, and my mom was like, Where are we going? And I was like, Does it matter? Turns out we were going to St. Louis, but it was a fun learning experience for my mom, and it made her so much more flexible in non-reving because she was like, Wait, where are we going?

SPEAKER_01 16:43

And I was like, home. Trying to get your parents or other travelers on your benefits to adjust to this lifestyle is a whole nother journey in itself.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

Oh, yeah. My dad doesn't do it, he hates doing it.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

My mom, my mom can't deal with the anxiety of it.

SPEAKER_02 16:58

My mom thinks it's just as much fun as I do, which I appreciate. Um, I love when she comes and flies.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

Uh, next

Tip #7: Small baggage is queen

SPEAKER_01 17:06

tip number seven never check a bag if you can avoid it. We've always been this way. I don't remember the last time I've checked a bag, to be honest. If I can get it all in a backpack, I will. If I can't, a small rollerboard is ideal, but I try to do as little baggage as possible because A, it's more to carry, and B, more likely for things to get lost or left behind, or leave it on a train, whatever the trip you're taking is. Like less is more.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

We love our ramp and gate agents so much, but it's just an added thing that they have to do. There's more tags and things get set to the side, and you you really want it on the plane with you, if you can. If you can. Uh, next

Tip #8: Pack for every scenario

SPEAKER_02 17:49

is pack like you're prepping for every scenario, um, which is hard when you're doing it in a rollerbag or backpack, but but I'm still gonna pack my bathing suit and a ball gown.

SPEAKER_01 18:02

Oh, for sure, and maybe a boa. I don't know. Like, what kind of event are we going to? You never know who you're gonna meet when you travel.

SPEAKER_02 18:08

You know, I do the opposite though. I pack the basics and buy the glamorous stuff when I get there. So, like I have shorts and t-shirts, and if for some reason I need a suit for dinner, I'm gonna go out and find that. Like, you there are a lot of options for packing small and making sure that you have stuff with you. There's lots of ways to do it.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

Definitely, but there are some essentials that you have to have with you every trip.

SPEAKER_02 18:33

Uh, you have to have a portable charger, you have to have snacks, snacks, a fan, a refillable water bottle. Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

Like, don't rely on your flight attendants for water, don't spend nine dollars on a water bottle in the airport. There's so many places with water filling stations these days. Um, your medications, extra underwear in your t-shirt just in case. Yeah. Toiletries.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

Toiletries. Hoodies are always a good idea.

SPEAKER_01 18:56

Airports and airplanes are always cold, at least if I'm in charge.

SPEAKER_02 19:00

I always tell people to dress for the travel, not the destination. You can take your sweatpants and hoodies off. You cannot put them back on if you decide to show up in like a tube top and short shorts. Not that I've ever traveled in a tube top and short shorts, but you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 19:15

Speaking of, the next

Tip #9: Dress comfortable

SPEAKER_01 19:17

tip is dress smart. Um, whether that's layering up or you know, dressing for the travel, not the destination. There's a way to do it where you're being comfortable, but you're also smart enough to like adapt to the different environments that you're going to deal with.

SPEAKER_02 19:33

People make fun of me all the time, but I think the athleisure brand was made for travel. Like the joggers and some of the like athleis like polos or hoodies or jackets, like they just elevate that comfortable casual travel so you're not in your pajamas. Uh, you don't need to travel in your pajamas. There's a variety of options to feel comfortable and cozy and warm and not be in a like what is that zip up one?

SPEAKER_01 20:01

Like a onesie? Yeah. Yeah. This is something I feel like Fabletics does really well, where they have some like upscale things like collared shirts and button-up pants and things like that, but you're still wearing something that's relatively comfortable while looking professional and stylish. It it's the best of both worlds. You don't have to wear your pajamas, but you don't have to wear like a three-piece suit. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 20:25

Also, Fabletics, if you're listening, shout out. Um we wear you everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

We love you, and we'd love for you to sponsor us.

SPEAKER_02 20:36

Uh monitor

Tip #10: Monitor flights constantly

SPEAKER_02 20:37

flights constantly, but don't be obsessive. Um, I do the constantly pretty well up until about 45 minutes before departure, and then it becomes completely obsessive because I don't understand why with 45 open seats you haven't cleared the 10 on reps. I don't understand. And now I'm trying to figure out what you see that I don't see that you have to hold me until the whole plane is boarded and I'm freaking out.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Yeah. I I this is something I've I've struggled to learn correctly, but you just you obsess over it and it's not helpful because the at the end of the day, a flight with 100 seats open, you're like, Great, I'm good, I'm good. All you need is one last minute cancellation of another flight nearby or at the same time or whatever for that flight to go completely haywire. So I I try to keep that in mind because I'm like, you know what? You're stressing yourself out by looking, or you're giving yourself a like a false sense of hope in thinking there's gonna be a thousand seats open. When if you just didn't look at this at all and surprise yourself with the airport, then you're ready with a clear mind to like pick out plan B.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

Um, and with that, and not being obsessive, a safety day really helps here. If you have a safety day for your travel, it really helps you not be obsessed.

SPEAKER_01 22:01

Yeah. Uh safety day is always important. I do think that's one of the other tips. Oh, never mind. No, it's okay. Um, and then the next

Tip #11: Be nice to the crew!

SPEAKER_01 22:09

tip we have is be nice to gate agents and flight attendants. This is really anyone you encounter because first of all, being a nice person is a good good idea. Um, but secondly, uh it could help you in your travels. These people could go out of their way and make your life easier, or make your life better, or make your journey smoother. Be nice to these people, it may come back to you, but you know, aside from it coming back to you, just be a good person because you should be a good person. Like it's that should be a simple thing.

SPEAKER_02 22:39

Yeah. I don't know. I'm always willing to help a gate agent or anyone do anything. I've offered to push wheelchairs down. I mean, selfishly it gets me on the airplane sooner, but like if you've got a list of like a row of like 75 wheelchairs, I'm going down there anyways. Can I help you push them down? Uh, you see agents at a podium that are completely overwhelmed. Like, I don't really know how to work their computer job, but can I help get this line in? Can I help put tags on things for you? Like, there's so many ways. I mean, other than like smiling and just being kind to people. We all know how this job works. There's so many ways you can offer to help because you're an employee somehow for somebody. Uh, next, uh,

Tip #12: A backup ticket

SPEAKER_02 23:23

know when to buy a backup ticket. We're terrible at this.

SPEAKER_01 23:28

We don't know when that that time is, but we do know this is a good tip.

SPEAKER_02 23:34

We do know this is a good tip. Although our Thailand experience, we just talked about this in our Thailand episode, um, which released a few months ago. But, anyways, um, we just recently went to Thailand and a snowstorm happened, and we just really had to finally break down and buy a ticket. Um, we tried several different routings, everything around us was canceling, and it just wasn't worth non-reving anymore because everything was full from like days of canceling because of a snowstorm.

SPEAKER_01 24:03

It also didn't help that we had to be there. Like we were hosting this trip, right? And so we knew you know we gotta bite the bullet and just buy the ticket at this point, or we're never gonna make it.

SPEAKER_02 24:14

I don't think we've ever panic bought though, like even in that like panic situation, we still tried to make like a smart decision about the ticket or the routing of the airplane and how we were getting to where we were going. Um, so even in what could have been a panic situation, I don't think we often panic by tickets.

SPEAKER_01 24:31

No. And like I said, the few or like you said, the few times we have bought tickets, there's been some sort of rational decision made behind it where it's like, okay, we need to accept our fate and that we need to get to where we need to go.

SPEAKER_02 24:44

Yeah. Um last year we did this whole European adventure. Uh um, and it was we uh used Staff Traveler to like look at routes and loads, um, and then uh weighed the uh price of uh purchasing Z fairs versus actual tickets, and it made more sense to like purchase tickets to the places we wanted to go versus non-reving, and it just made it so much calmer. Um, and we've never done that before. That was the very first time we've ever done that because we were very much standby people. Um, but it was a really nice way to vacation upgrade.

Tip #13: Extra time on both ends of your trip

SPEAKER_01 25:20

Uh next tip we have is plan extra time on both ends of your trailer. Where's the safety day? We've always we've always had this as part of our plan. Yeah, you've got to have a safety day on either end, at least depending on where you're going. You know, if you're traveling multiple time zones on a flight that takes 14, 16 hours, plan a couple days because you're gonna be jet-led, you're gonna have to go back to work, you're gonna have all these things. Always a smart idea to plan a couple days, especially if you're doing something more time-sensitive, like a cruise or you have a tour that you need to be at. Plan a few days and just plan on arriving early, best case scenario, bombing around the city a few days, exploring, adventuring, and whatnot.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

Although we're terrible at taking our own advice because we just went on a cruise recently, and my crew was stressed out because I was working the day before the cruise, and they were like, Why are you here? And I was like, I Oh really?

SPEAKER_01 26:13

Yes, everyone was so your crew was stressed out, yes, your husband was stressed out too, and yet you still did it.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

Yeah, I was working the day before the cruise, and my whole crew was stressed out. They were like, We don't understand why you're here. And I was like, it's fine, it'll be fine. There's plenty of seats tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01 26:33

And they were like, We did make it.

SPEAKER_02 26:35

We did, it was all fine, we had plenty of time, it all worked out just like it was supposed to. I didn't plan a safety day for the return to work either. Like, I needed to be on a very specific flight to get home in time to get to work, and it all worked.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

I just like it was literally scolded passengers for doing this because they'll take like a noon flight for like a 4 p.m. cruise. That was us, and I'm like, what is wrong with you? And then I went and did it, but I knew like if something went wrong, this was my fault. I was a hundred percent at fault. It was our fault, but we were gonna safety days are the best way to do it.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

Yes. Um, I could have saved my husband a lot of stress by not going to work the day before. Uh,

Tip #14: International standby

SPEAKER_02 27:19

international standby requires extra planning.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

It does. I mean, you've got to be aware of local restrictions, regulations, visas, anything that you might need in addition, and also the extra time that it takes to get to some of these destinations. You know, screenshot all of your information, have your hotel information ready. You're gonna have questions to be answered when you arrive in places like you need to Google all of that prior to your trip and have that all figured out.

SPEAKER_02 27:49

Um, and you need to have a little bit of a safety credit card too. Um, because if you're jumping between airlines, Zed fairs are not always cheap. Um, and if you don't have the ability or the room on your credit card to purchase Z fairs and cancel them, like they don't come back to you automatically. So you have to have a little bit of space to be able to purchase multiple sets of Zed fairs.

SPEAKER_01 28:12

It's really good because you never know when you have to buy a Zed fair. You're not necessarily gonna get that refund right away, but you need to cancel it and buy another one or buy another one, like whatever the unpredictability of standby travel gets you.

SPEAKER_02 28:26

And I only say that because of our Thailand experience and trying to come home. We did not think we were gonna get it on. The gate agents were like womp womp. And we were like, Oh, we bought new. But we're standby, so we're not gonna leave yet because there's still a chance. The airplane has not pushed off the gate yet. So we're gonna stay here and we're gonna wait as we're doing that. Rich is purchasing new Z fairs. The moment he pushed by, the gate agents are like, You got this one! And um, so it all worked out, but you have to have room to make to wait for those refunds to be um sent back to you.

Tip #15: The art of airport survival

SPEAKER_01 29:02

The last tip that we have tip number 15 is learn the art of airport survival. And I say this with nothing but love because over the years I have grown to love airports. Oh, me too. They have started to feel like home. I appreciate them for what they are. Um, but whether it's an airport lounge that might be helpful with a shower or a meal or a snack, oh my god, that's saved us. Shower access matters. We did that in Doha once. Game changer.

SPEAKER_02 29:28

Such a game changer.

SPEAKER_01 29:29

Um, searching out quiet gates, finding places in the airport that are a little less expensive to eat and get the necessities that you've got a Tom Hanks movie. Oh, the terminal.

SPEAKER_02 29:40

Yeah. Uh if you plan on non-reving, you should really watch the terminal to figure out how to live in an airport.

SPEAKER_01 29:46

Learn to live in an airport. That sounds like a whole nother episode, honestly. I'm here for it. We should, yes.

SPEAKER_02 29:52

But watch the terminal, learn to live in an airport and how to survive there for the rest of your life if you need to.

SPEAKER_01 29:58

Because sometimes airports end up being your hotel, you know, whether you just don't have the funds for a hotel or you need to figure out how to, you know, perch up in uh delay and wait it out.

SPEAKER_02 30:12

I'm not a lounge person, and I thought that idea in Doha was brilliant. I didn't even know that was a thing. I knew like minute suites existed, so you could grab a bed, but I didn't know showers existed. So when we got stuck, we missed our connection in Doha and we ended up having like an 18-hour layover. And I was like, there's no point in going to get a hotel for this amount of time. Right. Um, and Rich was like, we should just get lounge. Yeah, they have couches and showers. It was like $50. You got wine and food and showers and all the things. It was worth every penny. It was a good way to, and you could come in and out and do whatever you wanted to do. So went shopping, we went, got food, had a nap, had a shower. It's really, I mean, it was I I applaud you for it because I didn't know you could do this.

SPEAKER_01 30:56

Loved it. Uh, well, even

We’ve got to love non-rev trips

SPEAKER_01 30:59

with all of these amazing tips and tricks that we've learned over the years to make non-rev travel easier, sometimes it just doesn't work out. Sometimes you have to accept these trips are not they're cursed or whatever the case may be, and you kind of have to give up, and that's okay, but like this is the joy of what we all signed up for. Um, and at the end of the day, non-reving teaches you patience and adaptability and learn to love the sense of adventure of it all. I do. I do too. Honestly, I find this so much fun. And make sure that you are downloading Staff Traveler. Go to StaffTraveler.com

A tarot reading inflight?

SPEAKER_01 31:35

slash two guys. You will not be disappointed. This app will change everything for you. And make sure to join the Galley gang for more behind the scenes content, tips from us, and all sorts of amazing access to early new episodes and other discounts and deals and fun stuff. Um, before we go, should we do a quick galley gossip? We 100% should. For those of you that don't know, Galley Gossip is our favorite segment. It is when we get stories from our audience and we share your crazy stories from 35,000 feet, whether it's a passenger, crew member, or just something fun from your travels. Uh, we'd love to hear from you. Go to Galley, or nope, that's not fun. Go to two guys on a plane.com slash podcast, tap the link for galley gossip, and submit your story with us. Um, this story is from an anonymous person. Um, they said a passenger in the last row started offering free tarot card readings during the flight. At first, people thought it was fun, then she told one guy, your relationship is ending very soon. And his girlfriend sitting next to him immediately asked, What does that mean? Suddenly, half the row was involved in this whole man's story. People were turning around and listening to the argument like it was live dinner theater. By descent, two passengers had exchanged Instagram handles, connected with each other. One couple was fighting, and the tarot card reader was passing out business cards. It was a flight that I will never forget. I'm really mad they didn't include the flight routing. I don't know why I need to know the city pairing. I don't either. I'm gonna say Vegas was involved.

SPEAKER_02 33:11

I worked with a flight attendant once who read tarot cards and she like did it on the galley counter for all the other crew members. Um, but I I don't I didn't want cards read. I mean I fine because everyone knew it was just for fun, but nothing like this. No one was like, your relationship's ending soon, and someone was like, We're dying, like this next level. This seems chaotic because I need to know why the people's relationship was ending. Did it end?

SPEAKER_01 33:41

I do, I do feel like there's not enough details in the story. So once again, follow up with us and keep sending us your stories. Go to twoguys in a plane.com slash podcast, send us your stories. We can't wait to read them out loud here on the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 33:53

Also, we got new merch.

SPEAKER_01 33:55

We did get new merch.

SPEAKER_02 33:57

We have a new pillow for you. Aren't you all excited for our new pillow?

SPEAKER_01 34:01

Andrew's excited about new merch, and you should be too. Go to twoguysinaplane.com, tap the link to shop, and get yourself a behind the galley curtain pillow, t-shirt, tote bag, all the fun stuff. Um thank you for being part of our galley gang. We appreciate you so much.

SPEAKER_02 34:18

We'll see you next time for more humor, heart, and stories from our beverage cart.

SPEAKER_01 34:23

This episode was brought to you by Staff Traveler, the number one non rev app. If you travel on standby tickets and are looking to make your journey easy and stress free, check out the Staff Traveler app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Visit stafftraveler.comslash two guys to learn more and sign up.