Welcome to the part you'll actually return to. The rest of the series was for reading; this is for using: the scripts for writing to the right office in the right tone, the reference tables for thirty-second lookups, and the checklists in their printable, fold-into-your-passport form. Dog-ear freely.
Looking for the terminology instead? That's the non-rev glossary.
Scripts & templates
The right words, for the right office, in the right tone. Adapt freely; the tone is the template.
1. ZED / unused ticket refund request
Usually done via the platform's refund button — this is for when it isn't, or when it stalls. See the refund mechanics.
Subject: Refund request - unused ticket [e-ticket number] Hello, I'm requesting a refund of a fully unused staff ticket: - E-ticket number: [number] - Traveler: [name] - Flight(s): [flight numbers, dates, routing] - Booked via: [myIDTravel / other] The ticket was not used ["I did not travel" / "I was not accommodated from the standby list and the reservation has been released"]. All check-ins have been cancelled/cleared. Please confirm the refund can be processed, or let me know if anything further is needed. Thank you, [Name, employing airline, staff number]
The load-bearing sentence is the check-in one — remember, the system only refunds a fully released ticket.
2. Downgrade fare-difference claim
Paid for business, flew economy.
Subject: Fare difference claim - downgrade on [flight, date] Good morning, I traveled on a staff ticket booked in business class and was accommodated in economy: - E-ticket number: [number] - Flight: [number, date, routing] - Booked cabin: Business (fare paid: [amount]) - Flown cabin: Economy Per the applicable staff travel rules, I'd like to request a refund of the fare difference between the business and economy staff fares for this sector. Thank you, [Name, employing airline, staff number]
3. The buddy pass briefing
Send this to anyone you give a pass to — it's your reputation in their inbox.
Before your trip, five things about how this actually works: 1. You might not get on. At all. For days. This is standby - you board only if seats are left after everyone else. Never plan anything unmissable around these flights, and have money for a hotel or a real ticket if it goes wrong. 2. Dress neat casual - think "nice restaurant," not "beach." No flip-flops, no gym wear, no ripped anything. If in doubt, dress up a notch. 3. At the gate: invisible and polite. Check in, tell the agent you're there if needed, then sit down. Never ask for favors, never argue, never hover. If you don't get on: "thank you," and we regroup. 4. Onboard: easiest passenger on the plane. Take the seat you're given, go very easy on the bar (ideally: don't), smile at the crew. 5. You're traveling as me. Everything you do at that gate lands on my record and can cost me these benefits permanently. Fly like it. Send me a message at every stage and I'll help you read the situation. Have a great trip!
4. Asking the community about loads
The FlyStandby or forum question that actually gets answered.
Dear XYZ AIRLINE, Could someone provide loads per class for flight YY123 LAX - JFK on 12th July. Thank you in advance!
Specific flight, specific date, seats needed.
Check the loads before you commit to the airport
FlyStandby asks verified crew what the cabin actually looks like on the flight you are considering, so you decide from numbers rather than hope.
See how load requests workQuick-reference tables
Typical priority hierarchy (generic)
Where full priority ladders exist, they usually resemble this — but the warning applies: not every airline runs a ladder at all. Verify your own airline's system and every OAL carrier's handling before relying on any of it. The priority post explains why the variation is so wide.
| Tier | Who | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Company business / positive space | Confirmed; not playing your game |
| Tier 2 | Emergency / bereavement travel | Elevated priority or positive space |
| Tier 3 | Employees on confirmed staff fares - incl. waitlisted | Waitlist clears before any standby |
| Tier 4 | Employees, personal travel (own airline) | Ordered by seniority or check-in time - know which |
| Tier 5 | Retirees | Sometimes merged with tier 4 |
| Tier 6 | Eligible family traveling alone | Same or one notch below the employee - varies |
| Tier 7 | Interline / ZED travelers (OAL) | Often a separate pool, often check-in order |
| Tier 8 | Buddy passes | The bottom; a lottery ticket on busy days |
The tiebreaker systems
| System | Who wins within a tier | Your winning behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Seniority | Longest-serving employee | Flight selection - pick flights your rank clears |
| Check-in / listing time | Earliest check-in (see your SEQ) | The alarm clock - list/check in the moment windows open |
| First-come-first-served (no ladder) | Earliest check-in, everyone | Same - and your home seniority means nothing here |
Fare bucket cheat sheet
The full decoder is in the myIDTravel post — this is the pocket version. Letters vary by airline; the pattern-reading rules don't.
| Cabin | Typical letters | Read it as |
|---|---|---|
| First | F, A, P | Where it still exists |
| Business | J, C, D, Z, I | J/C = full fare; I often awards/upgrades |
| Premium Economy | W, then airline-specific | Heavily carrier-dependent |
| Economy | Y, B, M, H, then K, L, Q, V, S, N... | Y = full fare; further from Y = cheaper |
The three questions: How healthy are Y and J? How deep into the cheap letters is availability open? Any cabin showing zeros across the board? And the arithmetic rule: within a cabin, the highest number is roughly the seats actually for sale (capped at 9). Buckets don't add up.
Trip risk assessment (the golden rule, as a table)
| Factor | Lower risk | Higher risk |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Many flights/day, multiple airlines | Once daily or less, single carrier |
| Route type | Hub-to-hub trunk | Thin leisure / island route |
| Day & season | Tue/Wed/Sat, shoulder season | Fri/Sun evenings, school holidays |
| Traffic mix | Business (no-shows exist) | Leisure (everyone shows) |
| Seats needed | 1 | Family of 4+ |
| Stranding cost | Train home exists | Ocean in the way |
| Trip anchor | "Whenever we get there" | Wedding, cruise, exam - buy the ticket |
International standby: the document pitfall list
The international traps, in checkable form. Run this for the planned routing and every plausible backup branch — improvised reroutes are where documents fail. The problem-solving post covers what happens when one of these bites.
Passport — Valid 6+ months beyond the trip? Blank pages remaining? Boring is the standard.
Visas — For the destination and every connection country on every plausible routing? Transit rules checked even for airside connections? (They vary — sixty seconds per country, non-negotiable on new branches.)
Electronic authorizations (ESTA/eTA family) — Held and current for every country in your realistic network, before spontaneity strikes? They're cheap, last years, and process "usually fast" — which is not a planning word.
Onward/return ticket proof — Does the destination require it, and how hard is it enforced at check-in? Standby documentation printed? For strict countries: refundable confirmed onward fare, cheap bus/ferry ticket out — something an agent can point to?
Employee ID (employee travelers) — On you, always. Plus proof of employment where the agreement table asks for it.
The meta-rule — Every reroute is a new country list. Re-run this list, in miniature, at the gate, before flying the clever new branch.
The printable checklists
Print, fold, pocket. (Or keep them where your plans live; the point is available at a noisy gate with 4% battery.)