Non-rev travel is the best job perk in the world. How can you not love the ability to jump on a flight whenever your airline has an open seat available? Surely it would take years to visit every destination that your airline flies to, but you might eventually feel limited by your own network.
Fear not, fellow nonrev! Today, we dive into the world of ZED travel where your standby privileges extend to other airlines besides your own (some that you have never even heard of before).
What is ZED travel?
ZED, short for Zonal Employee Discount, is a set of agreements between hundreds of partner airlines that allow their employees to book discounted plane tickets on each other’s aircraft.
Put simply, an airline employee (and sometimes their guests) can buy discounted tickets on another airline as long as the two airlines have a ZED agreement in place.
ZED ticket fares are broken into three fare buckets (Low, Medium, and High) to determine how large the discount will be. Depending on the agreements your airline has in place, these ZED tickets can be either standby or positive-space seating. For most U.S.-based airline employees, you can expect your ZED tickets to be NRSA only.
Why should you look for ZED fares?
So now that you know what ZED fares are, it is important to understand why you may need to utilize this type of ticket when traveling.
There are two main reasons why a non-rev might elect to book a ZED ticket on another airline:
- The airport they are heading to/from is not served by their own airline so they need to fly on a different airline to reach their destination
- The airport they are heading to/from does not have any open seats on their own airline so they need to fly on a different airline to secure a seat
My very first ZED flight was a fifth-freedom flight from SCL to EZE on Air Canada while I was hopping around South America on a wine-tasting trip. I have also had the pleasure of flying legs on Iberia & Alaska to visit airports that I couldn’t get to on my own airline. US-based non-revs can take solace in the fact that many international airlines don’t oversell their flights, so open seats can be easier to come by.
No matter how large your airline’s route map is, ZED travel opens up a world of new possibilities for non-rev travelers.
Which airlines have ZED agreements?
As of January 2021, ZED MIBA reported a total of 222 member companies (with an additional 37 partial partners) in their network. Virtually every large- & mid-size airline around the world is connected by some sort of ZED agreement.
It is important to remember that being a member airline is just the first step. As an employee (or non-rev passrider), you will also need to confirm whether or not your airline has a bilateral agreement in place with any other airline you are considering flying with.
For example: Frontier Airlines has a very unique set of established agreements when compared with airlines like Southwest or American. A Frontier employee will have very different ZED options in their portal when compared with the airlines available to a Southwest employee.
Your airline should have a section in the employee site that clearly spells out which airlines are bookable in your ZED portal.
Where can I book ZED tickets?
Every airline has a different process for employees who want to book ZED fares. There is no one-size-fits-all solution here.
MyIDTravel is one of the most popular tools that airlines use for their ZED agreements. Many airlines still use this portal to allow their employees to buy ZED tickets. This is the service that my airline uses to support leisure travel on other airlines.
ID90Travel, a service that provides interline discounts to airline employees, recently added a ZED flight listing tool to their own app. A smaller number of airlines currently have agreements in place with this app, but it has a nicer interface (and more accurate flight load data) than myIDTravel.
Check your airline’s ZED travel policies to understand which website(s) are available to you.
How do I know if there will be an available seat on my ZED flight?
Both MyIDTravel & ID90Travel display recent load factor information. This helps users determine the likelihood of getting a space-available seat assignment.
Each of these portals displays the information in different ways. Here is a quick breakdown to help you better understand the information shared:
MyIDTravel
MyIDTravel, the most prevalent booking portal for ZED ticketing, uses a smiley face system to rate how open or full a flight is:
- Happy Green Face: flight loads are wide open
- Serious Yellow Face: there are some seats available
- Sad Red Face: there are little to no seats available
However, MyIDTravel’s smiley system is notoriously clunky. The good news is the site also allows you to see how many seats are available in each fare bucket.
In general, airline fare classes fall under the following categories that you can see in the MyIDTravel screenshot below:
- Economy: Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S, N, Q, O
- Business: J, C, D, I, Z
- First: F, R, A
In practice, most ZED travelers are really only worried about the bolded “Y” fare. Y is the industry standard for economy/coach class tickets. Since most ZED agreements default to space-available bookings in economy, the number of seats available in Y should give you an idea of if there are open seats.
Using this Iberia flight as an example, I can see that this LHR-MAD flight has at least 9 seats available in economy. MyIDTravel never plugs a double-digit number in this field, so we can interpret “Y9” to mean “there are 9+ seats available in economy class”.
MyIDTravel does not show users the standby list for each flight, but I would feel confident that I would get a seat assignment on this Iberia flight based on this screenshot.
ID90Travel
ID90Travel uses a different approach with their app-based interface. Instead of giving you a peek into the number of seats available by fare class, their app provides an estimated range of available seats in economy.
The below example shows a United ORD-IAH flight that has “5% or fewer [seats] available” in economy class. ID90Travel also provides a link to show you the Stand-by List (although I have never found this feature to populate data).
How much do ZED tickets cost?
The ZED agreement negotiated between your airline & the airline you want to fly determines the price you will pay for your ticket. ZED pricing is split into three fare tiers: low, medium, and high. ZED Low fare is your cheapest option and is often reserved for alliance/strategic airline partners.
Additionally, ZED tickets are priced by segment. A nonstop JFK-MAD ticket is cheaper than a JFK-MAD routing with a DUB layover (assuming both tickets are priced within the same ZED fare bucket).
After taking the ZED fare bucket, the airline’s base fare & any taxes/fees (like those imposed by governments or airports) determine your ticket price. For reference, a one-way ZED Medium ticket from the west coast of the US to Europe currently costs no more than $200.
Seasoned non-rev travelers may know that there is open proposal to update the ZED ticketing buckets with 2 new “super” fare classes:
- Super Low Fare: 25% less than ZED Low fare
- Super High Fare: 125%-250% cost of MT fare (increases on a scale of flight segment length)
These ZED fares were proposed in early 2021, so keep an eye out on these in the future.
How do I travel once I have purchased a ZED ticket?
Because every airline has unique ticketing & listing policies, it is important to look up the latest info on http://www.flyzed.info/ each time you want to travel. In addition to the FlyZED site (which is updated by individual airlines), your own employee portal may have airline-specific guidelines as well.
In my experience, getting ticketed is just the first step. Making your actual flight listing may require an online (or in-person) check-in process. Here are a few examples from my ZED travel adventures:
- Iberia (MAD-GRX): I booked my ZED ticket through MyIDTravel and presented my e-ticket number to the IB ticket counter in Madrid where I was immediately assigned a confirmed boarding pass.
- Alaska Airlines (SJC-DAL): I booked my ZED ticket through MyIDTravel and checked in at the ticket counter to receive my standby boarding pass.
- Air Canada (SCL-EZE): I booked my ZED ticket through MyIDTravel and presented my e-ticket number to the AC ticket counter in Santiago where I was handed a standby boarding pass.
Make sure to read your ticketing airline’s directions carefully so you don’t miss a step!
Final Thoughts on ZED Travel
ZED travel is an amazing way to expand your non-rev possibilities. Whether you want to travel to an international destination that isn’t in your airline’s network or just need an alternative route because your own flight filled up, ZED travel gives non-revs a ton of flexibility.
Learning your own airline’s rules & policies can take some time, so it’s no wonder that ZED travel is intimidating. Don’t let that discourage you from trying! If you need additional help, the airline’s ticket counter staff are a wonderful resource. Just make sure to announce that you are an airline employee who wants to list on a ZED fare so they know exactly what you need!
Have you flown on a ZED fare before? Let us know what tips & tricks you have for fellow airline employees who want to take their first ZED flight!
As you mentioned on MyIDTravel in case it displats “Y9” there 9+ seats available….would this be the same logic used for Business Class Zed tickets as well?
Exactly right! For business class, you will want to check the J fare class. “J9” would indicate that there are at least 9 open seats in business class.
do you happen to know what XC means through southwest?
Pingback: Non-rev Destinations: A Weekend Guide to Visiting Amsterdam (AMS)
Which zed airlines offer business or first class listings?
It depends on what agreements your airline has signed other other carriers, so it will vary for a lot of people. That said, we have heard plenty of stories of nonrevs getting upgraded by crew after boarding!
If there are business open seats can you ask for that seat or do you just go where the ticket agent places you?
how about Southwest X9? 9+ seats?
Hey Scott at SWA the X class of service is our non-revenue class. Like a companion pass ticket in which someone just pays the taxes.
If there is an option on ID90 to list for 1st class and coach can you list for both and get a refund on the one you don’t use?
i am American airline employee, booked ticket on Turkish airline through myIDTravel. It says no listing required on Turkish Airline, first come first serve on the day of travel at Turkish airline counter at the airport. When I showed my ticket Turkish employee told me there is no information in their computer. I showed them my booking on myIDtravel but still they could not found it. Later they handover to their supervisor and he printed my boarding pass.
On the way back at Istanbul I faced same problem and after talked to many related people they said they don’t have any information. I have to come back so I bought full price ticked at the airport.
I called american airlines and they told me my booking is good and it is in AA system, while Turkish airlines said there is nothing.
Do you have any idea why it happened and how to solve this problem in future.
This one is easy. Sabre does not generate a pnr in the unique TK CRS. Once you have your ticket issued , all you need is the ticket number. In Istanbul there is a special counter for staff travel.In smaller airports approach the more knowledgeable staff at the business class counter.
Once you give them the ticket number ,
The agent builds the TK pnr right there and issues the boarding pass.That is why there is no listing with TK and the PNR used to issue your AA 001 ticket is a ghost PNR which does not generate a PNR with TK. Good luck next time!
Pingback: Should you apply for the Capital One Venture X credit card? (2022 update)
Hello, I would like to know the actual costs an airline has to pay to be part of myID service and how they can be part of it.
The current company I work for has no such agreement and I wondered how they could apply.
Thank you
For 1 st coupon -no seats, i bought a tkt for this segm. Can i use 2 nd coupon with OK status of 1 st coupon? Thank You
What ZED fare should I purchase for standby on premium economy on LX. I checked the availability and there is only few business class seats left but plenty premium economy seats are available. Should I purchase ZED business or should I purchase ZED economy?
Hi there. What is the best way to handle exceeding baggage weight limits with ZED? I am flying DFW-EZE-AEP-PSS with AA on the international and AR on the intra-Argentina flight. My 2 bags will not meet the 1 bag 33 pound request. Any help to forego a huge fee?
Hi could you advise if you can raise a baggage claim on a ZED fare my bags went to DFW and we weren’t able to board the flight due to loads ! AA are refusing the claim as a ZED fare but we didn’t get bags for 3 days so stuck in LAS with no luggage and needed essential items? Any advice would be great thanks !
Hi. I’m an IATA member airline retired person. Does any airlines gives zed ticket for employees children.
OK Thanks
Southwest X9 what does this mean?
Can my children, age 19-22, travel by themselves on a ZED fare?
Hi, I am retired from an airline . I have a question. I have a son age us 23 years old. I could get ZED ticket from other airlines for my son . But this year because of get 23 years old his rights finished. My question is if my single brother or sister has rights to get ticket from other airlines without any age of limitation. Why my son not rights to have ZED ticket. It doesn’t make sence . And is there any airlines give ticket over 23 years old son or daughter. If you answer my question I’ll be appreciated.
question regarding proposed change to zed fare buckets. I’m with ua and present we have zl with several carriers that allow us to purchase business zed fares at a higher rate. Would those rates dramatically increase under the 2 bucket proposal?
Hello, I am allowed to book ticket in business class. Would I get refund of fare difference if I end up travelling in economy due to lack of availability?
Is Philippine airline standby policy first come per serve?
If we have purchased a Zed standby ticket, but don’t make the flight due to loads, is it possible to be refunded the ZED fare? (DL employee looking to Zed on UA out of Munich)
Yes! You should always get a refund for a ZED fare that you were unable to fly on due to flight loads.
Can we expect ZED fares to increase once the new 2 tiered system. I’m with UA and they said the ZED fare purchasing system would be down Oct 19-20 while they update it.
How do you cancel a Zed fare on ID Travel with KLM ?
Did anyone figure out the XC code on Southwest?
Hello, I will be flying ZED on China airlines from LAX to TPE. There are no coach seats open but plenty in economy Plus. Will they allow me to sit in economy plus or will they just not board me and fly the trip with empty seats in economy plus. What do airline normally do in these cases would be helpful hint as to what they will do.
Thanks
Art Anderson
I am interested in traveling on Ethiopian Airlines. Next to seats available there is an N. I have also noticed on Turkish next to seats available there is an R. No other information is available. Does anyone have an explanation?
I am looking into flying via ID90 on AA from PHL to PLS. There are two non-stop flights 2 hours apart (0830 & 1030). If I list for the 0830 flight and it is full, can the ticket agent slip my pass to the 1030 flight? Or do I have to purchase two tickets and later seek a refund for the flight I did not take? Thank you.
I am retired staff with ZED ticket try to travel from DAC to DFW on QR but at ck-in counter DAC could not find my ticket number and finally bought full fare ticket. I don’t know what happened at DAC Airport. My outbound DFW-DAC on QR without any issue.
Hello, does anyone know how does the reservable ZED tickets work? Are you still on sby or do you get a full reserve. Thanks.
does the employee always need to travel in order for the companion partner or parents to fly? Or they the employee just get a ticket for them without employee flying.
Thank you
The answer to this will vary from airline to airline. For example, my parents can fly ZED without me being with them.
Does anyone know what happens to a ZED fare if you book it, pay for it and then you end up leaving your airline? Do you lose the ZED booking?
Thanks;
Peter
If the flight is full will the agent roll the ZED non-rev ticket holder over to the next available flight or does this require a separate ticket for the next flight. Thanks
When traveling on Zed tickets what is my boarding priority code when using Silver Airways??? I am an AA employee traveling with spouse and children.
You’re right about TK……..PNR is worthless to them, but ticket number makes it all happen.
Question……….their N followed by a number is always BOLD and their Y followed by a number (usually 9) is always un-BOLD. EX: Y9 N3 (BOLD). Which one is the more reliable number? In fact N is always BOLD on every myidtravel inquiry and always has a 1,2,3 number despite green smiley face, Thanks.
When we tried to fly to Honolulu from LAX we had trouble getting on the flights because they were all booked up, and all the nonrev were taken! Each flight had only one seat available, and my partner was not going to leave me (while pregnant), and I wasn’t going to leave him, since he needed me to book the flights for us (That’s what I call love, folks). Three days of waiting in an airport and I finally reached out my company’s travel expert who gave us this beauty of a trick: fly to a less popular destination on, and try an airline with bigger planes. So, we booked a flight through Hawaiian to Maui and took an island hopper to Honolulu. So, sometimes the quickest way to your destination is going to a different location first.
This is a great tip! Always keep an eye out for other airlines or airports if the nonstop flights don’t look good. Stringing together a standby trip on multiple airlines can be intimidating, but ZED agreements can offer you exponentially more options to get to/from your destination.
Hola ! puede volar un acompañante solo con los boletos Zed ?
Hello, how can I fly with ZED with my husband and his service dog? He has a medical condition, that requires him to have SVAN, will this be an issue withing ZED ?
I always wonder which airline does the upgrade for interlines. Is there such list. I have checked with my own airline (canadian airline) and none of that is existent. any 3rd party website such as this?
Whether or not you can get upgraded during interline travel will often depend on your specific airline’s agreement with each OAL. I wish I had a better answer, but your best bet is to check your airline’s policies.
Before how many days of travel, can I make the zed fare ticket. Suppose I make now for after 20 days and by that time the gets full. would the airline give me seat
Hello! Regardless of how far in advance you book your ZED far ticket, seats won’t be assigned to anyone on the standby priority list until the day of the flight.
Hi, I was checking Turkish ticket from HKG to IST, the loading page is an orange face and shows Y9, N0.
In the Zed agreement i read TK economy class is N, so does it means it give no seat to ID travel even the flight is not full? Or I can still get the seat if the flight if the flight really not full?
Thanks a lot
Both Y & N are economy fare classes, so my guess is that you would receive a seat assignment on that flight (assuming no other changes) even if the N bucket happened to be full.
can i book zed once at the gate?
Have any having issue in booking flight on TK thru myidportal…. they keep rejecting my CC saying “Name Or Surname” mismatch
Is there a limited number times you can use ZED fares/interline?
How do you purchase a Zed Fare on Qatar. It is on the list of Zed airlines, but says you have to purchase a ticket for your flight first. Is there anywhere to get clarification.
Pingback: Want to work for an airline? Here are 29 airline job portals
Interline Staff Travel Agreement – where can I get latest version. The last one I saw was 2019
Question: in Interline Staff Travel Agreement (ISTA) did definition of a retiree recently changed?
2016 ISTA version says: Retiree – a former Employee of a Member or its SAF who has retired from permanent full-time or part-time service under the retirement program of that Member or its SAF. It does not have any details on retirement program restrictions.
Hi, how far in advance can I purchase a zed fare? Is 6 or 8 months too far?
Hello I have ZED tickets for me and my buddy with IBERIA, but I can’t really make the flight. Can my Body still travel without me? or is she going to be denied because I am a no Show?
We will by flying into LHR on DL from the US, and plan on a ZED flight on BA, out the same day. Can we purchase ZED tickets prior to our departure from the US and print out standby boarding passes that allow us to go directly to our connecting terminal without having to go through ticketing?
I see you and others mentioned “positive space” ZED tickets as a possibility, but no agreements mention positive space. I’m with a major airline- MyIDTravel has a selection for “R2 Standby” or “Bookable”. Is bookable mean positive space. It leads to an empty page. Has anyone actually booked a discount positive space ticket on another airline, and if so, was it worth it?
When flying ZED how to they prioritize seat assignments? who bought first, checked in first? Or my company hire date?
what happens if you book zed fares in economy but there is no seat left. do i get upgraded to business there is 7 seats left? currently on the emirates flight from DXB to HAN, J7 and O2
AA says zed fare travel to and from Cuba is restricted. Does that mean banned.?