Fabio

I am supposed to arrive with AF at terminal 2D at 17:45 with handluggage only (no checked-in bags). Assuming that the incoming flight is on time I have two options with two different open stand-by tickets to Johannesburg:

1) with South African at 19:10 from terminal 1 (1hr 25 min transit time)

2) With AF at 19:45 from terminal 2F (2 hrs transit time)

I can get full refund for the unused ticket.

Which option would you choose ?

Do I have enough time to walk from 2D to 1 doing security checks and gate check in in 1 hr and 25 mins? or better to go straight from 2D to 2F for AF ?

SA has actually more seats available than AF.
My concern is that if I try SA and then I do not make it on time, then it is also too late to go back to 2F for Air France, but if I go straight to 2F it might be that there are no more seats !!

I really do not know what to do !!

rkkwan

Definitely stick with AF.

But are you not buying a ticket in advance? You are going to just show up to buy a CDG-JNB ticket at one of the counters?

Patty

I think Fabio is an airline employee (nonrev).

rkkwan

Ha, I think I just shouldn't answer questions when I don't even understand what the question is!

If he's non-reving, then why does he say "I can get full refund for the unused ticket"?

But from what he says about more seats on SA, etc, then yeah it does look like he's non-reving.

In that case, all it matters is inventory and whether he can get on. And I have no information to provide.

Patty

Don't nonrevs have to pay something minimal when not flying their own airline? I had a friend who works for VS visit recently and she showed me a spreadsheet of the tickets she had for that trip and it listed the costs. She had more than one for certain routes where she wasn't sure which flights she could get on. I'm guessing whatever she didn't end up using, she got refunded when she returned home.

Fabio

thank you for your replies !

yes I am an airline employee but never flown with AF or SA through CDG !!

With our minimal revenue stand-by tickets I have to show up at check-in, then have to wait until all revenue passengers have been boarded, then the gate staff split the remaining seats among airline employees !
So we are accepted or not just a few minutes before the aircraft leaves the parking position !!

I know these rules well but my concern was for the transit times, walking from one gate to another, pass control etc..
If I go to AF and do not get deats then it is too late for SA, and viceversa !!

Once my boss told me: no risk no fun !!!

Fabio

rkkwan

as airline employee we are called nonrev passengers but it is not completely correct.
Formerly we used to pay the 10% of the lowest airfare (90% discount). Since more than 10 years we have a fixed zone employee discount with different fares for each segment according to the flown distance on each segment. We have to add the cost of each single flight and the total sum is the price of the ticket. It is still very good, but definitely not free and on stand-by basis, with a few exceptions once a year (booked) !!

By the way I just recalled AF and SA. The AF flight is full now. I will then try SA first ! If the incoming flight is on time I should make it !!
As I am leaving today I will now cross fingers !!

thanks you all again !!

fabio

Fabio

Patty

I have to pay a low minimal even on my own airline, which today is fully booked.
Only one time a year I can get a free ticket !
I exactly did the same as your friend !
More tickets for different airlines to/from the same destination and then we ask refund for the non used ones !!

rkkwan

I see. Thanks for the info. As you can tell from my replies, I really know little about "non-revs" things.

Anyways, there's the new CDGVAL train which you'll take from the CDG2 RER/TGV/VAL station over to T1. Will only take a few minutes.

Patty

Good luck, Fabio! Have a great trip.

Fabio

Patty, rkkwan

Tahnk you all !!
Just come back today !
I made it with SA at 19:10.
Yes there is this new shuttle train CDGVAL connecting terminal 2 to 3 and 1 with 2 more stops at parking areas and all in less than 10 minutes. The departure point is located between 2D and 2F.
Thanks' God we only had handluggage !
We arrived at the SA check-in counter at 18:05. Staff was there but no queueing passengers !
One of the ladies told me: "you are a bit late... we are closing the flight in 5 minutes .. "
I told her that my incoming flight to terminal 2 was late and that I could still count on these last 5 minutes !!
She smiled and gave us our two seats !!

Patty

Great to hear! Looking forward to your report on the Africa forum.