One of the benefits of working for the passenger airlines in the U.S.—and some cargo carriers—is the ability to travel as a “nonrevenue passenger,” or “nonrev.” Over my 19 years of working for three airlines, my wife and I have been avid nonrevs and traveled to more than 60 countries on 27 major airlines from five continents.
Over the years, I have found newcomers to the industry often misunderstand the scope of their travel benefits, their employers frequently put little effort into educating them, and their older coworkers frequently and rather cynically denounce the usefulness of nonrev benefits.
