Non-Rev Traveler's Guide: Making Flexible Plans for Standby Travel

Non-revenue travel offers some incredible benefits, but also has its drawbacks — namely, the uncertainty of not having a confirmed seat.

In this post, we’ll break down how to “plan in advance” when you can’t plan in advance.

Non-revenue travel offers incredible benefits, but it comes with its obvious drawbacks. The most evident is that you can’t book most things in advance. Well, you technically can book whatever want in advance, but you do so at the risk of not being able to make your reservation if your desired flight and departure date doesn’t have availability. When Matt and I travel, our usual MO is to book nothing until we have a confirmed seat on the plane. Priceline is definitely our best friend!

Many hot-ticket attractions and popular restaurants book up days, weeks, even months in advance. As a non-rev traveler, sometimes we have to embrace the reality of not getting to do the “popular” attractions in a given city and opt for non-ticketed sights instead. However, there are strategies you can employ to ensure you don’t have to miss out on something you really want to do. Read on to get our tips for navigating reservations in the world of non-confirmed travel.

The Challenge of Booking Popular Attractions

Popular attractions often require advance booking due to high demand. These include:

• Concerts & Sporting Events

• Museums & Monuments

• Fine Dining

• Experiences Discovered via Social Media

In today's reality of YouTube and Instagram, seemingly random experiences can explode in popularity (flying dress photo shoots in Santorini, I’m looking at you…).

Sights such as the Louvre in Paris, the Academia in Florence, the Vatican in Rome, the Alhambra in Spain, and theme parks often book up weeks or months in advance, especially during peak travel times. Traveling during off-peak times can help, but even then, you can encounter hurdles. When we traveled to Italy in April 2023, most of the museums in Florence and Rome were already sold out—and we thought April was off-peak!

Strategies for Navigating Popular Attractions as a Non-Revenue Traveler

1. Major Events:

If it’s a major event like a concert or a highly-anticipated sporting event, don’t non-rev. Buy the plane ticket or use airline miles. For instance, I considered purchasing a Taylor Swift Eras Tour ticket overseas due to substantially lower prices, but the elevated cost of hotels and scarcity of open flight seats deterred me. For any ticket that costs more than a hundred dollars, I generally won’t gamble on a non-confirmed seat. Events like the Olympics or FIFA World Cup? Definitely pay for positive space.

2. Museums and Monuments:

Research ahead of time to learn what the most popular sights are and how far in advance they need to be reserved. For instance, weekend dates at a popular swimming hole in my home state of Texas fill up months in advance. 

If you wanted to visit the Alhambra in Spain, you’d need to know that tickets can sell out on average 29 days in advance. Here are a few options for navigating situations like these as a non-revenue traveler:

• Option 1: Book tickets toward the end of your planned vacation dates. Plan non-refundable experiences for a few days after your expected arrival. This way, if it takes a few days for plane seats to open up, you have buffer days. Keep your plans flexible and be prepared to forfeit the cost of those tickets if necessary. Research refund policies to see if rescheduling is an option.

• Option 2: Consider a skip-the-line tour. Cheaper, self-guided tickets sell out quickly, but skip-the-line or guided tour options – though more expensive – often have availability. Plus, you get the benefit of a more VIP experience. For example, lines to buy tickets to enter the Vatican can be long (like two hours), and Rome is HOT in the summer. A skip-the-line ticket ensures expedited entry and includes a tour guide who will help you gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the architecture and artworks.

Tips for Restaurant Reservations

Steak course at Magellan’s Restaurant in Tokyo DisneySEA.

If you love to travel, you also probably enjoy fine dining and trying new cuisines. One of the benefits of traveling to places like Europe is the abundance of Michelin-star restaurants to experience—but sometimes other restaurants become popular overnight due to a viral Instagram post or being featured on a TV show (like this restaurant in Bari, Italy).

Similar to popular attractions, if there’s a particular restaurant that books up days or weeks in advance, I’ll make the reservation several days out from when we plan to arrive in the country. I wanted to experience afternoon tea at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, which requires booking with a credit card so they can charge you if you cancel at the last minute. We booked our afternoon tea reservation for three days after our estimated arrival in Scotland to give us some wiggle room in case travel plans went awry. 

Conclusion

Non-revenue travel requires a mix of flexibility, advance planning, and sometimes, accepting that you won’t see every popular attraction or dine at every desired restaurant. By strategically reserving major events, researching marquee attractions and restaurants, and considering skip-the-line tours, you can maximize your travel experiences without confirmed tickets. Remember to stay adaptable and view any forfeited costs as part of the trade-off for free airfare. Happy travels!