Beginning this year, Buddy Pass riders must be accompanied by the employee or a member of his/her pass rider list in order to be seated in the Delta One cabin. This is one of several updates Delta is planning around its pass travel program in 2018.
The Delta One Buddy Pass changes are scheduled to take place in late May 2018. Employees should inform any Buddy Pass riders making travel plans beyond May that Delta One seating is no longer available without accompaniment. As of April 16, there will be an interactive video on TravelNet to educate pass holders on the change. An update will be posted on Deltanet when the change is about to take effect.
This change will help to protect the company's substantial investment in premium Delta One products and services, and minimize revenue dilution. It will also reduce complaints and confusion from Buddy Pass travelers who are unfamiliar with behavior expectations and company policies when traveling in Delta One.
Additional program updates will be implemented over the remainder of this year. They include:
A new mobile TravelNet app, which will offer a much-improved user experience closer to that found on delta.com.
A requirement for employees to pre-register Buddy Pass riders and pass-eligible dependents with some form of personally identifiable information.
A requirement for payroll deduction (rather than a credit card payment) to be used for the purchase of both Buddy Pass and non-dependent travel.
Additional information about this change and future changes may be found on the HR Travel page on Deltanet.
