FS7: Media Credentials

I have a CBS ID card from one of the shows I shoot for. Not too many problems using it - but results may vary depending on the airport / airline / personnel. It's best to bring a hard copy printout of the airline's media rate policy. And even then you may need to talk to a supervisor, who may or may not be available quickly. At times I've had the media rate negotiations take as long as a half hour. So if you're rushing to make that last flight, it may not happen the way you want.
 
Good advise carrying a printout of the airline policy. A lot of ticket agents don't know about the "media rate"(if their airline offers one). I've heard stories of supervisors having to be called and even supervisors supervisors, before someone actually knew about it.
 
There's been so much abuse of media rates by people who aren't media over the years that it seems like airlines are cracking down a bit. That, and their constant drive to squeeze a few more dollars out of every person who has to step into their planes...

Anyway, this is (or at least was) a useful collection of the media rates of US airlines, compiled by a San Fransisco area audio mixer. Looks like it was last updated Dec 2016... But still a useful resource:

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US Airline's Baggage Media Policies

Airlines' nebulous baggage policies pertaining to film & video crews are a fast moving target. This page attempts to consolidate all of the publicly available information in one place. I'll try to keep this information as up-to-date as possible, but please verify your airline's policies before traveling. Any personal notes or anecdotal information is noted in RED.
If you have any current information to add, please email me at mediabaggage@flyingwombat.com.

Thanks!

Louis
http://www.flyingwombat.com/us-airlines-media-baggage-policies.html
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Anyway, for me (since I'm not a staffer), my business card, business credit card, drivers license, and an assignment letter (if I have one) works. I don't always need to pull out the assignment letter, but it's good to have when I can.
 
As Jim has stated, it would appear to be a system ripe for abuse, I don't think we have this in Europe. I used to work for a big national broadcaster and I have never heard of it.
Anyhow everybody and his dog here would use it to save a few dollars/euros off their next airfare. Carry a small camera and claim to be professional media with a dubious bit of paperwork.
 
I made up a laminated photo ID card where the wording matched the "media rate" description in most airlines' policy statements. You'd think that arriving with 6-10 cases of gear and a biz card would be prima facie evidence of being in the media...:huh: But since I've gone to the laminated card, haven't had an issue.

A few old dinosaurs at the check in desk still think you have to be a CBS/NBC/ABC news person to get the rate, but the verbiage on most airlines' websites makes it pretty clear all you have to be is a commercial or film production entity to qualify.

A frequent issue is that most gate agents are familiar with a "media rate" but can have a really hard time finding it in their computer queues, so always allow for extra time checking in.

But as others have noted, not a bad idea to have a print out in your bag with the airlines policy, along with a printout of the most recent TSA/FAA rules on lithium batteries. And don't be bashful about asking for a supervisor if you get, as I did several years ago, a ticket agent who loudly proclaimed "I've been at United for 13 years, and they've NEVER had a media rate!" This, on about my 20th trip that year...all on United, with a media rate. Go figure.
 
Vultch said:
As Jim has stated, it would appear to be a system ripe for abuse, I don't think we have this in Europe. I used to work for a big national broadcaster and I have never heard of it.
Anyhow everybody and his dog here would use it to save a few dollars/euros off their next airfare. Carry a small camera and claim to be professional media with a dubious bit of paperwork.
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Of course the whole discount really only starts kicking in and paying off with the third piece of checked luggage per passenger. Because of increased charges for checking bags, I see very few normal travelers who check more than one bag per passenger - so this wouldn't help them. In fact, the times that I've found this most useful are those when only after arriving at a location do I discover that the producer (with whom I flew out) has decided to 'stay a couple of extra days and come back later' - meaning that I'm stuck with all the gear for the return flights.
 
captslomo said:
A few old dinosaurs at the check in desk still think you have to be a CBS/NBC/ABC news person to get the rate, but the verbiage on most airlines' websites makes it pretty clear all you have to be is a commercial or film production entity to qualify.
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This is what I ran into the only time I've tried to get the media rate, years ago. The agent said that it was only for staff employees for networks and stations and because I didn't have anything identifying me as such, I could not get the media rate. Considering I was billing any incurred expenses back to the client(which was a network), I didn't really fight it or care enough to fight it. And now I really don't care, because my main CC is an airline card and any purchases made with the airline means I get bonus miles on top of the normal purchase miles. And the client is going to be invoiced for any baggage charges anyway. So it's just free miles...
 
And when your client finds out you could have been getting them bags for $50 instead of $100-$250 each, but you didn't care, because they were paying for it?
 
captslomo said:
And when your client finds out you could have been getting them bags for $50 instead of $100-$250 each, but you didn't care, because they were paying for it?
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Really.. you think they care.. you ask at the desk.. they say no.. you pay...go get a coffee.. you have clients who check if you haggled at check in.. ?.. they check where you ate lunch.. :)
 
Run&Gun: It's both! But seriously, maybe your clients don't care how much it costs for you to travel. But I haven't had a trip in years, (pretty much since the days of just slipping the skycap a couple of $20s at the curb) where baggage fees for traveling with a lot of gear didn't become part of the trip planning. And as part of that, I let them know which airlines have the media rate and which don't. It's sometimes made the difference between me traveling for the shoot and the client hiring locally.

But my point was, what happens when you're not available for one of these client shoots, and the guy that goes in your place submits an invoice with dramatically lower baggage fees? In these days of bean counters calling so many of the shots, I'm not sure I'd be so blithe about not doing everything I could to help the client save money--and making sure they know about the savings.
 
Media Rates are such a crap shoot that unless a Producer is going to negotiate with the Airline ahead of time I don’t bother.
 
captslomo said:
Run&Gun: It's both! But seriously, maybe your clients don't care how much it costs for you to travel. But I haven't had a trip in years, (pretty much since the days of just slipping the skycap a couple of $20s at the curb) where baggage fees for traveling with a lot of gear didn't become part of the trip planning. And as part of that, I let them know which airlines have the media rate and which don't. It's sometimes made the difference between me traveling for the shoot and the client hiring locally.

But my point was, what happens when you're not available for one of these client shoots, and the guy that goes in your place submits an invoice with dramatically lower baggage fees? In these days of bean counters calling so many of the shots, I'm not sure I'd be so blithe about not doing everything I could to help the client save money--and making sure they know about the savings.
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First off, I find it odd how so many on here, for lack of a better term, seem to "side with the client" on so much, especially with there being less and less loyalty from clients and we are looked at as just replaceable cogs in the machine.

My story is from 17-18 years ago when baggage fees were still reasonable(and you usually got at least one or two bags for free) and nowhere near the ludicrous levels that airlines charge now. I also find it odd that the tone you take is as if I did something immoral, unethical or deceitful. You act as if I somehow stole money from the client. I did not make any extra money, nor have I ever, on billing back baggage overages, shipping charges or the like. I asked for the media rate and the agent that I was dealing with made the decision that I was not eligible for it. There was nothing else to do, but pay the normal rate. The client received a line item on the invoice for exactly what I paid and not one penny more.

I also do not fly with gear anymore. It is shipped ahead, generally via ground service, which is fairly inexpensive. I had to fly for a shoot about two months ago and we needed to ship at least five or six cases of equipment. The client has a contract with a shipper and they receive HUGE discounts(basically they pay ground rates for overnight service). The client sent us shipping labels for all of the gear, they saved money over the airline and I never had to be the middle man and bill any of it back.

Anything is possible, but I seriously doubt someone is going to lose a client to someone else over $50-$100 difference in shipping charges on an invoice.

One other thing, and I don't know how it is now since I don't fly with gear now and haven't asked for the media rate in almost two decades, in the past, if you did get the media rate, some airlines would not cover any checked baggage that was billed under the media rate.
 
captslomo said:
But my point was, what happens when you're not available for one of these client shoots, and the guy that goes in your place submits an invoice with dramatically lower baggage fees? In these days of bean counters calling so many of the shots, I'm not sure I'd be so blithe about not doing everything I could to help the client save money--and making sure they know about the savings.
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It happens the same what happens if the guy works for half the rate than you do. You have to face that there is always a guy for half the rate and if you search one for half the rate from that or for free you will find one too.

just-waiting-on-the-bookings-to-come-in-after-doing-29289430.png


Off course I always try to keep expenses low. I am always transparent with third-party-charges. I add a copy what I paid, I charge my time for preparation and I keep away from clients who want to negotiate about these expenses (or my fee). Easy. Let the cheapos deal with them and work for the good ones.
 
Run&Gun said:
I also find it odd that the tone you take is as if I did something immoral, unethical or deceitful. You act as if I somehow stole money from the client. I did not make any extra money, nor have I ever, on billing back baggage overages, shipping charges or the like.
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That was your takeaway? Interesting.
 
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