AA2060 Jumpseater appolgy.

[FlySacto]

Hey guys,

I jumpseated from SMF to DFW yesterday July 6th on American and apparently ruffled some feathers. I introduced myself to ******, the lead FA, and let her know I was going to meet up with the family and please let me know if there was anything I could do to help her. I then introduced myself to Capt. **** and FO ******. and asked for a ride to Dallas and let him know that the gate agents had me an assigned seat in the back. I was welcomed aboard and went back to my bags and the door was being shut. I looked back and there were several people still in the aisle putting bags up but there were two open seats in First right next to my bags. She was wanting people down so they could push and I asked **** if she wanted me to go to the back or just stay here. She told me to "just sit down". With 2 1/2 hours of sleep in the last day with six legs before and then a three hour drive home prior to getting on board, I guess I was too slow to pick up on things.

I accepted an offer of a drink with a request of water and refused any other offers from ****. Later in the flight, one of the gals in back came up and asked several times if I wanted anything and I eventually asked if there was anything left over to eat. She had me come sit in back with them and fired me up with a salad wrap and a way too big cookie. Thanks!

When we went to deplane, Capt. ***** asked me to come up front and he explained that I had upset **** and she had only expected X amount of people up front with her.

Again, being on the very back side of the sleep curve I don't think I was very good in understanding or explaining what had happened. I have only flown with you guys once before and had a nice flight, as I had on AA2060. Please forward my appologies to these people if you know them. I'm am a very conscientious person and do my best to conduct myself as a friendly and appreciative traveler. Sorry guys to have upset anyone or have crossed a boundry. I would never in any way do anything other than be an appreciative jumpseater.

Thanks!

Mod Edit: Names removed.

 

[capt. megadeth]

I don't understand WTF Ellen was upset about?

What did you do?

**** sounds like a dingbat.

Mod Edit: Name Removed

 

[chperplt]

You might want to get those guys names out of your post, unless you asked their permission to place their names on a public forum.

The flight # and date is more than enough information.

 

[80drvr]

Why apologize? You didn't do anything wrong. We should offer an empty seat in first to a jumpseater. Some of our crew (pilots and F/As) should be forced to jumpseat on SWA to learn a bit about how to treat other people (both revenue and non-revenue).

 

[viper548]

You remembered the names of the crew? I have to look at my trip sheet to remember my FO's name.
If there's a seat open in first I always offer it to jumpseaters.

 

[DIAMONDDD]

You heartless pig. Did you ever consider that maybe one of ***** 81 cats was sick or something awful like that? Something like that can be awful hard to deal with (for some).

Mod Edit: Name Removed

 

[A350]

Kudos to you for being professional enough to apologize for any part you had in this....however without being too judgemental if one of my FA's got POed about something this trivial, I wouldn't have ever brought it up to you.

You were a guest and should have been treated as such.

A350

 

[StopNTSing]

What A350 said. Some people are just wrapped way too tight for this line of work.

 

[poydras]

typical AA jackasses.

I can write and publish a book full of stories about jumpseating with the Skynazis.
Starting from gate agents to finish with the captain.
And worse,more polite and PC I tried to be more crap I got from them.
honestly I rarely had a pleasent experience with AA.

Sad but true...

 

[El Pobre]

I have jumpseated on AA often and every time they have been great to me. Of course, I always jumpseat with low expectations and a slice of humble pie, because I'm not paying for a ticket.

That being said. It was nice to APologize, but when writing an APology, you should at least attempt to get your spelling right. It's just a spelling error, but it reflects poorly upon you. In light that you rode on AA you could have gotten away with an AApology, but not an appology.

 

[IB6 UB9]

I have jumpseated on AA often and every time they have been great to me. Of course, I always jumpseat with low expectations and a slice of humble pie, because I'm not paying for a ticket.

That being said. It was nice to APologize, but when writing an APology, you should at least attempt to get your spelling right. It's just a spelling error, but it reflects poorly upon you. In light that you rode on AA you could have gotten away with an AApology, but not an appology.

Ar yu kiddin me, he/she gets treeted like shat on a jumpseet, apulugizes becuz he did nuthin rong, and yu get on him fer hiz spellin?

 

[AA717driver]

Don't sweat it. You're just an innocent bystander in the on-going turf war aboard AA aircraft.

The FA's refuse to recognize that they don't own the airplane and too many CA's have let them keep on believeing that.

Too bad the FC girl had to serve one more unobtrusive pax than she "thought" she would have to.

Bring back the mandatory retirement age for FA's! TC

 

[C-150ETOPS]

Don't apologize.

You did good.

It was the AA crew that embarrassed themselves. Next time, bring a few cheap cat toys to hand out.

Take care,

An AA pilot

 

[U2FDX]

I have jumpseated on AA often and every time they have been great to me. Of course, I always jumpseat with low expectations and a slice of humble pie, because I'm not paying for a ticket.

That being said. It was nice to APologize, but when writing an APology, you should at least attempt to get your spelling right. It's just a spelling error, but it reflects poorly upon you. In light that you rode on AA you could have gotten away with an AApology, but not an appology.

Are you serious, what a tool.

 

[Huck]

Next time, bring a few cheap cat toys to hand out.

Support your local cat rancher.

 

[flyforfood77777]

Yeah, American is terrible to jumseat on. The first time I rode on them, (mind you, I am just a lowly FO at a regional most mainline guys have never heard of) the FA told me there was no overhead space left, so I was taking my bag off the airplane when the captain took the bag from me and put it in the cockpit after overhearing my bag storage dilema. How refreshing.

 

[nitrogen]

No shortage of idiots here

OK you were given a coach seat instead of a W1 jumpseat pass for some reason by the gate agent. And for some reason you ended up in First Class. So you were offered a ride and accepted. You rode in first and got food from a friendly FA. Yet everyone here complains about AA jumpseating. From what I can tell most of you don't have the necessary reciprocal jumpseat agreement to sit on a jumpseat or in many cases a CASS qualification.

It is policy to offer the jumpseat to any qualified pilot who requests it but it is the Captains discretion how that is implemented. If AA is so bad don't ask for their jumpseat. But you idiots who take the seat and then come on here and complain how rough it was to get a free ride puzzle me. In the future try another airline. Or keep your fantasy jumpseat experiences to yourself. BTW Lear jet operators aren't eligible to take an AA jumpseat and neither are Cessna pilots. So we can discount their complaints immediately as pure BS.

a casual observer

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

I would not have taken a seat in first class unless specifically told to.

I would not have taken a drink.

Never in a million years would I have asked for food.

 

[ils2minimums]

The F/A was a CU_T, plain and simple. We've simply lost it... When she went to the cockpit and complained about this jumpseater, the Captain should've told her to STFU and do her F'n job. I'm so flippin' sick of these ancient battleaxes running the ship. I sit in the right seat of an AA jet and I watch on a regular basis how our Captains just sit back and take lip from agents, flight attendants, rampers, mechanics, whomever... The Captain is IN CHARGE! Until we start acting like it, we're gonna continue to have worthless, lazy, unmotivated flight attendants 'playing' boss.

 

[Wesb737fo]

what?

What the he!! did you have to apologize for? I know there are always two sides to a story, but they told you to sit anywhere and you did.

If I am understanding you correctly, you explained this to the CA and he still gave you grief. Bad Deal!

F*** that flight attendant! The CA should have made sure that you got a bus. class seat, all the snacks you wanted and a foot massage. We have to start looking out for each other. I'm really getting sick of this BullSH!T.

 

[BoilerUP]

I would not have taken a seat in first class unless specifically told to.

I would not have taken a drink.

Never in a million years would I have asked for food.

Nothing wrong with a glass of water if they ask "Would you like anything?"

 

[aa73]

I'd like to apologize to YOU on behalf of my fellow pilots for that unwarranted treatment from that FA. It seems like, whenever there are problems with jumpseaters, they come from FAs, not the pilots. Most of us delight in seating you guys in First, and there rarely is a problem. Some of these FAs need to get a grip and stop acting like they own the cabin - they don't. Again, sorry for your crappy treatment, but no need to apologize - you handled yourself professionally and with dignity. You're welcome back anytime. 73

 

[Vne]

Some of these FAs need to get a grip and stop acting like they own the cabin - they don't.

Its a weak Captain culture that allows this to become a problem.

The F/A was a CU_T, plain and simple. We've simply lost it... When she went to the cockpit and complained about this jumpseater, the Captain should've told her to STFU and do her F'n job. I'm so flippin' sick of these ancient battleaxes running the ship. I sit in the right seat of an AA jet and I watch on a regular basis how our Captains just sit back and take lip from agents, flight attendants, rampers, mechanics, whomever... The Captain is IN CHARGE! Until we start acting like it, we're gonna continue to have worthless, lazy, unmotivated flight attendants 'playing' boss.

Thats the Fix -although I doubt many Captains at AA have the gonads to stand up to "you are just the 'driver' as this has become the accepted role of the Captain at AA....
There are very few if any Captains airlines left.... The saddest part is we did it to ourselves.....

 

[CKJET]

Don't feel bad....AA F/A's pull crap like this all the time. I'm an AAer on the street and get treated the same way from time to time.

 

[Exskydiverdrivr]

What the he!! did you have to apologize for? I know there are always two sides to a story, but they told you to sit anywhere and you did.

If I am understanding you correctly, you explained this to the CA and he still gave you grief. Bad Deal!

F*** that flight attendant! The CA should have made sure that you got a bus. class seat, all the snacks you wanted and a foot massage. We have to start looking out for each other. I'm really getting sick of this BullSH!T.

He was taking the high ground. I used to have jumpseat nightmares (pre-cass) on CAL from FA"s
for the same kind of crap! I'm a Captain and would not tolerate that in a F/A on my plane. But I never see it so It may be in the way you set the tone for the crew. If you tell the cabin crew up front to treat non revs like gold , they will.

 

[aa73]

Its a weak Captain culture that allows this to become a problem.



Thats the Fix -although I doubt many Captains at AA have the gonads to stand up to "you are just the 'driver' as this has become the accepted role of the Captain at AA....
There are very few if any Captains airlines left.... The saddest part is we did it to ourselves.....

Unfortunately, Captain's authority has been eroded at ALL major airlines, not just AA. The difference at AA is clearly the Flight attendant culture, not the captains. Despite your obvious anti-AA rants, you must call a spade a spade. Almost every captain I fly with has no problem standing up for something when it ain't right. If you ever jumpseat on USAir, the FAs will go out of their way to seat you in First, often without input from the captain. The FAs at AA are clearly against that, and have told me so on several occasions. I, luckily, am one of the few pilots at AA that INSIST all jumpseaters be seated in First (after clearing it with the captain, of course.)

 

[igneousy2]

I have only written up 3 fellow employees in the last 10 years in the airlines and 2 out of the 3 have been AA FA's and the other one was an AA gate agent. It's not you - the company pisses in these employees wheaties every morning like clock work and they have no one else to take it out on then passengers - especially non-revs - and heaven help you if you are an off-line jumpseater.

Don't apologize - you should be posting how you forgive the captain and his crew for their embarassing treatment of you - their guest.

Later

 

[spacecadet1]

Please post the Captains name, so someone can kick his weak dick ass.

 

[viper548]

What next, they gonna blame you for the already cracked windscreen falling off over south sac? Oh, different company

 

[Sig]

Disclaimer- scooter trash input!

FWIW:

One of the very best jumpseating experiences I ever had was DTW to DFW on AA. Superior flight deck officers (I wish I could mention the Captain's name, I'll never forget it), outstanding FAs, and I was even wrangled into being part of one of the slickest pieces of CRM I've ever heard of, armchair or otherwise. Disruptive pax, me in the forward galley, and a lovely group of flight attendants keeping me company while I did what the Captain ordered. Neat.

I tactfully declined a first class seat and took an exit row in the back, passed out Ferrero Rocher and Rollos/Toblerones to all I came in contact with, and had one heck of a ride. (That right there is gold, and I learned that from a USAir mainline fella.)

Moral of the story: It's as much a grab bag anywhere. Crews are human. Period. And I never jumpseat without tons of candy.