No Jumpseat at Virgin America?

[FlyHigher]

Just got off the phone with their reservation line. The lady told me no jumpseaters from any airline - not in front nor back. Well, I guess they are not CASS yet, but not even in the back? How do their pilots commute?

 

[Chronic Jetlag]

Reservation people are often misinformed and ignorant of the JS process. I had an VA pilot in my JS a few weeks ago and yes they are CASS. We had seats in the back so he did not actually occupy the cockpit JS. Being CASS is independent of having reciprocal JS agreements with individual airlines. If the carrier is 121 but has no formal recip. JS agreements then it maybe captain's discretion depending on the airline.

 

[FlyHigher]

Great. Now do they have reciprocal JS agreements or do they let any 121 or CASS participant ride?

 

[Chronic Jetlag]

The majority of their pilots do commute so it's to their best interest to sign up as many recip JS agreements as possible. I just confirmed that VA does have recip js agreement with us. I think it would be stupid for VA to turn down any 121 carrier pilot trying to js on them. Typically as the new kid on the block new carriers are pretty liberal with their JS policy.

 

[slavenaway]

Just got off the phone with their reservation line. The lady told me no jumpseaters from any airline - not in front nor back. Well, I guess they are not CASS yet, but not even in the back? How do their pilots commute?

We have many recip agreements already on the books. Odds are you had someone that was misinformed.
There are 2 jumpseats in the Airbus (as usual). 1st is for online pilots, if no VA pilot is there, it goes first-come-first-served for offline pilots with recip CASS agreements. The other seat is set-up via internal reservations by the VA pilots. If the 2nd is not going to be occupied by a VA pilot, what happens is exactly that of the 1st seat.

As stated before, we have many agreements already functioning but I know that we don't have one set-up with UAL right now. Still working on it.

 

[b82rez]

There are 2 jumpseats in the Airbus (as usual). 1st is for online pilots, if no VA pilot is there, it goes first-come-first-served for offline pilots with recip CASS agreements. The other seat is set-up via internal reservations by the VA pilots. If the 2nd is not going to be occupied by a VA pilot, what happens is exactly that of the 1st seat.

You must be a lawyer.

Translation: VA pilots get the JS first

 

[slavenaway]

Translation: VA pilots get the JS first

You make it sound like a bad thing. Why would any carrier take an offline pilot in the JS before a pilot of their own?
Kinda a standard policy I've experienced from commuting in the past.

 

[enigma]

You make it sound like a bad thing. Why would any carrier take an offline pilot in the JS before a pilot of their own?
Kinda a standard policy I've experienced from commuting in the past.

I think you mis-read b82res. I thought that he was jerking your chain for being too wordy

 

[slavenaway]

I think you mis-read b82res. I thought that he was jerking your chain for being too wordy

Yeah, probably. A bad late night/early morning combination.

I also heard a little thing about a walk-up JSer being turned away because the agent didn't know we had agreements set-up. If that happens, please just be nice and see if that person could check with a supervisor about it.

What else?

 

[cruxx@9]

So many questions...so little space....

 

[slavenaway]

I'll answer what I can.
Odds are that if any of you guys get to talking to the CA and Guest Services agrees, you'll get on even without an agreement. As stated above, we are trying to get agreements with anyone who wants to ride on us.
Oh, here's something to know. The first class is for revenue only. No online or offlines JSers, no deadheaders, no company execs or VPs or anything like that.

 

[Bluto]

So if the only seats available are in first, JS'ers will get left behind?

 

[Beetle007]

The first class is for revenue only. No online or offlines JSers, no deadheaders, no company execs or VPs or anything like that.

That is a horrible policy. The top execs don't care because they still have first class travel (for life) on their previous airlines.

I guess that tells you what the company really thinks of you (as an employee) when they won't even let you ride in an OPEN "first class" seat.

 

[slavenaway]

That is a horrible policy. The top execs don't care because they still have first class travel (for life) on their previous airlines.

I guess that tells you what the company really thinks of you (as an employee) when they won't even let you ride in an OPEN "first class" seat.

Wow. Unbelievable. Maybe I'm done providing informaiton.

 

[slavenaway]

So if the only seats available are in first, JS'ers will get left behind?

Unfortunately, yes -- Unless you are on CASS with an agreement.

 

[Beetle007]

Wow. Unbelievable. Maybe I'm done providing informaiton.

I am just disappointed this is the direction our industry is headed. I had high hopes for Virgin America setting a high standard for the way it treats its people (even with their low pay).

Even airlines like NWA (With its "bad" reputation for the way it treats its employees), lets its non-union employees ride first class for free and union employees ride first class for a small fee (Domestic and International). And most airlines will go out of their way to let jumpseaters (online and offline) ride in first class if their is a seat open. I expected Virgin America to treat its people better.

I would understand if they said no uniformed employees. That would be logical. But the policy as it stands is a new low in this industry. If you don't think this is a new low, then name one other U.S. Airline that currently has such a policy.

 

[twabudman]

I heard they dont have any internal travel priviledges set up yet for their own employees....which explains why the gate agents are sooo nasty....why should they let another airline pilot on their airplane when they cant fly themselves....also heard they have not let their dispatchers into CASS for this same reason...

 

[xjs1]

I heard they dont have any internal travel priviledges set up yet for their own employees....which explains why the gate agents are sooo nasty....why should they let another airline pilot on their airplane when they cant fly themselves....also heard they have not let their dispatchers into CASS for this same reason...

I was always told growing up to believe none of what you heard and only about 1/2 of what you saw....

 

[twabudman]

their Dispatcher called me and told me this

 

[slavenaway]

I am just disappointed this is the direction our industry is headed. I had high hopes for Virgin America setting a high standard for the way it treats its people (even with their low pay).

Even airlines like NWA (With its "bad" reputation for the way it treats its employees), lets its non-union employees ride first class for free and union employees ride first class for a small fee (Domestic and International). And most airlines will go out of their way to let jumpseaters (online and offline) ride in first class if their is a seat open. I expected Virgin America to treat its people better.

I would understand if they said no uniformed employees. That would be logical. But the policy as it stands is a new low in this industry. If you don't think this is a new low, then name one other U.S. Airline that currently has such a policy.

Keep your eye on the ball, please. This thread is about jumpseats and not about how good or bad companies treat their staff.