If you commute on SWA ....

[ivauir]

Along with new boarding procedures, we are changing how the jumpseat is handled. Many of us are upset by these changes and we hope restore the preboard "priviliage" that many of you have come to expect. Please be patient while we sort this out. Also, note that many ops agents are now informing Jumpseaters NOT to talk to the Captain when they go to the back, but many Captains still expect and appreciate a visit. Again, sorry for the confusion that is bound to ensue and thanks for your patience - I will be talking to my chief on Tuesday to express my dismay over this unfriendly and not so LUVin policy.

Here is an excerpt from the memo:


Please review the following items concerning preboarding:

• The only Crew Members allowed to preboard are
- those with a Company deadhead slip attached to their boarding document,
- those who will sit on a flightdeck jumpseat (maximum of two), and
- those seated on the fourth jumpseat.
• Anyone who has a WN210 with a lettered boarding card (and is not on a
deadhead) MUST board with the A, B, or C group.
• Do not place your Fellow Employees in an uncomfortable situation by asking them to allow
you to preboard.
• If you are courteous and assist with a Customer in a wheelchair or an Unaccompanied
Minor and are not otherwise allowed to preboard, please return to the terminal and board
with your group.
• To maintain jumpseat priority on a throughflight, ensure you are listed for the jumpseat to
your final destination. You may choose to sit in the cabin for any segments with available
seats.

 

[airlinepilot]

This will not Fly!!!

I don't expect this to make it past the coming week. This is just like the policy awhile back where they tried to limit SWA jumpseaters to only one bag. The CP's and the union reps will be getting an ear full!!!

 

[blott]

I like the part where it says if you help a pre-board down, to return to the gate.... lol (they really thought this out )

B

 

[LeonPhelps]

The most important customer?

Yeah, I believed it when they told us during new hire training that, "Our employees are our most important customer...even moreso than our "external" customers." Sure doesn't seem like it now, does it? Is it me, or is the culture changing at our awesome company?

 

[viking737]

I have only jumpseated on SW twice so my experience is very limited.
First time (a few years ago) was preboarded, had a nice chat with the crew and got an aisle seat.
Last time (couple months ago) boarded with the last group, which made it hard to stow the carry-on, and of course only middle seats left.
Pre board is definitely the way to go!
About the taking care of the paying pax first etc.
I don't think they(the pax) would have any idea that a jumpseater was preboarded ahead of them.

 

[bravodude]

Yeah, I believed it when they told us during new hire training that, "Our employees are our most important customer...even moreso than our "external" customers." Sure doesn't seem like it now, does it? Is it me, or is the culture changing at our awesome company?

Let me see if i get this straight. you would rather preboard and sit in a window or isle seat and force a passenger who pays your salary to sit in the middle seat. RIIIIGHT! Geez i think you forgot who pays our salary its not swa its the passengers who buy tickets on us and deserve first crack.

 

[bravodude]

I have only jumpseated on SW twice so my experience is very limited.
First time (a few years ago) was preboarded, had a nice chat with the crew and got an aisle seat.
Last time (couple months ago) boarded with the last group, which made it hard to stow the carry-on, and of course only middle seats left.
Pre board is definitely the way to go!
About the taking care of the paying pax first etc.
I don't think they(the pax) would have any idea that a jumpseater was preboarded ahead of them.

Do you let me preboard. NO so stop complaining and if you dont like it go jump on someone else. I cant believe we are having this conversation. These passengers pay our salary, they get first crack period.

 

[Daddy]

This is a new age of SWA....the internal customer is dead and the masses will be more and more pissed off here...I must say this is happening much sooner than I thought. Nothing good will last forever but I really thought this great business model was going to stick around for awhile...now, not so much. It just doesn't work when the employees are pissed off...its all about numbers now

 

[cactus]

SWA had the best jumpseat in the business. It is sad to see this happen. They have always treated me like family. The problem is with the ridiculous TSA rule that does not allow offline jumpseaters to sit in the flightdeck when there are empty seats in back. Why is it that it is "safe" to have a jumseater up front on a full airplane but not on a half emty one? If jumpseaters were allowed up front anytime, they wouldn't have to be subjected to a middle seat. Also, if SWA gate checks a jumpseaters bag it ends up going to baggage claim (not very convenient for commuting) unless one of the pilots is willing to take it down to the cargo bin himself. I hope you guys can get this changed back.

 

[ivauir]

The problem is with the ridiculous TSA rule that does not allow offline jumpseaters to sit in the flightdeck when there are empty seats in back.

Not just off line my friend. I think mgt is testing our resolve. I hope they are suprised.

 

[mpjk1234]

Bravodude,

I do not work at SWA so I am not sure what your procedures are. My question is, when you dead head are you issued positive space tickets or do you do the right thing and volunteer for the cockpit jumpseat so the passengers get the first crack at your seat? Just curious.

 

[cactus]

Not just off line my friend. I think mgt is testing our resolve. I hope they are suprised.

Are they actually going to make you guys sit in the back if there are empty seats? That blows. Best of luck to you guys. You are always welcome on my jumpseat no matter what your company's policy is.

 

[cfm56-7]

it's a business get over it

 

[cactus]

it's a business get over it

You obviously don't commute...DIPSH!T

 

[humuakalaka]

This is a completely BullS#!+ policy! It's as if they got together and purposely tried to figure out how they could make commuting more of a hassle. This ought to do wonders for the culture of LUV. I don't know about y'all, but I'm just not seeing the "luv" in this at all. I'm going to be pretty much pissed off and annoyed every time I go to work. And...please, no one patronize us with how commuters choose to commute.

Let me see if i get this straight. you would rather preboard and sit in a window or isle seat and force a passenger who pays your salary to sit in the middle seat. RIIIIGHT! Geez i think you forgot who pays our salary its not swa its the passengers who buy tickets on us and deserve first crack.

I don't have anything nice to say about this post. Stanley, Black and Decker, Craftsman come to mind, however. This is perhaps one of the ten most asinine posts I have ever read on FlightInfo...and that is saying a lot.

 

[AWACoff]

This isn't directed at "cactus"...more of a general question. Why would anyone want to sit in the cockpit if they could have a seat in the back? The 73 just isn't that roomy up front. Even for the roomy cockpits you can't exactly get up and walk around whenever you want.

Are they actually going to make you guys sit in the back if there are empty seats? That blows. Best of luck to you guys. You are always welcome on my jumpseat no matter what your company's policy is.

 

[glasspilot1]

Why would anyone want to sit in the cockpit if they could have a seat in the back? The 73 just isn't that roomy up front.

I would always prefer sitting in a cramped jumpseat rather than in a middle seat in steerage. Much better conversation. Also if you have a two leg commute (More common now after mainlines flooded the industry with RJ's and you get bumped more often. Example: STL) you can politely (!) be the first one off the plane and do the OJ Simpson sprint.

 

[citabriapilot]

I would prefer to preboard simply for the ability to talk to ask the captains permission without clogging up the entry area while passengers are being herded on board. Better to get preboarded, take care of the handshake, get out of the way and let the guys up front get back to their preflight duties.

 

[turn&pull]

The reason for having JS preboard and then take an aisle seat is so at the last minute we can have you come to the jumpseat if we need and you don't have to disrupt other pax to do it.

 

[bravodude]

Bravodude,

I do not work at SWA so I am not sure what your procedures are. My question is, when you dead head are you issued positive space tickets or do you do the right thing and volunteer for the cockpit jumpseat so the passengers get the first crack at your seat? Just curious.

I have always volunteered and the funny thing is so have every other pilot at SW. I see it everyday, we are oversold the ops agent comes up to the positive space guy and want's to know if he will sit up front with out hesitattion he gives up his seat. We all do it here. Part of the reason for coming to SW and not delta or united was the fact that we actually care about the guy that pays our salary and that keeps them coming back. My question to you is on every other airline I cannot preboard. The airline that you work for I believe does not allow you to pick a seat when you nonrev. At all the other airlines I have worked for you put yourself on the nonrev list, show up at the airport and if there was space you got on. I have never heard anyother airline empoyee complain about sitting in the middle seat. Oil is sky high our cost compared to evryone else is climbing, if sitting in the middle seat or sitting up front will allow one paying pax to be happy, come back and fly us again and save me from going thru what evry other major airline has gone thru than i will be glad to do it.
I think everyone has lost sight of who the real customer is.

 

[bravodude]

The reason for having JS preboard and then take an aisle seat is so at the last minute we can have you come to the jumpseat if we need and you don't have to disrupt other pax to do it.

No, if the JS and all nonrevs board last than there is no reason for anyone to disrupt anyone.

 

[cfm56-7]

You obviously don't commute...DIPSH!T

I did my time as a commuter ouit crying you act like swa owe's you some thing. To bad get in line

 

[bravodude]

You obviously don't commute...DIPSH!T

I did my time as a commuter ouit crying you act like swa owe's you some thing. To bad get in line

What are you doing on a SW thread don't you have to go and cry about how much pay you lost or that we are lowering the bar. I commute myself tough guy and have for 10 years. when your airline afords me the same privilage we gave you for years and years then you can talk to me until then pound sand.

 

[bravodude]

This is a new age of SWA....the internal customer is dead and the masses will be more and more pissed off here...I must say this is happening much sooner than I thought. Nothing good will last forever but I really thought this great business model was going to stick around for awhile...now, not so much. It just doesn't work when the employees are pissed off...its all about numbers now

Go fly for American, wait I hear Northwest is looking for a few good men, you sound like you would fit right in.

 

[cactus]

What are you doing on a SW thread don't you have to go and cry about how much pay you lost or that we are lowering the bar. I commute myself tough guy and have for 10 years. when your airline afords me the same privilage we gave you for years and years then you can talk to me until then pound sand.

Hey Sh!t for brains, my company afforded you the oportunity of multiple jumpseats long before SWA changed it's policy on the matter. AWA had a very liberal jumpseat policy long before most other airlines in this industry. In the past, I was bumped more than once from a half empty SWA airplane. So maybe you should be the one to go "pound sand"! I don't need SWA to get to work. I almost never ride them anymore (once in the last two years). My comments are mainly regarding SWA's treatment of there own pilots in this matter. If you do work for SWA, then they must have really lowered their standards in the last few years. Idiot.

 

[SWA/FO]

I would always prefer sitting in a cramped jumpseat rather than in a middle seat in steerage.

Sweet!

 

[Charlie Brown]

The memo does not say when we should board if we are jumpseating but taking a seat in the cabin. I would guess it would be cool to go down right after the preboards? You don't get a A, B, or C with a JS slip. The main concern for me is as someone else stated, finding a place to stow my bag. I imagine most CAs would let you put it up front if the bins were full.

 

[cactus]

I have always volunteered and the funny thing is so have every other pilot at SW. I see it everyday, we are oversold the ops agent comes up to the positive space guy and want's to know if he will sit up front with out hesitattion he gives up his seat. We all do it here. Part of the reason for coming to SW and not delta or united was the fact that we actually care about the guy that pays our salary and that keeps them coming back. My question to you is on every other airline I cannot preboard. The airline that you work for I believe does not allow you to pick a seat when you nonrev. At all the other airlines I have worked for you put yourself on the nonrev list, show up at the airport and if there was space you got on. I have never heard anyother airline empoyee complain about sitting in the middle seat. Oil is sky high our cost compared to evryone else is climbing, if sitting in the middle seat or sitting up front will allow one paying pax to be happy, come back and fly us again and save me from going thru what evry other major airline has gone thru than i will be glad to do it.
I think everyone has lost sight of who the real customer is.

If you continue to volunteer then you are a sap!!

 

[Charlie Brown]

If I have to sit up front to get a revenue or nonrev passenger on, I will do it. I don't think it is being a sap, rather either A) keeping my job secure by allowing people who pay to fly the seat they bought, or B) living by the Golden Rule. If it were my wife, parent, buddy, etc. trying to get that seat I would hope someone would do the same. What goes around comes around.

 

[SWA tech]

If you continue to volunteer then you are a sap!!

Nice to meet you sap I guess I am a sap also. Sure love the pay checks that don't bounce I guess we all are saps at swa