I thought I would bring this to the attention of some AA pilots and find out what you guys think. I work for CAL and just got hired a few months ago.
I was trying to commute home to Raleigh from Seattle the other day and I had planned on jumping on a Delta flight thru SLC. Anyway, wx was bad in SLC, so at about 30 mins prior to scheduled departure, I saw an AA flight to RDU thru DFW. I ran over to the gate and got there 20 mins prior to dept and the plane was already boarded.
So I told the gate agent I wanted to request jumpseat privilege on the flight. There were 2 agents. One was helping a passenger moved from an Alaska airlines flight to the AA flight. She was actually crying because she was told she would have a first class seat on the aircraft, and told them she wouldn't take the "only" flight available if she had to sit in coach. (That's besides the point) My point is, the gate agent gave me crap because I wasn't there at the gate "earlier". I explained that I just got to the airport(from a CAL flight), thus I got to the gate as fast as I could.
I waited there patiently as the one agent clicked away trying to figure out how to register me on the jumpseat. Then, after ~8mins of incompetence, she said she couldn't figure out how to do it, and asked the other gate agent if she could do it for her. The other gate agent just got finished with the crying passenger and I asked nicely if she could help me out since this was the only flight I was able to use to commute home.
She wasted another 4 minutes lecturing me on how I should have got there earlier, and then said, "sorry, I have to close the gate, we can't accept a late dept for you". Now, I understand her reasoning, but I said, "I understand, I don't want to cause you guys a late takeoff, but can you just talk to the Capt and see what he says about waiting a few mins to get me on the flight" She told me straight up, "No". I asked again, "Can you please help me out, this is the only flight that will get me home tonight, and I'm pretty confident that the Capt will wait till you finish helping out a fellow aviator. Anyway, she said, and I quote, "The Capt owns the aircraft when he pulls out from the gate, but until then, it's my aircraft, and my decision."
I think my jaw dropped, and I knew I wasn't getting on the plane. I was as nice as I thought I was capable at the time, and said, "Thanks for the help!" and dragged myself away.
Anyway, I know this isn't a AA gate agent thing only, I've had my share of CAL gate agents who are much less then competent as well. I just thought the fact that the agent wouldn't talk to the Capt and tell him he had a jumpseater trying to get on the flight was preposterous.
Any thoughts?
I was trying to commute home to Raleigh from Seattle the other day and I had planned on jumping on a Delta flight thru SLC. Anyway, wx was bad in SLC, so at about 30 mins prior to scheduled departure, I saw an AA flight to RDU thru DFW. I ran over to the gate and got there 20 mins prior to dept and the plane was already boarded.
So I told the gate agent I wanted to request jumpseat privilege on the flight. There were 2 agents. One was helping a passenger moved from an Alaska airlines flight to the AA flight. She was actually crying because she was told she would have a first class seat on the aircraft, and told them she wouldn't take the "only" flight available if she had to sit in coach. (That's besides the point) My point is, the gate agent gave me crap because I wasn't there at the gate "earlier". I explained that I just got to the airport(from a CAL flight), thus I got to the gate as fast as I could.
I waited there patiently as the one agent clicked away trying to figure out how to register me on the jumpseat. Then, after ~8mins of incompetence, she said she couldn't figure out how to do it, and asked the other gate agent if she could do it for her. The other gate agent just got finished with the crying passenger and I asked nicely if she could help me out since this was the only flight I was able to use to commute home.
She wasted another 4 minutes lecturing me on how I should have got there earlier, and then said, "sorry, I have to close the gate, we can't accept a late dept for you". Now, I understand her reasoning, but I said, "I understand, I don't want to cause you guys a late takeoff, but can you just talk to the Capt and see what he says about waiting a few mins to get me on the flight" She told me straight up, "No". I asked again, "Can you please help me out, this is the only flight that will get me home tonight, and I'm pretty confident that the Capt will wait till you finish helping out a fellow aviator. Anyway, she said, and I quote, "The Capt owns the aircraft when he pulls out from the gate, but until then, it's my aircraft, and my decision."
I think my jaw dropped, and I knew I wasn't getting on the plane. I was as nice as I thought I was capable at the time, and said, "Thanks for the help!" and dragged myself away.
Anyway, I know this isn't a AA gate agent thing only, I've had my share of CAL gate agents who are much less then competent as well. I just thought the fact that the agent wouldn't talk to the Capt and tell him he had a jumpseater trying to get on the flight was preposterous.
Any thoughts?
