AA jumpseat at the gate

[Palomino]

i use American for the DFW-IAH commute a fair amount. gate agents always tell me to go outside security and do the CASS bit at the ticket counter.

it seems like they hate doing CASS at the gate. while i'm very grateful for the free ride to work, it seems a bit ridiculous to go outside security to get the CASS pass and do the TSA dance again.

if that's the way it is i will add yet another hour to my commute. again...i appreciate the ride and am always treated well by AA crews. i know we have CASS issues at CAL with the 'green screens' and think that is ridiculous also.

i guess it's a whole new and overly complicated commuter world.

any insight is helpful.

thanks

 

[macdu]

"it seems like they hate doing CASS at the gate"

Thats what it is, plus, they hate doing anything for a pilot. It could also be that the particular one's you have encountered have no idea how to access the CASS section and check you out. I ran in to this in ORD and it was clear the young lady did not know how to list a jumpseater and consequently she got very angry with me when I asked if she needed help. Needless to say I excused myself and went straight to United and breezed right on.
Anyway, you should not have to go back out to the ticket counter to do a jumpseat. I would imagine that they just might send you right back to the gate anyway since taking care of jumpseaters is really not their realm, nor should it be in my opinion. I'm sure one of the AA types on the property will chime in soon to guide you.

 

[Mamma]

The AA gate agents I ran into were never too nice if you were not listed. Call the AA listing number and take care of it before the gate. Worked for me.

 

[AA717driver]

AAgents must have to spend an hour in a cage getting stuck with cattle prods before heading out to the counter or gate. It almost seems like the nicer you are, the meaner they are. TC

 

[J32driver]

The AA gate agents I ran into were never too nice if you were not listed. Call the AA listing number and take care of it before the gate. Worked for me.

I called the 1-800 # to list a while back, and the res agent told me I shouldn't call anymore, and then proceeded to read me a memo dated from November of '06 that basically said, don't bug our Res agents anymore.

IF a gate agent has any idea of how the system really works, they can complete the process in under 60 seconds.

When they check the CASS response, there is a short code they type in that will automatically list you for the flight you are trying to get on. If the agent tries to list you the long way 1st before going through the CASS response, then they don't know what they are doing.

AA is about my only option to commute (Thanks for all the rides guys/gals). Since they changed the process back in November, I've only found 2 or 3 agents who know how to work the system properly. Everyone else fights the system and gets angry with the jumpseaters.

 

[CSY Mon]

AAgents must have to spend an hour in a cage getting stuck with cattle prods before heading out to the counter or gate. It almost seems like the nicer you are, the meaner they are. TC

Before 9/11 and before I got on with AA I commuted between DFW and LGA/JFK with AA for 7 years.
Found the agents in LGA to especially helpful and they went out of their way to help me get a seat.

Although every airline has a cranky agent, I never felt AA had more than the average.

 

[Draginass]

Like most airlines, AA has "challenges" when it comes to competence in it's supervisory and management cadre. This is mostly likely a case where the gate agents are not receiving adequate training and supervision. Also, as with most companies, when you point out deficiencies and problems to management, you're either ignored or told to shut-up-and-color.

 

[yaks]

AA gate agents are generally the worst in the industry. They treat online no better. (my wife was frequently ignored or lied to even when I worked there).

 

[huncowboy]

"it seems like they hate doing CASS at the gate"

... since taking care of jumpseaters is really not their realm, nor should it be in my opinion...

so who is going to take care of the JS-er than?
A - My ass?
B - The dragon?
C - Derek Cheetah?
D - None of the above = Southwest or JBlue.

 

[Thedude]

With AA the gate agents are luck of the draw. I have commuted on AA for about 10 yrs and I didn't really have many problems until the CASS days. Some agents feel its too much trouble for the to enter you in CASS and verify your stuff, while other agents have been more than helpful. Esp now that I have a memo from my j/s cord. that says to proceed to the gate for j/s verifcation and dont list via telephone.

 

[CA1900]

I'll never forget the AAholes running the Eagle gates in Boston (I think) a while back. So fed up was one agent with actually interacting with the public, she built herself a 4-foot buffer zone around her podium with the TensaBarriers! I guess the figured if everybody was going to be shouting, she'd make sure they had to shout. A real piece of work, that one.

 

[MD80DRVR]

The AA agents in LGA are fantastic, I am always treated very well there. STL is hit or miss........

 

[HalinTexas]

I've gotten "lectured" by the gate agents every time I've JS out of DFW and LAX. The non-rev agent tells me I don't have to list with them, that I could go to the gate, only to be told by the gate agent that the agent doesn't know what they're talking about. <sigh>

Many of the ticketing agents don't even know how to verify in CASS. It can take forever.

I've begun to do a two-legged commute just to avoid the AMR hassles.

 

[Candlerman]

On a related note:

Why do they have to clear you through CASS when there are plenty of open seats in the back? I've been told by gate agents that they must always clear jumpseaters through CASS...but CASS is for cockpit access. I've had the pleasure of watching a half empty plane pull away from the gate without me because the CASS system was "not working". Delta always clears jumpseaters through CASS also (again, even with open seats in the back).

Disclaimer: I'm treated great (by everyone) 99% of the time.. Thank you very much for all the rides.

 

[cactusboy53]

AA Jumpseat @ gate

I depend on the good people at UAX going to work and AA and Eagle going home (usually).

I've only had that same experience once at DFW. Previous messages regarding Res stand correct (although it can help). I usually stop at the store and pick up a bag of Hersheys kisses or the like. I don't do it always (w/ time constraits, etc.), but the effort is appreciated and remembered.

The CSR job at any airline is enough to make someone go postal. A big smile and a thankyou go a very long way.

Just the musings of a lifetime commuter...

 

[C-150ETOPS]

Follow it up with your union J/S guy, get them in contact with APA's Jumpseat Committee. These little fiefdoms always seem to pop up and usually the AA pilots themselves are the first ones to run into these problems along with everyone else. Since it happened at DFW, with all the AA commuters, my guess is that it would get immediate attention.


It's a constant battle at AA with a minority of agents and F/A's, but there are many of us that are concerned and keep on top of the issue.

signed,

An alert non-commuter

 

[Palomino]

Follow it up with your union J/S guy, get them in contact with APA's Jumpseat Committee. These little fiefdoms always seem to pop up and usually the AA pilots themselves are the first ones to run into these problems along with everyone else. Since it happened at DFW, with all the AA commuters, my guess is that it would get immediate attention.


It's a constant battle at AA with a minority of agents and F/A's, but there are many of us that are concerned and keep on top of the issue.

signed,

An alert non-commuter

thanks for all the responses. didn't think i was the only one.

as a whole, the CASS procedures are a recurring nightmare and the lack of training on the system prevails at all airlines.

think i will forward a note to our jumpseat coordinator. although they have their hands full with our inadequate and problematic CAL system.

thanks again for the rides, AA'ers. makes my commute a lot easier even though the gate procedures slow me down sometimes.

happy commuting!

 

[PadFull'oTrim]

I commute out of STL and I have to agree the AAgents are not very friendly at all. I have seen them actually refuse to list several pilots after listing me, I showed up very early, and giving me the big lecture about how they don't have the time to list me.

Here is the dance every time I show up.

Call on phone, told load and to list at the gate since I am CASS.
Get to gate and ask, with smile, if I could catch a ride to LGA.
Get ignored for a couple of minutes while they talk to each other.
Then ignored while they type on the computer.
A big sigh and an "excuse me?"
Another request for signing up for the jumpseat.
"Are you listed"
"No, they tell us to do it at the gate for CASS verification"
Sigh and eye roll.
"I don't have the time to list you and am getting tired of you people showing up when I am so busy."
A snatch of the badge and 45 secs (I time it) of typing and a ticket printed.
My boarding pass and ID passed back with no word or eye contact.
No response to the "thank you" when I get it, or the "nice day" when I board.

I have seen them refuse to list a couple of jumpseaters after I got read the riot act, I showed up tooo early, and they had to get listed by the American Connection CSR's. Then the AAgents refused to board them since they did not go through security and get listed at the gate. Luckily the CA was there and asked if they were going with him and told the AAgent to give out the first class seats if available. Otherwise they would not have made the trip.

I had one AAgent after I told her that the agent over the phone that I was told to go to the gate for CASS verification that I had to go back through security and list, then come back to check with her for a seat. I said that could add an additional hour to my commute for the long lines. She told me "then I guess you get here an hour earlier and I let you on the flight!" Niiice.
The crews are great, both flight and inflight. Nice agents out of LGA, I'll second that.

STL is terrible and makes the trip to work miserable.

 

[pw4000]

then dont fly on them

 

[Palomino]

then dont fly on them

boy...that's some insightful advice

if we can't take care of each other then this business is really shot. i understand the frustrations of the agents. but there's no reason to get upset about using up 45 seconds of their time.

i get the feeling that most hate that we can 'ride for free'. i feel like i've paid for the privilege many times over. but, i'm always polite and respectful and heed to their priorities. if they're rude for no reason then i make them aware of it while remaining professional.

let's face it - there's no worse job in this industry than gate agent (yes...that includes the honey wagon driver). how anyone does it on a daily basis i can never understand. my hats off to them in most cases. but we are all just trying to get our jobs done and get our beaten down a$$e$ to work.

no one wants to make anyone's job tougher than it is. i don't get pleasure in interrupting anyone's duties. i am very grateful for the ride to work and enjoy returning the favor as i've done many times.

the point is...jumpseating should not require an act of Congress to accomplish. everyone would be much happier if the process was more streamlined.

i look forward to that day and will deal with the reality of the current situation.

...i guess you can also tell me to move to my base of record. that is also a brilliant point and one that i've never heard before.

 

[Fliteidol]

then dont fly on them

very helpful!

AA crews are great folks, always. I`ve had better luck with check-in staff as a jumpseater than I used to as an employee on a pass! They are pretty rough with their own.