AA jumpseat policy

[socalpilot]

Can someone explain the AA jumpseat policy to me? I work for an offline airline and like to jumpseat on AA/TWA to STL. I was trying to jumpseat out of BWI to STL and ran into some problems with the gate agent. It is my understanding that for offline pilots we must have a seat in the back and the number of cockpit jumpseats equalls the number of jumpseaters allowed onto the aircraft. The agent said we already have a jumpseater. I mentioned to the agent that the aircraft is a 757 and has 2 jumpseats therefore you should be able to take 2 jumpseaters. The guy started yelling at me and told me that I didn't work for American and that I shouldn't be questioning him about the policy. I didn't do anything to provoke this behavior. I was very proffessional about the whole thing and found another way home. I really depend on jumpseating to get between work and home. What is a commuter to do? Will we ever see an actual cockpit jumpseat again? Anyway, if somebody from AA/TWA could explain the policy to me I would appreciate it.

 

[English]

You will never win an argument with an AMR gate agent. Next, time, try to catch the captain before he/she gets on the plane and have the captain run interference.

 

[enigma]

That was just a sorry agent. Unfortunately, all you can do, is wait for a flight with a more professional agent. ENGLISH is correct, try and catch the Captains eye when he gets to the airplane.

I beg rides off of AA all the time, and am treated very well; but policy seems to be set by the station instead of the airline, because there is a lot of variance between stations. However, I would say that in general, AA will take as many jumpseaters as the airplane has cockpit jumpseats.

regards,
8N

BTW, AA used to have an agent in CLE that hated jumpseaters. One day in 2000, he told me that I could only ride if I physically occupied the cockpit jumpseat. He actually came into the airplane and told the lead FA that I was to sit in the cockpit. When I heard him saying that to the FA, I told the FA that I would sit wherever I was told and that I was just happy to be on the airplane. The FA sat me in first class. Once we were in cruise, the FA informed the Captain what the agent had said and the Captain almost went ballistic. When we landed, the Captain appologized for the agent and said that he would have the agents *ss next time he went through CLE. "No agent is going to tell me where I put a jumpseater on my airplane"! I requested that he not say anything, and I don't know what ensued; but that agent was nicer next time. I hope that he was just having a bad day. I went out of my way on subsequent commutes to be nice to that agent, but he was always a little cold.

 

[Draginass]

Please forward your experience to your jumpseat coordinator for you union and have them forward to the APA jumpseat coordinator. Include as many details (date, time, gate, flight number, agent's name, etc) as you can remember.

It's one thing to be ignorant, but to be stupid AND jerk is unforgivable. So far I haven't run into anyone as bad as the one you came across. Don't take it lying down. You may consider stopping another American pilot (even if just walking through down the concourse) when something like that happens and tell him. If it were me, I'd stop what I was doing, go to the gate and call the agent aside and inform him/her of the policy. If that didn't do the trick or the agent was surly with me, you can bet there would be a very BIG deal made out of it. I don't take that kind of crap, especially out a gate agent with an attitude. You are doing American pilots a disservice if you don't tell us about incidents like this, so we can correct them.

 

[bothfly]

In the new day and age of Jumpseatting, if you can still call it that. It sure would be nice if all the JS coordinators at all the airlines got together and agreed to unlimited JS in the cabin. Who cares if there is one or two JS in the cockpit. If there is an open seat in the back, let them all ride.

 

[Boeingman]

It is not up to the JS coordinators at our airline over the seat policy. The company has put into place the rule about limiting the number of JS's to what is available in the cockpit.

The offline cockpit JS priviledge now is just about worthless with the airplanes filling up with garbage fares.

 

[Draginass]

Regardless of the non-cost, most managements will not go along with it unless concessions are made in the contract. Managements will define a dollar "worth" to an unlimited jumpseat policy and demand tit for tat at the bargaining table. It's got nothing to do with goodwill, just business. Labor is a cost unit, and that's how they really look at it - regardless of the touchy-feely propaganda campaigns.

 

[flight-crew]

I've had to "educate" NW gate agents many times on the correct jumpseat procedure. I'm at the point now where I just keep my cool and simply say "I would like to speak to the Captain." Rule #1- Speak to the Captain. More power to you if you can grab the Captain before he/she boards the airplane.

 

[bothfly]

Here at SWA where have several companies that have multiple JS agreements with us. ATA, AWA, Alaska and Horizon. Flt op's has said to pass on any carriers info to hopefully add them to our multiple agreements.
But like someone said. Loads are very heavy with cheapo tickets, but I hate to leave any brother or sister at the gate.
Lets keep working on this.

 

[s.o.sJTB]

Flt op's has said to pass on any carriers info to hopefully add them to our multiple agreements.

Skywest offers unlimited jumpseaters to all airlines, seats available of course, but was turned down by SWA for an unlimited recip. agreement. SWA has always been a great way to jumpseat,with cool crews and agents.