Airtran charging $25 for jumpseat

[~~~^~~~]

As far as I know ASA and the Connection Carriers still have unlimited free jumpseats. Connection goes to like 80% of all Delta cities - so come with us.

I have ahad Airtran Captains talk to the gate to waive the $25 fee (it has been their policy for ages) and other guys have used their travel benefits so I could have the J/S.

Airtran guys are the best.

As for Fed Ex, you can use your airline ID and send packages at only 25% of the regular cost. That is pretty good reprocity and who wants to catch a cab over to the air cargo side of the airport, without food, or a flight attendant to chat with. Besides, Fed Ex schedules are designed around packages....

 

[Ty Webb]

We were very proud of our unlimited jumpseat policy, and I know that we were all very disappointed when the bulletin came out regarding the change.

The policy is not new; it was lifted after 9/11, but is now being re-instituted. I paid the $25. myself once, about 6 months before I hired on, and while I would have rather ridden for free, I was relieved to have the seat.

I feel the worst for the regional pilots; especially the FO's who count on us for a ride. I guarantee you that we will all do our best, by non-revving in the cabin so that we can get at least one off-line guy on each flight. Our Union has requested this, and has informed us that they are talking with mgmnt about rescinding the policy. Hopefully, we will prevail.

 

[bigsky]

Beechnut had said" United will take 2 jumpseaters". I know they do on some of the aircraft that actually have 2 Jumpseats but have never known them to do this on all of their aircraft. just wondering if this is something new?

 

[flight-crew]

NWA policy is good

On a side note, NWA changed their policy a while back to take 2 offline pilots iregardless of how many cockpit jumpseats the airplane has. That's a start in the right direction. Until this latest change at Airtran, I have to give two thumbs up to Airtran, Spirit, ATA, and HAL. They've got it right!

But this is how it should be:

All airlines have unlimited jumpseats.
All airlines have cockpit jumpseating restored.
All the cargo airlines get cockpit jumpseating restored.

I urge all of you to push for unlimited jumpseats at the carrier you work for. Maybe someday we will have that perfect jumpseat system.

 

[328dude]

You know, I never brought this subject up, but Im going to slime this board with it so that everyone can give me their input. I was trying to jump on a AA flight to TUL. A CHQ (American Connection) pilot had already signed up. We talked for a bit and chit chatted like old friends. When they started to board, he said have a nice 3 hour sit and walked down the jetway. Hmmm, I thought a bit and asked the gate agent if he was jumpseating or non reving. She walked on to the plane and asked him. He said he was the jumpseater. She asked him if he would mind non revving so a OAL could get home also. He said "NO". I even offered to give him 10 bucks for the seat. He still refused.

3 hours later i made it home. Thanks SW.

Talk about kicking someone in thier berrys.

 

[jetexas]

Hmm, not sure the exact relationship that CHQ has with AA for the jumpseat/non-revving? Probably just like Eagle's (even though AMR has no control over American Connection...riggggght)
At Eagle, you can only ride for free (less than 5 years here) on AA and Eagle if all the seats are taken in the back and you 'have' to ride up front. Otherwise, you pay a 'surcharge' regardless of where you ride..ie, you just 'want' to ride up front for some unknown reason. So, if this guy insisted on riding in the jumpseat, with an empty seat in the back, he would still have to pay the same 'surcharge' even if he was riding in the cockpit.
Sounds to me he must have misunderstood the non-rev policies of AMR, the agent was confused, and/or this guy just wanted to be a complete @*!%!

Just make sure you remember his name or face and you can ask him about all this one day when he wants yourrrr jumpseat. This industry is too small to be running around sour like that.

 

[Corbon]

328dude,
First I apologize on behalf of my co-worker if this was an intentional act of blatenly refusing to allow you into the jumpseat. I know most of us here at CHQ would gladly give it up and non-rev whenever possible. I don't know much about the AA travel policy since I have never flown on the American Connection side. I do know that only the CHQ pilots who fly AC get the benefits on AA, which means if he was a reserve called out from another base to STL, the jumpseat was his only option. The gate agent may not have know this and it may have led to a misunderstanding...at least thats what I hope it was. If he was just being an ass, then I sincerely hope the day comes where he relies on your jumpseat to get to work and you get to say "remember when a guy tried to pay you to give up the AA jumpseat and non rev?....yeeeeeah..that was me..bu bye" . Guys like that do absolutely nothing to improve the image of any pilot group and need to be taken down when possible. Good luck in the future.

 

[46Driver]

As a regional F.O., I want to say thanks for AirTran having those unlimited jumpseats in the first place. The gate and agents and the pilots have gone out of their way to get me on the plane any number of times. If it now costs $25, so be it, it is still a great deal, no hassle way to walk up and catch a ride home. Thanks again.

 

[Broke in CVG]

Comair unlimited jumpseat is free, but a donation of an Egg McMuffin for morning flights is requested.

 

[Fly-By-Cable]

New policy sucks...but

I just remember when I was trying to get to PIT from LGA and USAir Bus pulled out with AA jumpseater and 15 pax. Gate agent was very nice and went to talk to captain...guy said "no"...I understand.
I ended up buying hotel at over $140 (US Open was in town)...and that's after I already bought 2 cab rides between LGA and JFK and back, trying to get home....

I would have paid $50 just to get on.