American's Jumpseat Policy???

[J32driver]

aa73.... Thank you for your response. This pleases me. If the policy has not changed yet, then I can accept that and move on. The source of my frustration was in the belief that the policy HAD ALREADY been changed and Air Wisconsin pilots were not getting what the AA jumpseat policy intended.

If change is on the way, then I can take a deep breath and welcome more than one AA jumpseater aboard my flights.

To all you AA pilots that give me a ride every week, thank you. To all the AA pilots that looked into this....THANK YOU.

 

[rvsm410]

Just wondering if?

Over the years of J/S ing the one consistent problem has been dealing with the gate agents. They seem to take the stance of” these are my seats and I will allow who I want on them based on my interpretation of the agreements”.

I find myself and others getting to the gate Early to meet the crews and ask them first before the gate agents have a chance to shoot us down. I see very little consistency between agents, the crews however seem to have a better handle on the current recip agreements. I hate to feel like I am groveling to get to work or home in front of a cround of people and this seems to be the M.O. we must take to gain any sympathy from the gate agents....just bad situation.

Just as a suggestion to think about, and I regress to acknowledge that the arriving crews get busy real fastto get the flight ready to go, but if you could just hear me out here, maybe I am all wet, but this is my suggestion.

There are 2 situations where the Captain or the F/O could address the “who is and who is not coming” on the flight and could then tell the gate agent who that person or persons are. 1) When the crew arrives to pick up the Dispatch release while at the podium. 2) The pilot that does the aircraft walk around could come back to the gate area and spend a few minutes with the folks trying to J/S and with the gate agent to organize the effort.

I realized the actual pax loads and priority listing status will dictate who ultimately gets on in the back or the cockpit, but if the gate agent already has the crews blessing for those people, then it might go smoother for all of us. I know this would take lots of time to change this process, the thinking of management; also the gate agents will take exception to this change as well. But these agreements are something the PILOTS have worked hard for between carriers and are part of there contracts, I appreciate the consideration we get as dispatchers.
As a airline dispatcher, I'm always very appreciative of getting a ride to work or home, I am very thankful to many crews from allot of airlines. I always thank them and give them my work number to call me if they are having trouble getting somewhere. If I can I will get them listed on our release or in the system.

I would only ask the pilots to please not forget us down here on terra firma, the dispatchers. We are truly the red-headed step children of the jumpseating world. We are very small in number and most gate agent’s don’t even know what a flight dispatcher is and why we would have access to a J/S...SO please don’t forget to think about us when you talk about changes or additions to agreements.

I know I speak for hundreds of dispatchers that go through Hell every week just trying to get home or to work.

Thanks for all the rides!

 

[Yahtzee]

Return the exact reciprocity that you receive from each carrier........ That is how things get changed..... not by some J/S coordinator who probably has never commuted in their life

Hogwash! Trying using the Golden Rule instead...more flies with honey than vinegar.

Just want to say thanks to all the folks at Delta and AirTran who have gone above and beyond to get me on their jets when they didn't have to do so. I'm glad they treated me the way they would like to be treated.

Yahtz

P.S. Thankfully my airline has a commuter for our jumpseat coordinator and he does an outstanding job...especially for a Clemson grad.

 

[viking737]

Looks like the subject has been discussed enough in my absence, don't really have much to add .
It does help to be at the gate when the crew arrives, so the captain can clear up any misunderstandings among the agents.

 

[CitationLover]

j32,

expect a phone call from ALPA (after APA complains to them). we had a captain in DFW deny j/s to one AA (there were two there and he said that he could take only one) in the beech to BWD. the denied one promptly called APA who called ALPA who called said captain.

as a frequent j/s on AA, I am amazed at the lack of knowledge the ticket counter people have in entering this information into the computer. I am always telling them D6-U/L/I/etc, they look at me like I'm crazy call the supervisor over and hear exactly what I told them.

the question i have not had answered that i have asked AA captains is are express carriers covered under the USAir "banner" or will it be company to company?

 

[English]

I'm not an AA captain, but if you look at the STAR entries I posted earlier, you'll see that it is "company to company," or company specific.

 

[J32driver]

j32,
expect a phone call from ALPA (after APA complains to them). we had a captain in DFW deny j/s to one AA (there were two there and he said that he could take only one) in the beech to BWD. the denied one promptly called APA who called ALPA who called said captain.

... and told him what? I might actually enjoy a phone call like that. I'd use that opportunity to explain the word "reciprical" to ALPA national.

My beef with the AA folks has been settled. See my previous post. They haven't changed the policy for Air Willy yet. As long as their policy is being enforced correctly, I have no problems. It was only when I thought the jumpseat was unlimited and the gate agents were getting it wrong that frustrated me. Since that isn't the case... and the agents are doing their job correctly... I have no complaint.

 

[banger]

jetBlue jumpseater

At jetBlue
We got the word that we have an agreement with AA for unlimited jumpseaters starting last month.

 

[CRJ Driver]

I am not sure which airlines that take unlimited jumps that operate with the CAS system. I am aware that even if they say they do the captains still control everything. I was jumping out of ORD on a United 737 and the gate agents let me on even though there was already a jumpseater ahead of me. I was told because our carrier was in the CAS system it did not matter to them. However the captain did not allow me on the airplane even though there was 5 open seats in the back and the one up front. He said the usual response of he can only allow the # in back that there are up front. So all in all the CAS thing does not do mean crap if you are dealing with fat headed captains on an ego trip.

Grow up, you sould like a flt instructor, the reason you did not get on is you were second in line for the j/s. UA does not have unlimited j/s. If it's a 737 1seat, A320,319 2seats, 757 1seat some have 2.

 

[FLYNAKD]

At ATA we try and make it easy. Our GOM states that the company does not want to be the "jumpseat police" and lets the crews handle it. We always have and always will allow UNLIMITED jumpseaters. As a commuter myself, I make it a point to make sure all non-revs are on board. As for jumpseating on AA/AE (who I use quite often) are we allowed unlimited jumpseats even if we are not yet a member of the CASS system? Thanks to all who have given me a ride! Come see us.