CJC Trips Over Dollar, Saves Penny

[ShyFlyGuy]

I, umm... have a friend... who was the CA on this flight.

Boston (AP) - US Airways Express carrier Colgan Air found itself in quite a pickle a few days ago when a fully booked flight from Boston to Syracuse, NY had to return to the gate after pushing back in order to remove a Sergent in the Army Reserve on his way back home from duty.

The evening flight was booked to capacity, when Colgan Air added an off-duty crewmember to the passenger list in order to reposition him for a morning flight out of Syracuse. Boarding rules at US Airways dictate that the "must-ride" crewmember has higher priority than any revenue passenger, due to the fact that he/she is imparitive to another flight being completed without interruption.

In the situation where a flight is overbooked, the boarding priority is first-come, first-served for the remainder of the seats. Adding to the confusion of the situation is the fact that on most airliner aircraft, there is an extra albeit smaller, and often quite uncomfortable seat in the cockpit called a jumpseat. This seat is only used on occasions when a pilot is traveling for pleasure, commuting to or from work, or on a rare observation flight where the FAA or company official must observe the flight operation.

When the Captain of the flight checked with the gate agent during boarding, he was told of the overbooked situation and was asked if he could bring the "must-ride" crewmember up to the jumpseat so that the last passenger could make the flight. Since the jumpseat in the cockpit of this particular aircraft is exceptionally uncomfortable, and the rest and comfort of a crewmember going to work is vitally important, the Captain made it clear that the crewmember was to remain in a seat in the cabin.

After the final paperwork was completed and the flight was ready to push off of the gate, the gate agent informed the Captain that the stranded passenger was a serviceman in the Army, the Captain discussed the situation with the crewmember. The must-ride crewmember offered his seat in the cabin, took the jumpseat in the cockpit, and the Sergent was finally boarded on his flight home.

Since the crewmember was being repositioned in preperation for a flight the next day, he is considered "on duty", and is paid half the hourly rate he recieves when acting as a required member of the crew. At Colgan Air, he is paid $21 per hour, and with the flight lasting less than an hour, was to recieve less than $10.50 for the day.

A benefit of having 3 pilots in the cockpit is the added awareness, experience, and knowledge that the extra crewmember brings with him. He helps watch out for other aircraft, listens to Air Traffic Control, and can help in case of an emergency. So the Captain and First Officer were more than happy to have the crewmember join them in the cockpit.

As the push off the gate began, the Captain called Colgan Air's crew scheduling department and, since the "must-ride" crewmember gave up his seat for a revenue passenger and would be contributing as an additional member of the crew, he asked that the crewmember be paid accordingly and recieve full pay--less than $10.50 more than he was already recieving.

Crew scheduling denied the request. Drawing a hard line, the Captain informed the scheduler that if the request was denied, he would start both engines, reposition the aircraft to the gate from which they were just pushed, deplane the Sergent from the last flight of the day home (thereby requiring that he be given, ironically, two $10 food vouchers and a hotel for the night), put the "must-ride" crewmember back in his rightful seat in the cabin, and take a delay for the flight.

Colgan Air remained steadfast.

And so did the Captain.

Colgan Air avoided paying the crewmember $10.50 for the flight, but in the process delayed the flight for 33 passengers, paid $20 in food vouchers, $159 for one night in a hotel, and perhaps most egregiously, delayed the homecoming of a United States Serviceman.

Shy

 

[GSXR600]

Woow!!!!!!!!!!!

Let Me Guess Who Made This Intelligent Decision ...............mmmmmmmmmmm.........,,,,,,,,,,,ginaaaa!!!!

Low Class

 

[ShyFlyGuy]

Woow!!!!!!!!!!!

Let Me Guess Who Made This Intelligent Decision ...............mmmmmmmmmmm.........,,,,,,,,,,,ginaaaa!!!!

Low Class

*cough*
*cough-cough*

 

[chperplt]

When did this happen?

Your story shows AP as a source, but this isn't showing up anywhere on the AP site.

 

[Max Q]

What a joke.

-Brett

 

[GEORGE DUBYA]

bullcrap! I am sure that is not how it went down. Weight and balance usually will not allow a full flight like that. Having said that it probably happened.

 

[ohplease!]

bullcrap! I am sure that is not how it went down. Weight and balance usually will not allow a full flight like that. Having said that it probably happened.

if the captain did as this story said and went back to the gate and removed this soldier, te captain should be fired, ban from the airline/aviation industry forever, tared and feathered and deported to the worst 3rd world country on this planet. and he should take the DH fo with him.

I don't care what scheduling or the company said. period.

Sometimes you have to be the better person and do the right thing anyway.

 

[Mel Sharples]

Wow.

All the passengers were delayed and one U.S. servicemember was screwed because a pilot and management couldn't get along.

It's stories like this that make me so proud to be an airline pilot.

 

[Max Q]

It's stories like this that make me so proud to be an airline pilot.

It's a good thing you're not a plastics plant worker...

Get over it. There are jackasses everywhere.

-Brett

 

[Mel Sharples]

It's a good thing you're not a plastics plant worker...

Get over it. There are jackasses everywhere.

-Brett

WTF?

There are "jackasses everywhere"? You should tell USA Today and have them put it on tomorrow's front page. I'm glad you are letting the world know!

I stand by my original statement. Now more than ever.

 

[Max Q]

Well Debbie Downer, given your statement, "It's stories like this that make me so proud to be an airline pilot", it seems as though you might think the airline industry is somehow immune to jackassery. In other words, even though I myself have never been presented with such an opportunity, I witness on almost a daily basis fellow pilots going above and beyond for customers. I'm actually very pleased with my status as an airline pilot/gear bitch.



-Brett

 

[MusicMan]

Colgan Air avoided paying the crewmember $10.50 for the flight, but in the process delayed the flight for 33 passengers, paid $20 in food vouchers, $159 for one night in a hotel, and perhaps most egregiously, delayed the homecoming of a United States Serviceman.

Or another way of looking at it is the Captain inconvenienced one of our fine US soldiers over $10.50 for a deadheading crewmember. And then the deadheader didn't even get the extra money anyway. Here's to you Mr. Discount Airline Pilot Guy. Jack@ss!

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

The cockpit jumpseat is not a revenue seat to be used by the gate agent to get more passengers on board. It is for jumpseaters, not deadheaders.

 

[regionalcap]

The cockpit jumpseat is not a revenue seat to be used by the gate agent to get more passengers on board. It is for jumpseaters, not deadheaders.

So you would rather kick off a soldier? Sit your butt in the jumpseat...shake the soldier's hand..and thank him for his service. Sometimes you just have to do what is right.

 

[MusicMan]

The cockpit jumpseat is not a revenue seat to be used by the gate agent to get more passengers on board. It is for jumpseaters, not deadheaders.

Sure, if there is a jumpseater trying to use the jumpseat. If not, common sense dictates that you allow your customer to use the ticket he bought to get to his destination. Not to mention the deadheader didn't have a problem sitting in the jumpseat. The captain had a problem with him sitting there without an extra $10.50 in his pocket. Maybe you're the captain?

 

[SmitteyB]

I'm a Colgan FO and this is ridiculous.

I'd love 100% DH pay, but that is not what we get.

 

[Sam Snead]

yeah, I don't think AP covered this story. It sounds like it was written by someone at Colgan.

I appreciate what soldiers do for us, but they don't deserve special treatment on airplanes just because they are in the military.

Booking must-ride is crew-scheduling's problem and the CA shouldn't have to be the bad guy.

The deadheading crewmember should not be compelled to sit in the jumpseat.

 

[GSXR600]

Sam...

These are the guys that are out there defending our country and getting killed to protect us, so we can have a safe nation, and if we bump into one of them the least we can do is show them some courtesy!!!

My 02 cents

 

[bacardi]

crew scheduling is allowed to dictate 10.50$ vs 159$ plus the inconvinence of a full boat? Are you guy's and gal's serious the jumpseater should just shake the hand of the military guy and say thanks? OF course he should, but he should get paid 2 gallons of gas to ride in that awfull jumpseat.

 

[cuculain]

I think this is bull. Even AP has spell check and this guy could not spell his way out of a paperbag.