Delta Jumpseat Question

[j41driver]

To SkyWest and DAL pilots:

We have been told that ACA pilots now have access to the cockpit jumpseat on DAL, however it only applies to the 328Jet pilots since they are the only aircraft that we fly for Delta Connection. How is SkyWest's jumpseat agreement is set up since they operate as UEx and DC also, both using CRJ's i believe. Seems pretty bogus that one group of pilots from the same company recieve JS benefits yet the rest do not.

 

[CA1900]

I feel your pain. My company (CommutAir) flies as Continental Connection and only Continental Connection, yet has no access to the cockpit jumpseat on Continental. Frustrating, to say the least.

Though I've been riding on Southwest a lot lately, and they couldn't be nicer if they tried, from the folks on the phone on down. Many thanks to you guys.

 

[Andy Neill]

All pilots at SkyWest have access to Delta jumpseats BUT I believe that is because pilots in both the Brasilia and the CRJ do a significant amount of flying in each of the Delta and United systems. A SLC jet crew could fly as Delta Connection one day out of SLC or DFW and fly as United Express out of FAT the next. Likewise, a PSP based Brasilia crew could work the So Cal area as United Express and fly the next day out of SLC as Delta Connection.

 

[46Driver]

J41Driver,

We on the Delta Connection side feel your pain. We had NO United benefits for 2 years while all of the J41 and CRJ pilots were getting unlimited WYO's and companion passes on United. We just got the Delta jumpseat because (I think) our ID's were entered into the Delta computer - don't know if they did that for the United side or not - or if Delta will allow it in the first place. Anyway, good luck and hope y'all don't have to wait 2 years.....

 

[j41driver]

46Driver,

I know it was messed up for the 328 pilots for quite a while but why does it always have to be "you guys & us guys" and not just ACA pilots. After all we are the same pilot group, right?

 

[sabreliner]

My guess is that it has something to do with the way ACA divides their pilots into either United Exp or Delta Conx. The United guys aren't part of the code share deal, so may be restricted due to the FAA ruling opening the JS to feeder partners only. Then again, that could be completely wrong. Just my guess. IT could also be simply for the same reason that the United Exp guys don't get pass privelages on DAL.

By the same reasoning then, I should be able to ride an ACA United Exp JS, and I can't, right?...

 

[j41driver]

Actually all pilots at ACA have the same DAL and UAL pass benefits regardless of aircraft flown. $30 each way on DAL, free on UAL. Even the guys that only fly DAL flights get the free UAL benefits.

 

[46Driver]

J41Driver,

No venom or anger was intended. What I meant to say was that sometimes the company takes it sweet time to get benefits to all of its pilots - and sometimes you can't even blame the company if United or Delta is the cause of the delay. Hope it doesn't take the United side 2 years to get this fixed. Good Luck.

 

[j41driver]

46Driver,

Thanks for the clarification. I guess I read a bit to far into your first post. Take care.

 

[Twotter76]

Not to complain but you all should consider yourselves fortunate to be able to even ride in the back. We lost our jumpseat agreement with UAL after 9/11 and have yet to get it back. I can't even ride in the back. And yet I can ride with literally every other major and regional in the US (in the back of course). I guess just being a 121 regional isn't good enough any more. darnit what do I have to do to fix this? Anybody know the UAL jumpseat coordinator? OK I'm done venting now.

 

[j41driver]

Who do you fly for?

 

[Twotter76]

Check your PMs

 

[ifly4food]

Actually, I fear many of you have been given incorrect information.

Only pilots at their own company or those at wholly owned subsidiaries of a company may occupy the cockpit jumpseat. This is from the FAA. The reason is that you can't verify the jumpseater's employment otherwise; they want a computer database.
ACA pilots can not occupy the Delta, Comair, or ASA jumpseats, and none of us can occupy yours. This is because you are not wholly owned by Delta.
Supposedly, Skywest can occupy all Delta family jumpseats and vice versa now due to their new IDs, but I have heard many stories of Delta and ASA pilots being denied the jumpseat on SKW lately. Maybe Andy Neill can shed some light on that one. I'd hate to see the SKW pilots in DFW getting denied jumpseats while commuting.

 

[Patriot328]

Our information is correct. If you fly the 328 at ACA, you are in DAL's computer system and are allowed to J/S in the cockpit of DAL (and I assume DCI), just as you can on our Delta a/c.


Now there is speculation as to why only 328 pilots. The general concensus (sp?) is because all 328 pilots have the potential to fly DALCON trips, unlike CRJ or J41 pilots, and that is the reason DAL only allowed 328 pilots to be put in the system.

Apparently at Skywest, all pilots, regardless of a/c, have the potential to fly Dalcon trips, so all of their pilots are allowed to J/S in the cockpit.

 

[ifly4food]

The reason we can do it is because of our PPR card, aka Delta ID. They can verify our employment through our pass privilleges. If you guys have a PPR card now, then that explains why only the Dork Jet pilots get to ride... CRJ and J41 don't fly for Delta and don't get pass bennies on Delta. That's your company's decision.

If you can J/S on us now, then maybe someone should let us know. We haven't seen a memo yet and until we do, nothing has changed. We did get a memo that Skywest is allowed now.

 

[j41driver]

ifly4food,

You said: "Only pilots at their own company or those at wholly owned subsidiaries of a company may occupy the cockpit jumpseat. This is from the FAA."

This statement is incorrect. ACA pilots, regardless of aircraft type flown, have been allowed access to the UAL JS for some time now. Obviously ACA is not UAL and ACA is not a wholly owned subsidiary of any airline but we are all allowed in UAL's JS.

 

[46Driver]

The PPR card gets the wholly owned (I think) the ability to write your own passes on Delta - we do not have that at ACA which is why y'all can ride for free on us but we have to pay to ride on you. As of May 28th, the paperwork went through saying ACA (Delta Connection side for now) had access to the Delta jumpseat in the cockpit exactly like SkyWest - that's coming from our chief pilot.

 

[KFFA]

At SkyWest We can use the actual(assuming in these stories above the PIC says yes) in both UAL and Delta. The reason is that oue emploment can be varrified by both UAL computers and Deltas computers. About the specific stories out there about Delta didn't let me do this and United said no. Well it depends on the gate agent. Sometimes they seem to not get the latest memo. At SkyWest we are very open with are jump seats except 1 rule.... The Emb-120 no one, not the Secret service or the FAA can use the actual jumop seat because in flight the door can not shut with actual occupied. But as long as we have seats open in both the RJ and EMB then we take as many as seat available. The RJ we do allow Delta, and UAL. Infact on this 4 day trip we have taken an Eagle, 2 USair, Mesa, Cont. and one Frontier FA. Also keep in mind some of our RJ's are some older Comair ones(oops, opened a can of worms here) that have a tighter weight restriction, so some times we cann't get 50 pax, all baggage and fuel to traverse the mid-west afternoon storms and still get the jumper on. If you ever have a problem at the gate don't give up go over and ask a SkyWest pilot to help you out, we will.