DX J/S ver Pass Riding Process

[flyjumpseat]

Flightdeck observation. This is somewhat of a gray area here at OO. Pilots trump Dispatchers - usually. Unless the Dispatcher falls under the category of 'on company business'. But if both the Pilot and Dispatcher are on company business then it is back to Pilots trump Dispatchers.

Newhire pilots are required to 'observe' 5 flights. BUT they do them on their own time. And I don't think they get paid. NON-ASSIGNED FLIGHTS & NON-PAID. So is that under the definition of 'on company business'?

Dispatchers are required to 'observe' 5 hours. BUT we have to do them on our own time. We ARE paid. NON-ASSIGNED FLIGHTS but PAID. So is that under the definition of 'on company business'?

If I know one of our Dispatchers are out doing OBSERVATION time - I don't have a problem putting their names on the releases with the crew. AND I'll call up the stations and alert them that that Dispatcher WILL be riding in the flight deck on 'company business'. Some of the other dispatchers haven't been around long enough to feel comfortable telling stations that information.

But if you're out there in the system and you're not in contact with whoever is running the releases for the flights you are going on, you're on your own. And you should be on your own if you're not checking in with Dispatch. I mean, hey, this is work. Act like you belong. Be polite - but you should never have to say "Yes Massa. Thank you Massa. May I have another, Massa."

I believe someone is working on the verbage in our jumpseat priorities - but not positive.

OFFline jumpseating I haven't done much of in the past couple years so I don't have a whole lot to say about it. The only problem I've ever had was a QXE pilot was just an __________. I've jumpseated on QXE many times - but just that one...

 

[flyjumpseat]

ALW to SEA couple years ago - I was cleared by gate agent (friend of mine), got on board and passed up the paperwork and ID to the captain - got the oaky go have a seat in back. Sat down in the back, (this is all after everyone else has boarded) and phone rings. It's my buddy at the gate. Says the captain is pissed that they allowed a Dispatcher to board his flight. I'm saying why doesn't he deny me then - but door closes and we taxi out.

After we get in the air the FA comes back and says that the Captain wants to talk to me when we get to SEA. We get to SEA and I am the last pax on the plane helping to straighten up the cabin and I see the Captain run off the plane. So I get up to the flight deck and check in with the FO to see what's up, and he says to never mind, the CA was pissed about nothing.

Once I get in the terminal I get on the cell back to my buddy in ALW and he filled me in on the situation. Apparently CA got on radio to Station Manager, verified OO Dispatchers could jumpseat. Didn't believe him. So got on Selcal to QX Dispatch and got the same info.

Like I've said, I've jumped on QX many times and have had nothing but GOOD - except for that one time...


Alaska in SFO once: Cleared at the gate by the agent, information called down the jetway to the CA. Denied. Agent says, "Hang on a moment I'll be right back" and runs down the jetway. CA actually came up the jetway to appologize to me, said "Sorry, didn't realize Dispatchers could jumpseat - welcome aboard."

 

[exactlywrong]

~~"Because he's a pilot and he needs to get home"~~

dispatcher121 you hit it right on the head. I hear ya.

 

[comair1048]

My stories about Jumpseating

Well let me tell you about my jumpseating stories

I have had 2 bad experiences in my 2 years of dispatching one was on AE (American Eagle)
and the other on Skywest

AE: I was trying to jumpseat on AE out of ORD and I showed the gate agent all of my credentials
and she gave me the form as well as a seat on the airplane. I was all settled in my seat and I get paged over the PA. The pilot wants to see me, now granted I have flown on AE before, this is the first time this has ever happened to me. So I go up front and I guess that the Capt was doing a checkride. So they looked up in the regs and I guess that other 121 dispatchers can't ride on AE only pilots. So I got kicked off....thanks AE....but there own dispatchers cant even ride up front w/o paying, according to (will dispatch for food). And to make matters worse someone from AE dispatch calls my boss 2 days later and says that I tried to jumpseat on AE. My boss pulls me in the office and just says don't worry about it try again if you need to.

Skywest: I was attempting to jumpseat out of CVG to ORD at 6am and skywest was operating for UA on this flight, otherwise I could have just used my pass card. So I go up to the gate and the agent says that I might not be able to go since OH is not in the CASS system, but I can try.
So I get down to the gate and I am the last one to board after they called over to OH to verify that I was a DX. So I approach the door to the aircraft with Id's out and the F/A says that I don't need to show that to the pilot I can have a seat. Ok I know that I am supposed to show the pilot first I am in a sense asking permission to ride his plane, but I am riding for free so I sit down. A few minutes later the F/A comes back and says that she needs my id. I tried to do that before. So she takes my ID and goes up front and then comes back and says after the flight that the Capt wants to see me. So the plane lands at ORD and I go up there and the Capt says that I should have introduced my self, I said I tried, he says well I would have let you ride up here.

What a story but that is the only problems I have had



​

 

[propsarebest]

Your problem in CVG wasn't because of SkyWest, itwas due to the gate agent. In cities where UA handles us, I have hard time getting thr jumpseat ON MY OWN AIRLINE!! TUS comes to mind.

 

[comair1048]

Really?

Cause the gate agent said that I needed to be in CASS but I called your dispatch office the night before and they said that I could jumpseat..
That is a shame that you have to go thru all that

 

[Morning Wood]

Your problem in CVG wasn't because of SkyWest, itwas due to the gate agent. In cities where UA handles us, I have hard time getting thr jumpseat ON MY OWN AIRLINE!! TUS comes to mind.

True story. United in IND put a Trans States or Shuttle America pilot
that was a "mustride" to ORD in the Skywest jumpseat and told a
Skywest captain that was commuting that another UAX pilot
"mustride" already had the jumpseat. What kind of BS is that?
Try that on United and see how quickly you get booted off the
airplane when the crew finds out you are on COBUS. I honestly
think that United thinks that because they are paying for the
seats, that that includes the jumpseat and they can use it
however they want/need.

 

[dispatchguy]

AA: I was at AE after 9/11, at ORD trying to get to DFW for work, so I try one of the 30 flights a day between ORD and DFW on AA. Gate agent gives me the 1W (boarding pass for the jumpseat), for the flight is full.

I head down and board when called, give the CA the 1W and my ID (certificate is on my ID necklace), and the CA says that "he doesnt carry Eagle, get off my airplane" I tell him I work for the Executive side, that our pilots cant take his job (for we only fly ATRs), and to have a nice flight. I traipse over to UA, and that captain bends over backward to get on in F.

ATA: On thanksgiving 2001, oversold ugly DFWMDW flight, captain let me and a WN captain commuting to work in an F/A jumpseat. Thay have 6 F/A seats, but only staff to 4 F/As.

WN: Pre 9/11, was heading between STL and MDW. Showed my ID and cert, and the captain retorted that since my ID didnt say "DISPATCHER" that I couldnt ride - was full in the back (our company IDs dont say what your title is - but crew IDs say CREW). Started carrying a release with my name on it after that. Since we are 121.547 legal to jumpseat, our IDs should say DISPATCHER just like CREW IDs say CREW.

I dont travel anymore. Just went to the DFW SABRE conference this past week. While it was fun, getting thru ORD, getting on the flights as an NRPS, was nothing but a complete and royal pain in the arse. Other than my mando rides, the next time I fly will be next year when I head to China for our adoption.

 

[Morning Wood]

Dispatch Guy
I would see if whoever runs your OCC or the VP of Flt Ops can get
that changed. We had the same problem post 9/11 when the ID's
got reissued and finally got it changed to show job title.

MW

 

[twabudman]

my old place the ID said Dispatch-121....now it just says CREW...for all Dispatchers

 

[Markm1811]

ID Badges

Ours says Flight ops ( same as Crew Skd, MOC and Load Control). I agree they should say Dispatcher on them. It makes it easier to get around. ..

Midnight Brit
Coming to you on ACARS 4 nights a week.

 

[Bart Simpson]

I think my ID badge says this:
Underpaid & Overworked but the CEO of my company will make almost 1.5 million dollars and he doesn't give a hoot about us.

Or it could just say Dispatcher.