he is just express

[Cmdr Taggart]

We were must riding the other day on our associated mainline airline and as we walked on the airplane I heard one of the flight attendants ask the captain should she upgrade us to first class, the captain states: “No they are just express.” This type of blatant hostilities seems more and more prevalent each time I fly on mainline either as a non rev or must ride. I had a senior captain come up to me when I was commuting home and question why I was on the mainline airplane since I was express. After I explained to him we are owned by “his” airline and I was heading home after working, he grunted and grumbled something about taking jobs and left. I think he came up to me just to be nasty. I have a question for my fellow regional pilots that non rev on their associated mainline airlines; are you treated like third class garbage by the mainline flight attendants and pilots as well? Or is this an epidemic more associated with USAirways? I do understand the whole issue of main line pilots losing jobs and express operations expanding (to some degree) but I paid my dues, I served in the military, I flight instructed, I ran cargo, I did the same stuff these guys did 20 years ago. If I could get a job paying more flying, I would take it, but I have no choices right now, I am not trained in any other skill and I am 35, I have very few vocational choices at this point. I would like to see the hostilities stop between pilots

 

[chperplt]

I non-rev on US Airways every week. I am almost always upgraded to first class, and I get warm greetings from the entire flight crew. When I do get stuck in back, the FAs are always bringing me bottles of water and snacks from first class.

When the airplane is full, I have never had a mainline crew give me crap about riding the jumpseat. Again, always friendly....

 

[crashpad]

Sorry to hear that happened to you, but it is a rare.
Like you, I paid my dues and commuted for many years on every airline. I can count on one hand how many a$$hole pilots I dealt with (gate agents and stewardess's are another story).

If it makes you feel any better, this jerk is right about one thing...
you will take his job and then he can retire as a Wal-Mart Greeter.

 

[T-Gates]

Yeah, you'll run into a$$holes every now and then. But who cares. Just take your seat and blow it off.

Last time I caught a ride out of MSP, the F/O on the flight picked up my form from the agent and threw it back down muttering something about scumbags. The captain came up and was very nice and asked the agent to put me up front.

This industry is full off a-holes, just learn to deal with it.

Just my .02,

--03M

 

[Vorleron]

And always take the high road...or to put it another way, dont be an a$$hole, no matter what.

If you get that Captain on your flight next week, go out of your way to impress him. Tell him you may only be Express, but any fellow line pilot regardless of their current employment gets the best you can offer on your Aircraft.

A great example is the only way to fight piss poor attitudes. IMHO.

 

[Treme]

10% rule

It's the 10% rule. Every company has a few. (I know yours does ... Dean... Dirty Boy... )

I've worked at both Express and mainline and enjoyed the opportunity to ride in back and jumpseat from both positions.

I've never flown as part of a crew where anyone said, "he's just express". We've always gone out of our way to treat our brothers with respect -- a line pilots way of trying to repair the rift that our respective MEC's created.

I wouldn't take this guy too seriously. Remember, the youngest pilot at US Airways is around 42 years old nowadays. Maybe he's just going through "the change".

 

[Prop Trash]

It happens at my airline also. I've even been denied a jumpseat by a mainline captain because I am an "Express pilot." The captain was even on our MEC!

 

[BRA]

I've always been treated very well flying on mainline US Airways.

 

[LR25]

I was deadheading in the JS one day, and the guys were giving me some flak (I was Piedmont).

They were just making jabs at me more than anything, but still I thought it was a little childish. It would have been humorous if it would only had been a couple, but right up till the before landing check they were still at it, mainly the Capt.

I did get 1st class a couple of times, I just conviently covered up the part that said "Piedmont Airlines" on my badge with my hat. She was looking hard, I guess becuase of my age.

 

[EOpilot]

I've run into some of the nices crews when jumpseating and nonrevving on United. The only a**hole I came across (that sounds dirty) just happened to be a female captain who wasn't giving anyone the time of day, so I don't think it was just me or that I was express.

A good story, I was jumpseating home from ORD to EWR. First was full so I got one of the many open coach seats. I had just finished a 12-13 hour duty day and I'd eaten once. I was STARVING. Well when first class started to get the meals it drove me nuts. My mouth was watering so bad I scarfed those nuts and pretzels down in about two seconds.

The purser noticed me (I must have been leaning forward to smell the food or something) and she came back, leaned in close (I thought she was going to make out with me or something) and whispered, "If you want some food, meet me in the back in 2 minutes." She didn't have to say that twice. I tried not to run as I made my way to one of the empty rows in the back. She had a full first class meal (one of the pilots must not have been hungry) and I couldn't have been happier. What a way to make the ride home feel even better.

Oh well. I'll be paying for my tickets from now on, so I guess it's back to the same crappy treatment all the other pax get!

 

[acaTerry]

I must have been pretty lucky. Three years commuting and only 2 jerks. And this was a weekly commute averageing 2-3 legs (big cross country commute). So if you figure over 500 rides and only 2 bad guys, I guess that's pretty good.

 

[VGerect]

I've been commuting between south florida and detroit for a year now. I fly for NWAirlink and jumpseat on NW mainline, Spirit, AirTran and Delta (only twice).

Maybe 2 or 3 NW mainline capt's have a$$holes, but even they gave me a ride. If there is an open seat in first class the lead fa usually offers it. I've had several first class meals in the back of coach when first was full, one very nice fa even gave me her crew meal for dinner!
The fa's never treat me like a regular pax. Maybe 70% go out of their way to be nice, but the other 30% treat me like i have SARS.
Oh well............

AirTran and Spirit are in this commuters opinion the cream of the crop! I've had capt's and fa apologize when they did'nt have a seat in first. Even when you ride in the back they treat you like family. Spirit has an older guy named Charlie that's one of the coolest fa's that i've ever met. I think he's close to 70.

Delta i've only used twice from atl, both times the capt's were very friendly. One of those time the plane was wayyyy empty but i was never offered a seat up front. Afterward i realized that i forgot to introduce myself to the lead fa, so that's a bad one on me.

Over the past year i've met alot of great crewmembers while jumpseating and thank everyone of them for helping me get to and from work.

 

[Humblepilot]

There are always people who are miserable and want to share their $&*#$ attitudes with others. I have been treated better by mainline US Airways crews than when I was riding on UAL mainline as one of their pilots.

My suggestion is get the Captain's name. I write that down and one day when he is desperate for a jumpseat ride, open up the book and say on this date you made the following remarks, do you think I should even consider giving you a ride today. The look on his or her face will be PRICELESS!!!

Frats,
Humble

 

[acaTerry]

I don't know about the whole first class thing. It's nice when you get it, but don't complain about a free ride. If he looks down on you as express trash.....screw 'em.

 

[Russ]

Only had one arse to deal with, but I kept getting him, SAN -SLC.
He had nothing good to say. He asked me once why I didn't join the military if I wanted to be a pilot. The first thing after telling you his name was telling you he flew F14's in the Navy. Good for him, all I want is a ride home. He was somehow involved in the union, he told me that "I'll have you boys back in pistons before I'm done with you" Not many things I remember verbatim, but that's one of them. He rode his FO's pretty hard also. Not an enjoyable hour and change for me, the poor FO had to deal with him alot longer. He was notorious for harrassing JS'ers. He was short, with a gut and a curly mullet, all the guys who commuted on the same route had run into him and remembered him by description and reputation.