Hong Kong jumpseat

[pitotstatic]

Just wondering if anyone has any tips on jumseating to and from Hong Kong from the US. Especially going from Hong Kong and back here.

Thanks for the help.

Pitot

 

[mushroom]

I used to do it all the time on UAL out of SFO. Nice ride and never got less than business class. Just go to the international ticket counter and tell them you are wanting to jumpseat. They will probably print you a standby pass to go through security. Then just ask for the jumpseat at the gate and talk to the crew as you usually would.

If you travel in uniform in Asia, you are treated with respect as a pilot, as opposed to the U.S. I'd suggest doing so.

 

[ackattacker]

I've never done it, but a friend of mine just rode Polar Air Cargo out of HKG and said it was the only way to go. Bunk and everything. You can find their schedule and jumpseat request form at www.polaraircargo.com.

 

[pitotstatic]

If I do use the United route...is there anything in particular I have to think about coming back from Hong Kong? Do I have to pay departure taxes like I have to while coming back from Europe?

Pitot

 

[mushroom]

The ticket agents are good in HKG and elsewhere, so they know what OMC travel is. Just tell them you want to travel OMC and they will print you out the OMC form and the standby pass so you can get through security. You may have to talk to the supervisor to get it done right. And yes, you will probably have to pay the airport tax unless they forget about it or otherwise don't know you have to pay it. It's usually about $20 U.S. or so.

I have heard that you are supposed to list as standby about 48 hours in advance to keep the TSA happy. Not sure if that is true but I always did it to cover the bases. Just call UAL's international reservations number and tell them that you are a pilot from another airline who wants to travel OMC. They can list you as a regular standby passenger a few days in advance. Hope this helps.