Jumpseat Etiquette

[Flying Freddie]

The way I see it, If the poor guy has made it through layers of security, stares and feeling like a motherless child, I am going to let him jumpseat. He might be one of those guys who has been on the road for three weeks and has been up the last 24 hours. He might just be able to get home for 24 hours before he is going to get called out for another three week world tour without a bath or a bed without bugs in it. My ego doesn't need to see him if he has a seat assignment. I just hope he feels that he was treated well.

 

[jethro38]

I always make it right to the cockpit to ask to ride the jumpseat. If the Capt / FO aren't busy I will usually shot the breeze a little to see how the company is doing. We had a JSer that litterally threw his paperwork in the cockpit and walked out. Needless to say the Capt was out of the cockpit to explain a little JS etiquitte to the guy.

R,
Jethro

It's not a right but a privledge

 

[JethroF15]

I not only introduce myself to both the Captain and FO and ASK very politely to bum a ride, I drop off a couple bags of M&Ms, with peanuts of course, just to say thanks!

 

[colorado418]

I will join the foray here. When I was at Allegheny, I had a lot of guys jumpseating. Most did come up and say hi and ask, but 90% of the time, I could not get a "Thanks for the ride" from them. I think that is just as important. Common courtesy dictates that I think. It does not take that much time.

As I joined jetBlue, I noticed that there seemed to be a bit more respect directed towards the front end crew. I don't know if it is because I was only a "commuter pilot" before or not. I think that is BS. A free ride is a free ride. Would you only say thanks if an 18 wheeler picked you up along the side of the road, or would you say thanks to a pick up truck too.

The time that Pi__ed me off the most was when a guy sent his scope badge up front with his ID as he was asking for a ride. I was still at Allegheny then and to me, that was completely ignorant. I gave him a ride, but I sent him a note during the flight and he asked to talk afterwards. He just did not get it though. Scope me only fly a DHC-8 at the regionals, but still give a free ride with out heart burn when it is shoved in my face....


Ahhh..... I feel better now.....

 

[Obi-Wan]

The problem is that AA gate agents issue you a ticket after checking your credential.I think these people are mistakenly thinking they do not have to talk to the capt since they have a ticket issued.

 

[AA717driver]

JethroF15

Way to go, Jethro, raise the bar a little more!

Around Christmas when I was on SWA, the FA's gave me crap because "the other TWA jumpseaters brought us candy...". I'm STILL trying to track them down! TC

 

[AQ PILOT]

not a right....

hate to stir the pot a bit...'cause i fully agree jumpseaters should always say hello to the captain and crew....

but...

i mentioned this same thing to someone who is pretty up to date on jumpseating protocols and agreements. i said pretty much the same thing, its not a right...his reaction was not what i expected. he said BS if it isn't. every time a pilot group/carrier negotiates a contract the jumpseat chapter comes into play. the js was something that was negotiated for...not just given...at least to most. and for everything you get in a negotiation, you usually have to give something away...

so, yeah, proper etiquette is all important. but we are all in this together. i know many pilot groups like Alaska and Horizon, WN, will fill up the plane with js'ers. We had to do a bit of negotiating just to get 5 js'ers on board here. Some airlines still do the old 1 a flight or as many jumps are installed. it still costs each group something...

late night ramble done...

 

[~~~^~~~]

It could also be that the guy in back is an AA pilot who assumes since it is one of Eagle's airplanes that an Eagle pilot is flying it.

I know your huge SCOPE tags on your ID's cause concern for some regional pilots and some of the more diplomatic American guys avoid the cockpit of a regional aircraft at all costs.

There are a couple of American pilots who commute out of stations I regularly fly to and it is hit or miss whether they come forward. I can understand any of us wanting to protect scope in our contract, but I also understand the tense feelings on the American property with ALPA and APA cross bidding on each other's flying.

One problem I have had with the American guys is that they want off the airplane if there is a mechanical (to try to beat another jumpseater to a Delta flight that only allows one J/S). My understanding is that once they are a ticketed pax, it is not up to me to allow them to wander around the ramp, particularly when they have no badge for that airport. Also the other passengers get concerned when they see some "passengers" getting special treatment.

We have multiple J/S at ASA. Welcome aboard and stop by and say "Hi" if you can.

~~~^~~~

 

[Rhinosky]

What do you do with your luggage and/or flight case when your about to step on the plane to speak the captain? When I was first starting out, I had a 737 captain rip me a new one when I set my bag just inside the aircraft door (even though the flight was late and they wanted to pull the jetway).
On another late flight, I introduced myself to the FA while the captain was busy in the cockpit talking with a maintenance supervisor. Everyone was trying to get the flight out and the FA suggested that she take my bag and stow it. The captain saw this, kicked out the supervisor, and tore my head off before I even had a chance to get in the cockpit. At any rate, I always leave my bags in the jetway or on the ramp. I'm sure those are isolated incidents, but FAs and Agents act like this is unusual sometimes, so I'm curious.

RJ

 

[jetexas]

We have multiple J/S at ASA. Welcome aboard and stop by and say "Hi" if you can.

As an Eagle pilot who has J/S a lot in the past, thank you for allowing multiple J/S. The same goes for the others that accept multiple J/S (Conex and Skywest come to mind).

We have been trying for a long time at Eagle to carry multiple J/S. We always get the same generic "blow off"response,... "We have to do what AA does".
IF the flight is not gonna leave late, the ID's are checked and there are seats, I cannot see the rationale. Especially if payback means that more airlines (ex. Delta) follow suit. It would probably mean less "sick" calls and happier, less stressed employees if people could commute easier. (If need be, I could bring a whole box of peanut M&M's or a shiney new MAXIM magazine for the flight deck.)
I apologize to those commuters (especially those whose airlines allow many J/S) who are left at the gate while a half full Eagle plane pushes back. I wish it could be different.

 

[mar]

I leave 'em in the jetway

Rhinosky--I usually leave my bags in the jetway to keep the entrance clear (obviously) *unless* I know for a FACT that I'm the last person to board.

Those two capts you describe sound like a couple of classic knobs. What else can you do except pity them. They're so frustrated with their 'crummy' little job they take it out on the jumpseater (the equivalent to kicking the dog).

Here's a story about offering help to the crew in case they need it...

I'm jumpseating on a 737 *packed* to the gills on Mother's Day. Even both jumpseats are filled. I'm the shorter one so I offer to take the one behind the capt before it even becomes an issue. As I board I introduce myself to the Lead FA and ask her if it would be all right, once we level off, if I may come out of the cockpit and stretch my legs by the main door (it's a three hour flight).

She says no sweat.

Once level, I tell the capt that I'd like to step outside for the cruise portion of the flight and that I already cleared it with the Lead FA and I joked, "I can help out with the beverage service or something."

He says no sweat.

So now I'm actually camped out on the FAs benchseat when she announces that in celebration of Mother's Day they'll be serving champagne. With that, she trys to uncork a bottle but is having a hard time. Guess who she asked for help?

I spent the next 20 minutes actually helping with the beverage service by pulling corks!

Once the power went to idle, that was my cue to get up and 'assume the fetal position' back in the cockpit. Of course I had to let the capt know I *really* did help out with the beverage service!

 

[ivauir]

Thanks for the tip on the bag placement - that was always an awkward moment for me ....

 

[dispatchguy]

I not only introduce myself to both the Captain and FO and ASK very politely to bum a ride, I drop off a couple bags of M&Ms, with peanuts of course, just to say thanks!

When I was commuting between ORD and PHX each week, I would always get 3 grande mocha frappucinos at the Starbucks across from our gate at ORD - never was denied a ride

 

[teedub]

jump seat

I rode a lot of trans atlantic js back in my twa days......the return from lhr or lgw legs often proved difficult as some of the gate agents were unfamiliar with the concept of a "free ride"....indeed I once got a jumpseat from belfast to london on BA and still had to pay full fare for the ticket........so my point is how VERY VERY lucky we all are in the usa to have this wonderfull resource....

never the less there's the guy who wanted a ride from dca to jfk from me once whose introduction at the gate was to come up to me as I printed the release, take it out of my hand and announce as I gently asked "can I help you?" ..."oh just checking to see how much min fuel you had so you wont have a problem taking me to jfk" hmmm!!

glad to say that was the exception to the rule......

simple deal is....say hi..say please....say bye...say thanks..to all and sundry (where possible)

cheers and warm beer

 

[cargoflyr69]

I'm a commuter and I ALWAYS introduce myself to the crew before and after the flight. However, on a few of my flights, when I know its gonna be a full boat, I have asked to pre-board. This was so I could secure an overhead for all my associated pilot crap I lug around x-country. I never put it in the first class bins, but usually a few rows behind it. Am I playing with fire or do other commuters pre-board too?