sorry gator, you have heard this before, but hopefully someone can straighten it out for me also, I may be really wrong,
My situation was I jumpseated out of JFK to NRT, without question from the gate staff other than normal protocal, ie. ID and License, I was given an Economy Plus Seat. There happen to be no first available, they were willing to give me one(the FA's).
So I get to NRT, go to Guam, Bali etc., on my return, I went for the same return flight to JFK. The gate staff, basically said 'no way, no how.' that, "it was in the book", he said.
So I waited for the crews, sure enough two CA's, two Fo's. I stopped them and politely asked what was the policy if there was an open seat in the back. The one CA, said he would take care of it. 15 min later, one FO came out to help me out. He questioned the gate guy and said I was welcome on board if there was a seat. the staff said that there wasn't a seat, but I still couldn't go because of the number of crew and that there wasn't a JS open in the cockpit and equal number of seats open in the back.
He said I could go to the SFO flight and ride that js but sit in the back because it was a 747 classic, (three) crews. so The captain came out eventually and agrued a bit with the gate guy and turned to me and said "sorry ,I can't help you, wish I could"
I got on the 747 to SFO, had a business seat. I was waiting in SFO and had breakfast with a UAL ca going to MEX and said this accurate. I was just lucky getting on the flight from JFK. it is unlimited js, but domestically, he was upset at my situation and commented that this policy was bad and needed to be changed the same as it is domestically.
I then rode first class from SFO to JFK on 757, it was awesome. Later I wrote to my JS coordinator(@ JB) to tell what a great experience I had going to NRT and overall on UAL, I said nothing about the deal coming back. The UAL JS coordinator emailed me and thanked me for my kind words, instead of the usual negative stuff that goes on out there.
I tactfully then asked him just to clear up the policies each way over seas and domestic, he said what 'the captain in SFO going to Mexico City said', that's the way it was for now, needed to be changed Int'l, but sorry for the problem over there, the Japanese staff are seriously by the book on that stuff, no room for helping someone out. Thanks UAL, I did have a great experience, the crews front and back, did what they could to help me be comfortable and were very kind always.
sorry everyone, for this long story, can anyone correct any thing or add their advice.
Guam
