It's morons like that who make jumpseating a harder task than it should be....
Amen..........
I commuted offline for about 10 years. It is NOT brain surgery, it is a privilege that is easily lost.
Having witnessed similar instances as above a few time, I can say without a doubt, that the SUREST way to get denied is to get upset and start demanding anything. Heck, to most gate agents, jumpseaters are a PIA, and some resent the fact that you can jumpseat.
I agree about the AA gate agents......... by far the worst when it comes to civility to offline jumpseaters!
It's a simple procedure.........
Show up as early as you can (it's not always possible to be there an hour prior, which brings me to the next point).......
BE NICE and POLITE to the gate agent, regardless of how nasty they are to you. A disarming smile and and an empathetic comment will go a LONG way (wow, you guys sure are busy today!).........
Even if you are the first person at the gate area, wait until the revenue pax get on line before you. Nothing ticks off a gate agent more than a pilot running up first thing in the morning, pushing old ladies out of the way to be first in line.
If you see another pilot that looks like he might be trying for the jumpseat, instead of trying to beat him to the front of the line, go over and make it known that you are also trying to jumpseat, and determine who was there first, going to or from work etc. Work out who will go if they will only take one, BEFORE you get to the gate agent. A lot of guys will see you there before the gate opens, and instead of talking to you, will attempt to beat you out at the check in line. The agents REALLY don't want to referee an argument at the front of the line........ Believe it or not, the worst offenders that I've seen in these cases were from ATC guys. Three times in my commuting tenure, I've had them try to have me bumped from a jumpseat using the "I'm with the FAA" nonsense and make a scene at the gate. One lady even came down to the cockpit right before push (I was already strapped in the MD80) to plead with the Captain to bump me and take her instead!
I had a UPS guy do this in PHL on an originator to MIA. I was the first person through SECURITY that morning, as I had spent the night in the crew room there, so I could commute home first thing. I got to the gate about 2 hours prior to push. A guy with a brown raincoat (no hat or any other identifying items) came into the gate area about 45 minutes after I did, and I had a feeling he was a pilot, but wasn't sure. He had the deer in the headlights look when he saw me sitting there. Since I was in full uniform, I figured that if he were a pilot looking to jumpseat, he would come over and say something to me. When the gate opened, the guy jumped up and cut in front of about 15 pax to get to the front of the line, and asked for the jumpseat. The gate agent gave him a lecture about courtesy to the rev folks, but gave him the jumpseat anyway. I got on the end of the line and checked in (there were 2 seats). When we boarded, the Capt told us to sit in First (at the time, AA wouldn;t let offline jumpseaters sit in the cabin at all, so it was a treat!) and I was placed next to Mr. UPS. He started talking to me and I just stopped him and asked him if he had seen me sitting in the gate area, and he said yes. I was obviously not an AA guy, and asked if it dawned on him to see if I was going to jumpseat. He said yes, but that he had been up all night (so had I, after working all day), and felt he deserved to get home! I told him that common courtesy dictates that the first one at the gate should be the first one on the jumpseat, but he argued that it was the first one that checks in...... I didn't say another word to him for the rest of the flight..........
I am so glad that I don't commute any more.......
If you are going to try to B.S. your way onto the jumpseat pick another airline.TC
