Jumpseat, What would you do?

[CesnaCaptn]

I was jumpseating home the other day when an offliner showed up after me. I didn't even realize there was another jumpseater until I went to board the plane. The gate agent told me that she was only going to allow one of us to jumpseat and that the other had to use a pass. As a commuter I am sensitive to having to passride. Even though it would only costs me $25 to get home it can add up quickly. If I didn't write a pass, I'm guessing the offliner would have had to wait 3 hours for the next flight.

What would you do in this situation?

 

[Stepclimb]

Two thoughts come to mind.
1. Tell the other jumpseater to wait at the gate while you speak to the captain. Tell him that you would appreciate a ride and oh by the way, there is an offline guy that needs a ride, but the gate agent is refusing to let more than one jumpseater on board. Most captains I know would do what they could to get that guy on board, provided that the company does not prohibit more than one rider.
2. If the next few flights are oversold, and you are ridden with guilt, offer to split the cost of writing a pass for yourself.
-Stepclimb

 

[TonyC]

Don't just talk about him, talk TO him.

Taking a minute to talk to him will give you the opportunity to learn about his situation, and to convey to him your concern. He may have a pressing matter that makes it important for him to get to point Y in a hurry, or he may be in no hurry at all. He may be willing to pay the $25 for you, or he may be happy to move on to his Plan B or Plan C. Knowing his situtation will help you make your decision, and it will arm you with better information should you decide to approach the Captain on his behalf.

There are times when I would have been eager to pay the $25, and times I couldn't have cared less. Either way, the time you would have taken to find out would have been greatly appreciated. Courtesy goes a long way.






.

 

[McWilly]

Two thoughts come to mind.
1. Tell the other jumpseater to wait at the gate while you speak to the captain. Tell him that you would appreciate a ride and oh by the way, there is an offline guy that needs a ride, but the gate agent is refusing to let more than one jumpseater on board. Most captains I know would do what they could to get that guy on board, provided that the company does not prohibit more than one rider.
2. If the next few flights are oversold, and you are ridden with guilt, offer to split the cost of writing a pass for yourself.
-Stepclimb

#1 is a good idean
#2 is pretty cheap.....pay the 25 bucks and tell the guy he owes you a beer.

 

[filejw]

Taking cash from a jump seat rider is a problem at some company's be careful.

 

[charlie2]

This reminds me of a situation I had about 7 or 8 years ago when I was at ACA. I was going to jump home on UAL and a United pilot came up to me and said that he would write a $7 pass to free up the jumpseat for me but I would have to pay him the money. I looked in the my wallet to find I had only two 10 Deutsche Mark notes. At that time they were worth about $7 so I asked him if he would take it and he said sure. A day or two later I went to one of those currency exchange booths at the airport to cash in my other Mark and was told that Germany stopped using those bills and it is to late to exchange them! I inadvertently screwed that United pilot!

 

[dseagrav]

A day or two later I went to one of those currency exchange booths at the airport to cash in my other Mark and was told that Germany stopped using those bills and it is to late to exchange them! I inadvertently screwed that United pilot!

Eh, in that case, the DM are kinda like a collectable item - At some point in the future they may be worth money to historians, much like old coins are worth hundreds each now. You didn't exactly screw him over, you just gave him a potential long-term investment. ^_^

 

[charlie2]

Oh good, I got a bunch of 'em!

 

[cheater1239]

DM can still be exchanged for Euro's in Germany, at certain banks
I know where to go in cologne...

 

[Goose Egg]

Eat the $25, probably.

-Goose

 

[charlie2]

The DM I have I got in 1994 and I finally tried to cash them in a year or two later and was told they are worthless. Anyone know why?

 

[Cardinal]

Eat the $25. What goes around, comes around. It always kills me when online types are jumpseating and require an act of congress to ride a pass. As a commuter, pass travel should be built into the budget anyway.

Other's have extended themselves to you, even if it wasn't monetarily. When the awesome United guy breaks a rule for you and takes 3 jumpseaters or let's somebody sit up front he's putting alot more on the line than a mere $25 bucks. The goal is to get everybody on the airplane. The brotherhood, yadda, yadda.