Jumpseat

[Hugh Jorgan]

From ALPA today...

Welcome to ALPA FastRead for August 15, 2003

Jumpseat Test Officially Approved

The TSA has officially approved a six month "pilot program" that will re-institute offline jumpseat access for pilots. This test program will be known as the Cockpit Security Access System, or CASS. The formal approval of CASS by TSA removes all of the regulatory restrictions that had been placed on offline jumpseat after the September 11, 2001 tragedy.

Before the program is again up and running there are some other steps that must be accomplished. For example, a contract with ARINC to run the proxy server for the CASS must be finalized. This should take no more than two weeks. Once this is accomplished each airline will be required to make some in-house adjustments to their computer reservations system in order to make it compatible with the requirements of the CASS. The length of time to accomplish these changes will vary from airline to airline.

Once each airline has met these requirements and made their system CASS compliant they will then have to "end to end" test their system with the other airlines participating in the CASS. This should be a relatively straightforward hardware/software issue. Once these tests are completed each airline entering the CASS will be required to adopt their respective Ops Specs to accommodate the requirements of the CASS. This should only require a written change to the Ops Specs documentation. The final approval for the system will be through each respective carrier's PSI, which the TSA has stated will occur provided all of the above requirements are met.

Once the system is up and running (probably mid-September for the carriers whose systems are ready) the following procedure will apply to pilots desiring to utilize an offline jumpseat. The pilot will present him or herself at the offline carrier's gate, provide the agent with his or her valid airline ID, a valid US passport and a PIN number issued by his or her respective airline. The gate agent will enter this information into the computer and send a verification of identification query to the pilot's airline through the ARINC proxy server. Once the response is received, the gate agent will verify that all of the identification credentials presented by the pilot matches the information returned by the airline, and the pilot will be allowed access to the cockpit jumpseat.

More information about this program will be provided as it is received, and pilots should contact their respective MEC Jumpseat Coordinators for information specific to their individual airlines.

 

[furlough-boy]

I personally don't think ALPA has done enough on the whole Jumpseat issue. Yes, they were quick to get jumpseating back for riding in the back. But it has now been almost 1-year since 9/11, and guess what? You still can't jumpseat on other airlines. On the route that I commute on, the flight is overbooked 98% of the time. I repeat, not full... overbooked. And there are always a ton of non-revs on top of the overbooked revenue passengers.

The bottom line is that the FAA now requires "Positive identification and employment verification." I honestly have no problem with that and I think it's good. It makes the whole jumpseating system more safe. The problem that I do have is when ALPA has millions of dollars in the bank and they haven't set up a system of ID and Employment verification. I guess they think that they are going to wait for someone else (like the airlines) to spend money on a system for ID and Employment verification. Yeah right! Jumpseating is a priviledge for all commuting pilots. Do you think the FAA or the airline management gives a crap when we are stuck for another night in an airport? Therefore, ALPA should be the one spending the money on some type of ID and Employment verification system. Whether it be via telephone or some other electronic means (swipe card, etc.), they should have had a plan of action and carried it out by now. If they have to set up a whole department and hire manpower for it, then so be it. But in all fairness on there part, the last guy who was head of the TSA was a complete idiot and apparently he wouldn't even work with ALPA on many issues (guns was a big one). Hopefully this new guy will be good. But I guarantee you that no ALPA member who is a commuting pilot would mind in the slightest that there dues money was being spent on a system that made there commute easier and allowed them full jumpseating priveledges.

What can be done at this point? Write your ALPA rep ASAP and tell them that ALPA needs to get offline cockpit jumpseating back now, and that they need to be the ones implementing the system. If they have to set the system up themselves and spend a little money, then OK. That's what you pay dues for.

1. It's been almost TWO years since 9-11

2. I agree with ifly4food on this one. I think ALPA has much bigger fish to fry than wasting precious time and resources on getting cockpit jumpseats back. I'd like to see them working on a solution to industry problems regarding scope and protecting the profession. ALPA and most MEC's waste negotiating capital on commuter policies and jumpseat agreements that only benifit the pilots that choose to commute.

 

[PCL Flt-ops]

ALPA and most MEC's waste negotiating capital on commuter policies and jumpseat agreements that only benifit the pilots that choose to commute.

It's not wasting negotiating capital at all. It's getting something back for the 64,000 ALPA members out there, that should have never been taken away. And no, it benefits everyone- not just the commuters. You're telling me that you never jumpseat anywhere? A lot more than 50% of those ALPA members who pay dues commute, and they pay ALPA to work for them (3% of their gross paycheck). So ALPA will take care of everyone's interests because it's a democracy.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

ALPA and most MEC's waste negotiating capital on commuter policies and jumpseat agreements that only benifit the pilots that choose to commute.

I am one of those who choose to NOT commute. But like many other pilots, I like to travel on my time off. I like to spend as much of that precious time as possible at my destination, not in some terminal hoping for an empty seat. Every plane that pulls out of the terminal with an empty jumpseat means more of my time off spent trying to get a seat on the next flight. This is a huge quality of life issue for many more than just those who choose to commute and in my opinion is one of the big fish I want to see ALPA frying.