NWA may lose AirTran jumpseat

[320AV8R]

. . . . it's a special benefit reserved for for NWAssholes . . .

Ty- do you think calling someone an a$$hole will HELP you get the J/S?

and if they would police their own, it wouldn't be an issue for the vast majority of decent NWA pilots. Unfortunately, when you have 5 in one year, it's pretty clear it is coming from the top down, hence the action.

Wrong. We have not received ANY word of ANY kind from ALPA or the company to change the Airtran J/S policy.

Again, this is not directed at the bulk of NWA guys, only the few "shaved apes" that would somehow blame us (the pilots at another airline) for their onw problems, instead of their own management.

Our "problems", as you call them, are our own. Blaming another airline is nonproductive. The J/S issue is between individual pilots, not airlines. If you are on the approved list, you should be granted the seat, unless there are outstanding circumstances; (you show up in shorts & flip-flops, haven't shaved in 3 weeks, etc).

Don't convict the entire NWA pilot group for the actions of 2 or 3 pilots. If you're denied the J/S, report it to your J/S coordinator, so they can find the pilot responsible & take care of the matter.
As far as I know, Airtran pilots are welcome on any NWA J/S.

 

[Ty Webb]

Here we go again.

First of all, pal, we do not charge for the jumpseat, period. The first off-line jumpseater rides for free, period. There could be 25 AirTran guys riding, and the first ASA guy would still ride free, period.

Additional pilots wanting to catch a ride can buy a pass, on the spot, for $25.

In other words, we treat you better than Delta does.

If you ever had a gate agent try to charge you for the jumpseat, and you are the first off-line guy, all you would have to do is mention it to the Captain when you introduce yourself. The Captain would clear it up. The first offline jumpseat has to be offered free, and every pilot here knows that.

I've seen this happen one time in over two years, (out of LGA) and the confusion was over the fact that there was an off-line F/A on the F/A jumpseat, and the gate agent made a UAL guy buy a pass.

In the case above, the UAL guy mentioned to the Capt that he was "on a pass". We noticed that there was no toher pilot j/s form, so we took a delay while they sorted it out and gave the UAL guy his money back.

I know that the policy says the first J/S is free, but I've heard too many stories of the only J/S getting charged.

Yeah? You really believe that, huh? Sounds to me like you WANT to believe it, but I doubt it happened. The ONLY way it could happen is if the guy who bought the pass didn't introduce himself to the Capt. on the way to his seat, because if he told the Capt. he was riding on a pass, the Captain would have cleared it up- period.

You have yourself a good one, there, Cletus.

 

[Ty Webb]

Originally posted by G4G5
Were those 5 documented cases Eastern SCAB?

Nope.

I know two of the guys personally, and I just finished a trip with the most recent Capt to be turned down. The other one was probably 12 when EAL went on strike, so anyone with a pair of eyes and the capacity to perform second grade math could figure that one out.

The one I flew with had it happen in MEM. He gave me the NWA DC9 Capt's name and employee number, and showed me a copy of a letter from our CP to the NWA CP, so it looks like it is beyond the J/s coordinator level to me.

I am mentioning this so that all NWA pilots who have an interest in keeping the AirTran jumpseat have an opportunity to do something about it. I would contact your CP and ask what is being done about this, if you want to keep it.

 

[G4G5]

I would pay $25 to fly home if the JS was taken. That's a great option.

I know Delta does the samething on the shuttle.

If those NWA knuckleheads are just doing it to spite Airtran. Then their should be repructions. The problem is that it just hurts the line pilot. Odds are the idiots causing the problems are not commuters

 

[Ty Webb]

Re: Ty Wan

Well, Joe, if I was as short-sighted as you, I might just do that.

However, being a bit more proactive, I thought I would give NWA guys a "heads-up". Maybe they can keep it from going "bye-bye".

Squawk, Squawk, thump.

 

[Ty Webb]

Yup. But it's becoming clear that some NWA guys haven't grasped the situation, and have come very close to losing j/s privileges with AirTran.



Over and Out.

 

[dA-RoCk]

ty-

Keep in mind that is just a hand full of d!ickheads, it doesn't make since to punish the rest of the NWA pilot group, because of a small group of pilots (6-12). That small few should be the ones punished......

RoCk

 

[lionflyer]

I don't know the whole story but, has anyone considered that the Airtran pilot might have been an actual scab. There are lists out there you know. If the NWA guy denied the Airtan guy out spite, hopefully it will be dealt with propery without losing reciprocal agreements. However, if the Airtran guy was a scab, then he doesn't ride.

 

[Tim47SIP]

Interesting

However, if the Airtran guy was a scab, then he doesn't ride.

This then makes me wonder what the status of all of the Continental scabs that were let back in to ALPA and forgiven. They are now certified ALPA members. So what then? Do we deny them the JS?

I think that just the few NWA guys should be added to a Air Trans deny list and leave it alone. We at DCI have had a couple Delta pilots JS privliges pulled for 6 months, so there is a way to deal with it. I have ridden on Airtrans a couple of times and was even the second or third Jumseater and was not charged. BUT! if they are charging 25.00 for 2nd and up off line jumps, then I do have a problem. I know that we at ASA carry a whole bunch of them to and from ATL. All of them very polite and professional, but they need to get the charge taken off.
Just my .05 cents.

 

[Ty Webb]

Read the string. It was already addressed.

The pilots in question, as has already been covered, are not scabs. Do I have to say it a third time?

The VAST majority of AirTran pilots are NOT scabs. We also have some former EAL guys who put in 15 years or more at Eastern, went out on strike and never went back. Can you imagine how insulting to them it would be to hear this stupidity?

Get a copy of the list. Take a look at where most of those pilots are . . . . and it ain't AirTran.

 

[320AV8R]

Let's get something straight here, Chief. I don't want or need your jumpseat, period.

First of all, my name is not Chief. If you don't want or need the J/S, you don't have to worry about being denied the J/S. It seems like you have an axe to grind about a specific event involving a NWA pilot. Were YOU denied the J/S?

The problem is that you guys have a couple of pilots who are "on a mission" to deny AirTran pilots the jumpseat. Five times in twelve months is not a fluke.

Since there has been no formal policy change, the problem is a FEW INDIVIDUAL pilots. Do you have specific flight numbers & dates? If so, your J/S coordinator should be contacted to resolve the problem with the INDIVIDUAL NWA pilot or pilots.

But it's becoming clear that some NWA guys haven't grasped the situation, and have come very close to losing j/s privileges with AirTran.

Exactly.....SOME pilots....a few....not the entire NWA pilot group is involved here. When offline pilots show up for the J/S, everyone I know treats them with courtesy & respect. I would follow the proper channels to report this alleged abuse. Let the J/S comittees find a solution. If we lose the Airtran J/S, that's a decision they will have to make.

 

[Ty Webb]

Actually, I have the employee name and seniority number of the most recent one. Want it?

When we rarely get a single complaint of a "denied jumpseat", but we have 5 of them . . . all from NWA, well, you don;t need a weatherman to tell you which way the wind is blowing (or sucking).

 

[a320drivr]

As a JB pilot who commutes exclusively on NWA I will admit I get a rash of you know what about every third time I commute. Not much I can do but take it if I want a ride home. It seems to be the DC9 guys. The 757 and A320 guys are great as are the LGA gate agents. What do I get crap about?
1. not being ALPA
2. B6 is whoring the industry with our pay (too bad they have no idea what we make)
3. not having a standard pension
4. letting other carriers FA's ride
4. etc

 

[furloughed dude]

NWA is a very unionized carrier. Air tran has the reputation for being a scab carrier, and that is because of some of the older guys who are Eastern scabs. NWA has alot of ex-Eastern people. Not saying it's fair, and most don't think that way.

As far as pay goes, I don't think Air Tran's pay is as good as NWA. DC-9 captain pay goes from 175 (1st year) to 190 (12th year).

Jumpseat privileges are reciprocal, and obviously if Air Tran doesn't reciprocate, then NWA stops as well. I think it would hurt Air Tran more than NWA due to size of networks.

Bottom line, we all have worked with a$$holes, these are isolated incidents. Let it slide... It screws over the masses because of a few bad experiences...

 

[Ty Webb]

Yeah . . . maybe to someone who is still living in the 1990's.

We will officially be a major this year, with over 1000 pilots . . . the vast majority of whom were hired long after the merger. The last DC9 has left, the 737's start showing up in a couple of months, and we will be negotiating our next contract. Life is good here.

As far as pay goes, I don't think Air Tran's pay is as good as NWA. DC-9 captain pay goes from 175 (1st year) to 190 (12th year).

No, you're right. Our pay isn't as good as NWA, yet. On the other hand, we don't have any pilots working at Home Depot, and our upgrade should be running around 2 years, once the 14 planes we a re getting this year start showing up.

Jumpseat privileges are reciprocal, and obviously if Air Tran doesn't reciprocate, then NWA stops as well. I think it would hurt Air Tran more than NWA due to size of networks.

I don't think so, not by a long shot. I would estimate that well over half of our pilots live in either ATL or MCO, and only a few of the commuters come from a place not served by us. I have never jumpseated on a NWA carrier . . . never saw the need to.

Bottom line, we all have worked with a$$holes, these are isolated incidents.

That's the point of this whole string, guy. It is not an isolated incident at NWA- copy?

 

[g159av8tor]

I think it would hurt Air Tran more than NWA

I agree.

Even if half of Valu... er... AirTran's pilots live in base, I speculate that a lot more of your people are using NWA jumpseats than the reciprocal.

 

[320AV8R]

Actually, I have the employee name and seniority number of the most recent one. Want it?

Ty-

I'm trying to contact our ALPA J/S coordinator. Either I'll pass the info to him, or you two can contact each other.

I'll let you know.

 

[Ty Webb]

Oh, really?

Well, please do tell us what particular piece of wisdom you are basing that on . . . . . because, geez, I probably only know about a third of our pilots, but from that sample, I only met three who commute off line.

Two from SEA, but one of them has moved to ATL . . . .
One from Maine.
One from Paris

Gee, that leaves a whopping three pilots I have met in my two and a half years here who have an off-line commute.

I would venture to guess that we probably have less than 20 pilots systemwide who commute from a non-AirTran served city.

And the rest ten to live in ATL, MCO, or commute from one of the 45 cities we serve.

But, hey, you know better than me, right?

 

[320AV8R]

Ty-

Our J/S coordinator wants you to contact him.

I'll send you the details.

 

[atafan]

While you guys duke it out......

A Public Service Announcements

ATA will take all Part 135 and 121 pilots, as many open seats we have in the back.

Never a charge, and we are happy to do it!

I know that we have always been in this together....

ATA - Doing more with less for over 30 years.