Paying for a Jumpseat!!??@!%&*

[SelectZoneFive]

Yes Viking you are correct. Have a lollipop.

But that was not my point. Pilots should be able to jumpseat for free. If there is an open seat and you are trying to get to work then you get to occupy it. Any open seat is a jumpseat.

Don't rename it, and then charge for it, and pretend everything is ok. Let managment do that.

Not lecturing anyone, I think we all agree.

 

[Fly-By-Cable]

Had jumpseat coordinator on jump seat another day...He's very upset about this policy and the union is actively fighting to change it.

 

[FL717]

The "jumpseat" at AirTran is free. Period. We allow one jumpseater just like the majority of other carriers out there. The difference is that as a 121/135 pilot you can on-the-spot non rev for $25.00 - if the jumpseat is taken. This is the way management wants it. Do we like it? NO! But we are doing what we can as a union to go back to the open cabin policy, but until then our policy is still better than 90% of the airlines out there. I do not believe that any non AirTran pilot has the right to say that this is "unfair". Bad timing? .. YES. Bad PR for commuters?.. YES Unfair?... NO.

As a commuter I sympathize, and throughout my career I have commuted to domiciles all over the country, and still commute to this day. I have been left behind while an empty airplane pulled away from the gate many times. This is/was during a period when I worked for carriers that allowed all the jumpseaters we could take. I certainly NEVER ever blamed the pilots for "justifying" it, or got on a message board even remotely implying that it was BS, after all WE took unlimited jumpseaters. Its not fair?! So what?! It is/was part of the "commuter blues", and I deal/dealt with it. Management ultimately decides who gets on their airplanes for free.... period.

Our union is working on this, and hopefully we will go back to a open cabin someday, until then, I will ALWAYS non-rev and leave the jumpseat to offline pilots. I will even sit on the Flight Attendant seat if it gets you a seat onboard and off to work.

 

[TurboS7]

You guys are getting a little ridiculous, or more like spoiled rotten kids. There has always only been one jumpseat, maybe 2 on Airbus's and some 737's. That goes for CAL, DAL, UAL,ATA, and all the other airlines. AirTran for a while comes up with a policy that they will allow multiple jumpseats-unheard of as management policy(I know at CAL they let us slip on but that was the captain going above and beyond). Now when the jumpseaters exceed the amount of pax(I know we fly Airtran routes once in awhile and I sign jumpseat passes for five minutes)management decides to charge a nominal fee. Yes I am for it because I saw the system being abused, very badly. I feel bad that the Airtran guys have to pay as 80% of them commute. For an off-line guy to complain-YOU ARE WAY OUT OF LINE.

 

[FL717]

TurboS7:

Just to clarify... AirTran pilots do NOT have to pay at all, regardless if the jumpseat is taken or not. We can all non-rev at no cost. You may know that, but the end of your post seems to indicate otherwise. You may be referring to something else, and if I misunderstood, my apologies.

Thanks..

 

[trigeek]

While $25 may be more than one had to pay before, it certainly isn't unfair. It is much cheaper than most ID90's. I have never jumped on Airtran but have heard good things from those who have. IMHO be grateful to a ride to work. Delta pilots couldn't even jumpseat on their OWN JETS until Contract 96. Any jump seat to work is a good one in my opinion. $25 seems a small price to pay to make sign in.

 

[Freight Dog]

My problem with a "jumpseat fee" is that it sets a dangerous precedent for ALL airlines. Now that the airlines are in the big time financial slump, it wouldn't surprise me if they started charging for jumpseat regardless whether you are #1 or #10 guy showing up. It starts with AirTran charging #2 on down $25. Then hypothetically Airline B starts losing money, and as a cost-cutting measure, they institute the fee for ACM's among others. Then it snowballs to Airline C, which modifies it, and sets the fee for ALL jumpseaters... this thing has a snowball potential effect, and has to be stopped.

 

[FL717]

I understand your point... but I have to respond this way. They CAN stop charging for jumpseat #2 on down like you suggest. The answer is the way MOST airlines currently do it - only 1 jumpseat period! Then you have to pay FULL walk-up fare, use a ID90 (IF you happen to have one in hand) or wait for the next flight. All these options involve time and money. If all airlines would let me ON-THE-SPOT non-rev if the jumpseat was already taken, at least that is better than the three options I mentioned.

Our new policy is not good like before, but still BETTER than most carriers out there. I don't know what else to say. I still say that all non-AirTran pilots really have no right to complain about this policy. We (AirTran pilots) are trying to change this back. In the meantime, get to the gate early, sign up for the free jumpseat, and if its taken and you HAVE to get where your going, non rev for $25.00. Period

 

[COpilot]

Thank you FL717. Let me agree with others, that I understand the "non-rev" charge for the extra seat. Much better than my own Airline or most others, of only one seat period.

 

[MINIME]

First let me say thanks MUCHO to ALL the SWA employees!!
I'm deeply greatful and endebted to all of you.

Secondly, as you may be able to tell I am a commuter and I fly SWA on a weekly basis, sometimes two roundtrips per week. All the responses obove are reasonable and perhaps fair due to slump our airlines find themselves in. However, lets not forget that WE the pilot group are also a most important resource to our employers and count on us to be timely and proffesional about our everyday duties. Lets also not forget that most of us especially now at days, do not and possibly will not see very large paychecks due to the reasons metioned. Why you ask? Well for staters many of us will not see captain even at a commuter due to people not leaving and on and on and on......

How is all this relevant? Well you guessed it, pure economics. When you're making 18 thousand a year with no end in sight, it becomes very difficult for us to pay ANY amount for a jumpseat, no matter how fair that might be.

This is in no way, shape or form blaming the great group of employees at Airtran. It is merely a statement from someone who will be deeply affected if all the other ailines follow, including my own! It is my understanding that SWA and AT are argueably two of the most cummuter friendly airlines and frankly, I'm kind of saddened by the new rule.

Just my .02