Photo CASS

[greg52083]

Anyone know anything about whats going to happen Sept 23rd when Photo CASS is required. I heards some airlines and/or airports are not ready?

 

[Airboss]

I believe there is talk about extending the deadline because there are a handful of airlines that will not be compliant on 9/23.

 

[mckpickle]

I'm not sure if any regionals will be compliant. The problem is all the old green screens around the system. Only windows based PCs can display the pictures. SInce the regionals are reliant on their mainline partners there is little we can do. We are hoping the TSA issues an extention.

 

[freeflyer14]

I'm not sure if any regionals will be compliant. The problem is all the old green screens around the system. Only windows based PCs can display the pictures. SInce the regionals are reliant on their mainline partners there is little we can do. We are hoping the TSA issues an extention.

which so far they have not budged on, and have taken the stand that everyone knew about this date for a long time, so there is no excuse for not complying. Let's hope they back down.

 

[mckpickle]

The pressure will come from the ATA. Since the mainline carriers rely on the regionals they'll raise cain if we're kicked out. ALAS, we may be able to convince them to at least allow the stations that are compliant to remain in cass. I believe that most regionals will be able to send picture data. We'll see I guess.

 

[PSAChiefPilots]

My understanding is when we signed up, You could do Photo or not (photo was extra $$$) and that it was one or the other...Was told that only a couple had Photo and for some reason, the cargo carriers came to mind...I will try to find out more.
PSACPSP

 

[Weasil]

The latest I read was that the ATA had applied for an extension. They were saying that some computers at outstations were not able to be upgraded because they were owned/operated by the individual airports and those airports were refusing to upgrade them.

 

[mckpickle]

My understanding is when we signed up, You could do Photo or not (photo was extra $$$) and that it was one or the other...Was told that only a couple had Photo and for some reason, the cargo carriers came to mind...I will try to find out more.
PSACPSP

Not really true. Each airline needed it's IT department to develop the software for this. There is no increased cost just to have pictures. The development cost is extra just due to the extra IT man hours involved. Of course when this first started almost 2 years ago, pictures weren't even part of the deal! Gotta love the TSA.

 

[sweptback]

So what happens at the small outstations with the green-screen terminals that can only display text? Will you still be able to use your passport as the photo ID, or is the digital picture required? I don't see airlines spending millions to upgrade computers at outstations just for jumpseaters.

 

[C210drvr]

We are photo CASS at Chautauqua.

 

[mckpickle]

We are photo CASS at Chautauqua.

Which doesn't matter since any flights you operate for US air or other gates without windows based computers can't display them.

 

[727PAA]

My take on it.

And the first time you will find out where photo CASS is and is not is when you jumpseat to EYW and find out that ATL had it but EYW doesn't. Since you told the gate person that you were CASS they tried to put you in but you get denied for no picture. No ride in the back either.

Chautaqua doesn't control the gates right. So if you jumpseat out of LGA for instance that is Piedmont territory and the gates don't have Photo's.

According to the latest TSA bulletin if you don't have the ability to display photo's your station doesn't have CASS on 23 Sept.

 

[ERJFO]

We are photo CASS at Chautauqua.

They could afford that for the same reason they could afford to bid the CAL contract.

 

[727PAA]

Hold on.

Don't start flaming them yet. The problem isn't with CASS or the folks that are in it. It is with airline managments and the gates. Unless airline managment wants to replace all green screen monitors at the gates, then you don't have that capability. Many airlines have the ability to send pictures, although I think there are many less that can receive them.

 

[The Drizzle]

They could afford that for the same reason they could afford to bid the CAL contract.

dude...........wait...............what?

 

[dojetdriver]

They could afford that for the same reason they could afford to bid the CAL contract.

Yep, even though XJET was cheaper.

 

[erj-145mech]

Do you know that for a fact? What are your sources for the prices?

 

[dojetdriver]

Do you know that for a fact? What are your sources for the prices?

Was is not on one of GS's voicemails? If not there it was directly out of his mouth in recurrent. Maybe he lied.

Do you have facts to prove otherwise?

 

[erj-145mech]

Thats only hearsay. George says what he's told to say. He's not in the first person in the decision process. Please provide something with some figures on it. This is like the CPA, I haven't known anybody to actually see or read it. Only selected verses are reported to have been seen. Its not a public document.

Other than the fact the Larry Kellner has a hard on for Expressjet, in this economy, do you think that CO will spend more for a small jet provider?

 

[Weasil]

Anyone know anything about whats going to happen Sept 23rd when Photo CASS is required. I heards some airlines and/or airports are not ready?

Here's what came in an email from the jumpseat committee today.

CASS Picture IDs
As you may know, the TSA has issued a directive stating that all airlines must be
able to send and receive photos as part of the CASS system. This presents a major
problem because many airlines still use the old “green screens”. The CASS
picture ID system requires use of a Windows-based PC with networking capabilities.
ALPA and airline management through the RAA and ATA have petitioned the
TSA to extend the deadline. We also are asking the TSA to allow airlines that
can’t send digital pictures to remain in CASS. Unfortunately, if the TSA does not
issue an amendment, any airline that is not in compliance will be removed from
CASS.​

 

[Weasil]

Well i guess this answers the question

Saturday Deadline for CASS Approaches (from ALPA)
The Saturday deadline for transmission of digital photo identification for jumpseating is looming, and airlines will need to request extensions if they are not compliant.
Recent editions of FastRead have reported that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration set a deadline of September 23 (this coming Saturday) for all U.S. air carrier participants in the Cockpit Access Security System (CASS) to be able to display at the gatehouse terminal a digital photo of jumpseat riders for identification purposes.
ALPA and airline industry representatives met with the TSA on August 31 and urged the agency to extend the deadline to April 2007 for those carriers that are unable to comply by Saturday. TSA informed the industry this past Friday that it was unwilling to extend the September 23 deadline and would implement the new system that day as previously mandated.
However, for those carriers that cannot implement the new requirements by September 23, the TSA will consider, on a case-by-case basis, an application to extend the deadline, which would allow the noncompliant carriers to operate under the old system for a “reasonable period” of time. This “reasonable period” will be determined by each carrier's Principal Security Inspector (PSI).
ALPA’s First Vice President, Capt. Dennis Dolan, asked the TSA this week to remove some of the uncertainty in a subjective interpretation of “reasonable period” by establishing a new deadline of Jan. 31, 2007, for those airlines incapable of displaying digital photographs by September 23. An extension is essential for some airlines at specific airports because of equipment and software issues that haven’t been resolved with airport operators.
TSA has not yet committed to Dolan’s request, but the agency has indicated that it will work with the industry to minimize disruptions to the system.
“The airlines have known about this deadline for some time and that they had a responsibility to meet the new requirements,” said ALPA’s President, Capt. Duane Woerth. “While many carriers have made great strides toward achieving a fully digital CASS system, unfortunately not all have been successful in meeting the TSA's deadline.
“It is only fair for the TSA to recognize that adhering to the artificial deadline of September 23 should not be so rigid that it disrupts airline operations and that extensions should be granted for those carriers that are working in good faith to adapt to the new system. Removal of just one CASS airline from the equation this coming Saturday will have ripple effects throughout the entire industry,” Woerth said.
ALPA is actively involved in discussions with the airlines this week about their CASS status and is cautiously optimistic that implementation of the new system will go smoothly. However, given the sheer magnitude of the software and hardware changes that the carriers must make to adopt the new system, it is likely there will be a few problems on Saturday.
As a result, pilots should be advised that the flight deck jumpseat may not be as accessible at certain locations as it has been, and until all the bugs are worked out of the new system, they should make back-up arrangements for travel. ALPA will continue to work this issue until CASS is in full compliance with the TSA’s requirements. Stay tuned.

 

[NTS ALL 4]

Cass = Flight Deck Jumpseats

Saturday Deadline for CASS Approaches (from ALPA)
The Saturday deadline for transmission of digital photo identification for jumpseating is looming, and airlines will need to request extensions if they are not compliant.

As a result, pilots should be advised that the flight deck jumpseat may not be as accessible at certain locations as it has been, and until all the bugs are worked out of the new system, they should make back-up arrangements for travel. ALPA will continue to work this issue until CASS is in full compliance with the TSA’s requirements. Stay tuned.

Read the fine print here fellas. You should still be able to jumpseat on most carriers with the standard "if there is a seat in the back".

Good luck!

Always have a back-up plan or call in sick.

NTS

 

[727PAA]

Its not the pilots

The shame of all this is it's not the pilots that need to read the fine print. It is the gate agents. Once this goes into effect the requirement is that every station that cannot process a picture can no longer use CASS. So, depending on each stations capability you may have part of CAL using CASS and other parts not. How will the gate agents know if your airline requested the extension or not. If they put you into their "Jumpseat system" because you fly for a Cass airline and you come up denied because your airline is not photo ready yet I'll bet you don't get a seat in the back either.

This is gonna be ugly.

 

[mckpickle]

The shame of all this is it's not the pilots that need to read the fine print. It is the gate agents. Once this goes into effect the requirement is that every station that cannot process a picture can no longer use CASS. So, depending on each stations capability you may have part of CAL using CASS and other parts not. How will the gate agents know if your airline requested the extension or not. If they put you into their "Jumpseat system" because you fly for a Cass airline and you come up denied because your airline is not photo ready yet I'll bet you don't get a seat in the back either.

This is gonna be ugly.

I've got to email Craig but Delta has already turned on the system apparently. I got a couple calls yesturday and they said because their pictures didn't pop up they couldn't even ride in back. So they were left at the gate with empty seats.

 

[PSAChiefPilots]

Supposedly it was extended for another month but I am waiting on "Official" word.

PSACPSP