Does it strike any of you as odd that the majority of posts on this thread are done by guys who aren't airline pilots?
Cockpit JS's are not as easy to get as they were prior to 9/11.
"it's there in case a flight is sold out" is only true if you're jumping on your own carrier or a codeshare (IE, CMR pilots like 'jarhead's' son can get the JS on a DL, CMR, ASA, or CHQ flight (operated as a DLX flight only), but he can't get it on a Southwest or US Air flight).
The TSA is currently mulling over the idea that members of the ATA (basically, if your company doesn't operate a mainline aircraft like a 737 or larger, you are not a member) can get the cockpit JS on other ATA members flights. That would allow a Delta guy to get the cockpit JS on a FedEx flight, but not allow a American Eagle guy to get the Jumpseat on a Delta flight.
Hopefully, this will go through. In the mean time, JS privileges go from very liberal (any seat on a JetBlue flight but the cockpit JS is open to an airline pilot, including any empty FA seats - you know, the ones that fold down off the wall) to very conservative (American Airlines only allows 2 non-American or 'American Express' type pilots on any of their flights, even if the plane is empty. A carrier like CHQ, who normally has a policy of any open seat is a jumpseat has to abide by the '2 JS'ers only' rule when they operate an AA flight, but not a Delta flight).
Typhoon is right. Pilots have fought very hard for the ability to commute to work (and have given concessions for this right), and to spread the idea that all pilots just sit up in first class eating the fancy stuff and being waited on hand and foot by the FA's while the paying passengers suffer in the back like cattle chomping on peanuts is misleading. We don't just show up at the airport, flash a badge, and walk right through security and sit down in first class. We miss connections and don't show up for work when flights are oversold, we have to research which flights are at what capacity the day before we travel to ensure we have a chance to get a seat, we have to enlist our entire family to call the Jumpseat hotline at a certain hour to ensure that we get the cockpit JS, and that's when we're senior enough to keep it!
The opportunity to JS is a privilege that we have negotiated for. It's not always easy, it's not always free, and it's often a pain in the butt.
Go to the thread 'Cockpit JS's restored' in the major's forum for details on the efforts pilots are making to get access to the cockpit JS again.
-Boo!
Cockpit JS's are not as easy to get as they were prior to 9/11.
"it's there in case a flight is sold out" is only true if you're jumping on your own carrier or a codeshare (IE, CMR pilots like 'jarhead's' son can get the JS on a DL, CMR, ASA, or CHQ flight (operated as a DLX flight only), but he can't get it on a Southwest or US Air flight).
The TSA is currently mulling over the idea that members of the ATA (basically, if your company doesn't operate a mainline aircraft like a 737 or larger, you are not a member) can get the cockpit JS on other ATA members flights. That would allow a Delta guy to get the cockpit JS on a FedEx flight, but not allow a American Eagle guy to get the Jumpseat on a Delta flight.
Hopefully, this will go through. In the mean time, JS privileges go from very liberal (any seat on a JetBlue flight but the cockpit JS is open to an airline pilot, including any empty FA seats - you know, the ones that fold down off the wall) to very conservative (American Airlines only allows 2 non-American or 'American Express' type pilots on any of their flights, even if the plane is empty. A carrier like CHQ, who normally has a policy of any open seat is a jumpseat has to abide by the '2 JS'ers only' rule when they operate an AA flight, but not a Delta flight).
Typhoon is right. Pilots have fought very hard for the ability to commute to work (and have given concessions for this right), and to spread the idea that all pilots just sit up in first class eating the fancy stuff and being waited on hand and foot by the FA's while the paying passengers suffer in the back like cattle chomping on peanuts is misleading. We don't just show up at the airport, flash a badge, and walk right through security and sit down in first class. We miss connections and don't show up for work when flights are oversold, we have to research which flights are at what capacity the day before we travel to ensure we have a chance to get a seat, we have to enlist our entire family to call the Jumpseat hotline at a certain hour to ensure that we get the cockpit JS, and that's when we're senior enough to keep it!
The opportunity to JS is a privilege that we have negotiated for. It's not always easy, it's not always free, and it's often a pain in the butt.
Go to the thread 'Cockpit JS's restored' in the major's forum for details on the efforts pilots are making to get access to the cockpit JS again.
-Boo!
