Weight restricted? Grrr...

[OOramperpilot]

Alright Wanderlust, let me give you another option from a Ramp Rat's point of view.

Being that you were trying to hop on a regional, ask the gate agent if you can hang out on the ramp just in case it works out that you can get on with the understanding that you will go back inside if it doesn't work out, no harm, no foul.

In this day and age of increasing passenger and bag weights, as well as being aware of CG issues of various types of aircraft, we also know how to make the numbers work (and not by fudging bag weights on load sheets). A lot of us know the Captains pretty well, and most Captains don't like to leave jumpseaters behind. Frankly, I don't either. I might try and get on your weight restricted flight one day in the back of the bus and I hope you would try and do what you can and still be safe to get me on.

Anywho, what it boils down to, is the more experienced of us know, how to adjust CG. Move carry on's to the forward pit of a CRJ700, know how many kids are onboard, is it an aft galley Brasila. Lot's of variables that we deal with every day.

We'll try and get you home or to work, and if it doesn't work out, you go back inside and try another flight or carrier. There's lot's of ways to skin a cat and don't forget, sometimes the rampers can skin that cat for you!

My final bit of advice is that no means NO. Say thank you, move along, and in the words of Patrick Swazye..."Be Nice, if he won't leave, two of you will escort him out, and you will both, BE NICE." Karma is a bitch and if you so much as balk at not getting on, the likelyhood of that gate working the next flight you want to get on increases exponentialy!

 

[Headfake14]

-Leave no Non-Rev behind-

That was and still is my motto.

There was a gate agent at ASA...little Korean lady...called me "captain nonwev...you take all nonwevs" haha. I was ALWAYS going up to the gate to check. You old school ASAers...remember when we had the projected "Max's" printed on the release. Most gate agents would go by that and just stop...not even ask if we could take more. Pi$$ed me off...what if THEY were on the other side of that counter today. Same for jumpseaters. I'd have the girls find me ANYONE who looked like a kid, acted like one...even little old grannies who weighed the same as a kid. There were always kids...or more carryon's than checked bags...maybe 100lbs less gas.

I do the same now at JB...and so do a handful of the captains I fly with.

I went toe to toe with a gate agent with ASA shortly before I left. He wouldn't put this girl on because the "Max" said only 47 or whatever. I said it's a "ball park" thing and we are O K. Then this tool went off about me telling him how to do his job. WTF? Threatend to call a chief....I said, I'll dial the number! Friggin idiot....I got her on eventually.

For the record...if any of you guys ever wanna JS on Jetblue...I've NEVER been limited by weight (E190). 100 pax, 2 JSers, alternate fuel...and room to grow. I think the 320 is pretty good too. Plus, pilots ARE allowed to ride the extra FA jumpseat. We might get limited if we get an obnoxious amout of bags with 100 pax. Normal bag counts are around 120 with that load.

 

[realmanofgenius]

when you consider the carry on allowance , I'm not buying. His 185 pound summer arse could have been absorbed in the imaginary carry ons. you make the numbers work, you fly, you go home...must have been an ERAU captain.