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[eaglesview]

I've had this happen over a half dozen times as well. I showed up at the flight deck to find both jumpseats already occupied. Quite annoying. My gate agent from hell story actually involves a US Air agent in Philly. She was the rudest, nastiest demon I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with. In over a decade of dealing with airline BS, she was the only time I actually wrote a formal letter of complaint. Of course it was a complete and utter waste of my time, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Actually there is a good reason for this. At UAL the captain, not the gate agent, decides who gets the jumpseat. The gate agent is to hand out as many jumpseat passes as are requested. To clarify this is a United procedure not Continental. It may change as time goes forward as CO procedures spread like cancer through our system, not that I'm biased.

 

[heywood jablome]

That kind of thing pisses me off. When did it cease to be the captain's airplane, and become the gate agent's airplane?

Thanks, brother....you NAILED it !!!

 

[johnsonrod]

I am serious when I say FIRE all of those gate agents. Better to outsource those positions to English-trained, subservient Asian women.

 

[ERfly]

Actually there is a good reason for this. At UAL the captain, not the gate agent, decides who gets the jumpseat. The gate agent is to hand out as many jumpseat passes as are requested. To clarify this is a United procedure not Continental. It may change as time goes forward as CO procedures spread like cancer through our system, not that I'm biased.

Not any more! The Continental Cancer has spread to the jumpseat with the advent of the wonderful, new (as in new in 1979 when Eastern developed it) single Passenger Service System. Now (for mainline flights), the agent enters the jumpseaters into the computer (in theory, I have yet to find one who can correctly do it) and then when it is time to assign the jumpseat, they process the jumpseaters and the computer sorts the order. The winner(s) get to take the little print out down to the Captain.