Why do airlines let gate agents control the J/S

[Midnight Flyer]

I was standing in line at the ticket counter trying to get on the J/S to commute back to work. As I walked up, the agent sighed and pounded the keys very hard as she typed, in an effort to let me know she was pi$$ed off about something. As she was printing my boarding pass, she looked at me and said "Ya know, I've worked here for 23 years and I've never been able to fly free on this AAirline. It is not fair that all you pilots are able to fly wherever you want, whenever you want, on the jumpseat for free, but we have to pay for a pass!" She continues by saying that some of the ground people and gate agents are trying to get this "policy" changed, so that they can fly free like pilots. She then said that you pilots don't need to waste your time fighting this because mgmt is on their side, and if we all can't fly free, then nobody will be able to fly free.
So my jaw dropped, and I'm left there standing, not really believing what I just heard. Not wanting to get into an argument and put my company's J/S agreement in jeopardy, I politely smiled and thanked her, took my boarding pass and humbly walked away. I've ridden on this AAirline regularly, and never ran across anybody like this.
If I only lived at my base.

The agents have too much control over the pilot J/S.

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

...and that's when you politely tell her that she, just like everyone else in the country, could have been a pilot had she chosen to do so. The fact is, she chose to be a gate agent. If flying for free was that important to her she obviously chose the wrong career. So typical, blame someone else because you made a bad decision.

 

[skiandsurf]

I like your subtle hint as to which AAirline this was.


Whats even better, is being on a paid ticket and walking up to the podium in uniform. The gate agents are quick to say, "its a full flight" or "the jumpseat is already taken". Then hand the agent your ticket, and ask "can I get a first class upgrade with my frequent flyer points?"

(NJs pilot).

 

[say again]

Oh boy do I remember those days!! They weren't so much nicer out in CVG either. Oh well, i just smile and say thank, but in reality I'm laughing my a$$ off on the inside.

They really have no power. The only power they have is denying because of a full flight, and some love telling pilots that. Seems to me they have some kind of inferior complex and have to prove their importance.

 

[iaflyer]

Kudos on being the professional and not saying anything to her.

Sometimes people have bad days, but she had her choices in life - she could of been a pilot and had jumpseat access. I could of been a gate agent and get the benefits that agents have. She could work for another airline that doesn't charge for passes. She and the other agents could unionize and get a better deal from management. In the end, people above her, you and I have determined that pilots get jumpseat access and agents have to pay for passes.

 

[In The Wind]

I hope the AA pilots shut there a$$ down. Tis IS NOT a railroad. Lets se them do it without the pilots. I am sick of the Pilot hating BS. Electronic boarding and snack machines in the jet way.....End this problem!

It's happy hour now, calling out sick and getting drunk...

 

[aa73]

Sorry for the crAAp treatment on this "mystery" AAirline...

Unfortunately, this issue creeps up quite often with some of our more outspoken agents. Great job in how you handled it. Hopefully the folks on board gave you a nice ride.

It has happened to me more than once... and I work here.

73

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

She doesn't know what the hell she is talking aobut. ALL AA/AMR employees get free (cattle class) non-rev after 5 years of service. I am sure she was told that in her indoc when she was hired. AA has more than it's share of the clueless.

 

[charterpuke]

They don't control the jumpseat, they just think they do!

 

[HighSpeedClimb]

This is no different that Cops not writing tickets to other cops or Firemen. It is what it is, deal with it.

 

[C-150ETOPS]

Could be worse M.F.,

She could have treated you like she treats actual AA pilots.

With certain agents and FA's with this mentality, it's a good idea to keep a cat toy in your bag to give as an icebreaker

 

[skiandsurf]

Most people dont know that jumpseaters are actual crewmembers. This is why NO beer or booze while jumpseating out of uniform.

OMC= observing member of the crew.
ACM= additional crewmember.

This program was sold to the FAA as a way that other pilots could "observe and learn" the ways that other airlines operate.

So next time you approach the gate agent, dont ask for a jumpseat, ask to be a crewmember.

 

[Tonto]

They treat us the same way at CAL. Somewhere the captain lost the ability to control the jumpseat to the gate agent. I can't stand the lack of respect. They act like they are doing us a favor by "granting" us the jumpseat. They have no idea of the history behind the jumpseat privilege and why pilots do it for any other pilot on the list (and some not one the list). The day a ramper rides the jumpseat before a pilot is the day I hand my ATP back.

 

[Longhorn]

Its the same at JB at times. Most of our gate agents are very good but in some cities, they will make a habit to tell the jumpseaters that they have a seat and to just go down and take a seat. This becomes a problem more with FA jumpseaters then with the pilots mainly because the pilots know enough to at least stick their heads in the cockpit. We had a FA jumpseater last month that did not bother to say hi at all. I did not know about it until after the flight and the F1 did not even know about it. We found out after she thanked us for the ride at the destination. I explained to her that she needs to at least ask someone for the jump seat, if not me then at the very least the F1 and her answer was that she was not on the jump seat, but in a seat given to her by the gate agent. The gate agent also told her to just go down and take a seat...Neither she or the gate agent get it and it drives me nuts at times.

 

[737 Pylt]

Kudos on being the professional and not saying anything to her.

I agree. No sense in getting into an argument that you'll lose, not because you're wrong, but because you argued, nonetheless!

737

 

[Frap]

I explained to her that she needs to at least ask someone for the jump seat, if not me then at the very least the F1 and her answer was that she was not on the jump seat, but in a seat given to her by the gate agent. The gate agent also told her to just go down and take a seat...Neither she or the gate agent get it and it drives me nuts at times.

I submit that ANY jumpseat request is made to the Captain, as it is his seat to give. Of course, common courtesy should be exercised and the lead FA be asked as well to occupy a cabin jumpseat.

I'm with ya on the minority of gate agents. They should get together with some of the TSA wizards and share stories of their respective power trips...

 

[crxpilot]

I once had a nazi gate agent insist I wait in the gate area and she would let me know when it was ok to go see the captain. Well at the end of the boarding I am still standing there and she proceeds to go down the jetway and tells me "I'll be right back" and dont you know it, the next thing I see is the jetway pulling back from the plane and them pushing away. She walks up a minute later, glances at me, and wryly says "Oh I'm sorry, I forgot all about you" and then walked away. I was speechless.......

 

[waveflyer]

pilots just need to get in the habit of going up to the gate area before every full flight and check for jumpers. In the end- only we call for push clearances. And the airplane really doesn't move until we make it...

 

[HAL]

True conversation from about 10 years ago when I was at a regional:

Me: Is the jumseat available?
Grouchy gate agent: (Sigh) Let me look.
(Long pause)
Agent: (while typing) Why don't you pilots just live where you work instead of taking our valuable seat space?
Me (very calmly): I was going to, but a couple months after I was hired, they closed all the outstation bases and consolidated to three hub bases.
Agent: So? Move there.
Me (smiling through gritted teeth): That was six months ago, and now our Director of Operations says we'll probably go back to outstation basing in a couple months.
Agent (clueless): So?
Me: Would you and your spouse enjoy moving three times in nine months? (She had a rock on her ring finger) Only a tiny handful of our pilots have been able to fly without commuting for at least part of their careers because of base closures, no matter how long or short they've been with the company. Sometimes, it just can't be helped.
Agent: You f***ing pilots complain about everything! (and she stormed off to get my jumpseat form signed).
Me (silently): Sigh.

HAL

 

[Trash8Mofo]

And I promise you that it will get worse now that some of us don't even bother to introduce ourselves to the captains.

Good that you didn't say anything. But if something should be said, tell her that a friend of yours have been a hospital genitor for 23 years, one day she decided that because she's been there so long, she should be entitled to park at the Doctors' parking right in the front rows. Ask her what she thinks about that.