Why do airlines let gate agents control the J/S

[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.