Why do captains authorize cabin jumpseaters?

[mynameisjim]

Hey Osama..

If you're asking maybe you don't need to know.

:uzi:

These days it's probably easier to go to a pilot farm and become a regional first officer than it is to fake all of the stuff required to cockpit jumpseat.

 

[SEVEN]

Are you? Get back to serving coffee! Let the flight crews worry about it!

737

:laugh: ........................

 

[REK]

What do you hand the captain?
Pilot certificate
Medical certificate
ALPA card
Employee badge from current airline
jumpseat pass for him/her to sign

It just seems like a lot of unneccessary stuff to be handing a captain when he/she could spend their time accomplishing the preflight and checklists

Hey, when did the Captains start doing preflights.

 

[Kenny]

1. Because it's a courtesy/privilege extended by the Captain to another pilot so he can ride for free. It's not a right!

2. Some, not all gate agents can be complete Nazis and I'm sure most don't want to have deal with that mindset when trying to get home after a trip or get to work.

 

[Thedude]

Why do captains have to authorize a jumpseater with a seat in the cabin. It seems like a waste of time and paper and should be handled by the gate agent.

Something about the jumpseat being a courtsey.

 

[curtis46]

Hey, when did the Captains start doing preflights.

when they need a cigarette break

 

[Crossky]

Why do captains have to authorize a jumpseater with a seat in the cabin. It seems like a waste of time and paper and should be handled by the gate agent.

Maybe you should work for American, maybe you do. I believe they don't require a Pilot to meet the CA to cabin jumpseat. I do out of Professional courtesy. It takes 15 seconds tops if the guys up front are busy. Per the FAR's also, wouldn't you like your CA to know that he has an official ACM/OCM in case of 'the unlikely event of an Emergency'? What if one of the pilots becomes incapacitated (happened twice recently, one of the cases the remaining pilot had a civvie Priv pilot help out with checklists).

It seems you're one of those who doesn't like to be bothered by JSer's. Variety is the spice of life.

 

[SteelerMan]

Good post Kenny, it is a privilege, not a right. I am tired of people, including my own airline's pilots, not asking and just assuming they can have a free ride. I don't know of anyone who has or would ever deny someone who politely asks for a ride. Hard to know when someone gets denied if there is a good reason without being there first hand, but it should always be the crew's discretion and the one wanting a free ride should always ask permission prior to boarding. Otherwise, write a pass or buy an ID90. It is not the gate agent's decision.

 

[pa31capt]

This is all new to me, should you say hello even if you are positive space deadheading?

 

[Spectre]

Why do captains have to authorize a jumpseater with a seat in the cabin. It seems like a waste of time and paper and should be handled by the gate agent.

A good way to start is to review your airline's policy on jumpseating. At our airline, there's no requirement to check credentials of any jumpseaters assigned a cabin seat. Gate agents have already checked ID's etc of offline jumpseaters. Only those riding in the cockpit (CASS) or on the flight attendant jumpseats need to see the Captain for approval.

I always brief my flight attendants that jumpseaters do not have to see me if they have an assigned seat in the cabin. They are welcome to say hello, but are not required to do so. How often do you see the plane's departure delayed as we wait for those jumpseaters who have to wait to get on the plane last, then have to check in with the Captain, then have to find a place for their bags, and then find their seat. Jumpseating offline is stressful enough. So why not make it easier on each other? It's much nicer to have your lead flight attendant say, "Welcome aboard, the Captain said to just grab a seat and make yourself comfortable."

I've flown out of SLC several times with 10-15 jumpseaters both online and offline. If I had to check everyone's ID's, we'd never get off the gate on time. Sure, it's always up to each Captain how they handle jumpseaters. But if they got a seat in the back, why bother. It's almost discriminating our own profession as some Captains want to see everything a fellow pilot carries, yet the same Captain lets offline flight attendants on their planes without asking to see their FAA certificate.