Regional Trash Thanksgiving Jumpseat

Some people simply do not value this career as much as they should. The OP is just starting out and asking for advice, which is exactly what they should be doing.
Some of the responses make it very clear some have a ways to go before they will become good Captains/mentors.

Kind of funny when people that are always bitching about how they're in trouble for related issues them give me crap for being "overly paranoid". Meh, not worrying about losing my job over trivial stuff any adult should be able to do is pretty nice.
 
Some people simply do not value this career as much as they should. The OP is just starting out and asking for advice, which is exactly what they should be doing.
Some of the responses make it very clear some have a ways to go before they will become good Captains/mentors.
Oh, Markus. :)
 
Kind of funny when people that are always bitching about how they're in trouble for related issues them give me crap for being "overly paranoid". Meh, not worrying about losing my job over trivial stuff any adult should be able to do is pretty nice.

Basically, my company pays me, annually, what my father, at the height of his career made over the span of six years, to be somewhere on time, reliably, it's easier just to take the path of least resistance.

A holiday is when you have it. I've been home on the actual day and to be honest, it wasn't really worth wrecking an entire month of flying or career advancement to have it on the specific day.
 
I am one of those people that will happily make my schedule for the rest of the month miserable if it allows me to be with my friends and family for Christmas, thanksgiving, or my wife and daughters birthdays. I say this because those are the four times each year that we can expect to get most of our family and friends together, it hasn't always worked out over the years, but when it does it feels like magic!
It's not always the event that makes the day special, but the people in it, and considering the fact I have chosen a profession that doesn't always afford me the opportunity to be there for all of those days all the time, as well as many other things throughout the years I'm ok with a few weeks of bad schedules if it works out.
If it doesn't work out for some, or all of those events on a particular year then I understand, and we celebrate the event on a different day, also, I dont let it affect me at work when I don't get the time off, nobody wants to deal with the miserable SOB that doesn't want to be there.

:)
 
One other point about holidays and work.
As pointed out, most crew bases will put out food for crews.
Many hotels that cater to crews do the same. Discovered that this year at the Holiday Inn President Hotel, LIT. Messed up my bidding and got a carry over trip 31 Dec-1 Jan. The President had an open bar and buffet for airline crews. Good food and alcohol too, not crap. Nice party with a bunch of crews from different airlines.
 
Late to the game chiming in in this thread. My take, I wouldn't do it trying to nonrev/jumpseat. Maybe with a paid ticket I might. I never went home or took trips during training for holidays. Too many things to go wrong and as a new hire you don't want to risk anything that will put a mark on your record just for a holiday.

Reading some of the replies here, it seems some folks who have been in the industry still don't get it either. That's fine. Take the safe bet and enjoy the increased seniority when they take the risk with all their chips on points and roll a 7. I like my career. It's ensured I've basically never had to work a day in my life and I'd like to keep it that way. YMMV.
 
Late to the game chiming in in this thread. My take, I wouldn't do it trying to nonrev/jumpseat. Maybe with a paid ticket I might. I never went home or took trips during training for holidays. Too many things to go wrong and as a new hire you don't want to risk anything that will put a mark on your record just for a holiday.

Reading some of the replies here, it seems some folks who have been in the industry still don't get it either. That's fine. Take the safe bet and enjoy the increased seniority when they take the risk with all their chips on points and roll a 7. I like my career. It's ensured I've basically never had to work a day in my life and I'd like to keep it that way. YMMV.
Ahhhh so you HAVE learned your lesson ;-)
 
Eh, just a idea, will your employer positive space you back and forth? You say your in MSP for training, are you with Endeavor? They will positive space you if you are, you just have to set it up.
 
I don't even remember! Ha! Just "engineer" was the unofficial vernacular, "second officers" on official company documents I think. I was just on the 727, but @WMostellar plumbed on the L1011 so maybe it was a different tribe there.

They called me "Keeper of the Walk-Around" on the L1011. The Captains were just happy to have someone younger than they were in seat.
 
Sidebar question, but for guys coming out of newhire class then and going to FE/SO, did they all start on the 727, or could one start as an L-1011 FE? Or was that considered a position for an experienced FE?

I was an FE on the 727 for 26 days out of SLC; I got an Advance Entitlement to the L1011 during Initial Training. Crew Resources offered everyone who didn't get ATL727SO the opportunity to go straight to ATL...I declined (much to the dismay of my classmates). I then informed them our contact at the time gave Pilots transitioning bases a Hotel Room AND Per Diem during training...I netted several thousand dollars for a few days in SLC.

Know your contract!
 
Eh, just a idea, will your employer positive space you back and forth? You say your in MSP for training, are you with Endeavor? They will positive space you if you are, you just have to set it up.

*some* employers will positive space you with a particular break in training.

But I think, in this situation, since the OP is discussing jumpseating, either the minimum time or the "courtesy positive space" doesn't apply.
 
Eh, just a idea, will your employer positive space you back and forth? You say your in MSP for training, are you with Endeavor? They will positive space you if you are, you just have to set it up.

*some* employers will positive space you with a particular break in training.

But I think, in this situation, since the OP is discussing jumpseating, either the minimum time or the "courtesy positive space" doesn't apply.

Correct. My shop doesn't offer that.
 
is this real life? Some of the replies here are cringeworthy

Hopefully my suggestion re: Fedex isn't cringy.


I like this sweet talk about employers and well being. I agree with it, and after all they are writing our checks. But lets not pretend that there aren't guys out there who sit there and keep track of their rolling 12 month sick callout calendar and take convenient sickations. Or guys who commute and get hosed due to weather, mx, etc, call in honest, lose their pay, get an earful, and then learn their lesson that if it happens next time: call out sick. For some, sick time is a game played in the rolling 12 month calendar. For others, sick time is a backup to a missed commute. And yes, sick time is also used for sick time itself.

Didn't Delta guys take a huge stand in regards to their failed TA about having to get doc notes for sick calls? No pilot wants to get a doctor note. But lets be honest, there are many times when a sick call isn't really a sick call.
 
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