Company ID changes from TSA?

IamNegan

Well-Known Member
Howdy everybody!

I was recently talking to a friend of mine that is a dispatcher at another carrier and asked me what was on my "Company ID". I had him to further clarify, stating that they had "Crew" in their ID but because of some TSA media policy, the company was told to have "Crew" removed from their company ID because it did not meet their requirements for crew - which I feel is far from the truth because we are considered.... I did tell them we had the title "Dispatcher" on our ID's.

From my understanding - TSA requires IDs to meets the outline requirements that show the company, picture of that employee, the first and last name, company employee number, their job title and/or department such as OCC and two phase security tamper proof ID. They do not define what the company can define as far as the job classification, so in this case a Dispatcher having "Crew" on their ID should not be a problem and the TSA cannot dispute that fact however I maybe wrong, but having Crew or Dispatcher on the ID itself was more of a company security protocol of who is allowed to have access to the flight deck.

On another note, not sure if anyone has heard this but there has been some rumors that CASS will be changing over the next year or so at the request of the pilots union (ALPA) along with another carrier security group that anyone who is requesting to sit in the flight deck jumpseat that they will require the company ID to have the following: Crew or Dispatch and a code at the bottom that states authorized in the flight deck like FDJSA. I was denied the Southwest jumpseat last year or so because my ID didn't say "Crew" on it.

Just curious if anyone has heard about this TSA policy and the change in CASS.

Also, if you are are okay with saying what is written on your ID, please state it - I am just curious because I have seen both Crew and Dispatch on company ID.
 
It’s SSI...but requirements are spelled out for each air carrier. You just need to know where to look


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Last year I had seen an email for using Known Crew Member for security it said that Crew had to be on the ID for Pilots and Flight attendants. It did not mention Dispatchers. Maybe companies are going off of the KCM email and only putting crew on those employees that were mentioned for using KCM.
 
Mine has both. Crew in larger more prominent font and Dispatch below it in less noticeable don't/color. The company had it added in the last few years to help with misunderstandings.
 
Howdy everybody!

I was recently talking to a friend of mine that is a dispatcher at another carrier and asked me what was on my "Company ID". I had him to further clarify, stating that they had "Crew" in their ID but because of some TSA media policy, the company was told to have "Crew" removed from their company ID because it did not meet their requirements for crew - which I feel is far from the truth because we are considered.... I did tell them we had the title "Dispatcher" on our ID's.

From my understanding - TSA requires IDs to meets the outline requirements that show the company, picture of that employee, the first and last name, company employee number, their job title and/or department such as OCC and two phase security tamper proof ID. They do not define what the company can define as far as the job classification, so in this case a Dispatcher having "Crew" on their ID should not be a problem and the TSA cannot dispute that fact however I maybe wrong, but having Crew or Dispatcher on the ID itself was more of a company security protocol of who is allowed to have access to the flight deck.

On another note, not sure if anyone has heard this but there has been some rumors that CASS will be changing over the next year or so at the request of the pilots union (ALPA) along with another carrier security group that anyone who is requesting to sit in the flight deck jumpseat that they will require the company ID to have the following: Crew or Dispatch and a code at the bottom that states authorized in the flight deck like FDJSA. I was denied the Southwest jumpseat last year or so because my ID didn't say "Crew" on it.

Just curious if anyone has heard about this TSA policy and the change in CASS.

Also, if you are are okay with saying what is written on your ID, please state it - I am just curious because I have seen both Crew and Dispatch on company ID.
Meh, I wouldn't feel left out... much anyway. (yeah, you dispatchers don't get to wear frilly little bars on your shoulders, wah, wah!)

TSA is beating their bush for any and every swinging dick with a card.

Why? WTFKs? Maybe they're horny. Or maybe...they are Theatrical Servants and Acolytes. EXPECT the Spanish Inquisition, hey?

None of us are special flowers. Act accordingly.
 
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I was alerted about this discussion by a co worker. I know nothing about this. There is no reason to have anything on your ID like "Dispatcher" or "Jumpseat". Jumpseat occupancy is controlled by CASS. Dispatchers are not "Crew". Known Crew Member, in which Dispatchers are not participants, requires CREW on the ID, plus being in the Database. Unless you see something official about this, I would disregard this as rumor. Thanks! Phil Brooks ADF Jumpseat Coordinator.
 
I was alerted about this discussion by a co worker. I know nothing about this. There is no reason to have anything on your ID like "Dispatcher" or "Jumpseat". Jumpseat occupancy is controlled by CASS. Dispatchers are not "Crew". Known Crew Member, in which Dispatchers are not participants, requires CREW on the ID, plus being in the Database. Unless you see something official about this, I would disregard this as rumor. Thanks! Phil Brooks ADF Jumpseat Coordinator.

This guy knows what he is talking about...
 
It was the CSA

That's the problem right there. Just tell her that as a dispatcher you have a different type of ID but that you are in CASS and to please try running you in their system (politely, of course.) Some gate agents are rather uninformed about us. I don't blame them though as dispatcher jumpseating is something they are probably not used to seeing - especially at non-hub locations. Different airline, but I had to call Hawaiian dispatch one time and go to a different gate to find an agent that would run me in CASS but I finally got on the flight. Once I got past the agent, the crew was great.
 
Unless things have changed, Southwest technically requires a crew badge for jump seating, per jumpseatinfo.org
 
I just listed myself on myIDTravel.

After successfully listing for the jumpseat, this information appears underneath the booking reference (PNR):

Under the heading "Commuting Flight Attendants & Pilots"

Prior to receiving a boarding pass for the flight, the commuting employee will be required to present a company issued CREW badge for verification purposes. If the commuting employee is unable to provide a badge, then boarding will be denied. There are no exceptions to this policy.

This does not apply to Dispatchers. An employee ID needs to be presented (and your Certificate to the Captain).

I have updated Southwest's entry on the Airline Dispatchers Federation website with this information.
 
It was the CSA
Did you at least get a seat in the back? When I was a CSA, I would go ahead and run people in CASS. If it came back denied I'd just call for a supervisor. Most of the time the denial was because the middle names/initials were not input exactly as on the passport. I don't recall the dispatcher position being explained during initial CSA training, it's just something you learned about on the job, usually when you meet your first jumpseating one.
 
Did you at least get a seat in the back? When I was a CSA, I would go ahead and run people in CASS. If it came back denied I'd just call for a supervisor. Most of the time the denial was because the middle names/initials were not input exactly as on the passport. I don't recall the dispatcher position being explained during initial CSA training, it's just something you learned about on the job, usually when you meet your first jumpseating one.
Yeah, when I was a gate agent I never was told about it either. But in United's system, when you go to run somebody in CASS, the option says pilot/dispatcher so I just always knew that dispatchers could also be in CASS. The first time a dispatcher showed up, I ran it and it worked so that confirmed it for me.
 
My current airline's badges just say "Dispatcher". At my last airline (regional), they said CREW.

I agree that there isn't really a functional reason to have CREW on our badges, but it did make offline jumpseating a lot easier. Fewer questions from the gate agent; I think most of the time they just assumed I was a pilot. Also made it a lot easier to get through TSA without a boarding pass.
 
My current airline's badges just say "Dispatcher". At my last airline (regional), they said CREW.

I agree that there isn't really a functional reason to have CREW on our badges, but it did make offline jumpseating a lot easier. Fewer questions from the gate agent; I think most of the time they just assumed I was a pilot. Also made it a lot easier to get through TSA without a boarding pass.

Getting through TSA without a boarding pass is a good thing, IMHO. Gate agents having issues I get. As usual, there is a difference between a pilot jump seating and a dispatcher, the difference in badging requirements needs to addressed to that group.
 
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