Continental in LAX - no CASS?!?

Teller1900

Well-Known Member
I was in LA this past weekend for a funeral. I was traveling back on a bereavement pass (space available because COA's pass bennies suck). The flight I was on was full, so I asked if I could fill out a jumpseat request form and ride up front. I was the only flight crewmember on a full flight and standby list that was over 50 people deep, so I figured it wouldn't be a problem. Until the agent informed me that they don't have CASS at the gates. I asked if ops or the ticket counter could clear me. "The ticket counter can't and we can't take you to ops. You can fill out the jumpseat request to ride in the back." I pointed out that my bereavement pass was a higher priority than jumpseating would be and her response was "oh, that's too bad."

How is it that one of the major airlines at one of the biggest airports doesn't have CASS?!? We had it in Augusta, Me, but not LAX...

Thanks to the fine folks at Southwest for getting me back in time.
 
The problem is that not all gate areas have shared access lines, which are required to run CASS. Vegas is the same way, where most of the gates (as of last year anyways) couldn't run CASS. I think B6 was the only exception. Also, most airlines require that CASS verification be done at a gate, which means going back out to the ticket counter doesn't normally work.
 
I think the agent was an idiot or didn't like pilots, because I have use CASS out of LAX on DL and CAL.
 
The problem is that not all gate areas have shared access lines, which are required to run CASS. Vegas is the same way, where most of the gates (as of last year anyways) couldn't run CASS. I think B6 was the only exception. Also, most airlines require that CASS verification be done at a gate, which means going back out to the ticket counter doesn't normally work.

That is just strange, considering the Delta gate straight across the hall had it. So did US and SW, though they were in a different terminal. Is the shared access line different than whatever intranet system they use for the ticketing and check-in program?
 
I think the issue with a lot of CO stations is still that they have the old "green screen" only computers which aren't capable of displaying a photo for CASS verification. Most of the stations have updated terminals but a few do not. Our FOM actually says that only CAL/COEX/COCO pilots are permitted on the jumpseat. Imagine how quickly we'd be blacklisted from all our other jumpseat agreements if we stuck to that.
 
About 2 years ago, NW couldnt approve CASS at the gate. You had to do it at the ticket counter. Their reasoning was, they share the computer and gates with a handful of other airlines that fly out of Terminal 2. They can access it not. Maybe thats why CAL couldnt CASS approve you. just a guess
 
Last I knew CAL didn't have CASS access in GRR. Gotta appreciate an airline whose pilots get the same jumpseating benefits as other CASS airlines, but don't fully reciprocate the offer.
 
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