Deadhead Question

SurferLucas

SurferLucas

Southern Gentleman
Here's a question for the airline guys/gals. If you're on a deadhead with a seat in the back, do you keep your seat in the back to make sure a jumpseater makes the flight, or do you take the jumpseat to get a non-rev on the flight?

Personally for me, I take the seat in the back as it's something that was negotiated in my contract and mainly because as a commuting pilot, I take care of my "own" (airline pilots).

What say you? (Just a curiosity this afternoon on the flight from Seattle to Atlanta, nothing happened to bring on the question)
 
I had this happen to me non rev. There was one seat in the back, and the JS. I wasn't cass so all I could take was the back, the other guy could take the JS, but wouldn't, even though he knew I would get bumped. Luckily the CA strongly encouraged the guy to take the JS.

BTW, I knew what the rules were and wasn't going to cause a big fuss, you would just think some people would have some courtesy, especially for just an hour flight.
 
Pilots need to help pilots. You take the seat that you were assigned (and are entitled to occupy) and let the pilot get home or to/from work.
 
DPApilot said:
If there's no one Trying to jumpseat and someone cabin only is trying to make the flight, I'll hop up front. If there's someone trying to get on the jumpseat, I keep my seat in the back.
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I'm contractually entitled to sit in back for company business. My decision process on this is a case by case basis. I'm generally willing to help get everyone onboard, though.
 
Autothrust Blue said:
I'm contractually entitled to sit in back for company business. My decision process on this is a case by case basis. I'm generally willing to help get everyone onboard, though.
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That's where I sit. If I'm deadheading home and I'm absolutely POSITIVE that there's not another jumpseater then I'll do it but only to get another pilot or nonrev on board. If it's a really long flight and/or it's mid rotation and I'm flying later? Forget it.

I believe in nonrev karma though and I know for a fact that my wife has gotten on board a flight because someone was kind enough to give up the seat.
 
the only time i will give up my seat in back is to get NON REVs on. Because they are family of someone in the industry. And it builds good Karma. My parents missed a flight one time because a pilot wouldnt take the jumpseat so they could get on.
 
Bud01 said:
My parents missed a flight one time because a pilot wouldnt take the jumpseat so they could get on.
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Careful, he may have had a perfectly valid reason. I once had a duty day exceed 16 hours because the first and last legs were dhd's. No way was I riding the jumpseat.
 
Cav said:
Careful, he may have had a perfectly valid reason. I once had a duty day exceed 16 hours because the first and last legs were dhd's. No way was I riding the jumpseat.
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I'm 6'5. Me in an Embraer 145 jumpseat is an "interesting" sight. Actually anyone of any size laterally or vertically is, but me especially so in the vertical dimension (think legs on the elevator-aileron disconnect handles if I were to stretch them out). Anything more than 40 minutes block would probably result in high levels of unpleasantness.

I'll do whatever it takes to help my brother pilots, but I'm unwilling to put myself at risk by being in an uncomfortable seat if I have to fly again when I get to the destination. :)
Bud01 said:
the only time i will give up my seat in back is to get NON REVs on. Because they are family of someone in the industry. And it builds good Karma. My parents missed a flight one time because a pilot wouldnt take the jumpseat so they could get on.
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Sorry about that, genuinely. But there is a pecking order. Some of them are more democratic than others (and some of them are more ridiculous than others)...but there's a pecking order.
 
Bud01 said:
My parents missed a flight one time because a pilot wouldnt take the jumpseat so they could get on.
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I think of it as, they missed the flight because the flight didn't have enough seats left once the gate agent got to their place on the standby list.

One of the passengers happened to be a pilot.
 
Nick said:
I think of it as, they missed the flight because the flight didn't have enough seats left once the gate agent got to their place on the standby list.

One of the passengers happened to be a pilot.
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Who was, in accordance with that airline's pass policy, entitled to that/those seat(s) due to the category of pass he was using, relative to the poster's parents.
 
Autothrust Blue said:
Who was, in accordance with that airline's pass policy, entitled to that/those seat(s) due to the category of pass he was using, relative to the poster's parents.
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In my experience the gate agents loved to sell out the pilot making matters much worse. CAL agents were absolute pros at this.
 
Cav said:
Careful, he may have had a perfectly valid reason. I once had a duty day exceed 16 hours because the first and last legs were dhd's. No way was I riding the jumpseat.
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that one i understand

Nick said:
I think of it as, they missed the flight because the flight didn't have enough seats left once the gate agent got to their place on the standby list.

One of the passengers happened to be a pilot.
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Autothrust Blue said:
Sorry about that, genuinely. But there is a pecking order. Some of them are more democratic than others (and some of them are more ridiculous than others)...but there's a pecking order.
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What I am saying is I am a firm believer in Karma Good and Bad. And if it was to get a couple of non-revs on i would be willing to. I have sat on the aft flight attendant j/s in order to get another pilot to work.
 
Cav said:
In my experience the gate agents loved to sell out the pilot making matters much worse. CAL agents were absolute pros at this.
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I'm all for not being a feminine hygiene product whenever practical, and extend every possible professional courtesy, but at the end of the day the rules are still the rules.

I'm largely willing to bend them as much as is comfortable/safe to get every seat full, of course.
 
To me, I think Cav summed it up best. Every situation is different. I've given up my seat for FA's, dispatchers, mx guys. But if I have to DH to San Juan at midnight to fly back at 4am, that seat is mine.
 
BobDDuck said:
Don't be the guy who is space positive and takes the jumpseat to"help the company out" and in doing do bumps a jumpseater. If you triple check that there aren't any other jumpseaters, it's probably ok, but you may be playing with fire.
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Exactly, and to take this a step further. For those of you that travel on company paid tickets. NEVER NEVER NEVER take the jumpseat to help the gate out. Being the nice guy can get the JS priveleges for you and your airline revoked.

e.g. Pilot A has a company paid ticket and flight is over sold. Gate asked the pilot to take the JS to get another pax on. The pilot agrees and sits up front. Now you think you just did a nice thing to help the gate...Wrong

1. Your ticket got refunded or not used and you can get accused using the jumpseat for offical travel and not personal travel.
2. Another jumpseater that could have sat in the cockpit gets bumped because you are there.

I saw both happen brand X and it wasn't pretty. No good deed goes unpunished.

I have been personally asked to do this a couple times and refused and the PIC of backed me up on it, when the gate thought I was being jerk.


==========

In regards to just plane ole jumpseating I have seen some rude thing happen between pilots.

I saw one pilot begging for the jumpseat as it was his last chance to get to work. The Senior pilot, obvioulsy on vacation said sorry I'm not missing my Tee time and took the cockpit jumpseat.

I've even seen mainline pilots say they trump a regional pilot on his own metal.

bottom line...know your contract, boarding priorities, and general jumpseat rules.

it is sad that we continue to be our own worst enemey.
 
Bandit_Driver said:
==========

In regards to just plane ole jumpseating I have seen some rude thing happen between pilots.

I saw one pilot begging for the jumpseat as it was his last chance to get to work. The Senior pilot, obvioulsy on vacation said sorry I'm not missing my Tee time and took the cockpit jumpseat.

I've even seen mainline pilots say they trump a regional pilot on his own metal.

bottom line...know your contract, boarding priorities, and general jumpseat rules.

it is sad that we continue to be our own worst enemey.
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I saw an online guy refuse to take the FA Jumpseat to get an offline guy in the flight deck once on a flight I was working...40 minute flight no less. The CA to his credit told him, "well you either take the FA Jumpseat or I leave you and take the offline guy." I loved it. Totally unrelated I know but somewhere that dude deserves some bad nonrev karma.
 
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