OAL Jumpseat Dilemma: Your thoughts.

E_Dawg said:
Hi Mike, I don't really understand the anger dripping from your post. I was just sharing what happened to me. The whole industry runs on seniority, and believe me those senior to me have no problem bumping my sorry ass if/when they are able. As jtrain said there are no friends when commuting. That said those who have bumped me in the past have been professional, as have I during the few times I have had to bump someone else.

In that particular situation, I was at the gate first, I was listed, and I was senior. Through my own fault I just didn't connect with the gate agent until it was too late, and therefore did not get on the plane. No harm, no foul. I don't know what is so offensive about that....

Lastly, I said I 'politely asked' if seniority takes preference. Different airlines have different procedures. I was informed of the policy. That's a bit different than trying to, as you put it, "screw one of your own coworkers out of a ride home while jumpseating", wouldn't you say?
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No anger on this side, just annoyance (and not major annoyance, I'd still buy you a beer someday). Did you honestly think that your offline seniority had any bearing on your jumpseat priority? I could see someone being mistaken once, the first time. After that, even bringing it up makes you out to be a DB, in my opinion, like you're trying to confuse or shame the other guy into giving you his place in line. Since you brought up your seniority yet again, I'm just wondering. Besides that, it's obvious you were not the first jumpseater to check in with the agent, or else you would have been the first to board. What happened to you sucked, yes, but you should have recognized it was your fault, checked in, kept your mouth shut and hoped for the best. Maybe it was karma that delayed your ride home that day.

Mike
 
As a matter of fact it was my first and only time dealing with this issue so far. Thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt though. We aren't born with every other airline's jumpseat procedure ingrained in our brains, sometimes asking the gate agent is the only way to find out. I doubt the other pilot even knew I was there.

It wasn't 'karma' that delayed my ride, it was that I was off getting food when I should have been standing at the gate.

Not a whole lot more I can say since you obviously think I have some kind of attitude or complex.
 
kellwolf said:
Eh, maybe not bipolar. I tend to be a little oversensitive on the bipolar comments since my wife is hardcore diagnosed with bipolar, though. If anything, he's an argument for why brain meds actually make safer and more stable pilots than unmedicated ones. :)
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Sorry, I'm not a doctor nor do I play one on TV. Let's just say he's the moodiest person I've ever met.

Van_Hoolio said:
Did you honestly think that your offline seniority had any bearing on your jumpseat priority? I could see someone being mistaken once, the first time. After that, even bringing it up makes you out to be a DB...
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I don't know about that. If so, there are a LOT of DBs out there. Even though our "first come, first served" policy for offline jumpseaters is well known, we had two SENIOR Captains (one UA, one NW) actually get in a fistfight in the ANC terminal over jumpseat priority.

They both ended up getting permanently blacklisted.

Oops.
 
Commuting seriously sucks. That's all I have to say about that. I hope I can avoid it at my next airline.
 
Dude, sitting over there is like saving a seat at the lunch table with a hat or text book... last I checked priority isn't books before body - If you want that seat so badly, then stand and wait for it.
 
E_Dawg said:
At this point I usually wander the airport (staying close to the departure gate), passively looking for a non-busy gate agent so I can check in. I find food before finding a gate agent, so grab a quick sandwich (10min, tops.) Head back to the gate, and by now the gate agent is there. I check in, and at this point I am number 2, behind someone who not only was NOT there when I was, but works for my airline AND is junior to me. I politely ask about this, doesn't matter. The junior pilot was able to connect with the gate agent first, and since it's Beagle there is no priority other than first come first served.

Long story short, I wait by the gate. They are weight restricted. Junior pilot gets the last seat, I would have been next on. Missed the flight. It sucks big time to be the 'other' guy in the story. Not that I would have done anything different if I were you, Doug.
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I know it sucks, but that's just how it works. On UAX flights (other than TSA and Gojet) all UAL/UAX pilots are time of checkin only. I spend a *ton* of time at gates waiting for agents, and it's paid off the several times I've gotten rides ahead of United guys because I was there and diligent.
 
SIUAv8r said:
I don't know how you guys/gals commute. My stomach gets all knotted up when I try to non-rev somewhere. I can't imagine doing it before and after every trip! Though, at some point I'll probably have to.
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I'm sitting here attempting to commute and wondering the same thing. I have had THE worst luck. Not because of loads either. It's all cancelled flights and delays. This is taking 15 years off my life
 
I was spending on average 48 hrs per month commuting for a few years.. it's absurd when you think about it, that's more than most people work in a week! I won't be a commuter again EVER by choice.

Initially almost every time it was a fight for a seat, I ALWAYS waited at the counter, sometimes for over an hour, every pilot that walked anywhere near the gate made me cringe like he was the enemy trying to steal my seat lol.. stay back you bastards! Its mine! haha.. It really is cutthroat, kill or be killed, scams, tricks, tactics.. whatever gets you home.. Never fails though, If you slip out of line when NOBODY is there to grab a drink, you come back and there is now 4 pilots in line WTF!!!! Commuters are like cockroaches coming out from under the walls, where do they come from all of a sudden out of nowhere?? Or How about when you are just about to board with 12 seats open and all of a sudden a "domestically challenged" family of 12 non-revs shows up last minute and takes every friggen seat.. (commuters know what i'm talking about) ARGH! Then the other OAL regional pilot rushes to the counter and says.."umm yeah, I have priority over this Eagle guy cuz we fly delta connection now" yeah whatever buddy, nice try.. you can try that BS on the next guy in 2hrs lol.. back of the line!:D

My saving grace was finally not fighting it anymore and figuring out "the system".. I befriended a (Major OAL Carrier) gate agent. She mentioned her son was a CFI wanting a job so I told her to have him meet me for lunch, I wrote him a rec letter and walked in his resume and got him hired.. Ever since I have a direct phone line to someone who will sign me in ahead of everyone else OAL early in the day. That put an end to running down the terminal trying to beat out the others..;)

Becoming friends with our agents didn't hurt either.. Since we can only sign in for a flight exactly 4hrs in advance with our company..Obviously there is a bunch of our guys drooling over the keyboard waiting to press enter right at exactly the 4hr point to list... having someone at the gate list you while your in the air on your last leg can mean the difference in you getting home or not.

and there is a always LOTs of cute girls working the (Orange & Blue airline) gates.. be nice guys, and they can/will hook you up.. "cough" ahead of others "cough"..;)

Then how many times have you tried to go to another gate way early in the day, maybe even at a different airport to try and list for the jump later in the day.. only to be told "we can't do that, the system won't allow it OR It won't let me while I'm working this other flight sorry" It's total BS, they can do it and they will do it if you are good at schmoozing:D

Gate agents can be your best friend or your worst enemy as a commuter.. use it to your advantage, do NOT piss them off ever.. Trust me I have seen them bump people down the list routinely that were jerks to them or just flat out tell them that they are full with a jump already when there is in fact many open seats, it's quite entertaining so long as you're not on the receiving end... they DO really do this! Like it or not, rules or whatever.. It is what it is and it's been this way for a LONG time, way before my time.. They have to take out their frustration on somebody and a jerk-ass pilot commuter is an easy target.:cwm27:

I would NEVER give anyone a one up on me for commuting tips but now that I'm not doing it anymore.. bust out those smiles and winks and have at it lol..there is plenty of time between flights to make friends in powerful places :D
 
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