Pax begging for flight
- Thread starter SlantG
- Start date
alaskadrifter
Landing gear operator
Is it go home leg?
phill1174
Well-Known Member
I’d ask the ground crew to stop for a second then try to get ahold of the gate agent and see what’s the story with said guest. From there get in touch with the dispatcher and see if we can block back in (open door back up) and board the guest and see if the rest of the crew is ok with this. I never liked leaving people but I understand we also have an operation to keep on time and other guests to think about so if this guest was at Chili’s finishing their beer with Billy bob it’ll probably be hard to say yes and open the door back up.
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DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
It would be nice to be able to quicky talk to the gate agent. I've seen some who just don't care. Others might make make the call to try to get ahold of the cockpit in the same situation. Some airlines might be stricter than others. But it would be nice if the Capt had the authority to open the damn door and see that the guy gets on. Only problem is if the guy is jumping up and down at the window, he could easily be intoxicated, or he could be trying to catch the last flight out to make his kids birthday. I never flew pax but a few times when I knew a jumpseater was on the way and we were ready to go and would be late. That was a great time to double check the circuit breakers or see if the mechanic could come up cause you thought you saw a light blink for a sec. Maybe there is another excuse to get the door open? And then, if you did that, it would make sense to board the late pax?
Old Pete
Cockpit Authoritarian
That actually happened to me. Gate agent closed out the flight and was pulling the jet bridge back and someone was gesturing wildly. I opened the cockpit window and yelled for him to stop and then asked him who was waving. He said it was a pilot wanting to jump seat. I told him to re-attach the jet bridge and get him onboard. We still got out on time.
safetyfirst
safetyfirst
Hope Capt. don't wanna get fire for something not mention in ops spec.
Flyinthrew
Well-Known Member
Captain isn't even going to hear about it unless someone has a massive meltdown along the way.
It really comes down to some of those other factors. It's the last flight to the outstation. Is our gate needed? How close is the crew on FDP? Has the passenger already been compensated? There is a lot going on.
safetyfirst
safetyfirst
That's why let's keep it simple and get going.. no need to create stress for dispatch, crew, atc and ground handlers ! Sorry Pax..
Sorry for your loss..
jmc4
Well-Known Member
Motion to the gate agent to have the jet bridge come back, figure out what’s going on. Let the pax/jumpseater/nonrev on.
Have had gate agents lie about “the jumpseater walked away” or “the non revs aren’t at the gate” because they are under too much pressure to close the flight. Making the walk up the jetbridge to the podium usually helps prevent this.
Put the delay on me. We take the pax. Thanks.
Have had gate agents lie about “the jumpseater walked away” or “the non revs aren’t at the gate” because they are under too much pressure to close the flight. Making the walk up the jetbridge to the podium usually helps prevent this.
Put the delay on me. We take the pax. Thanks.
ChasenSFO
hen teaser
Gate agents who never travel and don't have aviation aspirations either are a weird breed. They tend to treat the job like they work at Little Cesars, and put up with the airport parking, TSA ect for some reason just to give crappy customer service and flex their little 2cm of red tape they get in the world. This also describes the average vendor gate agent who doesn't get bennies to begin with. Lol. Anyone who traveled thru or commuted to/from Denver on Frontier before\after the ULCC transition and loss of mainline agents got a front-row seat to how this formerly totally non-rev friendly airline became "Lol whatever bye". I bet if G2, Hallmark ect were doing customer service in the post-Air Midwest crash (increased average pax weights) on turboprops at hubs, non-revs would never have gotten on. "22 checked in, 29 more on standby? Hey ops, can we take 22?".
The contract agents that work out of the station I commute out of are better than some of our mainline agents. But I suppose when you see them weekly and get to know them there is a mutual respect built. I think my experience is more the exception than the rule. Legacy AAgents on the other hand…left 20 of us behind out of ORD several years ago because she “didn’t have time” to clear us.
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ChasenSFO
hen teaser
The difference is, mAAinline managers will take corrective action against leaving nonrevs behind...vendors will usually not.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
I remember in DTW once I ran over for the last flight of the day to PIT. It was a Compass E175 (back when Compass had NW bases).
Anyway, I ran and got there about 13-14 minutes before departure. Agent said sorry he already closed the flight. I walked to the window. I saw the CA, and she saw me. I waved to her and then clasped my hands like a begger. It worked. She came up, told the gate agent that she’ll still leave on time, please get this (me) jumpseater on. He said ok. And she went back down to the plane. As the gate agent processed me and gave me the boarding pass he said, “please don’t do that to me again.” I just said sorry, thank you so much, and went down to the plane.
Anyway, I ran and got there about 13-14 minutes before departure. Agent said sorry he already closed the flight. I walked to the window. I saw the CA, and she saw me. I waved to her and then clasped my hands like a begger. It worked. She came up, told the gate agent that she’ll still leave on time, please get this (me) jumpseater on. He said ok. And she went back down to the plane. As the gate agent processed me and gave me the boarding pass he said, “please don’t do that to me again.” I just said sorry, thank you so much, and went down to the plane.
Well, you know... what would you do for a homeless beggar huckin' and shillin' fer coin at a an intersection on your drive home from the airport? (I know what I do. I'm asking all y'all.) (It's a very similar situation, structurally. Just that one person is beggin' to git "home". Another person is beggin' to live another little bit so that he might live longer.)
jhugz
Well-Known Member
I’ve done this numerous times. Never heard a peep from management. Gate agents/ops have fought me before, but guess what, I win every time. I tell them to put the delay on me, and if anyone including management has a problem with it, I have a pretty solid defense based on core 4 company principles. I do the walk every time and it’s not just for jumpseaters. I look at passengers and their connections and try to win customers for life for my airline. I look at it as job/career security.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Our shop considers that a “business” decision and outside the purview of PIC command decision.
jhugz
Well-Known Member
I don’t have my manuals handy so I’m paraphrasing, but I’m the sole authority for all aspects INCLUDING boarding. Again, the company is pushing NPS scores and podium speeches, I’m just following their lead by making sure I’m not leaving people behind if it makes sense.
Again I’ve done it numerous times, most of the time without a delay (or a minute or two if the agent fights with me) and never heard a peep.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Again, we are a different shop. Passenger boarding and keeping a flight on time versus taking a delay, is considered by our shop as a business decision, outside the purview of the PIC authority.