Southwest jumpseat listing
- Thread starter grkero
- Start date
PropDriver
Well-Known Member
I've started calling the main reservation number and it gets me to a person a lot faster
poser765
Well-Known Member
That's all well and good and I agree completely. Then I start thinking about the fact that AA still uses Sabre and become a lot less hopeful.
BobDDuck
Island Bus Driver
SABRE isn't actually that bad, as far as a res and decs system goes. An agent who knows the shortcut keys can accomplish things WAY faster than somebody using a point and click interface. The problem of course is that since airlines have decided that gate agents (and rampers and everybody else) aren't employees to be valued, the turnover is much higher and you've got a ton of "new" agents who have no idea how to do anything without checking their little notebook of codes. I watched it happen when USAirways switched from SABRE to SHARES. It took veteran agents much longer to do anything than it did before because they were constantly having to navigate through multiple menus.
That said, a single jumpseat listing portal is kind of the idea behind MyIDTravel and ID90 but not every airline has bought in yet.
poser765
Well-Known Member
Oh I have seen some Sabre master play that thing like a Grand Piano in a concert hall. It's still an unstreamlined mess of a program.
e6bflyer
Well-Known Member
I love Americun. They have been very good to me on jumpseating. Their listing policy stinks though unless you know in advance that you are going to be using them. I had to short notice id90 the other day and it took 10 minutes to navigate through the 15 pages of entry required to list. Luckily, the flight was empty and the agent (envoy) was very patient with me.
ZapBrannigan
If it ain’t a Boeing, I’m not going. No choice.
You must not ever have to jumpseat on Eagle from DFW. 
NavajoFlyer
Well-Known Member
falconvalley
Absentee Dad of the OOTSK, Runner, Cat Frustrator
When I was based at LGA, I used Southwest a lot. Whenever I couldn't get an agent, I would just hang up and call back. Neither the agent I eventually talked to on the phone nor any gate agent could understand why there was a hold. In fact, one time, a phone agent basically said "I dunno...I've been here. Not busy at all."
ZapBrannigan
If it ain’t a Boeing, I’m not going. No choice.
I got an Envoy agent to write down the procedure to add a jumpseater to the standby list. I carry it with me now and it has made jumpseating from DFW at least a little bit easier. If I can see they're struggling and getting ready to pull the "I don't have time..." Card, I offer them the instructions. Haven't had one turn me down yet.
You should probably post it or share because it's some complicated 1-liner thing like...
G*1234(cross of lorraine)SMITH BT*NOBAGS-WN(cross of lorraine)D6U or something complicated
once you're on the standby list, then it's pretty easy like
GA1
grkero
fer yer health
Word. I was left at the gate a couple weeks ago trying to get on AA for a commute. I was a good boy, listed online, after fighting with the website for a few minutes. Showed up, checked in, and was left behind because "the computer didn't allow me to be put in the front." CASS approved and all.
ZapBrannigan
If it ain’t a Boeing, I’m not going. No choice.
That's my weekly commuting hell. Only in DFW though. At my home airport they're experts at handling jumpseaters.
I've started getting names and forwarding the info to our jumpseat committee. Hate to wage war but if the agreement isn't being honored by both sides...
I've started getting names and forwarding the info to our jumpseat committee. Hate to wage war but if the agreement isn't being honored by both sides...
grkero
fer yer health
That's what I did. After I watched a 767 push with two open jumpseats, and I got a good cry out of my system, I went and talked to the gate agent (POLITELY). He just told me, "Sorry, the computer would only let me give you a seat in the back. There were no seats open in the back."
Word. I was left at the gate a couple weeks ago trying to get on AA for a commute. I was a good boy, listed online, after fighting with the website for a few minutes. Showed up, checked in, and was left behind because "the computer didn't allow me to be put in the front." CASS approved and all.
I ran up to the gate last week in DTW to fly to PHX, assuming it was still a USAirways flight and the AA flight code was just post-merger technicality.
"Did you meal list?"
"Nope"
And then she took the next customer. I was able to dig around and find the number, sat on hold for about 15 minutes and was able to get myself listed and back in line to check in. THAT, my friend, was a process, but at the end of the day, hey man, free ride home and I was appreciative.