USAirways insanity

USAIRWAYS

New Member
First off I would like to introduce myself as a fairly junior West F/O(not in the proposed 175 hitting the streets). I'm also one of many who have declined to join the USAPA. To add the cherry to the sundae, I commute to PHX from PHL, so many of my commutes are on East metal. I was just denied the jumpseat yesterdayby an East Captain, and was graciously accepted at WN of all airlines. What is your take on this marriage of insanity? (US can be the controlling wife)
 
First off I would like to introduce myself as a fairly junior West F/O(not in the proposed 175 hitting the streets). I'm also one of many who have declined to join the USAPA. To add the cherry to the sundae, I commute to PHX from PHL, so many of my commutes are on East metal. I was just denied the jumpseat yesterday by an East Captain, and was graciously accepted at WN of all airlines. What is your take on this marriage of insanity? (US can be the controlling wife)

I assume you were listed as primary? So, is professional standards no longer functioning?

If that doesn't work, go to the (excuse me while I have to hold my nose) the chief pilot.

sorry to hear it has gotten so messed up. Even in the darkest of times before I retired we would not let the jumpseat be a tool for politics...
 
What is your take on this marriage of insanity? (US can be the controlling wife)

Nuts.

I talked to some Easties on a layover in AMS once and some of their views were a little "interesting" to say the least.

Something along the terms of "Yeah, Parker bought us, but with someone else's money because they were failing too so it's an acquisition, but since it's USAirways now, we're the acquirer so they (westies) should be happy with date of hire because it wasn't a staple".

WHAA?!
 
Nuts.

I talked to some Easties on a layover in AMS once and some of their views were a little "interesting" to say the least.

Something along the terms of "Yeah, Parker bought us, but with someone else's money because they were failing too so it's an acquisition, but since it's USAirways now, we're the acquirer so they (westies) should be happy with date of hire because it wasn't a staple".

WHAA?!

Biggest mistake Parker made was keeping the name "US Airways." They should have renamed the airline. That name has too many negative conotations.
 
Nuts.

I talked to some Easties on a layover in AMS once and some of their views were a little "interesting" to say the least.

Something along the terms of "Yeah, Parker bought us, but with someone else's money because they were failing too so it's an acquisition, but since it's USAirways now, we're the acquirer so they (westies) should be happy with date of hire because it wasn't a staple".

WHAA?!

That has got to be the most F'ed up logic I've heard. So, if they had come up with another name, they'd be OKAY with the Nic award? Riiiiiggght.
 
Needless to say I was a little dumbfounded.

I'm so glad we avoided that mess, but of course we have the upcoming mess with NWA. And that's going to be a mess, but hopefully much smaller.
 
Something along the terms of "Yeah, Parker bought us, but with someone else's money because they were failing too so it's an acquisition, but since it's USAirways now, we're the acquirer so they (westies) should be happy with date of hire because it wasn't a staple".

WHAA?!

before retiring, I had gone through three mergers and all were just butt ugly. the funny thing was in each case the same arguments were used although the landscape changed with each merger.

We bought you.. you should be happy to just have a job
We brought the most X so we should....
I lost X numbers and the guy in front of me was ___________

I enjoyed the Boeings, McDougs and Airbi and the crews. I found a great diversity of experience and interests. You could find someone who an expert on just about any subject. But the other stuff... no thanks. I will take my little Citation and the nice guys who pay me to fly them 10-12 days a month.

But the jumpseat was never used as a tool of retribution and any Capt who does that crap should get to sit in the right seat for a month or so if s/he can not exercise mature judgment. (note: not a comment on the right seat because some of the best sticks and best decision makers I ever worked with were in the right seat.)

Oh... the other funny is to watch the big airplane drivers strut at the FBOs...
 
I remember when I was a new hire at Delta in 1998, someone would occasionally say, "Oh, he's just pissed about the merger".

Then I'd have to ask, "Western, Pan Am, Northeast or.... Chicago & Southern?" :)

I still remember the terms like "Oh, she's a Yellow Bird, they're always cranky", "Oh yeah, he's Western, those guys are cowboys", or "Pan Am? Oh man, you should hear the stories from the old days" and "Don't worry son, you're RD!"

RD?! I was a new hire! Ha! What the hell do I know?!

RD = Real Delta.
 
Back before Delta extended their jumpseat to other airlines, it was always fun to grant a Deltoid a jumpseat. This was after I was trying to get home one Christmas and there was an almost empty Delta 727 BWI-ATL. I met the Capt and humbly asked for some help and he spent the next 5 minutes explaining how his company was one of the few that had sense enough to not turn their cockpit into a "876king taxi for every ***hole who needed a ride." It was obvious he had never commuted.:)
 
Thank goodness 99% of those guys are gone.

I haven't heard the "If you're gonna work for Delta, move to Atlanta and live in Peachtree" crap in years! :)

After base closures, base shrinkage and whatnot, it became commuter friendly with catlike quickness.
 
Thank goodness 99% of those guys are gone.

I haven't heard the "If you're gonna work for Delta, move to Atlanta and live in Peachtree" crap in years! :)

After base closures, base shrinkage and whatnot, it became commuter friendly with catlike quickness.

no, don't move to peachtree city...boooring.

Back on topic. The guy who denied you the Jumpseat is a d-bag without a question. People who use that as a "tool of
Persuasion" obviously never matured past middle school. Especially denying a co worker.
 
From personal experiences, there are few D-bags who try to commute on WO flights. ;)

One time we diverted to BWI due to low ceiling at PHL(CAT III approach only). This particular D-bag actually said this to us:

"My airbus can land in this wx." I just smiled at him and walk away. :rolleyes:
 
From personal experiences, there are few D-bags who try to commute on WO flights. ;)

One time we diverted to BWI due to low ceiling at PHL(CAT III approach only). This particular D-bag actually said this to us:

"My airbus can land in this wx." I just smiled at him and walk away. :rolleyes:

I would have gladly told him "well congratulations...maybe you should have taken that next time." I don't care how crappy your experience is...you don't complain when you're getting a free ride.
 
To be fair, jumpseats are being denied to both sides. In my opinion (not that it matters) but there are pilots from both sides acting like high school girls.

Just out of curiosity though, what's the difference between USAPA members not allowing non-union members in the jumpseat and ALPA pilots (some of which take residence in this board) doing the same thing? I don't
believe it's right, but I am curious to any of ya'll opinions.
 
In my opinion the east guys are out of line, but it doesn't matter what I think. East is lucky they didn't get the TWA treatment IMO, not that I condone what happened to the TWA pilots. They should've gotten something similair to this abritrator's decision.
 
I only once ever considered denying the jumpseat to someone. He was an Eastern scab on "the list," but was then employed by the FAA as a safety inspector. Needless to say, both the union and management weren't to keen on my plan as denying the FAA drops you in the middle of a humongous minefield.
 
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