That's not always the case. I commute JFK to MCO. I've tried to commute on AA exactly once and will never do it again. I did everything in the jumpseat guide published by ALPA, made a res and and even asked if I needed to do anything else. Nope you're good.

So day of the commute, home of all things, I go straight to the gate and wait in line to see the gate agent to get CASS'd. I had plenty of time when this started now it was within 30 mins of push. Gate agent tells me that I need to return to the lobby and go to the nonrev lane and have them CASS me there. I tell her if I do that there is a strong possibility that I will miss the flight. Luckily the Capt of the flight was right there and asked why I had to go back to the lobby. Gate agent then says that some of the gate computers can't do CASS. Capt asks "Can this one do it" she answers yes and he tells her to CASS me. It took all of two seconds.

Then the real fun begins. One of the people I had been waiting in line behind was a very old AA FA. She, unfortunately, was standing within earshot when the Capt, talking to me away from the gate agent, apologized and said that he might even have a first class seat for me. This FA began to read the Capt the riot act about how if she has to pay for a first class upgrade then he had better not put some other airline pilot jumpseater up there. I told him that I would be happy to just have a ride. I've never been back since AA only has one flight a day to MCO that fits my schedule.

jetBlue on the other hand has always treated me better than our Delta gate agents, FA's or pilots.