DAL F/A Jumpseat
Sorry but have to vent. Show up 1 hr prior to departure. List for jumpseat and all is well you have the jumpseat (pending a DAL guy doesn't show naturally). Full flight out of ATL for a 28 min flight home. 20 min prior DAL guy shows up. I'm in uniform and we meet eyes. We exchange pleasantries and I hint at whether or not the F/A jumpseat is taken. Tells me not sure I didn't check and I have the cockpit. Walks away and takes his jumpseat (which is clearly his). This is not the first time I've had this go down and on a several occasions after the company pilot walks down I politely ask the gate agent if the F/A Jumpseat is taken and the ensuing process of asking if the company pilot will take the F/A takes place. I seem to get "lucky" about 50% of the time. Is this process taboo at DAL or am I just unlucky? At JBLU, I've taken an Airbus or Embraer F/A Jumpseat so an OAL pilot (including DAL) can take one of our cockpit jumpseats on many occasions and was glad to do so. I think I will rethink the practice in the future but maybe I'm missing some background information...