Originally Posted by
pilotpayne
I can’t tell you the many times guys have waited for me or I have waited for them. Heck I have even had gate agents in Bos go way above to get me on (thanks Juan). We all have an issue but in my experience the crews tend to watch out for each other. At least I do and everyone I have ever emailed has.
I’m sorry that happened to you but man you have bad luck I can’t remember the last time we pushed even 5 early.
The only time it was ever close for me I emailed both pilots, multiple times, with updates...and they read them all. They didn’t wait. Closed 17 early. I banged on the jetbridge and another gate agent just sitting in a chair on her phone called ops and let me down and they reopened the plane and reattached the jetbridge for me. Still pushed 7 early and landed 30 early. This is all after calling the gate assignments number in JFK earlier trying to get my arrival gate and my commute gate closer together, sending email updates as soon as I was about to take off and as soon as I landed, calling ops on the ground as soon as we pulled in telling them that I was running and would make it. No one except for that one gate agent who let me down cared. Flight deck door never opened and I ran to my seat. The real kick in the junk was the 2 lanyardless pilots who I talked to on the way out who had some made up BS story about how they were tracking my flight but must m have been tracking the wrong one. It was BS bc I gave the flight number, city pair, ETD/ATD and ETA/ATA real time, and they said they saw my emails but just didn’t think there was any way I could make it. Oh and I was the last flight from where I was, so them tracking a later flight didn’t check. Their stories changed mid-convo and were nonsensical. Not only did they not wait, I caught them in a poorly constructed lie. I sarcastically said some words and left shaking my head.
But since then I don’t trust some of our pilot group. Especially ones without lanyards (little different now that negotiations are over, but the point stands at that time)...they are all out for themselves. We have some good dudes here. Most guys here are. Even the resident “keeps getting better” guy is a great dude who goes out of his way to help pilots out. But we have some that will absolutely screw you for no reason and who care about no one besides themselves. That said, I’m sure that it’s no different here than other airlines. I’ve seen that trait in people from all walks of life and at every organization of which I’ve been a part...airline, private sector business, military, etc. I just hope they aren’t driving my commute plane when it’s tight.