while we are talking about jumpseating...I have the best/worst story from a few months back. This is the account I sent to ALPA after the fact because it was so terrible.

Good morning, my name is XXX, and I just had a regrettable jumpseat experience on AAXXX YYY-ZZZ on MMM DD. For the record, I was not in uniform, but was wearing dress slacks and a button down dress shirt. At the gate, I was assigned jumpseat ‘2w’ 5 minutes prior to boarding, and told by the gate agent that I should board with group 4, so that I could find a place for my suitcase.

When I am assigned the actual jumpseat on AA/EAG (or any seat when flying OAL), I always, leave my suitcase and briefcase at the door of the plane, and proceed to check in with the flight attendants and then the captain. In my hand, I always have my Crew ID, J/S boarding pass, pilot certificate and medical. If the captain grants me the privilege of jump-seating, I offer to wait on the jetbridge, until boarding is nearly complete so that they can prepare the flight deck without somebody breathing down their neck.

Flight XXX was no different, and when I arrived at the aircraft, I left my suitcase on the jetbridge, introduced myself to the flight attendant standing in front of the flight deck door (there was a second FA setting up the first class galley), and showed her my crew badge (which I was holding), and started to move toward the flight deck. At that point, the second flight attendant setting up the galley, moved to block me, and then proceeded to ask the captain if he wanted a jumpseater to come up. The captain said “no, not right now” and the flight attendant told me that I could never ‘just board the aircraft and go to the cockpit.’ As I was leaving the plane, I said that I was an Envoy pilot, and knew that I could not ride without the captains permission, and had even left my bag on the jetbridge.

When the gate agent came down to close flight (I was still standing on the jetbridge), she told me a seat had opened up in the back, and gave me a new BP, and I proceeded to board (as now I was an online d2 with a seat, not a 2w jumpseater). As I boarded, the same flight attendant whom had scolded me earlier told me to check in with the captain, and he also proceeded to explain /scold me that “you can’t just come up to the flight deck without your crew ID.” I explained to him that I had introduced myself to the FA in front of the FD door, had my ID, certificate, and medical in-hand, and had even left my bags on the jetbridge to await his permission (as nothing is guaranteed). He just reiterated that was not what he was told and to always have my crew badge, and told me there was nothing more to say as I had a seat in the back. I did not apologize, and took my seat in the back.

Fundamentally, I have my utmost respect for captains authority and the privilege of jumpseating, but felt this whole experience was unprofessional, and counter to the ALPA jumpseat guide. I never raised my voice, nor argued, and always used the pronouns sir and mam when addressing the crew. I wanted to share my side of the story should the crew decide to report this experience to their own respective jumpseat committee.

Sorry for the novel - but a good example of some people having a chip on their shoulder. Now that I am a captain...I have pilots all the time just tell me they are jumpseating (in the back), and frankly I don't care, but it does bother me that if I had the same laissez faire attitude, I would get a coach and council from the flight crew.