A good thread all in all, but here are a few of my random thoughts on the topic:

1. If you are seated in the cockpit, you are an integral part of the crew and a valuable set of "extra eyes." I once had an America West guy save me from an altitude bust because he heard something on the radio that both the F/O and I missed.

2. Jumpseat issuance policy varies widely between airlines. My CP told me once in no uncertain terms that ONLY the cockpit jumpseat was under my personal control as the Captain. Any other jumpseat request that was processed and assigned a cabin seat was completely at the discretion of the CSA. However, that's just my airline's policy.

That said, its professional courtesy to let the Captain know that you're aboard whether you're jumpseating, non-revving or ticketed. I always let him know who I am and where I'm sitting so he knows he has a trained ABP in the cabin if something goes haywire.

3. Credentials. If you have a cockpit jumpseater MAKE SURE you see his license and medical. I sat next to the ALPA jumpseat Chairman at a meeting once and he told me about a crew that had to fight a certificate action from the FAA because they had an illegal cockpit jumpseater.

The story was typical...CSA runs down at the last minute and tells the Capt. they have a FedEx jumpseater who was CASS approved and could he sit on the flight deck. Capt. approves and goes back to preflight duties. The jumpseater sits down and off they go. Above 10k they start talking to the jumpseater and find out he's not a pilot, but a FedEx courier.

And that's the dirty little secret about CASS that no one seems to know. Its the Companies who put employees into the CASS system. In fact, one helicopter operator has put EVERY SINGLE employee from the CEO to the janitor into the CASS system. So just because someone is CASS approved doesn't mean they are properly documented to ride in the cockpit. I can't tell you how many Capts. have waved me off when I tried to show them my license and medical. CASS was good enough for them.

Personally, I check ID, license and medical for every cockpit jumpseater. However, if you have a seat in the cabin, you're ID is good enough for me...you're just another non-rev by my Company policy.

3. Finally, union affiliation. ALPA recommends due consideration to union affiliation. I abide by ALPA policy. Here's the priority on my jumpseat: Company, sister company, ALPA, other union pilots then non-union pilots. Just to make things easy, I always check in with the CSA to determine if there are pilots requesting the jumpseat. That way I can have them come up to the podium, check their credentials and let the CSA know the order in which they should be accepted. When I jumpseat, I hand the Captain my ID, License, medical and ALPA card. That way he doesn't have to ask for any credentials and if he doesn't care, then that's certainly his call.

4. As others have said, jumpseating is a privilege, not a right. The cockpit is YOUR office. If you don't want someone looking over your shoulder at work, that is entirely up to you. I consider that extra set of eyes an important safety feature, but each individual Captain must make his own decision. As a jumpseater, if a Captain doesn't want you on the flight deck, say thank you for his consideration and walk away. Making a scene isn't going to endear you or your pilot group to him or the jumpseat committee on his airline.

Welcome aboard!