Hueypilot

This horse has been beaten to death already, but this system benefits everyone. If a guy is senior, he calls 7 days out and reserves the seat. If his first choice flight is full, then he can reserve the next option. There are a few commuting routes that are high competition for the seat, but 95% of the time, I've been able to reserve the seat, often even calling the day of departure. And most of our fleet and I believe all the Airbus aircraft we are buying will have two J/S up front...

The bottom line is that senior captain will likely never find himself out of luck trying to reserve the seat. And he will always know where he stands days in advance, making it very easy to plan a backup.

I'll add: The proposal to allow seniority in booking the jumpseat a few days earlier I think would have worked OK. At least with that system, anyone could look to see if they could get the jumpseat or not. The whole point of the reservation system is to know where you stand before you travel and not sweat having some dude roll up 15 minutes prior and giving you the "sorry dude" look as he takes your seat from you.

The seniority based system, IMO, is for lazy people that just don't want to have to deal with planning ahead. If you're in the top 10%, and don't commute from a super senior location, chances are good all you need to do is get up, shower, get dressed and roll up to the airplane and go. That's great for them...but disadvantages everyone else...and all to avoid having to spend 10-15 minutes planning your commute.

DarinFred

I think this is a show of force against US Airways pilots. Even though APA may be better than USAPA, power and egos still play a huge roll. Pilots helping pilots!

algflyr

Perhaps a compromise could work? Something like if you call ahead 7 days out, it's based on seniority. You reserve the seat, it's yours unless someone senior reserves it. But then at 2 days prior (48 hours), if nobody has reserved the jumpseat, then it's fcfs... That's gives the junior pilots 2 days to make other plans if it's booked...

viper548

This would be perfect to use with a web based listing system. Put your request in whenever you want, check back 48 hours prior to see if you are the senior guy. After that FCFS.

Hueypilot

I think many Airways guys would go for that, because at the very least, it lets you know if you need to make other arrangements ahead of time. No one wants to arrive the day of their commute and suddenly find themselves scrambling for Plan B.

jollyroger4

We ALL just lost out, AA guys and US. The reservation system is great, so nice not to stress about a flight.

Dolphinflyer

I don't think it was a show of force, just a bunch of elderly men worried about changing the food display method at the Golden Corral.

I think a hybrid could be a good idea. Another could be a 6 month trial period with a drop dead date followed by a membership vote.

The best move in the meantime is to support a resolution for a study by the TASC Committee to analyze every flight for a period of time as to who flew on the JS, other flight options available, and who was left behind along with their options.

The TASC TEAM (Technical Analysis and Scheduling Committee) are numbers guys who can monitor and produce a report as to the effects of time of both methods. Captain "Senior Stevey" is worried about whippersnappers nabbing his seat? The TASC people will be able to give a hard number to the loss of seniority on a flight.

After that, take a vote.

We've got some ballbuster jumpseat legs. SAT/ATL/BNA/MEM/TUL/ORD-DFW, MSP/DFW-ORD, DFW/ATL/RDU/DCA-MIA, SFO to everywhere. LGA to anywhere.

I think your system could work and I beleive the TASC boys will be able to produce data that shows gaining a reserved seat more than losing it to seniority.

Just going to take awhile.

NTR32

It is nice but things change, some for the better like the mou pay, others not so good like the jumpseat deal. Personally I'm not sweating it one bit, if you make it great if not call in stuck commuting.

It is what it is.

NTR32

That's the beginning of the realization that the east/west fight overshadowed the real threat. Not even threat but the agenda of the other party involved, the legacy AA pilots.

PRS Guitars

So at AA, does a jump seater list for both the cabin and JS and then hope that one works out? Or can you only list for one or the other. I'm just picturing that if I list for both, I'll now have to set my alarm 24 hours prior to every trip to check in with a fighting chance at the cabin. How early (& late) can one list for the JS?

Anybody know how the commute is out of DEN to DFW or ORD? I might just have to stick with PHL which is bad in that there are only three (US/AA) flights and they are long flights, but good in that there aren't too many guys making that commute (unfortunately, I think they at all senior to me). Right now I just stick with US because it's so easy, I never have to wait around or drive home from not making a flight. But with AA's system and my low seniority I have about the same odds (maybe better) on SWA or UAL.