ID to cabin crew on Commercial deadhead
 

So you probably work for a company that ships you on commercial dead head allover the place like me.
So......when I travel in uniform so TSA doesn’t take my toothpaste it’s obvious but when I deadhead commercial in civvies it’s not.
So do you indentify yourself to cabin crew as “willing and able” to assist ?
Is that considered proper etiquette or more of a douchebag move trying to get free snacks?

So regular fare ticket, no upgrade, not carrying your regional pilot rollaboard, no headphones, no sunglasses backwards, in civvies, back of the bus middle seat....do you:

- wear your lanyard and ID when boarding
- kinda twirl it around your finger like a cool kid
- show it only to your section FA
- not bother to ID yourself as crew?

put it away, nobody cares.

That’s what she said.

I smile and say hello. Incognito is neato.

I don't normally travel in uniform.

If not in uniform and ticketed, then I don't identify myself. I usually get on board with my gear, so they probably know I'm a crewmember, but nobody cares, and I don't say anything. I'm along for the ride.

I've been out of my seat a few times lately to assist with a medical emergency, but nobody cares if I'm crew or not.

Years ago I was in the rear galley attending to a guy with chest pains when we landed; I couldn't move him. They knew I was a crewmember, and I did get an offer to come interview out of it...but didn't take the offer, and I don't think they cared if I was crew at the time, either.

You can show them your ID if you want. Chances are there are half a dozen other crew on board, too, and nobody cares about them, either.

Nobody cares. Filler.

If you wear a uniform while deadheading on a foreign carrier many times they will ask you to remove epaulets, etc. They don’t want passengers confusing you for one of them.

That wasn’t remotely related to the question but thanks for participating.

Go incognito. Drink a beer and enjoy yourself. There’s no brownie points for telling anyone that you’re a pilot, and you’re an even bigger douche if you hint to it.

I’ll give some other unrelated advice. If you really, really want to wear your uniform to look cool when not actually performing as a pilot stand curbside and the little old ladies will tip you for helping with their bags. Wear the hat. It helps.

Other than that. Nobody gives a flying F that you are a pilot.

No disguise will work. F/As can detect a pilot like polar bears can sniff out a seal. :D

Never understood those people in civvies who wear their lanyard and ID around the airport. If you think you look "official" then all you are doing is making those of us you recognize the you as an "airport employee" roll our eyes.

Truth right there...

I do it if jumpseating in civvies. First to get through KCM, then to get my discount at Peets, then to check in for the JS, then to check in with the CA. After that if I'm sitting in the back, I put it away for obvious reasons. I'm not a secret agent who should only flash my decoder ring momentarily if urgently necessary.

Nobody cares one way or another if you wear a badge at the airport, except maybe the badge etiquette police. A gazillion non-crew employees wear their badges all day long. All employees can spot crew a mile away, badge or not. It's best not to wear it while sitting in the cabin, that's policy at most airlines so as not to rub it in to the paying pax that you're getting for free what they paid $300+ for. Comply with that.

I don't wear identification if I'm not in uniform. I carry it, usually in a pant leg pocket, and I'll show it where appropriate (known crewmember, etc), but otherwise, no.

This has to be one of the most entertaining threads on here in awhile. Lol

If can go through KCM domestically, always in civilian clothes. Am a pax. will respond like any other pax to a call for help "any doctors or airplane pilots onboard?"
Would rather not be part of any official legal or regulatory agency investigation post flight.

Spoken like a bunch of people who have never needed to commute internationally.

As a rule of thumb, domestically, I suggest keeping your ID on but tucked into a shirt pocket. Other crews are smart enough to figure this out and you don't look like a douche to those who don't know. There is a noticeable difference in how you're treated.

Internationally (on a jumpseat or ticket) you need to play it by ear. But if you want to guarantee yourself a nightmare be sure to wear civvies going to KWI on a paid ticket. ME, South America, South Asian, and ASEAN countries definitely treat you much better in uniform. Other Asian countries do a little, but not much. In Europe always go in civvies or they get bent out of shape.

I wouldn't suggest this on personal travel though as a matter of protocol... just work travel (paid or jumpseat).

I wear mine in civies, but only so I don't lose it, and get discounts at the airport. If I want to cut the line and board early to guarantee space for my bags, I'll go in uniform. You are treated better.

I agree but I have run into that one guy although I did put him in his place so to speak.

White new balance, jean shorts, Harley Davidson Hawaiian shirt with the lanyard swingin’ is the only way to travel. Comfort and style.

Or maybe a pair of relatively sand free, old-style Tevas. That's the stuff, yeah!


Seriously, though, the good folk at the KCM station actually want the ID visible as you approach. Pocketed after that except for discount time. Chat up the nearby FAs a bit and that's all they need to decide whether you'll get the extra glug of coke or the like.

From a professional standpoint I think it is important that the FA’s know you are there if they need you as an able body. I just say hello to them, make eye contact and expect that they notice my flight deck bag I am carrying when I check bags. They always seem to know without me telling them on mainline. On the regionals I am not so sure they know.

I have depilotized my luggage so I don’t stand out like a secret service agent.

:confused: All this I don't understand. Paid ticket routinely in and out of DXB, BAH, SIN, PEN, KUL, TPE, HKG, CAN, PVG, NRT, KIX and once even KWI (no nightmare). All in civvies, crew ID never even left my bag unless I needed to explain to the ticket agent my follow on travel plans. Never a problem - not one. How are you treated "better" for the few minutes you're going through security or immigration that makes the hassle of a wearing a uniform worthwhile? All wearing a uniform does on a paid ticket internationally does is potentially confuse the locals and make it difficult to get into the first class lounge.

Incognito is the way to go, IMO. Board the plan, act like a normal passenger, get your drink on and don't plan on answering any calls for help after you've tossed back a few. That would be a huge mistake.

:D:D Now, THAT'S Funny!!
fbh

Present the ID in civvies to get a free bottle of water. Then you can put it away.

Nah, you're right I imagined all of it. I'm not going to bother trying to prove to you with anecdotal evidence of my personal experience of getting hassled in civvies and being left to do as I please in uniform. All I know is it works for me and most of everyone else who is commuting in and out of the places I go to. First/Biz Class ticket trumps the uniform though if you're on one of those.

Oh, and KWI these days guarantees you waiting in the 2 hour immigration line and buying a visa if you're not in uniform.

https://media1.tenor.com/images/15c4...itemid=7191941

On topic, notify FA’s was the question not prodding around foreign airports.

I commercial in and out of KWI and everywhere else all the time in civvies. handler wisks us through lickety split. I can barely stand wearing a stuffy uncomfortable uniform to top of climb....let alone sitting on a dead head. Good lord.....

Same, never had a problem. I have watched idiots I work with try and get into the business class lounge in uniform carrying a paid ticket and get turned around, scolded, met with confused looks etc. You. are. a. passenger.

Lanyard on all the time. Especially now that the union has us wearing bright blue lanyards, it’s important that everyone within 500 feet knows who I am. Well, they assume I’m Frontier, but that’s cool.

I also go up to the flight deck and make sure the pilots know I’m there if they need me. Especially if it’s a RJ - I think they appreciate knowing there’s a mainline guy with mainline capabilities in the back.

....tracking the Localizer on my handheld.....

I remember seeing a movie where Dana Whatshisface wore his pilot suit to a dance. Right then and there I said, "That's for me."

The answer is still NO!

What are "mainline capabilites?" Does it get you priority on a flow time? Improved AED placement abilities over the regional flight attendant?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

No he means you’re better then the plebs and don’t land it off the runway.

Too soon?

I'm pretty sure that was the APC equivalent of a shiny, flashing lure on the end of a trolling line hoping to get someone to bite. ;)