Hey guys, am I being a Jumpseat Prick?
I had a United Jumpseater the other day.
After all the passengers were boarded, he comes into the flight deck, shows me a Jumpseat boarding pass.
He tells me the gate agent gave him a seat in the back and he is just letting me know and started to walk back towards the cabin.

He was in uniform but did not have his ID or even had his other documents ready in case I wanted to see them.

I called him back and asked him to at least to show me his ID.

I am a commuter. I ALWAYS introduce myself and ASK the Captain and have my docs ready. Regardless of what the agent says. Especially on other airlines.

When it's one of our own, I'm pretty laxed.

Is it me? Am I old school? Am I too uptight or did that OAL jumpseater should of went about this differently? Am I missing something. Please chime in.

 

The agents would have checked his documents before they gave him the boarding pass. It sounds like he came in and said thanks for the ride they gave me a seat in the back and showed you his boarding pass.

If you wanted to see his other docs why didn't you ask him for his id when he showed you his boarding pass? I always have them ready just incase the CA asks but the majority of the time most just want to see a boarding pass especially if they are in the back.

 

According to ALPAs Jumpseatinfo website, it says this about Delta flow back.

When offered a cabin seat assignment via the Flow Back process, introduction to the captain is not required; however, as a matter of good protocol and etiquette, it is strongly encouraged. Additionally, an earnest attempt should be made to express gratitude to the flight crew at the completion of the flight if possible.

 

No. If he was given a jumpseat pass then he absolutely needs to check in with you and ask for a ride no matter what the seat situation is in the back. It's just proper etiquette. Any time I am OAL riding for free, I always do it even if I am on a regular boarding pass. If I am on company metal and they give me an actual seat and not a jumpseat pass, then I normally don't check in since I am just nonrevving at that point.

 

While good etiquette, according to the info I shared above, it is not required.

 

Maybe I am confused. I thought flow back was when they handed you an actual boarding pass at the gate, not when they said "18D is open, just go sit there" and gave you the cockpit pass. If so, mea culpa.

 

He did stop by. He did give you the courtesy of saying he had a seat in the back. His credentials were already verified and further verification was not required by the Captain for a flight deck seat.

There must have been something about his demeanor that led you to type this post. If he had smiled, showed some gratitude and said thanks for the ride, I'm not sure you would have not posted this...but I could be off the mark here.

 

JMHO, but yes. For reasons stated above. Plenty of things to get fired up about, but this ain't one of them...

 

playing devils advocate here, but you're being a little uptight along with a lot of others. Why do you treat OAL jumpseaters different than your own company jumpseaters? Ask yourself this, who is more pleasant to be around, the guy who makes mountains out of molehills or the guy who lets it go?

that being said, yes it is common courtesy to "ask" for a ride

 

Unless it's an FA jumpseater then they say "I have the jumpseat" and rarely show their IDs.