I think we probably agree more than we disagree. I don't give up my positive space until the last possible second after verifying there is no load optimization with the capt. I board last and take the agents final paperwork down often.

In no way am I willing to risk my ride just to be "nice." But I'm okay with being nice if I can.

Round of applause... Well Said!

Respectfully, you are wrong. Every time you give up your deadhead seat, you are discounting the hard work of every pilot who took a stand on working conditions. You are cheating those of us who gave up something else in the contract in order to get cabin deadhead.

You may think you are being a nice guy and your motives are pure. The next time I show up for a deadhead and the agent asks me to ride the jumpseat, I have to be the bad guy when I say no. I've had them ask me. "The pilot on my previous flight did it."

I respect their job. I know they are pushed for time. Many times, they are trying to get revenue on board, not just nonrevs. Suddenly I become the bad guy. It's a hard won privilege to sit in the cabin. It's not my choice. The Company expects me to ride in the cabin.

As a nonrev, I do not expect you to give up your seat in the cabin. I don't expect a pilot to give up the rest seat on international, either. It's the same thing. Give the guys coming behind you a break.

Instead of "respectfully, you are wrong", I might have said: "respectfully, I disagree"... but I have to agree with Orvil on this one.

Also, there are way too many variables on this one to say I always do this or that. I definitely am not going to sit on a muddy dog/737 jump voluntarily for 3/4/5+ hrs... way too old for that.

YMMV.

I appreciate the inputs folks. Izlesek es pufanok kulonboezuek.

Except for the gate agent that is busy and not worried about pilots getting on jumpseats. I've seen it myself - I was sitting in the jumpseat on a 320 in LGA, a line check airman (from another fleet) shows up for the other jumpseat. We got to talking and he said the agent asked him to take the jumpseat instead of his PS seat so some non-revs could get on. About 25 minutes before push, the Captain asked me to run up to the counter to get some paperwork, where I see a DL pilot I know trying to get on the jumpseat on this flight. Agent says, "sorry, both jumpseats are full, it's too late to list you for this flight."

There are many ways that taking the jumpseat instead of a DH seat is bad.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way. I have had agents take my economy comfort seat away when I was positive space to give it to a handicapped pax or on one occasion someone who claimed to be claustrophobic. I asked agent why the seat change when the machine spit out a new seat assignment when I boarded to be told that. They know exactly who the positive space pilots are. Our jumpseats are not for deadheading. Don't set a precedent for the rest of us. We are out own worst enemies.

Isn't that a no-no...?


(NOT saying it didn't/doesn't/can't happen--honest question here, are they "allowed" to do that? I don't think so--but I'm new here....)

And a glaring way in which it can be good: on some occasions it will help an additional nonrev get on. It could even be a pilot. It could be a pilot's family, if there were a couple of seats, but one short overall. I hate the idea of having a flight going out with an empty jumpseat, and a nonrev at the gate.

I totally see where Scambo is coming from.

That being said, more often than not, you end encouraging bad behavior by giving up your PS. I've done it in the past with assurances from the agent that they would not screw another jumpseater, but what are the odds they really mean it? I think the chances of them removing a revenue passenger in the event a new JS shows up are very low.

It is supposed to be. It hasn't happened in awhile, but it did happen within the last 2-3 years. I think the union stepped in and stopped it. I seem to remember a while back reading something from the union saying it needs to be documented if it happens.