Sorry but have to vent. Show up 1 hr prior to departure. List for jumpseat and all is well you have the jumpseat (pending a DAL guy doesn't show naturally). Full flight out of ATL for a 28 min flight home. 20 min prior DAL guy shows up. I'm in uniform and we meet eyes. We exchange pleasantries and I hint at whether or not the F/A jumpseat is taken. Tells me not sure I didn't check and I have the cockpit. Walks away and takes his jumpseat (which is clearly his). This is not the first time I've had this go down and on a several occasions after the company pilot walks down I politely ask the gate agent if the F/A Jumpseat is taken and the ensuing process of asking if the company pilot will take the F/A takes place. I seem to get "lucky" about 50% of the time. Is this process taboo at DAL or am I just unlucky? At JBLU, I've taken an Airbus or Embraer F/A Jumpseat so an OAL pilot (including DAL) can take one of our cockpit jumpseats on many occasions and was glad to do so. I think I will rethink the practice in the future but maybe I'm missing some background information...

 

Did you ask him if he would -please- take the FA jump seat so you could get on? I hate to say it but some of our guys are clueless as to how it works, but I always offer to sit in the aft galley JS if any off line JS'r needs to get on. Sounds like you found someone who has no clue that you cannot ride back there.

 

This is exactly right, some guys just don't know the system. I would say 90% of our guys would be happy to help you out, you just need to be direct but polite.

 

I noticed this too. I tried to JS on DAL a few times in the past, and if needed, all of the pilot have take the FA J/S to get me on, when asked. I never had one say no.

 

Have you ever sat in the FA Jumpseat????? 😳

 

Sorry to hear this. As a commuter if I see an offline guy I always offer. Good karma I figure. Like others have said, I'm sure most of us would help out. Maybe you just ran into one of our "special" pilots.

 

I have ran into this at Delta , including a guy who flat out just said no to my face, also had a captain give me crap cause I even asked . I said sir do you know how often I take a FA Jumpseats on my aircraft at JetBlue to get your guys home ? Don't think he knew we did that seeing as we have three FA Jumpseats in our bus. Seemed to change his tone . But I would say more often than not if your lucky enough to see the potential pilot who is gonna rob the Jumpseat from you (rightfully so) then you need to ask him directly, he may get in and not remember and totally space that your out there waiting. Or he could be that guy who just doesn't give a crap, let him die a painful death . I would say more than not would do it for others , esp for a 28 min flight ! Common guys

 

I would take the FA jumpseat to help someone out on a short flight but not a long flight. On my flight, I had a Delta pilot give up the jumpseat and take the FA jumpseat from ATL-Tucson. No way I would sit in the FA jumpseat for 4 hours.

 

Unrelated story, but still pertains to "jumpseat karma".

Listed for an American jumpseat from ORD - DTW. Near final boarding, (10-15mins prior to departure?) an American guy walks up, asks me if I'm also trying to get to ORD and proceeds to bump me from the jumpseat. (Full airplane)

Just so nobody quotes my post and says, "It's RIGHTFULLY his...". I get it. He has priority over an OAL jumpseater.

Anyway, I hang out at the gate, as my next option for DTW doesn't leave for another hour. KARMA PREVAILS - Flight goes out load limited, unable to take any jumpseaters and I get the next (Delta) jumpseat to DTW, with American guy waiting for the later option.

 

I would go on the assumption that the cockpit jumpseat is unavailable if it is reserved. Then you'll never be disappointed. Whether or not a flight attendant jumpseat is available is irrelevant. We are not required to sit there and there should be no repercussions what-so-ever for not sitting there. We've all been left behind. It's part of commuting. **** happens.