TOTD: The pilot I was flying with that sneezed, shooting a nice loogie right into his hand, and proceeded to touch the throttles and flight controls without using hand sanitizer. I gotta use those you know?

 

See now I thought the shining star in Canada was Venus, so bright it causes Canadian pilots to nose over pax jets full of people! Thats a TOOL!

Now on the flip side do they let you all up there sleep in the cockpit on long flights??

 

The JS here is a hard fought benefit that we refuse to surrender to pompous gate agents or malevolent managers. What may seem a sense of entitlement is really us as a group fighting to keep and even improve one of the best benefits we have. The Captain of the flight is the only one that can deny you as long as you are there in time and follow the rules, subject to JS priority of course. Anyone else is subbordinate to the Captain and we really don't care who they go tattle to, they have no right to deny a pilot that hard earned and paid in full benefit. I've had gate agents "deny" me the JS a few times (too busy even though I was way early, pilot haters, etc)...yet I've made it on every single time.

 

Hey now! Just cuz one pilot did it, doesn't mean we all do it!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to ride my dog sled back to my igloo.

 

Fair enough, I don't mean to criticize. I've never seen jumpseating as a right, but that's just the culture I've grown up in.

 

It is more of a right for the PIC to have control of it. I still view riding the jumpseat as a privilege afforded me by work done by our unions.

I have had my run ins with gate agents and try to courteously get the PIC involved. Nowhere in our manual does it state the gate agent has the authority to put someone on or off the jumpseat. Their job is to list and verify, time permitting. Most Captains I fly with will make the time should the gate agent not be able to find it.

As for riding the JS while positive space. I have noticed gate agents pressuring us to do this more often. I'm extremely hesitant to do it for the reasons posted above. I will only do it under very strict circumstances.
1. Own companies plane
2. No one else needs it (I'll stand up at the gate until the gate agent goes to shut the door to make sure there is no last minute js'er)
3. I am on my way back to base at the end of a trip (I'm not riding the JS if I have to work when I get where I'm going, I need to be rested)

As for the FAA, I had no idea they couldn't ride for personal use. About 7 years ago I had an FAA inspector on the jumpseat and he flat out told us his wife and kids were in the back and they were on their way out west. He was pleasant so neither of us questioned it.

 

Jumpseating is indeed a privilege; however, it is a privilege extended by the captain, not by the gate agent. Allowing the gate agent to control access to the privilege effectively denies the captain's authority over the jumpseat, and makes it just another seat on the place, albeit one that can only be occupied by qualified individuals. As such, it is appropriate that the captain may choose to deny access, even to an otherwise permitted jumpseat occupant, but it is not at all appropriate that the gate should do so.

 

TSA agent as you walk through with a coffee. "thanks" or "you shouldn't have" or some other dumb remark I've heard a million times

 

You got wifi on your sled?

 

I bet that igloo is better then those damn Delta hotels in Canada!