Hey guys just a heads up. Now that gate agents are incentivized to get flights out on time some of them have stopped CARING about fellow crewmembers. Me, my wife, and infant got held up by TSA but still got to gate 21 minutes prior to departure. Jetway still connected but agent refused to let us on. Told us they're allowed to close 20 early. Pointed out that it was 21 minutes early and he told us there must be something wrong with the clock on our phones. Really said that. Talked to his supervisor, talked to a Chief, filed the PDR with the Union. Still spent an extra 5 hours in the airport but luckily got on the next flight.

My point to my complaining on here is it might be a good idea to send emails to the working crew every time we non rev now not just when you're making a tight connection. If we can't count on the gate agents to help us out we need to look out for each other.

On a very related note just a week earlier we had a commuting FA up at the gate waving at us more than 10 prior to the departure time. Gate agent was made aware of that FA running by a phone call from the gate agent of the FA's inbound red eye flight. Yet she still closed the flight. CA made them let her on but they made a big stink about it.

Both incidents happened in BOS.

 

Do you guys have a way to look up operating crew members' phone numbers?
We have the same problem at SWA with ops agents closing out flights early. Finally, crew members started sending a text to the guy who has the parking brake and the problem seems to be getting much better.

 

Yeah we've got a phone list. That's a good idea too. Wish I would've thought of that yesterday. Oh well. Next time.

 

I agree, contact the flight crew in advance. They did the same thing to my wife out of LGA.

 

If the problem continues, the ALPA preferred SOP is for one of the pilots to walk up to the boarding area five prior on every departure. Very few guys actually do it, but it is the single best method by which one ensures you get everybody. Don't leave early, especially if you HAVEN'T walked up.

Helps prevent deep vein thrombosis and general fatassery as well.

 

Fellow pilots,

It is you that must put a stop to this. You still can't legally depart more than 10 minutes prior unless approved by SysOps.

Use your imagination.

GP

 

I'm surprised by the fact they actually left on time or even early. None of my flights are ever on time.

 

So instead of blocking flights properly, and not scheduling 35 minute turns, they not make flights depart really early to get a head start? Man the cost savings ideas are getting weirder and weirder.

I love how nobody ever brings up the well being of the crews in the on time calculations. We're just supposed to not eat right? Or run and get food for 4 or 5 people at a time? Never even heard of such a thing at the regionals.

 

I was at JBU. The guy who has come up with all of these new gimmicks came in one afternoon. No kidding this is what he said.

"You pilots, if you showed 15 min earlier it would really help out on time performance"
"We are going to start leaving people at the gate"
"We made an investment in more block time"
"I used to be in finance"
"I know the operation well, I did a PIT turn a couple weeks ago"
"We have a few pilots we bounce ideas off of"

These are just a few gems I remember. Needless to say the meeting didn't go the way he may have imagined. He was pulled from the room after 20 min. Never wrote one thing down and "WE" were told if "WE" have any other questions to just email him. HA!

 

Another fun thing I learned while on our trip back,

Agent in the city we were trying to get to in the first place: "What the heck happened to you guys on your way here?"

Me: explained the above story

Agent: "that's just wrong I can't believe he did that, he also put that you "threatened him" in the reservation"

Me: Say what?!

She tried to pull up the other reservation as we had made a new one but couldn't find it. Only thing I can think of that I said was "I'll remember this when you're working one of my flights". Now I hate to hate on millennials (because I am one) but if you interpret that as a threat that's about as soft as they come. Go to your safe space bro.

99% of agents are great and the agent on my side at our arrival city is a great example. She was completely on our side and said it was ridiculous he left us in Boston.

I knew this incentive program would pit employee groups against one another and I said it the day the program was announced. Now I got to experience it first hand.