Well I apologize for saying you were not honest about the policy without knowing the story.

 

Do you not get the fact that I am just learning that the gate agent was wrong? Had I known, I would have said something. It was nearly a year ago and many of the details of the flight have faded from memory (date, time, flight number, gate agent's name, etc) so saying something now would be if little help.

 

I've flown first class on delta as a jump seater probably 30-40 times. Cost to me? $0. On my OWN company, that I generate revenue for? Never, and I have standby listed on mint routes many times.

Also, I was in first class on Delta IN UNIFORM. Here they won't let you sit up there in uniform even if you pay. Shows exactly what they think of you.

I will want the ability to put jumpseaters in mint in the contract if for no other reason it lacks class for us to not return the favor to pilots from DAL, AA, UA for all the hospitality they show us.

 

Yup, and eventually we'll get the same treatment that we give to everybody else...back of the bus.

One other thing I've noticed watching a lot of people I know start working at real airlines. They actually invite their families a day before they start training to come hang out, check out the equipment and facilities. Here it's like the exact opposite, don't bring your family, if you do, they are not allowed in your room and are confined to a 20 square foot area in the lodge. Very cold and unwelcoming in comparison. God forbid they spend a nickel to fly your spouse down and let them stay on company property...can't have that nonsense.

 

Jetblue used to do that. My wife was given positive space, stayed in my hotel room, invited to participate in the new hire dinner the night before class and was invited to orientation during the first two days of class to learn about jetblue and it's benefits/policies/etc. She was allowed to stay in my hotel room as long as she liked but she went home at the end of the first week. Some guys wives flew in on weekends and one guys wife stayed the whole month and a half.

She even flew the E190 sim for a half hour. She still talks about that!

It all stopped right about when ALPA was voted on property. First the new hire dinner, then the move to the Lodge and banning family.

 

So they decided to punish new hires for a vote they has no part of, which was a result of deteriorating work rules and compensation?

 

All that stuff is gone because the company doesn't value its pilots and still doesn't respect us. We are all crewmembers and equal to everyone else.

 

Everything boils down to this.

I'm fairly certain we'll achieve a good CBA here, but I'm also fairly certain this company's fake culture which minimizes and disrespects the pilots will not change.

 

No they built the lodge.
If they have a policy of no visitors in your room since they run the hotel and pay the insurance how do you do it for one group and not the others.

Not saying I love the lodge but the only way to get around that is to have pilots stay at another hotel (not a bad idea)

Remember just like our SOPs everything is built for the lowest common denominator, just like that non rev video. I don't think it was an aimed at only the pilots.

With that said Delta has that nice dinner for family and we really should do that here.

 

What other acccomodations prohibit family members from joining/visiting? The military's barracks and jail are the only two off the top of my head. If JetBlue has an issue with "the lowest common denominator" they should revisit their hiring practices. And treating everyone the same doesn't fly with me. Do we pay every one the same? Does everyone here have the same responsibilities? No. There is nothing the "same" about pilots and flight attendants or bag throwers other than the name on the paycheck. Was my training to get this job the same as a flight attendant or gate agent? No. I have a lot more to lose than they do if I screw up, so why am I preemptively punished for their would be antics? Individual responsibility lies with the individual, not a collective group, especially when the group is comprised of such a vast difference in people. Furthermore, other work groups here are at the lodge a significantly shorter amount of time. 6-8 weeks of Lodge for pilots, with no family, is different and a much larger deal than a few days for other groups.