NWA Int'l JS Questions
 

I'm looking to go to Manila in mid August.
NWA would be the easiest to ride on (US Carrier, least connections).

I plan to pick up ZEDs as a backup plan (especially for coming back), but my questions are:

What is NW's policy for int'l JS? I'm with Piedmont, our agreement w/NW is part of USAir's agreement. Do you take int'l JS, is it limited to # of FD JS or is it unlimited?

What are the loads like for DTW, LAX, NRT, and NGO to MNL like? is one easier than others to more often plan on a seat being open?
(I'd much prefer taking DTW or LAX as i'm in NYC rather than having to get to japan, but I'll do whatever works)

Considering NRT is a NW hub, are the agents there pretty good about knowing JS requirements if I go through there?


Any and all feedback would be appreciated, including any alternative travel suggestions. Thanks Guys!

Since you're with Pinnacle can't you just call and list yourself? I don't think you will save any money by trying to jumpseat (unless you luck out in business class). Also if you jumpseat all non-revs will get seats before you.

As I said above, Piedmont. We're wholly owned by USAirways.
We don't have non-rev privs on NWA, just JS and ZED/ID90s.

So?

common guys, someone's got to have some advice/answers. 250 people have read this thread...

The TSA limits our actual flight deck jumpseaters to authorized NWA employees so you cannot ride in the cockpit. But that being said you are eligible to ride as a cabin jumpseater and we take unlimited jumpseaters!

NW jumpseat to MNL
 

NW has 2 flts from DTW to MNL..One thru NRT and one thru NGO..as mentioned before you can't ride the actual jumpseat (TSA) but as long as there is room in the back you can ride "the jumpseat"..Just check in DTW which flt looks best on the day you travel..

I have had very positive experiances traveling on NW to and from Asia. They are by far my carrier of choice as they have always taken really good care of me.

I have found all the gate agents to be very knowledgeable about the jumpseating, in every country I have jumpseated to with NW. As previously posted they will take as many Cabin Jumpseaters as they have open seats! I always take backup zed tickets but never had to use them.

I have also traveled with other pilots and there has never been a problem. The crews are very cool. So of the cabin crews particulary (read pursers) sometimes have a little power play when it comes to getting into first class. Just be nice and kill them with kindness! :D The way I see it is a free ride no matter what class is better than paying, or waiting for the next one. Have fun.

Oh yea, to check loads you can get an idea on expedia, check the open seats.

I'm with ASA and I have jumpseated internationally with NW twice. The first one was coming back from AMS. It took the KLM ticket agents a good 45 mins of flipping through their manuals and calling people to get it sorted out, so it might not be a bad idea to list either in advance over the phone, or stop by the airport the day before.

The other time was on a 757 from BDL-AMS. Had absolutely zero problem there.

I would try to go thru NGO instead of NRT. The customs lines in NRT always look daunting.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard of this. One guy I know used to commute from BOS to AMS when they ran the DC-10 there. He said it was always a chore to get the KLM agents to figure it out. I wonder why it's so difficult with as many guys JS back and forth from there.

Yeah, they were extremely polite and appologetic about not knowing how to do it. That and they were two very attractive Dutch women so I was in absolutely no hurry :-)

I have a feeling here in Atlanta if I were attempting the same thing and they couldn't figure it out, they would just say "oh, you can't" and that would be that.

So I guess we can add a new reason to get there early when JS'ing international. Not just to allow extra time to pay taxes, etc. But also to stare at the hot dutch chicks as they fumble through their job.

Weirdly, I've never had a problem JS'ing itnt'l out of ATL. Every time I go to the international counter to get "passport listed" they always know what to do.

Domestically I have never had a problem. I tried to jumpseat internationally once and they claimed they didn't know how to do it because someone else was already listed. They then told me they figured it out but later on I looked and I had been listed as a non rev, using up one of my 6 international travel days that we get at ASA.

So while I could probably continue to jumpseat on DL internationally, lately I've been just heading elsewhere and using another airline. Anybody have any ideas on how to make sure it doesn't happen that way again? Because it would be nice just being able to leave from ATL. I have a brother who lives in Amsterdam, which is why I do this so often.