If you get on the airplane (as a jump seater) without stopping up front, you have relegated Captains authority. By giving it to the agent that gave you your boarding pass.

Is it really that hard to do? Who cares if the guy you talk to is a d&ck, at least you're not.

 

All this captain butt Kissing for what? Because he is a captain?? I dont say hi. I just take my seat and look out the window. If he has a problem let him come with it then. I'm sure he doesn't want me to make an a$$ out of both of us. Bottom line!! speaking is not an requirement and if he wants to be an a$$ then he better hope he does not jumpseat on any plane I fly because revenge is a bi@ch. Wont be the first time a FIRST OFFICER put a captain in his PLACE. next to the lavs..

 

Be prepared to get left behind a few times in the future.

I wouldn't make a scene in back, but would walk back and ask you to get off the airplane. If you didn't, I would have the police remove you.

It's pretty simple, and not worth getting worked up about.

Also, as an F/O I wouldn't be so quick to take a stand like that. I would speak with the Captain first, before you jumped down someone's throat on his airplane. Don't get me wrong; F/O's are fully qualified pilots, but they don't posses the authority to make those types of decisions without discussing it with the pilot in command.

 

I think most everyone is missing the point. Some airlines require the jumpseater to check in with the captain. It's not butt kissing, it's required by the FOM. At least at Delta it is. Some airlines apparently don't require it. Just know and follow the rules required by each particular airline and remember, a smile gets you a lot farther than a frown.

As for the above attitude, well, I have doubts as to the veracity of the poster as a real airline pilot. I don't think I've ever met one with that big a chip on their shoulder.

 

Ross,

It wasn't that long ago that if you wanted the jumpseat, you had to hope you were the only pilot at the gate looking to ride. And then, you absolutely had to present yourself to the cockpit and ask. If you were lucky, you got to flow back to first class, or even a seat in the back. But it didn't matter. At least you would make it to work on time, or you would make it home without paying for another hotel room.
After 9/11, unlimited jumpseats became the norm. This was pilots looking out for pilots. We are all away from home too much. This was one way to make our life easier. But it is still jumpseat priority. Since there is only a maximum of two jumpseats in any airplane, the logical way to accomodate unlimited jumpseats is by assigning seats. This takes care of priority (as far as who gets the remaining first class seats and who gets the middle seat in the back), and weight and balance issues.
But it is still jumpseat/OMC priority. You get to ride free, online or offline. The only thing that has changed is that the Captain is able to accommodate as many pilots as he/she has empty seats. You are still being boarded as a jumpseater, with all of the restrictions and responsibilities that it entails.
A lot of people have talked about how important it is for the Captain to know what kind of resources he/she has available in the event of an emergency. CRM is not just some two hour briefing you had to sit through during indoc. This is the real deal.
Add to that, if you are jumpseating on any offline airline, the only reason you would be flying that airline at no charge is that you are using your jumpseat privileges. Otherwise you would be spending money (as well as time) paying for your ID90 or ZED fare.
That's not worth a trip to the cockpit to ask the Captain for a ride, and thank him/her for letting you get home to see your kids?
Despite what the gate agents are telling you, if you are using jumpseat privileges to get a free ride, you need to ask the Captain.

The fact that you see the jumpseat as an entitlement tells me that you are either too new to the profession to understand its value, or you are too self absorbed to care. It wasn't that long ago that if you were the second pilot to show up at the gate, you still would have been left behind, no matter how many empty seats there were on the plane. Most pilots understand this.

My guess is you're just some poser.

Hog

 

A (serious) question from an outsider....

There have been many comments made towards younger, "all about me generation" etc pilots and their generalized lack of jumpseating etiquette.

So, where is this etiquette supposed to be learned? And by learned, I mean prior to the tongue-lashing that occurs after offending the captain. Who shows the new guys the ropes? Is it a more 'traditional' knowledge where the old heads explain to the new guy how not to make an ass of himself *before* he makes an ass of himself?

From performing arts, to diplomacy,to the military, to various ceremonies, to being an *airline pilot*, there are established traditions and etiquette rules that are learned from experience and handed down to the youngins from the old heads who know the gig. Does jumpseating fall into this type of 'education'? From reading this thread, it is hard to be sure, because a few here are chastising an entire group of pilots (young/new pilots) for not knowing the gig. I'm not saying it was deserved or not deserved, mind you, but where does the root of the matter start?

It's one thing to give it to the guy who knows better (and seemingly, some here should know better). It's another thing to give it to a guy who didn't have a chance.


An inquiring mind would like to know...

 

AZ,

As I read all of these posts, I notice something different betwen the attitudes.

One attitude and argument is that the jumpseat is a privilege that shoud be respected, cherished, and politely requested when desired.

The other attitude is that the jumpseat is a right that is confered on a pilot because he flies for an airline that has an agreement with another airline.

Personally, I KNOW it is a privilege, and I ask if I can ride, even at my own airline. I know it is a privilege because it wasn't until the late 90's to where Delta pilots could ride even their own jumpseats. It wasn't until a few years ago that NWA allowed as many jumpseaters as they had open seats availiable. Finally, it wan't too long ago where pilots couldn't use the jumpseat, unless it was for company business, and pilots had to live in base.

But, even if I am wrong, and it is a right, there is a larger issue that bothers me and I suspect some of the other pilots, too.

Why is it so hard for some people to concede to good manners? I don't care what the procedure or custom is, if you are given something that is extra-ordinary, show some appreciation and humility.

(And riding on an airplane, any airplane, for free, is extra-ordinary.)

So, if someone holds a door open for you, or buys you a cup of coffee, or flies you from LAX to JFK, what's wrong with finding someone, grabbing them and letting them know that you are the luckiest SOB on the airplane?

Anyone who makes that right turn is basically walking into someones house and not introducing himself. Even if the captain and crew are only renting the house, they are still entitled to meet you. It's just the right thing to do.

The flight attendants might want to meet you because they might be short on meals. (Yes, meals used to be served on flights.)

The Captain and FO might want to meet you because they might need your help before they pushback.

When you are riding for free, why not offer to help or make sure they FA's don't wind up short on food?

As far as where etiquette should be learned, normally it should be learned from indoc or flying with other pilots. But a lot of it is common sense, which unfortunately isn't too common anymore.

New K Now

 

At my airline (FDX) we started a major campaign to teach jumpseat etiquette. With our huge hiring push, back in the 90's, we hired a lot of pilots from the majors who had experience with the pax carriers AND jumpseating. Turns out the old heads never had to jumpseat much, and as the airline grew, they started jumpseating more and more. I found myself apologizing for the boorish behavior of some of these individuals, and our jumpseat coordinator, RO, has done an excellent job of getting the message out. Almost all jumpseat agreements are reciprocal, so you have to ask yourself, if I was offering a free ride on my airplane, how would I want that pilot to approach me? A quick introduction, and thanks for the ride is not butt-kissing. And I'll even ask the first officer if the captains not around to make sure he's in the loop, and make sure he knows I'm getting captain's permission as well.

And it never hurts to thank the FA's and gate agents...

Now, was that so hard???

 

To all those pilots who come up and say hi, ask for a ride and offer their services, I say "thanks, welcome aboard". To all those who THINK the seat is theirs, I say you're going to be in for a rude awakening one day. Hopefully it's not an important event you're trying to get to, because you may just be one of those standing at the window waving goodbye as we push back with an empty seat YOU COULD have had.

 

Wow....sounds like you'll go far in this career field..............