International ID90/ZED vs Jumpseat
 

My family is taking a trip to Australia in a few months and I was curious to know from those of you who travel quite a bit internationally on other airlines your thoughts on how to travel when there is more than one person going. Through my airline I will only have the option of United to get my wife to Australia so it will be out of LAX most likely, but possibly SFO. Should I simply purchase an ID90 ticket for myself or try to jumpseat and save the $300. What are the advantages for both? Is jumpseating back from Australia an option or will I need to buy an ID90 ticket for the return flight from Sydney. Thanks in advance for any help with this.

Well delta and a couple of other s fly lax-syd so and-zed fare is also great backup. I've js when my wife is listed with minor child in back but if no other adult you will need to be on same zed listing. Hawaiian and qantas thru HnL are options as well. Not a large walk up crowd so I've had great success nonrev to down under. Enjoy

Also your zed wife will come before js pilot on most airlines.

I don't see any advantage to using a zed over jumpseating. I have jumpseated while my family travelled on a zed overseas a number of times. Zeds are basically on the bottom the list anyway. Because we have young children, I am picky about which flight I choose. Even when we caught a flight with only 20 seats open, the gate agent still worked to get us all seats together.

The only times I have ever used zeds have been when an international carrier is the only option on a particular route.

It's a fantastic vacation. Pony up the cash and sit with your wife. Oz for $300? C'mon, man.

Zed or jumpseat won't change his chances much for sitting next to his wife. Only other zeds would go between him and his wife on the standby list. Simply letting the agent know they are traveling together should be enough to assign them seats together (when available)--zed or not.

Cesnacaptn, that's kind of what I was thinking. I figured if I showed up to the gate with some Starbucks cards and chocolate it will help my odds too. My biggest concern was the return flight. I hear lots of stories about trying to Jumpseat home when the gate agents and even managers don't quite understand what a pilot is trying to do. I assume with Australia an it being a US carrier the odds are much higher that they would understand though.

I have jumpseated on both UA and DL from numerous countries and only once have I had a problem. It was out of MXP and AF was working the flight. They were puzzled by the fact that I wanted to ride for "free without a ticket." More explaining and a check with a manager cleared the air on that trip.

I don't anticipate you encountering any problems asking for the Jumpseat on the return, especially since you are traveling out of an English speaking country.

Dozens and dozens of international JS travel and the only "flack" I've ever gotten was from a UA agent - ironically in SFO.

JS is essentially the same as a ZED - with the possible exception of getting a better seat. Some carriers specify BZ or better for JS'rs while ZED is the bottom of the barrel.

I would buy a zed fair on the way back to the states as a backup. Some airlines have different rules for jumpseating internationally, such as only allowing one jumpseater even if it is a wide open flight. You get your money back from ZED if you don't use it. Check here for all airline jumpseat protocol: Jumpseat Information > Home

When or where do you pay the taxes if you jumpseat?

"They" will direct to you the right place. Go to the ticket counter to sign up and go from there. Typically there is a separate Service Counter that handles that stuff adjacent to the ticket counter. Pay the fee, get the receipt and wait to be cleared - just like a non-rev. Remember unlike domestic, you will be cleared on at the ticket counter - as opposed to the gate. The reason is, you will need a seat assignment and boarding card before you can ever proceed through security and customs. It actually makes it a bit less stressful as they typically start clearing non-revs 40-50 mins prior.

The only exceptions are when transiting an International Gateway like NRT. You may be able to proceed to the Transfer Desk inside security and customs and cleared from there. Ask, and go with the flow.

One thing to consider for these long haul flights;

With a ZED fare you can enjoy a frosty adult beverage to help whittle the time away.

Jumpseating, you may not.

Great point indeed.

Another tactic if you are going to JS home is to pay your taxes and get yourself squared away with a listing before you leave the airport. (taxes in SYD are high btw, probably second only to LHR)
SYD agents are pretty squared away though and I've never had an issue on Qantas or Hawaiian for JS out of sydney.
Great idea to have a zed in your back pocket just incase though as you never know.

^^^^^ What he said. It's important to get there EARLY as sometimes the desk where you pay taxes may be close to the ticket counter. It was years ago, and can't remember where, but in Europe I was ALSO able to reclaim my VAT when I paid my departure taxes at the same place.

That is a VERY good point I hadn't thought of yet. Still trying to get cars rented, and rooms and tours booked. After looking at the cost breakdown on my wife's ticket though I'm not sure that I could justify the extra 200 bucks for the booze. I also feel it's more likely if I'm jumpseating and she is on a zed we could get an extra legroom seat out of the deal since they tend to be kinder to jumpseaters than passriders. I'm also planning on strbucks cards and chocolate for the gate agents and flight attendants. Unless you guys have better suggestions?

Or........pocket the money and NOT sit with the wife for 12 hours.....sounds like a vacation head start to me! :D

The last time I ZED'd myself down to South America I brought enough Trader Joes Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups to cover the entire crew; pilots and all flight attendants. While it didn't get me an upgrade (it prolly would have, but all sold out) it DID net me some complimentary grape-like juice...

Results vary, but chocolate typically goes a long way, and cheaper than gift cards.

On every long haul intl flight I've JS on, I slip on a incognito pull-over sweater after I get to my seat and have always been offered adult beverages. Heck, even the cockpit crew has told me to change and imbibe.


"That's against the rules!" comments in 3, 2 ........

What?!?!?!

You're not supposed to imbibe just in case NEITHER of the relief f/o's really know how to land, when the Capt. circles the drain?

And it's a 777 or 747. Too bad you're a side-stick guy!?!?!

I think I'd drink heavily!!!!

When you jumpseat, you're technically an ACM, and therefore considered "on duty". Yes, even if you're not qualified on the aircraft.

Also, it's written in the jumpseat rules and regulations for pretty much every airline. So if you drink while traveling as a jumpseater, not only are you risking your job, but also having jumpseat privledges revoked for your airline.

Big difference from being a non-rev.

Why do you wear your uniform? If your going to break rules and do as you please, why not at least just go biz casual and avoid the suspicion. The F/A's and crew know your JS despite your pullover...

To get through security and various other reasons. I don't always wear it, but sometimes. I know the crew are aware of who I am - it's not them I'm rolling incognito for.

Like I wrote -

"You're breaking the rules" commentary in 3, 2 ......

Some of you guys are wound way too tight - seriously.

I've been JS Intl for a couple of decades now. You guys worry about yourselves, and I'll worry about me- ok?

Did I ever say I accepted? No. I said it was offered.

"Break the rules and do as I please".

Pahleeze. :rolleyes:

4th,
Trust me, I am far from wound tight.
I was just asking if you intend to imbibe while on JS ( or even non-rev btw), why wear your uniform? It easily gives the pax the wrong impression (which most have anyway), that pilots are just a bunch of drunks waiting to get caught.

My only last point is if you advocate intentionally breaking any rule as a matter of your professional discourse, then where do you draw the line? Which rules are deemed important and which are for the pilots that are "wound tight"?

Anyway, enjoy your JS/Non-rev privileges, I do, and if I see you out there putting back a few cold ones while in uniform on the long haul flight, I'll just smile and say hello.
LUV

So on a United 787-9 going to Australia how many crew members is that? 3 or 4 pilots and 8-10 flight attendants? Not sure how they staff the long haul international. Trying to figure out how many gift bags to put together. I got Kona espresso truffles, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, and a cookie still to be decided.