JS'ing To/From LHR Advice
 

I'm an offline guy looking to JS from NYC to LHR and back early next month on UAL and/or DAL. I've done a search but most of the threads are more than a year old.

On UAL out of EWR and Delta out of JFK, where do I go to make sure I get listed on the Gen Dec and JS? Ticket counter? Someplace else? Do I need to list ahead of time (before getting to the airport)?

Same question(s) leaving LHR. I know I'll have to pay taxes of around $200 leaving LHR. Where do I pay and must payment be made in cash?

Any other advice specific to international JS procedures on UAL, DAL or LHR is appreciated.

TIA.

Tipsy

Tipsy,
Assuming you have js privileges your alpa website should give you all the details.
Bottom line for delta is go to ticket counter at jfk term 4 before 75mins prior to departure to list and pay taxes. You can pay your departure taxes and list once you arrive in lhr. Have a great trip. Recommend Greenwich obs and nat maritime museum in Greenwich as great value and very interesting.

Delta and you stand a good chance of upgrade. United, not so much.

I'm UPS, so no ALPA page for us. Thanks for the info.

Tipsy

Well in that case, welcome aboard! It's really not much to it except that they close out the flights up to 75 mins prior to departure so you need to list early, but you can list anytime and just show up the morning/evening of the flight. LHR from JFK departs terminal 4 for Delta.

How does one list early for a JS on Delta? Thanks.

Tipsy

At the ticket counter if you're offline.
Delta will upgrade you if there's room. United... good luck, unless you say hi up front and the Capt. do something about it.

As he said, you can go tomorrow and list for next week if you'd like. You don't have to list the day of if your arrival time is within 2hrs of takeoff, I'd list in advance due to lines and crazy stuff, especially in LHR.

OALs have to list at the ticket counter or additionally the gate, if leaving CONUS, at least 75 minutes prior to departure for APIS.

You sure about that? If a Delta pilot can only make a reservation 72 hours in advance for personal use, how can an OAL list one week in advance? Not saying it can't be done, I've just never seen it before in 16 years at Delta.

I've heard of it being done international because an OAL JS'r on international is just placed on the non-rev list, not in the actual JS, so when the agent makes the listing it charges taxes and gives them a listing # and puts them on the list. Unless their process has changed in the last two years, the last time I witnessed it being done with my own eyes in HNL.
Aloha,
LUV

My goal is to learn something new every day. Thanks!

So the takeaway is:

(1) DAL is a better bet than UAL with regard to the likelihood of getting offered a seat in business class.

(2) There is no special line or office to go to at JFK/EWR or LHR. Just make sure to get to the ticket counter 2+ hours early to get listed and pay the taxes.

I'll only be in London for a couple of days so I'll try to list for the return flight as soon as I arrive from NYC, if the lines aren't too long.

Thanks for the replies.

Tipsy

Does anyone commute LHR to JFK? Wife was offered a job over there, just trying to get an idea how hard the commute would be (I realize airport taxes are a big issue but just trying to factor that into the QOL/taxes/cost of living calculation).

I'm assuming that with all the AA/DL plus BA/Virgin (and maybe UA to EWR) options one is pretty sure to always get a seat (>20 flights a day).

Lots of flights, but it's actually DL/Virgin that are in a Joint Venture.
AA/BA are in a JV as well.

So at least the departures are spread across the day a bit to have choices.
As far as loads go, it seems to go sporadically from oversold to 50 empty seats.
As far as taxes go, probably won't be a worry as it seems as though the ONLY place that seems to make Manhattan rents seem like a bargain is LONDON!

If possible, I'd recommend listing at the same time you list for the trip over (i.e., before you go). Not sure if that works for OAL, but that's how I listed my JS for returning from Europe....

Okay, I'll give that a shot. I figured I'd have to list for the return in LHR since the taxes will be due. But I guess I won't need to pay until I check-in for the return flight?

Tipsy

That's how it worked for me (disclaimer, I'm DL, so it may be different for OAL.)

Good to know. Thanks.

Tipsy

No tipsy they will charge the taxes to you in jfk when you make the return listing. If you decide not to use Dal to return they will refund the taxes but you have to visit a Dal ticket counter to do any of it. Have a great trip.

Hey guys, I'm new to mainline and I've got a silly question related to this. Headed to AMS for a quick trip (not THAT kind of trip!). If I am online (DL) what is the advantage of listing for the jumpseat internationally vs. just listing as a non-rev and using an S2? The flight I'm looking at is tight in Business Class with non-revs above me on the list but it's wide open in coach. Does listing for the JS make a bump up to Biz more likely? If I list for the JS, could it screw an offline guy who might be trying to list as well?

No, listing for the JS will put you in the back of the line for NON-revs, if it is tight in biz and you have a shot with S2, then by all means go for the Biz Class with S2. Kind of a flaw/drawback to reserving the JS is that you put yourself at the end of the line for a good seat in back, even in domestic. A sloppy gate agent will fill all of the First/EC seats with non revs and then tell you as a JS'r, oh, theres a seat open in back (yeah, row 42B). If the flight is really open you are much better off as a non-rev.

Benefit for using JS is you are included into the weight/balance as part of the crew so if you prelist as a JS, you should technically not be "load optimized" out of a seat, but that will not be a factor for AMS, as every seat will be filled, think more like deep SA or places with lots of cargo, and infact travelnet will warn about it usually while making a listing.

For international the OAL guy has to be in back so it will add him to the non-rev list at the bottom and he/she will just be waiting for a seat in back. Your listing for the JS will not effect their chances of riding internationally.
Enjoy AMS, be careful which alley you visit!

Rog', thanks! That was my thinking as well. I figured the S2 was my best bet at Biz or at least Comfort Plus but wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything.

I'm staying on Haarlemmerstraat by Centraal Station. Any alleys you recommend to visit/avoid?

Depending on your situation, your probably best to avoid all of them, at least for more than just a pass by, contrary to popular myth, they are not "monitored for disease" as people like to say, but are allowed to use free checkups in the city, but on voluntary basis.

If you want to do a bike tour, recommend Mikes Bikes, if you tell them (with ID) that you are aircrew, the price is 1/2 off, and even their "quick city tour" was well worth the effort as you criss cross the city and canals and hear about the different areas.

Enjoy!

Great tip! That's more what I had in mind. I'm not much of a museum guy (unless the weather sucks) so I was thinking of renting a bike during the day while I'm on my own then some laid back nightlife. Just going over to drink beer and hang out with a friend who's there for work so probably not going to stir up too much trouble.:D

Anyways, apologies for the thread drift.

Thanks again for the good info! Cash only?

Tipsy

If, for whatever reason, DL and UA ain't looking so hot out of NYC, Atlas does a couple flights a week to Stansted (STN) from Huntsville (HSV). From there it's just a matter of using public transport to get back into the city.

http://cdn.meme.am/instances2/500x/1772636.jpg

LOL...thanks for the recommendation. I live in NYC so that wouldn't be too convenient for me :)

Incidentally, UPS operates EWR-STN (but not STN-EWR) but it's a 767 and we don't have proper rest facilities on our 76's, so an extra guy really gets in the way. Hence the reason I'm looking to go offline.

Tipsy

I'm not even sure they take cash. Credit card is the only way I've done it.
We just had a ups pilot the other day in biz doing js to ams from Atl I think meeting his fiancé who just received her green card he said. If you use ccard it will be easier to both charge and refund if you later Change mind on return.

I prefer to use a card. I just want to be prepared if cards were not accepted. Someone told me of someplace that only took cash; maybe it was in Mexico? I don't recall.

Thanks again.

Tipsy

Last time I non-revved out of Mexico it was cash only. But that was probably 5 or 6 years ago. And I vaguely remember (long night, many sake) fighting with a Japanese ATM in Narita so Japan may be as well, or at one time was. Again, it was probably 6 or 7 years ago when I non-revved through Japan last. But most of the places ive non-revved through in Europe (AMS, BRU, CDG, LHR) have been credit card-friendly.

A follow-up for the sake of those who might read this later:

I went to and from Heathrow on Delta. I went over from EWR. There were 80 open seats in Coach on the EWR flight (First was full) while the two JFK-LHR flights were showing nearly full. Coming back, I went to JFK. All three of the LHR-JFK flights were nearly full. But I was able to get on the second flight in Coach (First was full).

Earlier in this thread, it was suggested that I ask to be listed for the return flight prior to leaving NYC. I asked both the ticket agent and the gate agent in EWR if I could list for a return flight. Both said this was not possible.

Something to keep in mind leaving London; If you pay the taxes and are listed for the 10:30am flight (for example) and ultimately, you are left at the gate because the flight goes out full - you'll have to exit security, go back to the ticket counter, have the taxes refunded and start the process over for the next flight. In other words, you can't roll from one flight to the next. You are paying the taxes and being listed for one specific flight.

Overall, if was very easy. The Delta gate agents and crews were very friendly and accommodating.

Thanks for the ride!

Tipsy

I have been using United on a regular basis out of EWR. They used to be very good as far as showing up at the gate and get you on. After the merger, a lot of gate agent don't know what to do with you. They don't know if they have to list you as a jumpseater or nonrev. I almost got left behind twice.
The ALPA website still say that you are just supposed to show up at the gate.
It is a lot easier coming back, although you have to show up at least 90min. prior.