Check Complete

I started a thread on the regional forum about jump seat ethics and sadly many fellow pilots from SkyWest could not or would not see what their selfish actions do to the industry.

SkyWest management is promoting the use of and management pilots are requesting the jumpseat on all and any carriers to facilitate company business functions. Our management feels this is acceptable.

I'm not talking about a pilot using the JS for a dead head, either way, because it's more convenient, but for travel to and from training, meetings, conferences, etc.

I have always felt the JS should be used for the FAA and then for internal company checking. After that it would be used for commuting pilots and then for simple travel by flight crews with reciprocal agreements.

I do not agree with the use of the JS to get to training or other company fuctions simply because of the cost of a ticket or the use of a revenue seat that is taken, even if it's our own metal. We are told we can be asked to take the JS on our own aircraft but if you don't take it when asked you'll have nice sit down with your chief, many of our own gate agents don't even ask any more they just assign the JS to accommodate a pax.

What do main line pilots think about this and what can be done, besides the obvious of get a real contract?

marcal

Skywest doesn't have a union and therefore they don't have a negotiated jumpseat agreement(at least one that is enforceable). If I owned the airplane I would do the same thing.

FirstClass

What SkyWest pilots do on their own jumpseat is their business.

aewanabe

Not true at all. I can promise you that those actions if documented actually would jeopardize their reciprocal privileges with JetBlue, and our standard agreement language is very much in line with most of the majors.

aewanabe

Similar to what JetBlue had before we were ALPA, Skywest does actually have negotiated Jumpseat agreements with other carriers. If, for example, deadheading pilots in the Jumpseat were causing OA pilots to be bumped that could in theory jeopardize reciprocal agreements. Traveling on other airlines using Jumpseat privileges if documented would almost certainly cause that other airline to suspend the ability of Skywest pilots to Jumpseat at all, as that is a direct violation of the agreement.

aldonite7667

Easy solution, no Skywest pilots on anyone's Jumpseat.

Qotsaautopilot

Grenade!!!!!!

pipe

Simple. When you go to meet the Captain for an offline jumpseat, explain the pretenses under which you are "requesting" the jumpseat. I think most ALPA capts would be willing to deny the jumpseat. After SkyWest pilots start missing sims or whatever else, the policy will probably change.

Pipe

WesternSkies

Check complete you are really stretching here. In all the years I've been here I've been asked by one outstation Skyw agent working United express to sit in the own metal actual instead of deadhead backseat. ASKED.
Only after being let down to talk to the captain of the flight on how he felt and ran the numbers with jumpseater then waited until the last minute so it was clear that there were no pilots looking to jump did I take agree to it.
I don't like doing it. I'd rather not. But once in years of res dh means it's a tiny problem.
Non Skyw agents don't even know they can ask.

NVPilot

I'm with western skies on this. I have been asked occasionally and as a commuter only after making sure there was no other pilot needing the js for any reason did I accept and only on our own metal. Last time it was so a revenue family traveling to Hawaii would not have to be split by an invol.

On other metal if there was an issue with the gate agent I would just accept it then ask the Captain to please deny me the js. At that point scheduling and the gate agent can figure what the hell they want to do with me.