B727DRVR

Normally I wouldn't say anything, but I don't like to reward egregious behavior, either. And this in not in anyway meant to impugn the great pilots at Mesa.. I'm just calling out something that I see as wrong. So here goes:

On a full-fare ticket, but in uniform, I was delayed from LGA to CLT (Late CLT LGA inbound) on my way to BNA. Landed in CLT in at 17:30, but gate was taken and I was in the back of the Airbus. Sprinted from Gate B5 to E30 for US Airways Express 2619, I need to work out more... Got to the gate at 5:54 and and Gate Agent first checked and allowed my self and another passenger to board. I get to the door of the aircraft and the other gate agent stops me from boarding. I heard the gate agent telling the Captain that another crewmember was one of the passengers that she was denying but she said no more pax. Oh, did I mention that they were still loading bags. So the gate agent escorted me back out. He was dumbfounded and couldn't believe her actions. It would be one thing if the gate agent had stopped us at the Gate door and said "the flight is closed", but as a commuting pilot I just don't understand this behavior.

Upon exiting the aircraft, another Mesa pilot heard the other passenger complaining and wondered what was up. When the gate agent and I told him what happened (not in front of the other passenger), he could not believe it either. Besides not being weight restricted, the aircraft had no ACARS so even if we had been late... well, you know. I really couldn't believe that I was already back outside the gate door and they hadn't even buttoned up the rear cargo. It was kind of surreal watching the plane pull away, having made it from so far to so close to my empty. Captain SG just cost me two hours of my life with my Wife and Sons.

Where I come from, we don't leave fellow crewmembers behind. Especially when there's no ACARS aboard and the gate agents are the advocates for us.

If I ever get the chance, I will not hesitate to offer Captain SG a seat or jumpseat, but I will take her aside and tell her about how fellow commuters should and should not be treated and what a small world aviation is. I would also appreciate her fellow Mesa pilots explaining to her that leaving any pilot unneccesarily behind is not cool.

Oh, and my sincere thanks to all the other Mesa pilots that have helped me commute over the years.

Rant over....,

B727DRVR

ehaeckercfi

Too many captains are afraid to be captains when it comes to challenging a gate agent about waiting for passengers.

Spoilers

Whining about it on a public message board won't do anything! Talk to your jumpseat coordinator!

Also, you said you were on a full fare ticket? I'm a bit confused...

sidestep

How bout 'Thanks UsAirways for being late to the gate', or (most probably) 'Thanks to myself for booking a tight connection.'

REALLY? You are complaining on a public forum for 'missing 2 hours' on a paid ticket?? HOW SPOILED ARE YOU?? Remember you are a PASSENGER when you buy a ticket. I'm sorry that USAir didn't get you into CLT on time, but a FEE FOR DEPARTURE carrier has to close the gate at some point. If it were the last flight of the night I would have a little more sympathy, but 2 hours???? THE HORROR!!!. The crap on Mesa Party is big enough as it is, go find something else to do.

pilotrob23

full fare ticket? Join the millions of other pax that miss their connections. Blame the wonderful gate agent who denied you boarding on your full fare ticket, not the captain.

sidestep

And THIS coming from someone who posted just a few months ago:


Quote: ''You should really think twice before you diss your fellow ALPA breatheren... Or even fellow aviators in general.

Did you really think this through before you typed this crap?

Bottom Line: Your fellow ALPA brothers deserve more respect.

In Unity,

B727DRVR"

Your ALPA brothers DO deserve more respect, starting with you, sir.

B727DRVR

Wow, I'm shocked. No, it was the gate agent & the other Mesa pilot who was on my side & that I should post here.....

pilotrob23

makes no sense, and sounds like just another commute story, and doesnt warrant a thread bashing mesa pilots! "But the other mesa guy said to post something as soon as i can on apc threads". Ridiculous. Maybe you can get a refund off orbitz from your full fare.

CaptainCarl

Welcome to the world of commuting. If I started a thread every time I got shafted on a commute, my post count and blood pressure would be much higher.

With that said, that sucks dude. I hate watching my ride home pull away from the gate. It's depressing as heck.

BoilerUP

Its quite obvious from the initial he's not "dissing Mesa" as a whole, just ****ed at this captain who happens to work for Mesa.

It appears like an agent cleared the original poster & another passenger, but gate agent #2 escorted them back inside once the captain refused to allow them to board.

Paid ticket or not, refusing boarding to folks (especially one in uniform!) while you're still in the blocks and not immediately ready to depart is a DB thing to do.