UnusualAttitude

In the last 6 months I have been denied the jumpseat on 9E about 12 times due to lack of ballast. Each time 200-230 lbs. of ballast was needed to accommodate my jumpseat request. I have tried everything from arriving at the gate over an hour early and have the gate agent notify ops. to literally tracking down the Captain an hour early to notify them of my presence and request. I have been very polite but the frustration is mounting. I depend on 9E to get to work and have had to drive about 10 times due to this. The cost of driving is mounting not to mention the time. I realize that commuting is a choice but it seems as if the pilot's have no control over their own jumpseat. I have heard stories of CA's demanding ballast but to this point my experience has been nothing less than indifference. Can some of you guys help me out on the holdup? I can certainly understand if their is a weight restriction but this has not been the case. It has simply been a balance issue and the available jumpseat has flown on home without me in it.

Thanks,

UA

av8sean

This has been a huge issue lately and is being discussed on our internal website.

The main problem is, thanks to Delta consolidating most of their ground handling under "Delta Regional Elite", the SOP of this outsourced company does not allow them to load ballast on Pinnacle flights. All CRJ-200's face the same issue with the need for ballast on full flights, unfortunately Delta doesn't really care if you miss your commute and Pinnacle is powerless to do much about it. The most the crew can do at these affected stations is notify dispatch, who then comes up with a min cargo number. Also the gate agent and FA can be extra vigilant about making sure as many bags as possible get gate checked.

UnusualAttitude

The mission of the ALPA Jumpseat Committee is to ensure that: (1) Pilot-in-Command control over flight deck access and use of the jumpseat is not abrogated or undermined in any manner or under any circumstances, (2) flight deck jumpseats are made available to all individuals authorized to use them, in accordance with PIC approval and federal requirements, and (3) appropriate procedures, equipment, and training are used to protect the safety and security of the flight deck and jumpseat.


The CA has the power of the parking brake. Who is 9E's jumpseat chairman?

Intl Jumper

Where do you commute from?

nicholasblonde

1) Have the CAPTAIN, not the gate agent, find out if there is ballast and what the min cargo number is.

2) You don't fly for AA do you??? I believe we now take unlimited AA j/s riders, but we didn't for a while since their management still restricts us to 1 D3 j/s rider--even in the back--they are supposedly changing it so we now allow unlimited AA riders as a gesture of cooperation.

3) What route (or at least the general distance of that route if you don't mind me asking). Makes a huge difference. I'm assuming it's INBOUND to a NWA hub, right?

4) Who does the ground handling at the station/hub where you are getting denied.

I'll look into it for you....PM me if you want to be discrete...

Airsupport

This thread should actually be called mesaba declares jumpseat war with pinnacle. (No not the pilots). Mesaba management has informed all their ground personnel in dtw to not load ballast on pinnacle flights. It is now against their procedures. I know it is frustrating for your commute but the pinnacle pilots are helpless in this one. We could tell themwe aren't leaving till we get ballast and the will just sit there and watch you. Ballast will never be loaded. The mesaba people in dtw are the worst in yhe System if it requires any extra effort to get something done it will not happen. Shoot just getting them to leave the breakroom to park you is hard enough.

jamiestrat

But it isn't Mesaba ground now is it? Isn't it all Regional Elite?

B00sted

Same crappy service, different name.

UnusualAttitude

1. I have asked the CA several times and with plenty of notice. Generally they find out the min. number (which I know is never going to be what we have) and then when the time to close up comes it is just some shoulder shrugging and see you later because there is never enough. I can only think of 2 occasions when it worked out in the last 2 years.

2. Not AA...

3. It is a short route. Less than 250 miles. The problem is always out of MEM. I have never had the problem coming into MEM because I usually always get a seat or if it looks full I drive pre-emptively because the JS is so unreliable. LET ME REITERATE THAT THIS IS ALWAYS A BALAST ISSUE. IF THERE IS WX AND I KNOW THERE WILL BE AN ALTERNATE AND OVERWEIGHT ISSUES WILL BE HAPPENING I DON'T EVEN TRY. EVERY TIME IT IS THE CARGO NUMBER THAT BECOMES THE PROBLEM AND A LACK OF BALAST. I don't know if that is what you meant by the length of the route but maybe it is because there isn't a whole lot of fuel on board.

4. Whoever handles the ramp in MEM. I was under the impression that it was 9E that handled the ramp in MEM.

Thanks for looking into it. The 9E guys have always been nice but I have never had the sense they really cared whether I got on or not. Certainly I can say with confidence that no one has ever made any special effort to help me out. Never rude but never too helpful and since the JS is a privilege I just write down the flight number and details then walk away and out to my car for the 3.5-4 hour drive home. I usually always report it to our jumpseat chairman but there is not much he can do other than report it to yours I suppose.


UA

av8sean

I have never had problems getting ballast in MEM. Heck, most of the gates have plenty of Mesa and Skywest sandbags laying around. Something weird about this post, it just doesn't make sense. Most 9E pilots will bend over to get a jumpseater onboard, myself included.