I don't know much on AE but I do know at Comair, if that aircraft is 1 min late and it is a gate/CSA delay(meaning that plane isn't turn in the time it is projected to regardless if it is delayed already) then that can lead to disciplinary actions. Every morning, managers have to sit in on conference calls to justify delays. As far as gate agents, well, there are some that forget what it is like to be/have someone flying. But there are more that actually do that extra to get folks on. Normally the folks that has been with the company longer that I have been alive are the ones who act like that. I guess they've been around the world and now just waiting on the retirement package.

(AE pilots)How is it like having someone else complete those numbers for you. I would think one would prefer to have some kind of say so in it themselves as they are the ones flying.

Ugh - it's very sad to see so much jumpseat decisions being taken away from the captain and transferred to the gate agents (so many of whom are already bitter about it being a pilot only privilege to begin with). As a commuter, I don't even want to think about what a hassle it will be 10 years from now. What kind of new TSA regs will we have to jump through, how much more powerless will the captains be than they are now, etc.

Not to mention how unsafe it is to have a third party do the wieght and balance for YOUR aircraft.

Ramping my way through college we did the weight and balance and then through world flite got it verified by the load controller and up to the flight crew. So three different people verified it prior to the aircraft dispatching. Only problems ever had where the xj Mgr in DVL because ballast was usually needed to get there but not back.

I don't know what you guys are talking about. The captain still has ultimate authority because he or she is the one with their hand on the parking brake. You want something done and the ground crew isn't doing it, the aircraft doesn't move. Simple as that.

Example: I was in Toronto one morning dealing with the Swissport Toon Parade and we needed a screw driver to open a jammed panel. Asked the rampers and was told that there were no screw drivers anywhere to be had on the ramp, that they were not allowed to carry screw drivers and myriad other BS. Solution? Told the lead moron that we wouldn't be going anywhere unless we got a screw driver. Two minutes later I had 4 screw drivers in my hand, 2 phillips and 2 flat head. It's amazing what that parking brake can do!

I agree, as long as the captain is willing to use it.

The problem is getting to the captain in the first place. It is not uncommon for the agents to outright deny me the ability to talk to the captain. They are overriding the captain's authority w/o him even knowing it. So my tactic is to try get their attention before they head down the jetway. But as we know, a lot of times in commuting you can't be there that early.

-Tired in TLH

Never had a bad experience with gate agents, yet. Although I must say the United agents in Portland have always been incredibly kind and helpful.

Had a new experience today, Walked up front, introduced myself and said hello. Captain is filling out paperwork and says hey there give me just a sec. FO continues to talk to me about my domicile, captain turns around and says, "How long you been doing this?" I said, almost 8 months and he replied with, oh so your new well let me tell you a few things. First off, the first thing out of your mouth when you walk up here should end with a question mark, this stunned me because the first thing I did was introduce myself and ask how they were, then he said second your in uniform on a Delta flight, passengers dont know that you dont work for Delta and your making us look bad because you havent shaved today and your not getting on this flight. I was STUNNED because I had just shaved less than 24 hours ago and was in NO WAY in need of a shave. I just said Oh, I didnt realize I look that bad and started to leave and he said, if you go shave you can come back, at this point it was 10 minutes before departure. Was he expecting me to go the bathroom in atlanta and stand there at the sink and shave in the restroom?? I knew I wouldnt make in back in time anyways. I asked multiple other people tonight about my "facial hair" and everyone laughed at my experience, including the crew of the next flight that ended up getting me to work. What the heck is up with this guy??