You're right. No free D2s until 5 years. No D3s until 2 years.

Yeah, its very uncool, especially when you almost get fired over it.
Apparently enough people complained about it and said it was a way
for pilots to fly without having to pay and it was unfair to the gate agents
and other employees who don't have access to a 1W.

The way I understood it was that we were allowed the 1W no matter what...but it has been painfully explained to me by many, many people that
my understanding was erroneous!

So if there is a seat open in coach between two giant ladies with cankles with muffin tops violating your personal space or the jumpseat - guess which one you are supposed to get!

Some gate agents don't give a damn and will just give you the 1W...but I've noticed a number of them are worried about doing so because they can get in trouble for it. Even asking for the 1W, I was told, is a violation of the policy.

Of course you will occasionally run into the flight crew that wants you to sit up front with them, or a flight attendant that will put you up in 1st - but you're supposed to pay for whatever seat was open in the cabin. Sucks yes, worth fighting for - NO! NO! NO! Believe me a hundred times NO!

If you're on your own metal you should have the option of flying on your Captain's jumpseat with his approval end of story. No fee necessary. If you don't start re-negotiating.

My wife and I have had only one flight we didn't get on traveling out of DFW. We travel literally every month(my way for paying her back for supporting my broke ass). The one flight we didn't get on wasn't a huge issue as we flew out the next morning. The price we pay is small compared to the benefits (especially concerning boarding priority!) we get.

I avoid flying on AA/AE like the plague. I haven't D-2ed in over a year and a half and my parents have used 1 pass in 3 years. ID-90s or ZEDs on Alaska, United, Virgin, Skywest, Southwest, and Horizon work much better for me. If Eagle or AA is your only choice I really feel bad for you. I refuse to give the company any more of my money.

1. It would have to be a tax credit for it to be "free"

2. Travel to and from your PRIMARY job are not tax deductible.

As an airport agent at BNA I can attest to the fact that the 1W only becomes available if the back is full. SABRE will not allow us to give the 1W unless all the seats in back are given out...the only way I know around this is to go into the seat map and "block" all the open seats as if they were inop and then give 1W and unblock the blocked seats. I have no problem doing that unless the CA has an issue with it. I have never been instructed not to do it so until then I will be happy to give you the jumpseat when commuting out of Nashville.

Also on the ERJs weight can be an issue and I have been told by OPS more than once that the jumpseat would take us over limits even more so now that people are not checking as many bags thus keeping the C.G. more forward. If I run into this situation I always go down and talk to the CA and they are useually able to work the numbers around to make it happen.

We have alot of pilots out of BNA for some reason (I guess alot of them are left over from the "Hub Days") and I always do whatever I can to get them to work. I just wish AA would start charging for revenue standbys. It never fails that we will get pax buying seats on the last flight to ORD and showing up at the airport at 6am wanting to go early....they know that we don't charge and that the last flight is the cheapest.

Hmmm because ZEDs are cheaper than D2s?:confused:

I will agree on Southwest. My wife and I list Vegas as our home away from home. US Airways/Southwest are a breeze to catch a ride on (j/s for me, ZED for her).

Well, they can't jumpseat on other airlines for free either.... so, them comparing themselves to you is not a valid comparison. Shame on your unions for allowing them to charge you to ride your own airline.

Wrong. Doesn't matter... Tax credit, tax deduction.... however you want to call it. I'll stick with tax deduction since it is what the IRS calls it. Anyway, You total your costs for air travel to/from work and it gets written off (deducted) your taxes at the end of the year... end result; free.

Sorry, you're wrong again...
IRS Publication 463 clearly says on page 5 in the table of deductions that airfare to/from work is deductable... and since the IRS is using the word deductable, again... I'll stick with it, instead of calling it a tax credit.

www.irs.gov and type "pub 463" in the search window. Page 5 in the table.
also allows taxi fare deductions, and parking lot fee's... some restrictions on those last two, so read it first.