Pinnacle Jumpseat
 

Hi Pinnacle Guys & Gals...could I get some jumpseat help? I'm a FedEx pilot and I've had the privilege of riding your jumpseat numerous times from MEM to TYS. Never been a problem at all. But some months ago, back in the summer, I was trying to ride from TYS to MEM and apparently the computers in TYS couldn't do the CASS thing. Lots of phone call ensued and luckily there was an open seat in the back. Had that not been the case I would have been denied the jumpseat because of the computers not being CASS capable.

I'd like to ride your jumpseat again in early January out of TYS but I'm wondering if you can help me bridge the CASS gap so I don't get left at the gate if the flight is full.

Thanks in advance.

MG2

PS Please feel free to PM me if this is info you would choose not to put on a public forum.

are you positive the gate agent wasn't new or too lazy to do you a favor? i'll keep an eye on this topic and if no one more qualified than i steps up with an answer, i'll see what i can do

When the whole switch occurred a couple years ago from NWA gate agents to Pinnacle Gate agents its got really ugly outta ICT. Every time I went to the Front Desk, it was always a different person (I only Jumpseat once a month), and they had to break out some handwritten book of Computer instructions. When they switched to ASA gate agents recently it has also gotten to be challenging. They always seem to be surprised and then their default answer is we're weight restricted. The key is to find the Capt and ask him. PCL crews are topnotch at getting Offline guys (at least in my experience) on the JS.

Though I can't help you out, I can echo what HoursHore said. Pinnacle guys are great about the jumpseat, the key is getting to the captain through the gate agent.

A lot of these outsourced regional gate agents that I've encountered while trying to jumpseat on Pinnacle are flat out lazy idiots. They will say the first lie that pops into their head to just get you to go away so that they can get back to doing absolutely anything except their job.

Luckily I've noticed that when I am able to get ahold of one of the pilots, they completely understand and share the same frustration and they've put the heat on the gate agents for me when I've needed it.

If we see a fdx guy with the cookies we always go all out to get em on- too many 9E pilots have friends/family that work there to leave em behind. That being said CASS DOES work in TYS (I have jumped out of there before) and I know a FDX guy that jumped in/out of there often with no CASS problems. You may have just had bad luck that day with the system- a few days ago the CASS system for the 9E guys got screwed up and all 9E pilots were denied in CASS. That was fixed after a few hours. PM me if you need more info.

Hey, thanks to you all. On the day I had the CASS problem the Capt. was jumping through multiple hoops to the point of talking with the Chief Pilot. The issue seemed to that the gate agent and I think even the station manager couldn't figure out how to input the info into a non-CASS computer

Anyway, if you've recently had a FDX pilot on the J/S out of TYS using CASS, then maybe all is well.

Thanks again for your help and please feel free to take advantage of our J/S any time.

MG2

Best thing to do is get to the crew, most will do what needs to be done to get a jumpseater on.

Hopefully your experience will be better next time.

I'm gonna agree with the first few posters. Most likely inconsiderate/incompetent gate agent that didn't know what they were doing. Ever since DL/NW switched from their veteran ground handlers to the contract workers, I've noticed this trend with the jumpseat listing. I even had a gate agent in JAN tell an FAA guy he couldn't ride jumpseat because she couldnt figure out CASS. Hopefully as they have been there longer AND the agents that don't care about other employees get weeded out things will improve.

If i remember correctly, this summer was about the time they switched from regular veteran NWA employees at TYS to contract workers, so that's why I'm guessing it was agent error.

Like most have said, try to get a hold of one of the crew. We will do everything we can to get you on, even if it means taking a delay sometimes.

I sent you a P/M.