Once again, the Jumpseat was never meant to cover overbooked flights. In fact, DL in the 80's wouldn't even let their own pilots in their jumpseats. If you don't want to sit in the js then that's your right. It's the company's responsibility to get the customer a seat. It's the pilot's responsibility to get the customers sitting in a seat to their destination.

 

Now that we solved all the issues of the jumpseating world, can we move along!

 

Jesus H Christ. Why are you people making this so hard. Unless your company requires you to take the JS on a DH then its your choice. Now, common courtesy and sense should play a part here(hint, hint Hockey). No other jumpseater, take the damn jumpseat to accomadate your customers or another non rev. If there is another jumpseater (on or off line) take the FA jumpseat or your assigned seat in back. I have commuted for 16 years to every former NWA base except MEM and have sat on many a FA jumpseats. Even ANC-MSP (5 hr leg door 3L on a 757) after flying those aweful 2 leg transpacs (HKG-KIX-ANC, or TPE-NRT-ANC(time awake approx 30hrs)) to accomadate other non revs and offline jumpseaters. Take care of each other and if you can take care of the customers. Kindergarden ****. Not that hard.

 

Awesome take! I agree with you 100%.
Now for everybody else lets put this to rest.

 

Nerd, Thank you

 

So much for the pilots at majors being militant about it.

 

"Can you please take the jumpseat? I'm oversold by 1."
"Are there any other jumpseaters for the flight?"
"No."
"As long as the Captain is ok with it."
------------------
"Can you please take the jumpseat? I'm oversold by 1."
"Are there any other jumpseaters on the flight?"
"Yes."
"Sorry, jumpseater gets the jumpseat, and I need the cabin seat."

 

----------------
(15 prior to push) "sorry for checking in late, my inbound flight was running late. May I please sign up for the jumpseat?"
"I'm sorry, I already have a jumpseater and we are sold even"
"ok I understand" (walks away and debates who to call first, the wife to say he won't make it home tonight, or the crappy airport hotel to see if he can possibly get bed bugs for $59 a night).

It's great to see guys not willing to take a jumpseat if their is already a commuter signed up. But each of you seem to be making their scenario based off a perfect world. What I mean by that is you the dead header checks in 30-45 prior to departure while the jumpseater has been signed up exactly one hour prior. It makes the situation like the previous poster easy... But as I added in, the life of a commuter is no where near a perfect world and crap happens that prevents you from checking in prior to a dead header. So let's say as a positive space guy now sitting firmly in the jumpseat, do you honestly think the average gate agent will come down and yank you from that seat, yank the revenue passenger, put you back in your original seat and escort the jumpseater down with only a few minutes until push? I know I know, that does not happen often... But then again how would you know unless you have been doing "the walk" every flight?

I like the fact I see guys saying if there is a jumpseater, they will keep their seat in the back which is very nice to hear. But another problem to this topic is when you guys have positive space mechanics on an oversold flight, those guys did not give two s@&ts about me, nor did the crew flying it.

What is confusing to me is I heard the gate agent tell the captain the two mechanics were "helping him out" by taking the jumpseats on the oversold flight. When I was able to briefly talk to the captain he said they have to ride in the cockpit if it's oversold. So which one is it, are they "helping out" or are they required to sit up front? Either way, another commuting pilot does not get where he needs to be because guys with seats in the back are sitting up front. I know what happened to me is bad luck and it could have easily been a fed or a check airman taking the seat. Call me entitled all you want, but my jumpseat is open for you the pilots commuting, not for positive space anyone. I simply wish for a fair reciprocal instead of the odds being stacked against me.

 

had this happen a lot with AE out of GRR. I would tell them, I'll take the front unless another JS walks up, and don't put me up there till the very end. More often than not someone walks up. Just keep the captain in the loop.

 

Last time I checked, mechanics could only ride up front if they were doing a mx inspection for a flight or needed to get to a city to fix a plane, either way the pilot has priority over mx and dispatchers. I know it depends on the air carrier and if it's your own or not but only a few can bump a pilot.