Originally Posted by MusicPilot (Post 1099306)

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.

Originally Posted by ThrustMonkey (Post 1099329)

I got bumped off the jumpseat in PHX off a UA flight by a UA dispatcher doing his yearly sector ride back to ORD.

Originally Posted by MusicPilot (Post 1099417)

Been there. I know it's bs and it's even more bs that a dispatcher bumped you. If its not your metal than my original quote goes out the window. Was it a bus? Not sure why these companies don't put full amount of jumpseats on their planes.

Originally Posted by SUX4U (Post 1099198)

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(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.

Originally Posted by Bolo (Post 1099800)

F9's cutoff is 20 minutes so showing up 15 prior may or may not get you on the flight due to the workload of the gate agent.
That is the life of a commuter. You roll the dice if you do not live in base. You or nobody else is immune to the jumpseater woes. All I can say is it SUX4U!:)

Originally Posted by Bolo (Post 1099800)

F9's cutoff is 20 minutes so showing up 15 prior may or may not get you on the flight due to the workload of the gate agent.
That is the life of a commuter. You roll the dice if you do not live in base. You or nobody else is immune to the jumpseater woes. All I can say is it SUX4U!:)

Originally Posted by SUX4U (Post 1099947)

I agree you roll with the dice in this world. My 15 minute example was simply that... An example. I could show up 22 early in that example and it likely would not change the fact the gate agent has you the dead header tucked into the jumpseat and will tell me to get lost. Like you said, there are alot of jumpseater woes and yes being a commuter it does SUX4ME, but this whole multi page discussion is pointing out the concerns fellow pilots see that make their difficult commuting life even more frustrating. So perhaps as a lot of the fantastic crews and F9 have said they would not take the JS if it were to bump a commuter, maybe a simple solution to any of these issues would be the dead heading crew that is to take the cockpit jumpseats, stow their bags early and then kill the boarding time in the gate area until final call? Maybe a bit overkill to some, but come on... If this practice were to allow just one pilot get home or to work every once in a great while, would that not be worth it? Just a suggestion instead of of *****ing with no purpose...