Non rev, the benefit I receive in lieu of 'money' on my paycheck...AND, I have a small deduction from my paycheck in order to extend this to my wife. It's a benefit I was promised to lure me to the regional pilot experience that is a total crapshoot as to whether I'll/she'll get to use it or not on any given day. The offer of free travel is enticing, they just never tell you that you'll end up stranded most of the time and eventually will figure out that it's easier (and usually faster) to just drive. I have to beg and grovel to use it now, "thank you sir for allowing me to actually USE the benefit promised to me when I took this job...can I have some more?"

Jumpseat, whole different animal.

 

My personal opinion is to always stop upfront and say hi. My reasoning is simple, the Captain needs to know who his/her Able Bodied Crewmembers (ACMs) are.

 

If I am in uniform and non-rev'ing I usually will stick my head up in the cockpit and say hello. And, of course jumpseating it's a requirement to do so. I board last and get off the plane last when jumpseating also, and make an effort to not get in anyone's way or cause any kind of fuss.

 

Something I never thought I'd read on APC.

Non-rev I never checked in.

Jumpseating is easy: Say please, say thank you, be nice to everyone, and if the fecal matter impacts the spinning blades, help the crew in any way possible.

 

I look for the AOPA baseball caps or Boeing T-shirts

For new guys, the above is a joke.

Nonrev you don't need to check-in with the crew. Jumpseat- it's required to not only check-in with the crew but ask the captain permission.

Generally - Don't check in if you are a non-rev. Can you imagine the parade of pilots if every non-rev pilot went to the cockpit?

 

And just to be clear...if you are jumpseating, and the gate agent gives you a boarding pass/seat, you're still jumpseating and should ask for a ride. The gate agent has no authority over jumpseating, only the Captain. On several occasions gate agents will give me a seat and say "no need to check in with the captain" or something similar. Of course, I do anyway. Just another example of the constant strain on capt authority.

 

 

I'd prefer nonrevs not stop by. I don't need to know you're back there. Plus, you never know if we're busy with things going on when you poke your head up front and say hi then start talking about your commute, the latest company rumor, etc.

Nothing against the people, I'd just rather not be disturbed.


Jumpseaters on the other hand, are of course, welcome and expected.

 

A great place for jumpseat etiquette questions is jumpseatinfo.org. Plus there's a TON of related threads here on APC. It's just a search away. One thing I will add is always respect the jumpseat process and captain's authority. Never let a rude, hurried gate agent or FA try and pressure you to sit down without talking to the captain. FA's do this a lot and it goes to show that many of them don't follow the process or show the same professional courtesy when they're getting a free ride.

 

I agree with you bud. I'm not a CA but whenever there is a non-rev on my flight, whether they are gate agents, FA's, rampers or pilots. It doesn't matter. If they see me and say hi, I always ask if they talked to the CA and if they haven't, I turn them right to his/her direction. Non-revving is a privilege and when its taken for granted, you can easily get a one way ticket back to that comfy seat in the gate area. I've had a couple of CA's send people back for just walking past them like they were the visitors and I stood by their decision. Anyone who is getting a free ride should stop by and thank the CA for allowing them to board because you don't have to be a passenger on that aircraft.

If something were to go wrong and the FO or CA happens to pass out, I would be a little more at easy knowing that I had another pilot in the back that I could use for help. Single pilot operations can be done if absolutely necessary but it's no fun.