OA non-rev questions
 

I'll be commuting between IAH and EWR for the next couple of years (or maybe not if Spirit calls me for an interview) and UA and NK are the only airlines with direct flights between those airports.

Looking at your non-rev site everything looks simple enough, but I have a couple questions:

1) Why is it that in the list of all flights for a given day the "Avail Seats" column routinely shows fair/poor while when I check the standby list of a specific flight it says "Unassigned seats <some ridiculously high number>" and "Flight Load: Good". So, which is it? Do I have a chance of getting a seat or not?

2) UA lets commuting pilots take whatever bags they want, i.e. they don't strictly enforce their economy seat policy of one bag and one personal item. Since Spirit's business model requires payment for all bags I'm curious if that applies to pilots commuting in uniform (or whether uniform matters).

Thanks for any help.

Spirit doesn't charge for bags for jumpseaters

Sent from my HD1905 using Tapatalk

1) All seats are unassigned unless you pay for them, so there are always tons of unassigned seats until an hour or so before departure when people start showing up at the airport. As far as load, I'm not sure how it looks for an offline guy, but if you get the app and join Staff Traveler, you can get exact loads. From experience I can tell you even when the flight is oversold by 5, we usually go out with a few open seats.

2) Non-revs and jumpseaters get one checked and one carry on, plus the smaller personal item, but I've never seen anyone denied coming on board for a 2 week stint with 4 bags. Don't worry about it.

I hope this helps.

Deleted

Sent from my HD1905 using Tampa talk

Thanks!

Filler...

And it's not Spirit.com anymore...

You'll have to delete the quote then too

Sent from my HD1905 using Tapatalk

Exactly what I needed. Looks like I'll be flying with you guys more often than not, since UA consistently overbooks its flights, particularly between their hubs. Thanks for the help.

I commute out of ATL. Every flight is usually oversold with 1-2 pilots listed for the JS and a handful of nonrevs. I'm almost always in the back with 5-10 seats open. With the low ticket prices and lots of first time fliers, you will almost always get on. The agents will say they are oversold but just stick around, you'll be okay. Also use you confirmation number once you're checked in and you can view the nonrev list on your phone. 1 hour to 30 minutes, prior to departure, the seats avail aka no shows are pretty accurate. You will see something like 185/182 on the load but the seats unassigned will probably be anywhere from 5-10.

Cool, good to hear.

Just curious -- I know convention in non-rev is to check in with the captain to ask for the seat, but I know first hand how busy I am trying to get my airplane off the gate and don't want to interrupt or bug your crews...do you guys want me to check in with you or should I just take a seat in back?

Jumpseat…even if you are getting a seat in back… ALWAYS ALWAYS check in up front.

Spirit requires you to board last, so you won't be holding anything up.

Okay, will do.

As a jump seater they give you a paper the CA needs to sign.....even if you’re in the back. So you need to check in upfront.

The CA has to sign the Jumpseat form that you filled out anyways, so you’ll need to check in.

Understood. Thanks.

Never heard this and have always told every jumpseater to come down whenever they'd like.

It's on the form that the captain has to sign.

I've never seen a non rev with a seat, or a jumpseater told to board last. In fact, I always have the jumpseater come down first if I see him or her at the gate.

that’s not what he’s talking about. He was talking about boarding last

Yeah, on that form, it tells you to board after the customers board.

The gate agent also gives you a standby pass once you check in that says “Zone 1”. It doesn’t matter when you board.

*Guests FTFY

Another related question -- I've noticed when checking the standby list for a flight that the cockpit jumpseats are always shown as "0", implying that they are unavailable, while in the main flight list capacity and availability are shown as 1/1.

Are you guys not allowing jumpseaters in the cockpit right now or is this a case of not being able to request an actual jumpseat (vs cabin seat) at listing time? I presume this is sorted out at the gate / check-in time, right?

I just looked, and the only time it shows "0/1" is if there is one jumpseat on the aircraft and that jumpseat is booked by a Spirit pilot. I'm not sure what you're seeing...

jumpseaters are always allowed in the cockpit

What exactly is the Spirit policy when it comes to who's first for the JS? I've listed 24 hrs in advance, but it seems to be useless because your official check in time is when you get to the gate, tell them you are trying to jumpseat, they give you that white slip for jumpseating, and then list the time on that. It seems this determines your position for the jumpseat.

So why even list online?

Other airlines it’s by time of checkin. However Spirit pilots can guarantee the jumpseat up to 72 hours prior and is based on time of listing.

You're right. Don't list online. Show up to the gate without being listed and see what happens.

It's only because the gate agents won't list you. Get to the gate before the other guy (non-Spirit) and you're on. Tafahma?

Same way you have to list online for Southwest but can’t check in until one hour prior. You’re basically just putting your name in the system so they’re able to check you in.

Up until a few years ago, a offline pilot you could check in online. Who ever checks in online or in person first got the Jumpseat (as long as no Spirit pilot already took the JS). We would have pilots check in online and no show, while other offline pilots waited to at the gate to see if the pilot who check in would show or not. So the company got rid of the online check in for offline pilots. If you want to risk of not getting on because the gate agent doesn't know how to list you, feel free to do so.

Ok, this is what I thought it was. So I wasn’t losing my mind. Sad to see a few bad apples ruin it for all. I will still list online. I just wish there was a way to check in online to establish priority for us OALs.

One time I finished a trip at LAX around 3pm, and the wife/kids were booked on the 11pm redeye so I tried to list for that jumpseat at the Spirit checkin counter at LA. They said they didn't have a way to list me for that flight, and to do it at the gate. Of course the gate for the flight won't exist until ~2 hrs prior to departure.

Is 1 hr prior the earliest I can check in at the gate with the white slip jumpseat form?

Given that check-in is based on time you show up at the gate and get the slip from the gate agent, can anyone confirm when your gate agents are supposed to show up at the gate? With UA it's an hour before departure time.

yes 1hr check-in but you should always list online. many of our gate agents have no clue how to list OAL, most of them are not spirit employees

I can’t think of one airline that allows you to check in for the jumpseat online (for offline pilots). Always done by time of check in at gate.

Jetblue does. And the first offline to check in gets it.

jetBlue. I remember flying with FL commuters who were ready exactly 24 hrs prior to tap desperately on their phone screens to be the first to checkin.

Thanks. Happened to be operating in BNA the other day and a Spirit gate was adjacent to ours -- your gate agent confirmed this. I'll list online and check-in an hour prior.

I stand corrected