We need more junior pukes so we can have more senior pukes.

We need logical-predictable-dependable career progression, and seniority single most important factor in that.

We can't depend on the industry, although we would like to.

We can't depend on fair and open skies being administered equitably world wide in a climate that encourages and guarantees fair competition without government subsides.

We can't depend on reliable governance to administer the laws fairly.

We can't depend on corporate management to always do the right thing by the pilots. We certainly can't depend on growth and fleet plans, and of course business plans.

But, we should all be able to depend on seniority 100% of the time. We all know where we stand and what we can do and what we can hold.

With seniority comes more responsibility, IMHO. Some of those responsibilities should include watching out for people with little or no seniority. If you are a senior guy who shows up, REGULARLY WITHOUT LISTING, and takes the jumpseat at the last minute- you are an epic failure. No one junior (I assume) has a problem with the OCCASIONAL, last minute change due to delays, etc. but there are known bad actors, for some reason they seem concentrated in S FL, that do this routinely. That’s BS.

I had a guy get ****ed in FLL because he showed up six minutes to push (normal day, no delays) and I told him no, we already had two guys with their bags stowed. Six minutes? GMAFB, apparently he was one of the guys who pulls this all the time per the gate agent. If you have some seniority, be responsible about using it and no one will have an issue.

PS
Baseball, not directed at you- just expounding on your thought.

The old adage goes like this “Same airline... different paint job”. I’ve always purchased my ticket to work to ensure there’d be no issues. Whilst at the departure gate, a gaggle of potential pass riders around the podium are hoping for that golden jumpseat, only to be disappointed to have a crewmember with seniority show up and claim the prize. That’s just plain rude and unprofessional. This however was a few years back... I would hope this would change with many carriers so the so the old adage would not be applicable to some carriers.

I'm a long-call reserve commuter. One problem with time-of-check-in is that I must list for flights I don't intend on taking in order to have a shot at a seat should I need it. I cancel, but this creates more churn and uncertainty on the list. Line holders have the same problem finishing a trip, especially narrow body guys plagued with delays. With reserves going to work (many senior to line-holders in other categories), and narrow body guys going home, a time-of-check-in priority would make the list so chaotic it would essentially be a meaningless but very time-consuming game.

There's nothing in the commuter policy that forgives a missed trip just because you buy a ticket. "This is Captain Joe, U1234. I'm calling to advise you that the United flight on which I purchased a ticket is delayed and I am proceeding to my backup on Jet Blue, which I still had to have, with 3 seats open and 14 listed, where I will be last priority since I didn't list until now, because I bought a ticket on United." I mean, wtf. I've bought tickets to work too, and it didn't ease my mind a bit. And buying a non-refundable ticket going home? Sorry, but you're not protected from a misconnect. Passengers are, but your happy ass is originating in the hub as if you pieced your trip together using turdfares.com.

You missed the point. It’s about exercising etiquette regarding requesting the jumpseat. However at the end of the day its one’s responsibility to ensure, baring against fortuitous events, that one will get their paid for seat on the jet to go to work. With the current times with the number of commuters the jumpseat and space in the back are becoming an extremely rare commodity.

I’ve always been a proponent of purchasing a ticket to work form originating airports with more jumpseaters than flights to one’s desired destination.

At DL you are explicitly forbidden from listing for more than one flight in a market. Not only that but there is a commuter policy and there is no help for being "proactive" that way (in fact you're also not allowed to list for flights you don't intend to take). Your scenario is nonexistent in a time of check in priority. It just means you don't get to show up last minute and bump the other commuter. The chaotic list seems to be the current UAL one where there isn't even a cutoff time.


While I applaud the attempts to equate this to abrogating seniority, it's not. There are many aspects of this career where seniority does not make a final determination. Pay for example is longevity, not seniority. While equipment choice can affect pay, a senior pilot doesn't make more than a junior pilot is holding more senior equipment at a worse schedule. I'm not aware of any airlines where senior deadhead crewmembers get a ticket to pick confirmed seats first. It is industry standard that the jumpseat belongs to the Captain, not the senior pilot and it is also standard (although through different methods) that seniority doesn't privilege you on the list if you show up 5 minutes prior to departure... unless you're at United.

All of these responses seem to be trying to reword "I like screwing over pilots who haven't been her as long as me" into "if you don't let me do it you're abrogating seniority." I guess having a close out time for nonrevs must be abrogating seniority too. Same thing for various pass priorities.

If this is the method that the UAL group wants to keep, that's on you. But the responses seem disingenuous at best in my view.

Sounds like a SCAB that doesn’t want to be identified until the crew is too busy to look him up.

This particular guy was not but two of the “regulars” down there are.

A scab getting ****ed he didn’t get the jumpseat? Wow. When’s he leave (i.e. “retire”)?