The commute is rough. We/I used to fly 737's on this route, but the EMB-170's took it over. We have some very senior commuters out of JAX that get the jumpseat. As in senior I mean 737 check airmen that were hired in late 1980's. Some of the times, they will drive to Orlando (MCO) to catch a flight out of there to get to EWR.

MCO is way easier to commute out of (I've been doing it for 8 years) because there are no RJ's on this route and we have Jetblue as a backup for a straight shot into EWR. On average a total of 12 flights a day between us and Jetblue. Just food for thought.

 

The reality is going to be how much can you stand commuting to a base from an airport with RJ service. When one of those things cancel, the entire day and next day is ruined. You will most certainly be going up the day prior. At least JAX has mainline to other locations. You can two hop commute if needed. I used to live at an airport with only RJs. I told my wife, when we decide where we're going to live, the airport can't have RJ only service.

 

You're not technically prohibited from sitting in the aft FA seat. The bulletin only provides a guidance for the order. If you want the long story, this has more to do with L-UAL FAs refusing to let XJT FAs onto their jumpseats but at the same time demanding the XJT jumpseat. There was a ton of drama and now this is what it is. CAL pilots were always on the list but due to no official reciprocal agreement, they were removed.

Tell the L-UAL FAs to get on board and it'll be easier for everyone.

 

Seconded. In fact, sat next to a commuting L-UAL FA while deadheading IAD-ORD on an RJ and she saw I was XJT and started asking about the aft jumpseat and the drama that's been associated with it. I tried to explain it to her but she just could not wrap her head around the fact that it was HER group that had caused the issue for everyone and was the reason that she was sometimes denied the aft jumpseat. I was even more blown away when she flat-out refused to accept my suggestion that she speak with her union about the issue, stating that it was an "Express issue. And it's you guys who need to address the issue with your flight attendants." I finally threw my hands up and told her that with UAL's current policy of "All RJs, all the time unless it's international, west coast, DCA, BOS or a vacation destination" it was her and her group that was suffering the most. Don't know if it ever finally computed for her but...just wow.

 

Just thought to add as it relates to the discussion...

I am an XJT CA and I will put just about any pilot on the aft jumpseat for whatever reason (W&B, jumpseat MELd, two guys trying to go, etc.) and most of our FAs are fine with it. I will usually give my FA some discretion when it comes to putting an FA on the aft jumpseat and it seems to be about 70/30 with them (in favor of granting the jumpseat). Just my way of avoiding a cat fight at FL370 where I can't watch!

That said, I can only think of one time where I overrode the working FA and put the jumpseating FA on an oversold flight (trying to get home for some emergency). Sadly, no catfight.

 

That's a lot of cities. I commute out of the largest airport in one of the largest cities in the Southeast (Atlanta) and it's all RJs. We have RJs to an awful lot of places that would seem to warrant larger airplanes.

 

Marketing think the pax prefer 6 flights a day on the ERJ to 3 per day on the B737.

You need a good deal with the ERJ boys and girls. To get it you have to give a good deal to the ERJ boys and girls!!