busdriver12

I suspect you don't live in an area where jumpseats are in high demand. Some of us....on the jumpseat....equipment change....off the jumpseat. How are you going to get ahold of an offline jumpseater? Will jumpseats give us the name and phone number of the person we have to bump? Do you really want to call someone and have to negotiate whether you are going to bump them or not?

Like I said, I have never bumped anyone in over 20 years. I've cancelled trips, gone in a day early, paid for a ticket out of my own pocket. However, that was before my home was flooded with offline jumpseaters going into Memphis and back. I' don't even bother trying to jumpseat with other airlines, they knock you off the second a company pilot walks up.

I suspect that I will do the same as before, even with this new policy. Do anything not to bump anyone. However, if an offline jumpseater is using FedEx as the last effort to make a trip, that would be pretty bad planning. Never had someone tell me this was their last shot, when people realize that FedEx is a pretty secure jumpseat and they get used to using us, it's not a one time event, it's a convenience.

Adlerdriver

I'm starting to suspect you've never commuted to any airline job other than FedEx. We're obviously not hitting this exchange on the same wave length.

I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure no airlines currently have MEM as a pilot domicile. There may be some regional carrier using IND, but either way, we're not talking about a huge population of offline pilots trying to get TO our domiciles to make a trip. So, if they're at your home station trying to jumpseat, chances are they're not going to work. So, that would make this whole discussion moot. If they are doing a two-leg commute on us through MEM/IND then jumpseat admin should have the ability to contact them to at least let them know (if they're not already in the ramp office). But, as I've said, if you're both going to work - you win - it's your company, your jumpseat.

So, the most likely scenario that applies here is there is an offline guy sitting in the MEM or IND jumpseat lounge trying to get to work in some other city we serve when the bump situation occurs. So, you walk in, find him and do what I said. Just like he would do if you were jumpseating on his airline, sitting at the gate in the passenger terminal. It's not that complicated.

No one's talking about making phone calls or negotiating. If you're bumping someone several hours or even days ahead of time when they're not even at the airport yet, they've got time to adjust their plans.

Albief15

Regardless on opinions on this, mine included, this was a survey request in the last contract. I got plenty of letters and saw the survey items, and we had a lot of angry pilots back in 07-10 that wanted more control of "our" Jumpseats. They got it. I expect we will torque off some offline folks and create some havoc. I also suspect the folks in JAX, Den, ORF, DFW, PHX, and a few other tight travel ramps won't care.

Welcome to the seat, Solomon. If you can figure out how to make everyone happy good luck.

MaydayMark

I have mixed feelings about this one. I live near a major United hub. My retired UAL friends and neighbors tell me that it seems like every flight is overbooked. For personal travel they sometimes have to pass ride into the next closest city 100 miles away and rent a car to drive home.

It been bumped from United jumpseats (usually after I was already standing IN the cockpit waiting for them to close the cabin boarding door) more times than I was lucky enough to get a United jumpseat. I understand that "hometown" boys have priority, they should, but it kind of sucks after you're already onboard.