Captain Bligh

Hey Forgot to bid,

I'd gladly sign up for the Delta system you posted and put this whole convoluted shell game behind us. The one I really like is that nonrevs in the CAL system are boarded at the rear of the plane first once standbys are cleared. Just another kick to the groin of the seniority system. More than a few gate agents love to play games with seat assignments.

sailingfun

It depends on what you mean by own metal. If another company is leasing that metal and paying all the expenses associated with that lease then they can and should control all the seats. Delta leases jets for charter all the time. As a Delta employee I can not ride at any priority on those flights. The aircraft are leased to a third party and they control all the seats. Lease a car from a dealership and let me know how you feel when they call you up and tell you that you have to carry passengers for the dealership when needed. After all the car is the dealers metal!!!

Captain Bligh

Yeah but, jumpseats are different than seats in the back.

usmc-sgt

I was wondering why it seems my seat is always behind row 20. Never knew that.

cencal83406

Well we've been severely kicked in the nuts by our management team, and slightly by Delta.

The positive change between Delta and NWA was that I can now list for and receive first class free of charge non-rev.

But regarding own metal: we OWN CRJ-900s that we fly for Delta, and yet we don't "own" the seats in the back. So when our parents travel on our aircraft, they have to pay a non-rev fare (even though it says in our pilot contract that parents fly free on aircraft that we operate). The company argument is that "it's not us charging you, it's Delta, sorry!"

757Driver

I think the courtesy jumpseat list is appropriate and its great to receive a heads-up when you commute. Most of us do list for the jumpseat in advance and people junior to you can plan around your commute or vice versa.

As for your jumpseat priority I believe you are saying system seniority which I completely agree with.

EWRflyr

I don't know, maybe they just don't like Captain Bligh??

When I commute, I have TO ASK to move me to the back and I have gotten looks for that. These days with all the bags being carried on board I like getting on with the first group called so I can get a spot in the overhead.

strfyr51

************************************************** ******
At United the boarding is by seniority. I've had to wait until 10 minutes before pushback to find that I've been seated in first class or at least economy Plus. I could really care less,but still, Company pilots and flight attendants IN UNIFORM should be boarded in priority even if it IS in the back. I don't even KNOW why we're having this concern. And since XJT is flying "fee for departure" then it's probably a good decision that the Mainline have control of EVERY seat, because there IS an alternative..
That Skywest have to BUY the XJT airplanes and fly under a Code Share where they pay for their OWN fuel and ground Handling, And their Paint Job is in their OWN colors! Where customers KNOW right up FRONT who their flight is on rather than that Generic "United Express" Because in coming days I believe the UAX, CALEX, Delta-Conn, Eagle and all the OTHER connections are going to come to a screeching HALT because Not only the passengers but Congress are getting pretty upset with the
"Bait and Switch" tactics the USA majors are playing with. Where Maybe the Pilots are the same Quality as the major pilots and then? Maybe NOT! I worked for a commuter (Golden Gate) in my early years before United and I can tell you. We took GREAT Pride in our airplanes, and our Identity. We code shared with United at SFO and LAX but when we could ?? We Never hesitated to show anyone that our airplanes looked EVERY bit as good as United's and flew Every bit as WELL including our Service. This is something I believe the regionals have LOST. They want all the "perks" of Being the Major even though they're not much more than "Taxi Drivers" and their management for the most part couldn't even RUN an independent operation without the Tit of the Major to suckle on. And all of you guys KNOW it. So NO the XJT's of the world have NO right to the SAME boarding priority as any Major airline Employee and at United they NEVER Did. Employees Boarded at "Boarding Priority" 8, BY Company Seniority and the UAX employees flew ant BP9 and BP10. And on their airplanes WE flew BP9 and BP10. So I'm trying to Understand, Why are we having this conversation again?? And are these "Vacation passes" everybody at CAL keeps talking about at SA1?? and are they out of Seniority order? Because if they ARE?? That's a bunch of MESS!!
Board By Company Seniority and all of this Discussion is wasted breath.

LifeNtheFstLne

Just had my first opportunity to beg for a ride home on XTJ from some disgruntled young punk with a bad attitude. All because 'Continental is screwing them over'. I ended up getting on, but this is ridiculous. Totally unprofessional XJTers. Funny how when we were hiring they all wanted to be my friend.

aussieflyboy

I'm very sure you'll find that those types of folks are a small minority. Every captain I've flown with over the last 5 years, with the exception of maybe one or two idiots, has been very courteous and welcoming of jumpseaters. Don't judge the whole lot of us by the attitude of one guy please.
I've similarly had one or two unpleasant experiences when jumpseating on CAL but I don't hold it against the professional and friendly majority.

As for the pass travel changes, I agree we've had it good for a very long time, probably too long. I've always been secretly bewildered that I could compete with CAL employees on their aircraft for a spot in BusinessFirst internationally, based purely on hire date at our respective airlines. From talking to other regional pilots I know this is not how things are done at any other airline.

That being said, I can understand why some of my fellow XJT pilots are a little sore on the issue. When you're used to things being a certain way and then the rug is violently pulled out from under you in one foul swoop, it's going to sting a little.

I do think that we should get priority on our seats and CAL should get priority on theirs. It's only fair.