"Its not my job to list jumpseaters"

[saxman66]

Ugh, hit another snarly gate agent trying to jumpseat home yesterday. I was jumping at AA as I almost always do and arrived at the gate after my trip 55 minutes before departure. I did my overly-polite request for the jumpseat and she asked if I was listed. I said no. So I got the lecture of how we need to list over the phone or at the ticket counter. She doesn't have time to check into two different systems for 20 jumpseaters. Her job is to get the flight out ontime and not to list jumpseaters so I would be out of luck. I told her everytime I call the non-rev line, that they say go directly to the gate. She said that wasn't the procedure and to list at the ticket counter then. Well I'm not going to wait in line for that either.

She reluctantly listed me and I got on. There were only two of us jumpseaters on the flight and we both got seats. He said he got the lecture too. The kicker was there was no one else in line. And she boarded so early that most of the boarding was finished 25 minutes prior to departure. We told the captain about the problem, but I'm not sure if he talked to her. I know most stations are different too. So what do ya'll do?

[Seggy]

Nothing you can do but keep smiling, be polite, be thankful, and hope they help you out.

If you do have a problem, go to your jumpseat coordinator afterwords.

[staplegun]

American is the worst, they seem to have the most cumbersome system for their agents to list you.

I always pick UAL over AA if I have the choice, they have the most user-friendly system - walk up, show your ID & passport and walk away with an OMC pass 30 seconds later! All of the airlines could learn from United (in this particular...)



Kevin

[CapnJim]

saxman-
I jumpseat on AA every week, both ways. Yes, the ticket counter is preferred for JS listing, but the gate is required to list you if you request it. My recommendation of you experience this kind of treatment in the future is to make a note of the gate agents name, the gate, date and time, flight number, and forward it to your jumpseat committe with a brief description of the incident.

It also helps to ask the agent the name of his/her supervisor, as well as advising them that notification of this incident will go on record.

I understand that gate agents are overworked/underpaid/abused, but our jumpseat privliges should not suffer as a result.

[Gonzo]

Originally Posted by staplegun

American is the worst, they seem to have the most cumbersome system for their agents to list you.

I always pick UAL over AA if I have the choice, they have the most user-friendly system - walk up, show your ID & passport and walk away with an OMC pass 30 seconds later! All of the airlines could learn from United (in this particular...)

I work for AMR and try DL and UAL before I use AA to get to ORD.

[Captain_Bob]

Originally Posted by saxman66

...she asked if I was listed. I said no. So I got the lecture of how we need to list over the phone or at the ticket counter.

From AA's Sabre regarding JS listing:

F*PSM/JUMPSEAT

option 12... it now specifically states:

ASC WILL BE ENHANCED TO EFFECTIVELY CHECK-IN D6 OA CREWMEMBERS AUTHORIZED TO OCCUPY A COCKPIT JUMPSEAT. OA CREWMEMBERS MUST PRESENT AT TIME OF CHECK-IN:

* A VALID AIRLINE ID
* A VALID UNEXPIRED PASSPORT

FLIGHT LISTING
-------------
CASS TRAVELERS ARE INSTRUCTED NOT TO FLIGHT LIST.

So... this was referenced to us by out jumpseat committee. It was suggested that we print it out and show it to the agents who ask "Did you list??"

It may have changed over the past year... but our JS committee hasn't mentioned anything and I have not listed since (well over a year ago) and have not had any issues.

Bob

[ERfly]

Every time I use AA, I try to make it to the gate so that I can talk to the Captain as he's pulling the paperwork. Nine times out of ten, he'll go talk to the agent and make sure I get on. At least he knows I'm up there, looking for a ride.

[surreal1221]

I would highly recommend contacting your MEC JS Coordinator in regards to this issue.

Gate agents are not going to change and follow their own procedures unless someone with a watchful eye is actually making sure they are doing their jobs properly.

[CapnJim]

Originally Posted by Captain_Bob

From AA's Sabre regarding JS listing:



So... this was referenced to us by out jumpseat committee. It was suggested that we print it out and show it to the agents who ask "Did you list??"

It may have changed over the past year... but our JS committee hasn't mentioned anything and I have not listed since (well over a year ago) and have not had any issues.

Bob

Bob-- can you tell me where you found this? I'd like to print it out along with the rest of their policies. I think it would improve my QOL considerably.

[Captain_Bob]

PM sent Jimbo!

In addition to that info... reference item 8 on the XJT JS committee flyer dated September 2006 on the XJT Alpa website under Committees>Jumpseat.

Bob

[Foxcow]

Are you able to use the AA non-rev service if you don't "work" for AA in some capacity? Listing over the phone seems to keep them happy.

[jettison IT]

Its takes seconds to list people for jumpseats. Some gate agents are super cool while others can be A-holes....some just enjoy pulling rank over the sky God.

[germb747]

This agent is probably just jealous you have a perk that they don't.

[JaceTheAce]

Originally Posted by germb747

This agent is probably just jealous you have a perk that they don't.

I've only ran into a handful of rude gate agents who are like that. The rest are REALLY hard workers and do enjoy their job. We have excellent gate agents here in San Diego so they are easy to deal with and I've never had any issues - must be the nice weather and beautiful scenery that keep people happy.

NYC, is another story - 50% of them are rude and ignorant.

[SRA_kbad]

San Diego, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. I've had nothing but great experiences with them. Charlotte on the other hand... despicable. With Airways, its almost as if they think that they can get away with the rudeness because you're not a customer, just an employee. WRONG!!!
This is why I always use Delta.

[SpiraMirabilis]

I jumpseat on AA and Eagle a lot also and on a slightly related note I ran into a couple of AA gate/ticket agents who said they couldn't pull me up in CASS but then again most of the time they have no trouble at all. Is it common that they are doing it incorrectly or something? I just nod politely when this happens.

[surreal1221]

Originally Posted by SpiraMirabilis

I jumpseat on AA and Eagle a lot also and on a slightly related note I ran into a couple of AA gate/ticket agents who said they couldn't pull me up in CASS but then again most of the time they have no trouble at all. Is it common that they are doing it incorrectly or something? I just nod politely when this happens.

I wouldn't be surprised if it is a little bit of ticky tapping on the keyboard and then simply not following through with their job because they don't want to be bothered . . .which then yields the result of "Hmm, I can't find you in CASS. Sorry."

[woodreau]

Originally Posted by SpiraMirabilis

I jumpseat on AA and Eagle a lot also and on a slightly related note I ran into a couple of AA gate/ticket agents who said they couldn't pull me up in CASS but then again most of the time they have no trouble at all. Is it common that they are doing it incorrectly or something? I just nod politely when this happens.

I used to jumpseat on AA all the time, and all of the AA captains I've run into have been the most helpful and they usually ask the lead FA to see if there's a seat in First and more than likely I ride there instead of in coach where the gate agent has put me...

Dealing with the not in CASS question, I asked one gate agent what they do when they look me up in CASS, and the agent showed me... so that the next time I encountered an agent who said "you're not in CASS" I could "hint" at places they could go... One of the things that tripped up the agents with my particular case was our code was ZV for creating the meal list in SABRE, at the end of the list- but when the agent went into "Jetnet" to look up my CASS info, they had to choose "Air Midwest" which was the first entry on their list, usually the ones who couldn't find my CASS info were looking at the bottom of their Jetnet list.

But for jumpseating on AA/AE - non CASS airlines should list with AA's non-rev number, CASS airlines don't list with non-rev.

To deal with the "you haven't listed" problem, you could always ask the agent to use their terminal and type:

<edited>

At least that's the way it worked at US Airways before they went to the new reservation system in 2007... Don't know if AA/AE's SABRE works the same way.

[Doug Taylor]

Best policy guys, hat in hand, lots of smiles and little patience. The gate agents, whether or not it right, are running the show at that point.

I had a hell of an experience jumpseating on UAL once out of IAD, but figured I could rant and rave about how I attempted to check in on time, waited patiently for an hour and how full of poopy the agent was for me apparently showing up "last minute", or nod, smile, "Yes Ma'am/Yes Sir", kiss a little butt (with my nose pinched, of course) and get on the airplane to fly home.

Saved me $100's in hotel costs, explaining to Kristie how I didn't make the flight, and he assigned me an empty row in economy-plus.

But then, some OAL's love to screw with us Southernjets guys because we're apparently arrogant -- no use fueling that fire.

[Gonzo]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

But then, some OAL's love to screw with us Southernjets guys because we're apparently arrogant -- no use fueling that fire.

If I make it out to Vegas this year I would love to tell you the way they talked about Southernjets in indoc at my airline.

[NC_BE300]

I've had mixed situations with USAirways jumpseating in different ends of this.
It really does seem that "one station does it one way-another completely different"

When i J/S out of LGA - the agents all the time ask about "are you listed"-or do i have a standby listing already made. So if i have the time on the way to LGA-i try to make the listing.

But at any other station-it just seems to confuse the agent to death if i have made the standby reservation before getting there myself......
"But your CASS? You can ride in the jumpseat?"