thank you flt 1 crew 8/21/01

[dispatch1]

as a jumpseater is was a real pleasure to have such a great crew from iad-lax on tuesday..thanks for everything

[lineguy]

I take it from your handle you must be a dispatcher. Gee must be nice to be welcomed into the cockpit with open arms instead of getting the finger like us mechanics get. images/icons/mad.gif

[push_here]

LINEGUY,
GET OVER IT, I HAVE! I am a flight attendant, I work on the plane, yet I still can't ride cockpit jumpseats. Cabin jumpseats aren't really that reliable, there is always a dead heading crew or something. Don't beat a dead horse. images/icons/blush.gif

[dispatch1]

the best part is, i work for another airline. what i appreciate is the opportunity to catch a ride..then when the entire crew from gate agent up is just really nice it makes a real difference..thanks united

[lineguy]

Sorry Push,
I know I am beating a dead horse here but I have a reason. We as mechanics don't have the flexibility in schedules or access to jumpseats as flight crews (flt att also) have. We are religated to live in a major city or in select smaller stations working graveyard forever. Even though commuting is a drag it would be nice to be able to live in cities other than MSP/DTW/MEM. as you can do. You as flt att atleast have access to flt att jumpseats which we do not. My point is this, I don't expect to compete with commuting flight crews this is not my point. We as mechanics are REQUIRED to ride cockpit jumpseats when it is benificial to the company i.e., aircraft stuck in another city or monitoring of specific fight systems after repair. However, when we are stuck in a city on our own time and the jumpseat is empty we have been denied access more often than not. I as well as other mechanics do not wish to take any access away from pilots we only ask that we be allowed access as the dispatchers are. My final point is that walk up access to the jumpseat was negotiated into our recent contract but has yet to take effect. The company claims the FAA is stonewalling and I think the company and the pilots are raising hell over it. Seems to me like a no brainer. We seem to have no problem when it is on company business. I will never ride it anyway no matter what, but I am pissed because a few years back we had mechanics cut from HOU and MCI and had to leave their families in those cities and commute from MEM. Well needless to say it was not easy seeing that the a/c were full. It would have been nice to have this benefit since most of the time the jumpseat left empty. We are federally licenced airman same as pilots and dispatchers in fact our training requirements far exceed that of the dispatcher and they have reciprical walk up priviledges same as pilots do. All we ask is access on our own carrier if the seat is empty thats all. images/icons/confused.gif

[laura@ual]

Nothing against dispatch1-but I resent even further that **other** airline personnel get the cockpit jumpseat while we are left standing at the gate waving "buh bye" **Our own** people should always have first option for any open seat on the a/c. First accomodating our pilots then other qualified employees in seniority order would seem fair.
I don't know-but I think this has something to do with the pilots/alpa not wanting to share. think about what great flexibility/options they have being able to catch a flight on anyairline from anywhere.

[lineguy]

Right on Laura,
You have something there about the ALPA connection. I guess if they want to have their precious jumpseat let them have it. However, my pet peeve is that at my airline these pilots walk up with their jumpseat pass and take a seat in the cabin, often first class and don't pay for it. I'm not sure but I think UAL waved srevice charges for all the employees. Nut not here at NWA. I say if you use a seat in the cabin you pay for it same as all the other employees do. I can't help it if you commute and this will cost you money. I wish I could live on the beach in Florida or wherever. But I am required to work 5 days a week in a major city or hub. If it is too expensive for you. You can do the same. Bottom line.....If you use a jumpseat slip you better take the jumpseat and leave the cabin to someone who pays for it. images/icons/mad.gif