A/P mechanic jumpseating on AA

[Paul Too]

To jimntx.....I understand the politics of the FA jumpseat and how it's determined who has priority in getting that seat.......My issue occurs when there is a jumpseat available on a full flight and a FA or flight crew member from another airline has priority over an aircraft mechanic that works for AA. I don'the care about reciprocal agreements with other airlines.......

 

[jimntx]

To Paul Tooo...are you talking about the jumpseat or the standby list? If standby list, your guess is as good as mine what the policy is. If the AA jumpseat is what you are talking about, flight attendants from other airlines are not permitted to occupy the jumpseat, period, full-stop, end of discussion. By contract, only AA and AE flight attendants are permitted to occupy an AA jumpseat, and an AA f/a can bump an AE f/a. I do not believe a gate agent would risk their job by giving out a boarding pass for the jumpseat to anyone not covered in the APFA contract. If you know and can prove a case where someone from another airline--regardless of title--was given a jumpseat boarding pass, you could report it. The gate agent would probably be fired.

 

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

If you know and can prove a case where someone from another airline--regardless of title--was given a jumpseat boarding pass, you could report it. The gate agent would probably be fired.

I think that is a bit extreme. Better to have a private chat with the gate agent and only report it if the behavior continues. I would hate to see anyone lose their job.

 

[eolesen]

T.My issue occurs when there is a jumpseat available on a full flight and a FA or flight crew member from another airline has priority over an aircraft mechanic that works for AA. I don'the care about reciprocal agreements with other airlines.......

You might not care about the reciprocity, but the APA and pilots sure do. The Company gave them control over how the cockpit jumpseat gets used, and the union decided long ago that carrying an OA pilot was of higher value to their members.

 

[swamt]

At the very least, Aircraft Mechanics should be able to ride F/A jumpseats if no other seats are available......Don't understand why we can't! If we are competent to replace door slides, we should know what to do in an emergency....AA's Flight Attendants are completely against anyone else but them using their jumpseats.

I agree. At SWA you can fly 4th or cockpit observer as an AMT with your licences.
jim is right it's all about politics with your F/A's. It's a way to secure seats for themselves when they are traveling on full flights and as to restrict other competition for that seat if full flight.
Our F/A's don't mind, and as a matter of fact they love it when AMT's do. Everytime I fly I offer to help in any way to give them a break but they usually decline. Only real rules are proper attire, no sleeping and of course no alcohol beverages.
Even other airline AMT's can.

 

[Paul Too]

Listen.....I'm not trying to cause any issues here. The Pilots and the F/A's have very strong unions and they have language that allows them access to jumpsuits and seats in the cockpit. Southwest allows their employees; including gate agents, rampers and mechanics access to jumpsuits if nothing else available.

 

[lineguy43]

Listen.....I'm not trying to cause any issues here. The Pilots and the F/A's have very strong unions and they have language that allows them access to jumpsuits and seats in the cockpit. Southwest allows their employees; including gate agents, rampers and mechanics access to jumpsuits if nothing else available.

Can SWA rampers and agents ride cockpit jumpseat or only FA jumpseats? When I was at NWA we were not officially allowed to ride cockpit jumpseat unless it was for company business. I always refused to ride jumpseat on a road trip my thought was if I am not welcome up there on personal time I am not riding there for company needs either I made them give me a positive space seat must ride. Now there were individual cases where the pilots allowed mechanics to ride up front when a flight was oversold but it wasn't a regular thing. Now when I first came to FX we AMT's were only allowed to jumpseat in the seats behind the cockpit and the cockpit had to have hardened cockpit doors. Now with the 767 and the 777 they have changed the policy so we can ride in the cockpit now but I personally never use it I buy my tickets when I have to fly I only rode the jumpseat here one time in almost 14 years. I still feel we as AMT's are not welcome up there. My flight crew was pretty cool on the one trip I made but overall I think they don't want us there so I don't ask for any favors.

 

[lineguy43]

We never had it as far as I can remember.
Pilot group are not too keen to the idea. It's about reciprocating benefits with other pilots from other airlines that need rides home.
Sometime back just after 2003 a exploratory group from the TWU tried to get us FDJS. All the excuses about FAA and 911 being reasons were debunked. It ended up being the flight department at the upper management level who are road blocking AMT'S from riding up front. There you have it. The truth be told.

If that were really the case they wouldn't allow OAL dispatchers from riding up either although overall they are a much smaller group than AMT's but dispatcher requirement of a FAM ride could be satisfied on their own metal they do not have a need to be in CASS and have the same privileges as pilots. You could have AMT's have the same privileges as pilots and dispatch and put them on a boarding priority with AMT's being last I am sure but it would still allow an AMT access to a jumpseat that is open and available if there are no seats in the back. It is the old military officer vs enlisted man mentality. The AMT is a scumbag in a pilots eyes until they need you.

 

[AANOTOK]

The AMT is a scumbag in a pilots eyes until they need you.

WOW, that's even worse than being a "coattail" rider...

 

[swamt]

Can SWA rampers and agents ride cockpit jumpseat or only FA jumpseats? When I was at NWA we were not officially allowed to ride cockpit jumpseat unless it was for company business. I always refused to ride jumpseat on a road trip my thought was if I am not welcome up there on personal time I am not riding there for company needs either I made them give me a positive space seat must ride. Now there were individual cases where the pilots allowed mechanics to ride up front when a flight was oversold but it wasn't a regular thing. Now when I first came to FX we AMT's were only allowed to jumpseat in the seats behind the cockpit and the cockpit had to have hardened cockpit doors. Now with the 767 and the 777 they have changed the policy so we can ride in the cockpit now but I personally never use it I buy my tickets when I have to fly I only rode the jumpseat here one time in almost 14 years. I still feel we as AMT's are not welcome up there. My flight crew was pretty cool on the one trip I made but overall I think they don't want us there so I don't ask for any favors.

Rampers cannot ride cockpit jumpseat. A&P required.

 

[1AA]

If that were really the case they wouldn't allow OAL dispatchers from riding up either although overall they are a much smaller group than AMT's but dispatcher requirement of a FAM ride could be satisfied on their own metal they do not have a need to be in CASS and have the same privileges as pilots. You could have AMT's have the same privileges as pilots and dispatch and put them on a boarding priority with AMT's being last I am sure but it would still allow an AMT access to a jumpseat that is open and available if there are no seats in the back. It is the old military officer vs enlisted man mentality. The AMT is a scumbag in a pilots eyes until they need you.

Each carrier makes their own policy regarding fdjs and cjs as long as it's within FAA guidelines. FAA guidelines are pretty liberal compared to AA not allowing AMT'S in the FDJS.

 

[Birdman]

In the 90's I rode 727 FDJS on a field trip only after the pilot couldn't find a reason in his manual to keep me out, flight engineer was cool though. The American Eagle pilots were glad to allow me up front and were as friendly as WN pilots are now.

 

[1986Mekanic]

AA doesn't give a shite who rides the jump seat. The pilots and the APA doesn't want mechanics in there. BUT,, you can bet your ass, if its for a field trip where their buddy's are with a broke airplane and all the seats are full, they change their minds real quick. That's when I say nah., I want a seat in the cabin. Bunch of freakin arseholes.

 

[Topcat187]

It really doesn't have anything to do with safety and who can or cannot operate a door in an emergency. It's a stipulation in the flight attendants' contract that the APFA controls cabin jumpseats and who can sit on them. They (the union) stipulated that only flight attendants could occupy a cabin jumpseat (means that on most a/c there is at least 1 jumpseat available to commuting flight attendants)

Also, if a flight attendant crew is deadheading back to base (doesn't matter whether it's a scheduled deadhead or a broken sequence) the gate agents can require deadheading flight attendants to sit on a jumpseat before passengers are bumped to accommodate them.

Unless you can show me otherwise, the last I looked in th FA contract it said that FAs can fly in the seat on D pass travel in accordance with company policy. I've never seen anything in the contract that states only FAs or that they have to approve. I believe its article 30 of the FA contract if my memory serves me right.

 

[Topcat187]

AA doesn't give a shite who rides the jump seat. The pilots and the APA doesn't want mechanics in there. BUT,, you can bet your ass, if its for a field trip where their buddy's are with a broke airplane and all the seats are full, they change their minds real quick. That's when I say nah., I want a seat in the cabin. Bunch of freakin arseholes.

Do you think thats why they get placarded instead of fixed??