Agent

[A320 Driver]

The main problem was that in some of the larger cities or hubs an non rev is treated just a little bit better then a cockroach. It would have taken her 1 sec to acknowledge the person and they could have added him on the list and into the count before closing out the flight. BEEN THERE ......DONE THAT. :huh:
But he should'nt have followed her down the jetway either.

As for the gate readers.. don't ask for them too soon. As soon as the show up there will be less and less of us.

Uniformed crewmembers cannot be denied access to jetways OR aircraft per the Flight Operations Manual. As far as operational control goes, that bird is mine the second I walk onto it. I bear the responcibility for it and I decide who rides and who doesn't on the jumpseats unless the company or FAA need them.

A320 Driver

 

[diogenes]

Atlantic,

CLP is in charge of all W&B issues. The station inputs pax counts, cx values, etc. The gate then 'closes' its end of the deal - pax count, ACM, XFA, child weights, and what-have-you, when all known variables are input. Meanwhile, operations 'closes' out the cargo end with its final count of bags, mail, freight, etc.

THEN, CLP closes the flight and an ACARS message is transmitted to you with W&B data, based on the final px and cx values the station entered. If something changes - last minute bags, or px, or ACM ( B) ), the station must call CLP and have them open up the flight. The station puts in the 'new' final number, and the process begins again. The gate contacts CLP for px changes;operations contacts CLP for cx changes.

So while your arrival constituted a little extra work for the agent, it's not that big a deal, and in my view, the agent overreacted. Do keep in mind the pressure is on everywhere across the system for early closeouts and early pushbacks. We've pushed 15 minutes early, which would have left you on the outside looking in! Also, we have been directed, if bags are late into the make-up area, or if customers are tied up at security, we are to leave them behind rather than delay the flight. There is panic amongst the ranks not to have a delay pinned on you.

FWIW, I think the whole CLP deal is a fiasco. Why can't the stations close out the flight? We used to, and it's no big deal - and we still maintain our quals. CLP is just another middleman in the way. Here's a good example. If a flight arrives with more fuel on board than the departure release calls for, do I advise CLP? Noooooooooo, because CLP and dispatch got into a pissing contest. As a result, I advise dispatch of the correct FOB, they advise CLP, and CLP makes the W&B adjustment. Just more US Airways grade A bulls**t.

 

[diogenes]

Uniformed crewmembers cannot be denied access to jetways OR aircraft per the Flight Operations Manual. As far as operational control goes, that bird is mine the second I walk onto it. I bear the responcibility for it and I decide who rides and who doesn't on the jumpseats unless the company or FAA need them.

A320 Driver

I thought there were some pretty stringent regs as to who could ride jumpseat. Back in the PI days, they allowed ops qualified agents and mechs to ride. That fine policy ended at merger, and my understanding is only pilots on U's approved list and FAA types get to ride. But, I could be wrong.

And while the bird is yours, the building and access to the bird is mine.

And, you wouldn't believe the ruckus when I ask some crewmembers to please display their company ID while on walkaround or to access the bird via the jetway.C'mon guys, remember 9/11?

 

[700UW]

Unless you are working the flight, dead heading with your positive space pass, you do not have SIDA access nor access to the plane under the FARs and FAA and Airport rules and regulations.

Also only the captain and first officer who are working the flight are allowed on the airplane while a security check is in process and that restricts them to the cockpit, no F/A are allowed on board during the security check.

And if the airplane is undergoing maintenance you can be kept off the plane too. That is why we have the big placard to tell pilots do not touch anything, maintenance is being performed.

 

[A320 Driver]

I thought there were some pretty stringent regs as to who could ride jumpseat. Back in the PI days, they allowed ops qualified agents and mechs to ride. That fine policy ended at merger, and my understanding is only pilots on U's approved list and FAA types get to ride. But, I could be wrong.

A320 Driver: There are...we have a list of who's approved.


And while the bird is yours, the building and access to the bird is mine.


A320 Driver: The Flight Ops Manual states that no uniformed crewmember can be denied access to the jetway.


And, you wouldn't believe the ruckus when I ask some crewmembers to please display their company ID while on walkaround or to access the bird via the jetway.C'mon guys, remember 9/11?

A320 Driver: You are completely correct to challenge anyone without an ID. You can be fined severely for being in a controlled area without your ID displayed.


A320 Driver

 

[tadjr]

TPA was a test city for some very primitive boarding pass readers using the bar code. They are still operational at some of the gates, but we've been told they are going in another direction with them. Not sure if that means they arent going to be using anything like that in the future or just not using the version we have. At one time the eticket stock was "tested" using the bar codes as well and they worked pretty good. The boarding passes printed out from home work on it too as long as checkin was done on the day of departure and not the day before. Otherwise it reads it as the wrong day somehow. You still need two agents to board since one is stuck at the door "oning" tickets at the scanner and one is needed at the podium to handle upgrades, oversales, reseating and any other type of ticketing deal that comes along or else the agent at the door would have to stop boarding and go to a computer to correct the problem which would delay the boarding process.
We dont actually have to count tickets anymore unless there was some kind of problem with someone not being on the plane. We sometimes have to look for a ticket if the agent oning the tickets isnt verifying the names or they get stuck together or unoned tickets get dumped in with the oned pile, otherwise, I havent counted tickets in a while.
The agent at the gate should certanly be written up. If the plane was still there and she hadnt gone down to close it out, there shouldnt be any reason that someone shouldnt be put on. I might be a little peeved if I've already sent the numbers, but it obviously didnt cause a delay and if she had just done it to begin with, she probably wouldnt have even had to redo the closeout.

 

[USAirBoyA330]

I would have walked down to the aircraft too! I have been left at the gate 3 times out of RDU before because they were "too busy" and "forgot." So now, I go right down to the plane and ask the Captain and F/A's to please make sure if there is a seat, I am on the aircraft. It is a shame that I have too bypass agents to get on but you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[OldGuyinPA]

We need to take care of each other..
Put the jumpseater on...

The enemies are in the Crystal Jail...er Palace...er City


Thats right ... Vern..I mean Dr. B

 

[Atlantic]

700,
Every Captain with US Airways MUST carry on each flight the Flight Opperations Manual. This manual is the policy and procedures for opperating each revenue flight. This manual is revized quite offen. The reason being is that it is our own FAR's. It's how we opperate the a/c from soup to nutts.
I other words, if a US Airways pilot does something non-standard to the FOM, not only does he break a US Airways procedure, he breaks a FAR as well.
To say that a Captain can be denied access to his a/c by maintenance is not so. The Captain has access to his a/c at ANY time. I say again, ANY time. Per FOM.
I supose if they are doing a pressure test at the gate and the cabin door must be closed, ok, untill the test is over.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the FOM trumps any maintenance policy, any C/S policy, any other policy that any other department may have.
There is specific language in the FOM to access to the Captain of a revenue flight by any US Airways pilot. This has been signed off by Flight Opps - FAA.
And they have the last word.

 

[supercruiser]

Every Captain with US Airways MUST carry on each flight the Flight Opperations Manual. This manual is the policy and procedures for opperating each revenue flight. This manual is revized quite offen.

>>— Uniformed and non-uniformed US Airways pilots have access to any
US Airways aircraft, at any time and for any reason when they are
• in uniform and displaying proper ID.
• not in uniform, displaying proper ID, and have completed an OF-48.
• Note •
Nothing in this policy should be construed as limiting such
access. Exercising this access right must be accomplished
without disruption to the passenger boarding process.<<

Just so there is no confusion, I just copied the above directly out of the current Flight Operations Manual, which is approved by both the Company and the FAA. Other than something temporary or of an emergency nature that is printed directly on the Flight Release paperwork, I don't know of anything that supersedes this.

supercruiser

 

[700UW]

Like I said, if there is a security check going on, ONLY the CAPTAIN and the FIRST OFFICER working that flight can be allowed on the plane and limited to the cockpit, it is in the FAA security directive which supercedes anything you have in your FOM and it is also in the US Airways Security Directive that they have on file with the FAA and TSA to ensure they are in compliance with the latest security directive to which on the Ground Security Coordinator has access to.

 

[ual06]

Just a little tid bit here.

Atlantic wrote:
" I supose if they are doing a pressure test at the gate and the cabin door must be closed, ok, until the test is over. "

In fact, the FAR's require that no one other than required maintenance personnel be on board during a pressure test at the gate. Sounds strange; but, the FAR's also require that any crew member wait, I believe it is 24 hours, after Scuba Diving prior to flying as a crew member. A pressure test at the gate has the same effect on the body as Scuba Diving and if closely followed by a climb to altitude, may result in the bends. Also, I believe, that somewhere in the Maintenance Manuals is something to the effect that a Mechanic that performs such a test should not fly for about 24 hours.

 

[Atlantic]

700,
In your last post you are correct. That can be the first flight of the morning, or after an international flight has come in to make up a domestic flight. In the case of the international flight, the entire domestic crew may not board the a/c untill the check is complete.

 

[Frontier69]

Well I hate to add fuel to the fire on this, but this is how I see the event and my opinion. Since it was 12mins before departure and all of the pax were onboard, the Jumpseat rider (Space avail) missed the flt. If a non-rev would have approached the gate podium, they would have missed as well. Since the agent was not advised of any late arriving mustrides, she continued to do the paperwork to get the flt out on time. I can only assume that final boarding calls were made in the terminal and gate area prior to the event in discussion, so a paying pax probably would have been denied,too. This is the nature of the beast- it's called ON TIME PERFORMANCE. I've seen many paying connecting customers sacrificed to this policy. I can only reflect that the agent should have been more courteous and attentive to when the individual approached the podium. Also, the jumpseat rider had no authority to piggyback down the jetway with the agent. This could be construed as a security breach. In times of heightened security, we must all be more cautious and pro-active on matters of security. I am sure if the jumpseat rider was on duty in the cockpit, he would expect no less of any agent working a jetway door. WE MUST ALL WORK TOGETHER ON THIS-OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT!

 

[nycbusdriver]

Well I hate to add fuel to the fire on this, but this is how I see the event and my opinion. Since it was 12mins before departure and all of the pax were onboard, the Jumpseat rider (Space avail) missed the flt. If a non-rev would have approached the gate podium, they would have missed as well. Since the agent was not advised of any late arriving mustrides, she continued to do the paperwork to get the flt out on time. I can only assume that final boarding calls were made in the terminal and gate area prior to the event in discussion, so a paying pax probably would have been denied,too. This is the nature of the beast- it's called ON TIME PERFORMANCE. I've seen many paying connecting customers sacrificed to this policy. I can only reflect that the agent should have been more courteous and attentive to when the individual approached the podium. Also, the jumpseat rider had no authority to piggyback down the jetway with the agent. This could be construed as a security breach. In times of heightened security, we must all be more cautious and pro-active on matters of security. I am sure if the jumpseat rider was on duty in the cockpit, he would expect no less of any agent working a jetway door. WE MUST ALL WORK TOGETHER ON THIS-OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT!

You're absolutely right, except for cockpit jumpseat riders.

The pilot contract (what's left of it, anyway) stipulates that a last minute jumpseat rider WILL be accomodated with the captain's approval. The captain's approval is ALL, and i mean ALL, that is required for a pilot to get jumpseat until the boarding door is closed. (And on my flights, if the push hasn't started and I am made aware of a jumpseater's need to board, the boarding door will be reopened.)

The language specifically states that the OF-48 form IS NOT required. The captain only needs to inform Operations and CLP of the presence of the rider and his/her name so that the weight & balance is correct.

Again, there is SPECIFIC LANGUAGE allowing LAST MINUTE cockpit jumpseat riders.

I always check-in with the agent, time permitting, and fill out the form. If time is critical, and the agent ignores me, I take myself to see the captain and explain my request and why I haven't checked-in with the agent.

A lot has been talked about regarding who closes what and what needs to be closed when. That's all fine and good. But as long as the parking brake and start levers are in the cockpit, the flight really gets closed when the captain is satisfied that the flight is ready to proceed. Had I been captain of the BOS flight this pilot was attempting to board, we would have taken a crew delay for me to meet face-to-face with the shift manager and make company policy known, in "no uncertain terms" on the jetway away from passenger ears.