The current policy on US puts all retirees behind active employees. So, as a 33 year veteran, when I travel, the guy hired two weeks ago goes ahead of me. He's an SA3, I'm an SA4. That was an American West addition after the merger. Prior, ALL employees traveled in the same category. For your scenario, the guy who worked for 15 years but retired, went ahead of the guy who started later but worked longer. In 40 years of non revving, I can't remember any time a retiree went and I didn't. I wouldn't have minded though, he started before me and most likely, worked longer than I had at that point. I have a lot of friends who have also retired and IF they travel, it's maybe once or twice a year. I keep hearing about the retirees or senior people that apparently hang out at the airport and suddenly decide to fly somewhere 15 minutes before departure time. SERIOUSLY FOLKS?? LOL! Does anyone REALLY believe this happens?
It doesn't happen..at least not for us normal level people...No check-in after you restrict the fight. Yes, TravelUS allows you to list last minute at the gate, but after I've restricted the flight and started clearing non-revs..IN ORDER...you just cant walk up the the gate and announce that you have a better hire date and walk on the flight.
HOWEVER, on 1 Jan 2010 a very very senior (I mean REALLY senior) US exec did list himself and his family (positive space bennies) on PHL-CDG at the VERY LAST minute blowing out all open first class seats...and his son was not conforming to the first class dress code at the time. That's the only time I've ever been walked to coach because of a last minute listing. The CDG staff even put two (2) revenue pax that had paid for Envoy upgrades in the back of the plane! It was not pleasant hearing both pax howl at US staff all the way from check-in up to the gate. It was very hard to smile at said exec walking back to coach. If he was going to blow out coach, he could have done us the courtesy of a PS listing the night before so expectations of an upgrade could be vastly lowered (LOL). But seriously, I got a seat so not a big deal, but it was REALLY unfair to the two revenue pax that had already paid for a confirmed Envoy upgrade to unceremoniously get bumped to coach. They weren't happy and they made sure everybody with a US Airways badge in the airport new it.
But back to the point..US people IN GENERAL a really very nice. I can't count the number of times on an extremely full flight that US pilots have offered to take the jump seat in order that another fellow non-reving employee can get on the flight. That has saved the day many a time and I hope that kind of US camaraderie carries over to the new US/AA.
Sure, agent boarding gaming can/does occur. But I think it is rare and you can easily report it in QIK (Ctl-W Shell pad) or email/call someone in PHX. And if you are going to jump around the priority list, you best better document why..and you can now do that in Gate Reader.
A colleague busted a BGI agent that was going to board a much lower priority pax (I guess a local friend/relative) ahead of her pass rider. My colleage was watching the clearing process in DC as it was occurring. A quick international cell call put the kibosh on that scam. This is the only incident I have heard of, but there are rumors about certain mainline stations. That said, I don't know that this is rampant at US. And if you observe boarding irregularities at US, you should document it and report it.
In general it's just not safe/worth it to play boarding games at US. Too many tools are out there for you to readily monitor, catch, document and report boarding shenanigans. You only get skipped if I've cleared you and called your name and you're not there. And if that happens....I DOCUMENT IT!
The only boarding Seniority priority fight I've ever witnessed was a five pilot fight over the jump seat on a flight to RDU. I called a name and a second pilot jumped in front of the pilot I called, blocking my attempt to give the first pilot a boarding pass and really let me know in no uncertain terms that he was senior to the other pilot. It was a bit of an embarrassing show especially in front of revenue customers. Another pilot tried to calm him down. Didn't work. I don't fight with people, I just called the supervisor over to handle it.
I must stress this was a VERY RARE incident. On many more occasions I've seen much more senior pilots let a more junior pilot get on a flight ahead of them if they know he/she has to get home.
This "last minute senior listing bumping" problem that is being bandied around to justify FCFS just isn't that rampant at US..it's like "voter fraud"..sounds great but no evidence.
If you like FCFS then fine, but no need to parade the "last minute senior listing bumping" problem to justify FCFS as much more fair than Seniority.
I don't have a great seniority date, but I have only been bumped off a flight once. Plan accordingly. Seniority gives you some idea of your chances in advance. I have no problem if someone more senior than me has to list at the last minute to travel or get home. Chances are if they are doing that, then they really need to get there.
I doubt there's a whole posse of senior retirees out there scanning flight loads daily and getting their jollies off of last minute listing to bump poor 25 year old new hires of their crazy day trips.
And oh the problems that must be concomitant with FCFS.
For example, let's say on "the start of my very important vacation day"
US 701 9a-10a DCA-East Gibib has 4 seats in coach and 7 nonrevs all with 1946 hire dates
US 702 10a-11a DCA-East Gibib has 50 seats in coach 0 nonrevs
With a SENIORITY system and my piss poor hire date, why bother listing for US 701? If you have been working for US since 1946 or there about, then by all means help yourself to the first flight. I'll just list on US 702. We will all get on that flight even if US 701 gets blown out.
But with FCFS, everybody in their Momma MUST list on US 701 just to ensure when the roll over occurs they are ahead of everyone foolish enough to check in for US 702. Too bad grandma and grandpa if you don't have an iPhone or your PC is a piece of cr*p. Those of us that are tech savvy are going to be listed first. So much for half a century of dedicated service to the industry. Hello, yet another crazy day trip! Woo hoo!
I guess whatever comes down the pike...comes down the pike. If it is AA's FCFS+"pay to play" then so be it. But I sure will miss the current US system...RIP.
), do not re-board the flight, and the agent takes me out of the inventory for that flight, I will never show up on the standby list for the connecting flight.
