A short while ago I ran into a Capt friend of mine who was pretty upset. He was kind enough to allow a Regional pilot to catch a ride home and this JSer was less than cordial. Now this is where I explain something to all of you that you may not be aware of. Jumpseating is a PRIVELEDGE, it’s not a right. While virtually every airline in the country (and many worldwide) have jumpseat agreements stating that you “can” ride in the cockpit of another carrier, ALL clearly state it’s at the Capt’s discretion. When I was a newhire at ExpressJet we were Continental’s sole Regional partner (and had been part of Continental previously). Cockpit/Jumpseat etiquette was actually taught in indoc training because it was that important. Now no one is saying anyone needs to bow down or pay homage when requesting a ride BUT you do need to ask the Capt (“hey I’ll be riding your JS” is not asking). Additionally while in the JS you’re expected to be respectful and unless the flight is in danger, commenting, critiquing or giving direction is frowned upon. Make sense? Good. Ok back to my story. I can’t give details but this Regional JSer’s offense was bad, REALLY BAD! I just ran into our JS Committee Chair and asked if there had been any resolution (the Capt filed a complaint). Aside from the fact this individual will be removed from CASS (Cockpit Access Security System) for 6mos, basically making commuting on ANY airline but his own impossible, apparently the pilot in question had applied to our airline and his application flagged. Now I’m not saying this individual will never get an interview or hired here but they’re already starting with a HUGE check in the NO box.
People always ask “what can I do to increase my chances of getting hired at a Major?”. Not being REALLY foolish and disrespectful while a guest on another airline is good one. Just something to keep in mind.
Adam