So doing a little research on jumpseating for commuting pilots. Is the privilege of jumpseating only for commuting pilots to and from their home airport to their base airport? For example if I live near ATL and my base is LGA, after my 4-day schedule, instead of jumpseating back to ATL, for my 5-days off, can I jump seat to SEA instead to visit my family for those 5 days and then jumpseat SEA to LGA for work after? Or will the airline only allow me to jumpseat back to my home of record airport of ATL?
If you are able to travel to other airports besides your home airport, could you use the jumpseat privalege even when you’re not headed to/from your base airport? For instance flying from ATL to SEA to visit family or maybe even ATL to DEN to go on a skiing holiday? Since there is a higher chance of getting a seat as a jumpseater over a non-rev passenger, I can see pilots choosing jumpseater over non-rev passenger, but I figure airlines might limit it only to actual commuting pilots headed to/from base airports for their work.
Are there any other limitations to jumpseating? For instance I believe I read that jumpseaters must be in uniform and can/will be considered crew if called upon. Thank.
You can jumpseat where (some don’t allow international jsing) and when you like regardless of whether it’s for work or personal travel. Different airlines have different policies. In general if it’s your own airline like everything it’s based on seniority. If there’s only one js and you and I both show up and I’m senior it’s mine. Doesn’t matter if I’m going to work or for In/Out Burger. Many airline’s allow you to reserve the js days in advance and if no one else senior to you does 24hrs prior it’s yours. If it’s not your airline it’s usually first come basis. Finally there’s no requirement to be in uniform but you must dress in at least business casual (no jeans or sneakers).
Good question. Jump seating is quite simply, the greatest thing we have ever come up with as pilots. You can jumpseat on ant US airline to any US destination at any time, for free. This even includes the ability to ride on various cargo carriers.
Right. I just wasn’t sure if it was more reserved for pilots headed to and from work. I figured airlines would otherwise make pilots who are not there for commuting to work use the non-rev route. It is kinda awesome, except as Adam pointed out, if a more senior pilot wanted to just go to the beach and another junior pilot needed to get to work.
Along those lines, can other type of airline employees use the jumpseat in the cockpit? For instance airline executives, flight attendants, cargo handlers etc? Or do they have to be pilots due to safety regulations and such? If it’s only limited to pilots, I can see even more reasons the potential pool of people who can benefit from this privilege is more limited than the simple non-rev passenger in increasingly full flights in the main cabin, which will increase your chance of actually getting a seat in the plane.
