In my last airline (I was there for nearly 20 years) free jumpseat travel for aircrew into and out of a series of flying duties (which could last for anything up to 11 days) was allowed. This made the job so much easier to do and it was an absolute Godsend to know that you could deadhead home at the end of the week.
It was, and has always been part of the aircrew package.
When I worked in America, I seldom went anywhere without a couple of guys on the jumpseats. They did not even have to be an employee of the airline I worked for but they absolutely HAD to have a professional FAA licence.
There occasionally was the odd person who deeply resented this perk of our profession and they were usually from the non-aircrew employees. The only possible motive for sh*t stirring was one of pure unadulterated jealousy.
I suspect that the gentleman with the ES-callsign belongs to the latter camp.
Last edited by JW411; 10th Jan 2013 at 15:44.