jumpseat etiquette

[routetuner]

Why don't people in this company say thanks for the jumpseat? I get some thanks but majority don't respond at all. Some are on company business I know but it's difficult to tell the difference between G's and company business. An email , to say thanks, would suffice. Any thoughts people?

[MACH.88]

I always try and pop my head up to the cockpit and say a quick hello and thanks. If I miss out for some reason, I am sure to follow-up with a polite email. I thought that was the standard and will continue to do so.

MACH.88:cool:

[nitpicker330]

I agree, only about 60% of the time the jump seater bothers to say thanks. Either in person or by email later.
Usually it's cockpit crew I know that say thanks on the day. Some cabin crew write.

It's the ones that don't turn up and don't cancel that annoy me.
And the ones that have J1 on 3 flights the same day!!! Now that's rude.

[A. Le Rhone]

Of probably 95-100 JS requests over the last 5 months, 2 have said thank-you for the seat. These requests are invariably to/from Taiwan from either FA's or airline managers, some of whom have booked-up multiple JS's.

I find it really intrusive having non-aircrew in the cockpit but also know first-hand how great it is to have the JS when flights are full. It's a real privilege to get a JS and the least a recipient can do is say thank you.

'Managers' particularly should have the intelligence to know that a quick thank you is the courteous response to somebody ensuring they get to where they want.

[Mr. Bloggs]

Don’t care really if they say thanks or not but a drop by the cockpit would be nice.;)

What does bother me is Staff traveling on Company Business requesting the jumpseat. If there were some way I can distinguish between the two, Staff on Company Business would never see the jumpseat. They should be booked with a seat in the back.:=:*

That is why only Pilots get J1 and then Sim Instructors/Engineers/Cabin Crew get J1if no pilots need it.:ok:

Very rarely I give J1 to other Staff, as it is hard to see if they are on Company Business.

I have had Ground Staff ask at the gate for Staff traveling on company business for the use of the jumpseat. Even then (I ask) there is no way of knowing if there are staff traveling on staff travel trying to get the jumpseat. Ground Staff will try to get Company Business on before someone traveling on priority 26 on leave (can you get anywhere on priority 26?).:=

Right or wrong, that is the way I do it.

BTW, if you need the flight crew to help you not to get screwed over by our ground staff, drop a note to the Captain/First Officer/Second Officer on the day (either text, note at dispatch, phone call etc) so at least we know you are out there.:ok:

[Bob Hawke]

Just to clarify, one has requested the jump seat, you have granted it, but inevitably one gets a seat in the back. Would you expect that person to come and say thank-you, send you an email under those circumstances? I wouldn't.

Personally I think if you "use" the jump seat, then thanks would be expected and forthcoming, but if you were allocated a seat down the back, then the jump seat was just a strategy that one would use to make sure you got a priority you may not have had.

For sure, it's acknowledged that you granted the jump seat but if one didn't use it because of the loads, then why? Also by the time one gets to leave the aircraft it is usually chaos as the other passengers are pushing past you if you dally to exchange pleasantries.

One other issue, is that our Employer sometimes changes a schedule and its not timely nor possible to either cancel or advise you that one can't connect. Freighter guys are the worst for this, through no fault of their own, so take that into consideration as well, as that might be the reason. It is acknowledged that the multiple JS appliers are a problem, but it's not always the case.

Keep it up chaps, it's one of the best things we can do for each other.

[Dan Winterland]

Only about 20% of my JS requests ever bother to say thank you, either in person on the day or by e-mail. I always bend over backwards to help and often send a personal e-mail if the reply isn't J1 or 2 explaining why. I'ts not always like that. I bough the elderly parents of a CX F/O back from PVG on the JS's a month ago and they were the most pleasnt and grateful JS pax I have ever carried.

I will continue to help, but one think that annoys me is that I'm in KA and I would say that 95% of my JS requests are CX, to MNL and HKT mostly. I have only ever applied for two JS on CX flights and in both cases they were not responded to. Some reciprocity would be nice!

[404 Titan]

Bob Hawke

I see your point but as an FO that frequently requests jump seats I make it a priority to thank the captain for releasing the jump seat if I should require it. Most of the time I don’t though. My wife usually takes up a box of chocolates as a thank you. It just common courtesy.

As for managers holding multiple jump seats, I recall a certain female ISD manager who has a Hispanic surname holding three J1’s and a J2 over News Years this year out of SFO over three days.

[LongTimeInCX]

404 Titan,
I see your point and as a JS user, I too would find that somewhat selfish and rather frustrating to boot.
However having been the Capt of similar flights with individuals holding multiples, part of the problem has an easy solution: after a number of days where the individual is noted as having more than one J1 or J2, an email is sent reminding them of a 'possible oversight' and giving them the chance to declare which one they want. I have found this normally results in the surplus JS's being cancelled by the applicant. However, where I see the groupwise has been opened, but not actioned within a reasonable time frame, I simply delete them from the JS and slide everyone else up a place. Simple.

DanWinterland,
Sorry to hear you are not getting a fair reciprocity from our other skippers, but of the requests I have received from KA crew, they have always been actioned and granted, except for one, for which an email was sent. From hearsay, I didn't think I was in the minority.

As for thanks, approx 80-90% of cabin crew never turn up for the flight according to the PIL's I have checked. Of the cockpit crew to whom a JS has been released, I find most still stick their head in to say thanks, not that it is expected or needed, but perhaps we are just an old fashioned courteous lot to our own colleagues.

As for mangers(sic), I can not recall ever granting a JS to one, not sure why...:ok:

[Red Hot Poker]

I could care less if I get a Thank-you, when I give out Jump Seats.
I know they are grateful to get it, I do not need them to grovel.

[naughty johnny]

Routetuner -

Couldn't agree more!! How bloody hard is it to say thank you for a firm seat on a full flight?

Most tech crew always say thanks one way or another and some cabin crew (not many) say thanks.

Then there are some that request 4 or 5!! jump seats for the same sector, and never say thanks for even one of them.

There are many who can access the system that are completely unaware that firstly we can see exactly how many jump seats you request on the same sector, and secondly are oblivious to the fact that people sometimes have go to quite a lot of effort in preparation of "squeezing" you on.

If you request a jump seat, bloody well say thanks for it!!!!!!

[Fly747]

I hadn't realised until recently when I quizzed one who actually sat on the FD that Duty Travellers can request the jump seat, if I'd known then I wouldn't have given it as I don't believe that is a proper use of the privilege. A duty traveller is not going to get in trouble if the flight is full and they don't get back for duty; if the company thought their travel was urgent then they would get on somehow.

[A. Le Rhone]

It's not really the 'saying thank you' that is the issue (although good manners are sadly lacking and "Managers" particularly should be more astute).

It's the perception that the simple bus-drivers up the front are there to serve me; I should have automatic access to that seat when I want it and what's the big deal anyhow?

It's also awkward having to tell somebody to stop talking when we're busy (they can't usually hear ATC) and the general clatter of newspapers, sniffing etc is sometimes intrusive when there are enough intrusions already.

It's not a big deal but I think it's the assumption that the mere workers up the front are there to serve me,me,me I find offensive and that lack of thanks is just symptomatic of that general attitude.

[carl baker]

Thanks to ALL skippers for releasing JS for access at CX/KA!

I don't always get the chance to say thanks in person/ by business card as it seems sometimes intrusive or not opportune. However, they are greatly valued and fantastic.

As a skipper, I always give to other Tech Crew first, and Managersl of any sort (especially if on Duty Travel) never higher than J3.

But what about access for Tech crew to the spare F/A seats in the cabin. A terrible loss when they go out empty!

Many Thanks, and keep them coming.

[SloppyJoe]

The spare crew seats in the back are available to tech crew, as long as you have done the safety training for any type you can ask for the seat at check-in, must display company id whilst on the seat.

[vlawkh]

as a subloader i always appreciate the pilots being soo generous and helpful on giving out JS , so we dun get stuck at the airport on a full flight. Therefore on my last travel when I got on the JS i thanked both aircrew when getting into the cockpit. (was a really fun experience and they kept me well-occupied over a 1.5 hr flight)~:)

[dRAGON hEAD]

I can't imagine not thanking the Capt. for the jumpseat which he/she didn't have to give me, but did! It's simply rude not to. I always have and will. Personally I don't agree with allowing non-cockpit qualified personnel to sit in the cockpit jumpseat. It is a distraction and a safety hazard. The JS privillage was not intended to be an extra passenger seat, which is exactly what it is here. But I don't refuse non-cockpit qualified JS since it is allowed here. I'm almost there though! Having staff family members in the JS using staff travel benefits is a joke too. People requesting JS for company travel?!! NO! Don't even try it.

[Pogie]

I use the jumpseat a lot, and I ALWAYS go up to the cockpit and say thanks. Even if I end up getting a J-class seat in the cabin, the thanks is for offering the insurance policy that I'd get on if it was full.

The only exception to this was the time I was given J1 by a ******** captain that awarded me J1 and then when I checked in 1:20 before departure, I found out that he had pulled me off and given it to someone else. I lucked out and got the last seat in the cabin, but I wasn't going to say thanks for anything with that slick move.

[Dan Winterland]

My last JS request came to the flight deck to say thank you, It's appreciated, And I'm sure I have just been unlucky with my requests - perhaps the Captains were avoiding going on crew direct. I know I do sometimes! And I recently heard of a KA colleague who was put onto a CX flight by the Captain reducing the fuel by 100kg. The reciprocity is clearly there and I apologise for my earlier comment.

[Gnadenburg]

CX crew are fantastic on Australia flights. Help out where I can to reciprocate. I give CX and KA cockpit crew equal priority on a first in best dressed basis. Hopefully, when CX crew get J1 to Phuket they realize it's just a small thanks for all the help we get from them.

Thanks gents...