WJ-AC Reciprocal Jumpseat

[WJ200]

Hi....I just wanted to confirm that I can use the reciprocal jumpseat agreement for overseas flights. I am a WJ pilot and I can't see anything that would preclude this but I don't want to get stuck in London....also...do most of the A330 captains carry the required form????

[Martin Tamme]

Yes, you can use the reciprocal jumpseat agreement out of London. If the Captain runs out of jumpseat tickets, maybe the F/O has one. As an F/O, I always carry 5 tickets around with me just in case... unfortunately, I don't do Londons.

[ils09]

Its hardly a reciprocal jumpseat agreement. From what I understand WJ can ride with AC but AC does not have jumpseat passes with westjet.

I don't work for either company but I was trying to use my TRUE reciprocal jumpseat passes with AC yesterday. I got bumped off 4 flights by westjet pilots who would rather come over and use a free flight from the "dark side" than to spent the $20 and put it toward their own koolaid fund. Probably because that way they don't have to fold seat belts.
.
Reciprocal jumpseat is a great thing and i can understand the WJA guys using it if their flights are full but I do know that quite a few AC guys take issue with the fact that it isn't a true reciprocal agreement.

We all got home last night so its isn't a big deal just thought I'd put it up for discussion.

ps. Thanks to the crews yesterday for the lift! and for the YYC gate agents for being a fantastic help!

[xkbal]

I agree that the situation at WJ isn't ideal, where there is a charge for the jumpseat, and should be changed. That said, there are some benefits that help offset that somewhat. It's not limited to 2 seats but to how many available seats there are in the back. Don't have to rely on the pilots to have the tickets to fill out. Don't have to spend up to an hour on hold to book the flight.

[Rowdy Roddy Piper]

ils09,

Not sure who you work for? But seeing you don't work for AC or WJ, I don't see the reasoning for your
Beef. I for one use AC on occasion. It's not a matter of not wanting to fold seatbelts, it's called frequency.
I live in Atlantic Canada and using AC as a backup sometimes gets me home a day sooner appose to waiting
for the next WJ flight the following day. The AC Pilots, F/As and agents have always been generous and very professional.
For that I'm very grateful. It may or may not be the perfect agreement? It depends on how you look at it.
I do know the AC pilots living in Atlantic Canada really enjoy using WJ as a backup. There is no restriction to the
number of pilots per flight, providing we have open seats. AC just closed their flight attendant base in YHZ, this
will make it harder for some commuting. I do see alot more crews commuting with us, I'm always happy to give
our AC friends a lift.

Cheers,

[daveg]

He just works for Borek...ppffft

[ils09]

Nope I dont work for borek, im pretty sure Borek doesnt have any jumpseat or pass agreements other than with Canadian North, and this isnt a personal beef.

It definitely makes sense as far as frequency goes for wja guys commuting to Atlantic Canada. I guess that all im trying to say is it would be nice if the same system would be in place for air canada employees traveling on wja.

With that said i think that xkbal makes some very good points. Im not saying that wja shouldnt use the service i am saying that wja should use the service in instances where wja may not have the frequency. Not on routes where wja has equal or greater frequency and on the given day had far more open seats than AC.


daveg, i just had a chance to review some of your past posts on the various boards. Clearly you aren't very informed and clearly you have nothing of any use to contribute to any discussion whatsoever. You probably drew a little happy face on your ballot yesterday as well didn't you.

[commuter]

The nice thing about a RECIPROCAL jump seat is that for the most part (USA is still out I think) we can use the seats on whatever routes we want to at the Captains descretion. Believe me if we could get them to drop the small fee to use it we would and the users of our ( Westjet ) jump are well aware of that fact. Every time I have used AC I have been treated very well by the front and back end and greatly appreciate it and I have had a lot of AC guys on board who are glad they can use us.

[ils09]

thank you commuter. Nicely put.

[joe to go]

ILS 09
AC has a jumpseat agreement with WJ. However, you would never know it due to the lack of thanks we get up front. I like to take a look at the specials sheet to see if there are any reciprocals, and I'd say that 1 in 10 actually thank us for the ride. Those that do, which are few, you're welcome. ps..sorry for the charge!!! Kelowna is the only place in the system that asks if we will take a reciprocal....why is that??

joey

[Jaques Strappe]

The nice thing about a RECIPROCAL jump seat is that for the most part (USA is still out I think)

I often get reciprocal jump seaters out of SEA and DEN. So long as they are in the back and the actual flight deck is sterile, we are ok.

ILS 09
AC has a jumpseat agreement with WJ. However, you would never know it due to the lack of thanks we get up front. I like to take a look at the specials sheet to see if there are any reciprocals, and I'd say that 1 in 10 actually thank us for the ride. Those that do, which are few, you're welcome. ps..sorry for the charge!!! Kelowna is the only place in the system that asks if we will take a reciprocal....why is that??

joey

I once had a guy from Kelowna Flightcraft request a jumpseat. As a thank you, he passed up two Tim Horton's coupons, sort of a " Hey, thanks for the lift guys, lemme buy you a coffee" That little gesture probably cost him 3 bucks and it was appreciated more than he will know! A class act in my books.

[commuter]

Good to know Jaques!
We are all doing the same job with different companies several times that I have used it and poked my head up front to give the coupon to the skipper they have wanted to have me stay and chat for a little bit and also offered to keep my bags up with them to avoid having to find a spot in the overhead. Very friendly and very Professional guys!!

[rightseatwonder]

I agree that the charge for jump on WJ should be eliminated (i am sure its being brought up in the new agreement talks)
(BTW what is the charge, I have not seen the cost anywhere.)

One question I do have is why at WJ we take as many as we can and at AC or Jazz they can only take as many physical jumpseats as they have installed, regardless of the open seats in the back. Why was that included in the first place? I can understand thats how it was written in the old contract... but as we are trying to get the charge removed, is there any initiative at AC or Jazz to get the 1 or 2 seats maximum removed? (just trying to understand the reasoning)

And I've never jumpseated, but I think the coupon thing is a great idea.

[Four1oh]

I doubt you'll find very many WJ pilots who agree with how things are now. Unfortunately, the rest of WJ feel it's unfair that they have to pay a fee to travel, yet we pilots want pilots from other airlines to fly free? I don't think they'll ever understand. They don't see the difference between standby and recip, or the history behind it.

[Brick Head]

We pay a $2.50 service charge plus AIF, security fees for the Reciprocal agreement.

Every airline in North America involved in this program, prior to 911, just sat in the jumpseat. A seat in the back in lou has been the work around since 911.

As long as a gate agent doesn't get huffy I hand out as many coupons as are asked for. Haven't been stopped yet.

SHHHHH!

I appreciate the back up.

AC pilots are getting access to more seats in Lou of free. Better deal in my opinion.

As far as the no thank you complaint? Are you sure? I always say thank you when leaving. I don't identify myself as reciprocal nor do I travel in uniform. Around AC pass travel is supposed to be low key.

Don't tell AC management . I even crossed the seat belts in my row before leaving last time.

Thanks for the ride.

[bob sacamano]

On many turns I'll help out the WJ crew and cross belts. I'm getting an (almost) free ride, that's the least I can do.

[Four1oh]

Brickhead, it's the honest truth. I don't usually even know there's a recip on board until after they've left. The CSA's usually don't tell us, the FA's don't usually tell us, and when I do know, I ask the FA's to get him to come up and say hi as he boards... only happened once. Only a couple times has a guy said anything as he left.

[WJ700]

WestJet pilots are well aware of the need to change the charge. It just takes time. Our latest WJPA newsletter even had a nice letter with a verbal spanking from the President of SWAPA regarding the very same issue. So we're getting it from all over.

As for the AC jump seat. I'm convinced it doesn't work from YYC. The gate agents are out of control as far as I'm concerned. They will find any way possible to not take a WestJet pilot. I've been lucky about 25% of the time, they will block access to the flight crew at all cost because they will often overrule them when possible. One time they would not build a listing when the 1-800 was closed at 0600 mountain time. The other times were the restrictions on jump seats available and I would always concede to the FO I was flying with and take the WestJet flight. So there are two area of work on both sides as far as I'm concerned. AC in YVR is always great to deal with. Calgary... not so much so.

[commuter]

Well my experience out of YYC has always been good, maybe I was lucky with the gate agents but 100% of the time it has worked for me.

[neophyte]

I have nothing but nice things to say about the way I have been treated while commuting with AC.

There has only been one or two times when received any hassles but those have been replaced with the 4-5 times that an agent has gone above and beyond to help me out, or give me a heads up about the need for a plan B.

I say again, Thank you folks, I appreciate your assistance.

Neo