Dornier 335
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2005
- Posts
- 1,089
Hey XJTers!
I need your input about international jumpseating on you guys as an OAL. A couple of weeks ago I was trying to go from IAH to a smaller airport in Mexico. I had never used you guys before, so I arrived about 3 hours ahead of departure time. Gate was B66, I think. My first odd impression was that none of the gate agents in this satellite concourse knew how to list me on a flight (despite the fact that roughly three quarters of the flight departures were going to Mexico). I finally found someone, who was very helpful. She listed me, and gave the print out slip for the captain.
Departure time came, I went down the jetway, introduced myself to the crew, and just as I was getting comfortable in seat 12A the captain came up to me and said that there is a problem. As a OAL I am not on the GenDec and I cannot be listed as a pax. I have jumpseated in the past on several airlines and I have never come across this issue (I was in uniform at the time). There was a slight mx issue, so I talked a little more with the captain. He even went as far and called his CP, but he couldn't get me on the flight. The only person that really annoyed me was the Asian redcoat with her “couldn't give a sh!t” attitude. 5 minutes before departure time she told me to go to my airline and buy an ID90 ticket! (There's only one flight/day to where I wanted to go and she was there from the beginning when I tried to get listed).
Long story short: I couldn't get on the flight. I went down to mainline Continental and 30 minutes later I was in the back in their 738 down to MEX. Go figure!
So, after all this drama, how can you travel to and from Mexico on XJT as an OAL?
I need your input about international jumpseating on you guys as an OAL. A couple of weeks ago I was trying to go from IAH to a smaller airport in Mexico. I had never used you guys before, so I arrived about 3 hours ahead of departure time. Gate was B66, I think. My first odd impression was that none of the gate agents in this satellite concourse knew how to list me on a flight (despite the fact that roughly three quarters of the flight departures were going to Mexico). I finally found someone, who was very helpful. She listed me, and gave the print out slip for the captain.
Departure time came, I went down the jetway, introduced myself to the crew, and just as I was getting comfortable in seat 12A the captain came up to me and said that there is a problem. As a OAL I am not on the GenDec and I cannot be listed as a pax. I have jumpseated in the past on several airlines and I have never come across this issue (I was in uniform at the time). There was a slight mx issue, so I talked a little more with the captain. He even went as far and called his CP, but he couldn't get me on the flight. The only person that really annoyed me was the Asian redcoat with her “couldn't give a sh!t” attitude. 5 minutes before departure time she told me to go to my airline and buy an ID90 ticket! (There's only one flight/day to where I wanted to go and she was there from the beginning when I tried to get listed).
Long story short: I couldn't get on the flight. I went down to mainline Continental and 30 minutes later I was in the back in their 738 down to MEX. Go figure!
So, after all this drama, how can you travel to and from Mexico on XJT as an OAL?