Jumpseat agreement reached between AA and JetBlue

[Nor'Easta]

Effective November 1, 2006, jetBlue and American Airlines flight attendants will have a reciprocal jumpseat agreement.

The agreement was reached today, October 23, 2006.

TO:

ALL JFK/LGA BASED

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT EFFECTIVE NOV. 1, 2006,

AMERICAN AIRLINES AND JETBLUE AIRWAYS HAVE AGREED TO A MUTUAL

PROVISION OF TRANSPORTATION PRIVILEGES FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

OF BOTH CARRIERS. THIS UNPRECEDENTED AGREEMENT WILL BENEFIT

MANY OF OUR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WHO UTILIZE JETBLUE TO COMMUTE

TO AND FROM THEIR BASE. THE AGREEMENT ALLOWS ALL ACTIVE

AA, AE AND JETBLUE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS TO TRAVEL FREE OF CHARGE

IN WHAT WOULD BE EMPTY CABIN SEATS ON EACH OTHER'S AIRCRAFT.

AS WITH ANY OF OUR RECIPROCAL CABIN SEAT TRAVEL AGREEMENTS

THERE ARE ELIGIBILITY AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT MUST BE
ADHERED TO. THESE REQUIREMENTS ALONG WITH A Q&A DOCUMENT

OUTLINING PROCEDURES ARE PROVIDED IN DETAIL ON THE FLIGHT

SERVICE WEBSITE AND YOUR LOCAL BASE WEBSITE. PLEASE REVIEW

THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO TRAVEL UNDER AGAIN, WE ARE VERY PLEASED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REACH

A RECIPROCAL AGREEMENT WITH JETBLUE, SINCE WE NOW RECOGNIZE

HOW VITAL THIS IS TO OUR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, PARTICULARLY

THOSE OF YOU BASED IN THE

NORTHEAST.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Good news for the flight crews.

Reciprocal agreements for all AA/AE employees, usually happen shortly after the flight crew agreements.

Jet Blue currently is the ONLY Large carrier, that we(AA) DON'T have an interline aggrement with.

NH/BB's

 

[Bob Owens]

Good news for the flight crews.

Reciprocal agreements for all AA/AE employees, usually happen shortly after the flight crew agreements.

Jet Blue currently is the ONLY Large carrier, that we(AA) DON'T have an interline aggrement with.

NH/BB's

If they are "the enemy" then why help them out? Surely since AA flys a lot more places than Jet Blue its a better deal for them than it is for AA employees.

 

[Mach85ER]

If they are "the enemy" then why help them out? Surely since AA flys a lot more places than Jet Blue its a better deal for them than it is for AA employees.

Because the airlines have finally figured out something that flight crews have known forever, and that is crews will generally follow the flying on their own time for no extra pay or cost to the companies. Not long ago at AA there seemed to always be a veiled contempt for commuters.

I don't know the FA end of it, but pilots chasing certain seats has always saved huge $$$ in training and relocation costs. This was most apparent on the widebodies like the MD11 and the 777. Marketing could shift flying all over the country without worrying about the huge costs of relocations or the cascade effect of multiple training cycles due to a displacement since many of the same pilots would just bid the airplane in it's new city. Many guys, including me, will do anything to avoid a month in DFW living at a low ball motel while training on a new a/c

 

[AAStew]

JetBlue has been giving us free cabin seats since their inception. The only differance is that now AA is reciprocating and taking the credit.

 

[jimntx]

If they are "the enemy" then why help them out? Surely since AA flys a lot more places than Jet Blue its a better deal for them than it is for AA employees.

Ask any AA f/a who has to commute to NYC whose getting the better end of the deal. JB gate agents make a special effort to get other airline employees on the a/c. Some of AA's gate agents act like the lost revenue for AA employees to non-rev is coming straight out of their own pocket.

On a related tangent...
I heard from a friend of mine who is a f/a at Frontier that Frontier f/as are talking to the company about rescinding the agreement with AA. Reason: Frontier considers the reciprocal agreement to be a jumpseat agreement. If it's the only seat available, they allow AA f/as to ride the jumpseat on their a/c. AA does not allow anyone other than AA/AE f/as to ride the jumpseat.

 

[s80dude]

I thought one of the bennies of getting that FAA card was that it would pave the way for us to ride on jumpseats of other carriers because we would all now be certified?

 

[jimntx]

I thought one of the bennies of getting that FAA card was that it would pave the way for us to ride on jumpseats of other carriers because we would all now be certified?

AH HA! Caught you thinking again! Once more and you go to First Written Warning. There are strict rules against using logic. We live by the non sequitur.

Most airlines already allow f/as from other airlines to ride the js if that's all that's available. In fact, I understand that SWA allows a SWA mechanic or gate agent to ride the js if they want.

IIRC, the only FAA restriction is that if you allow a non-f/a (or f/a from another airline) to ride the js, you are required to instruct the person in the operation of the applicable emergency exit. Any other restriction is strictly the individual airline's doing. Need I say more?

 

[AMFAMAN]

Most airlines already allow f/as from other airlines to ride the js if that's all that's available. In fact, I understand that SWA allows a SWA mechanic or gate agent to ride the js if they want.

AA AMT's have language in the contract for riding jumpseat, but have been locked out of it so far because of, so we are told, "the pilots union." We are legal per the FAR's to fly all jumpseats, and do quite often if a fieldtrip is called to fix a broken plane, but the pilots union allegedly bitched about it and kicked us out for non-business travel.

 

[Hackman]

AA AMT's have language in the contract for riding jumpseat, but have been locked out of it so far because of, so we are told, "the pilots union." We are legal per the FAR's to fly all jumpseats, and do quite often if a fieldtrip is called to fix a broken plane, but the pilots union allegedly bitched about it and kicked us out for non-business travel.

The AMT's are only good enough to ride jumpseats when they fix an aircraft or save a flight. Any other time, the AMT is just another "ground worker" to the flight crews. <_<

Funny how many AMT's are taxi/run qualified on 5 different fleet types but still not able to ride jumpseat when needed. :down:

 

[eolesen]

What's funny/sad about all this is that when I worked for AA, I was given both cabin and cockpit jumpseat on Euro carriers at different times, but couldn't do so on AA without VP/Flight's written permission.

I remember when an engineer once suggested removing the second jumpseat from the 727 and 757 to save a couple million dollars in fuel. From all the commotion that raised, you'd have thought that someone had suggested taking Viagra off the list of covered prescription drugs...

 

[jimntx]

, you'd have thought that someone had suggested taking Viagra off the list of covered prescription drugs...

Which they have done for 2007.

(Understand, someone else told me about them dropping Viagra from the list of covered drugs. )

 

[Mach85ER]

What's funny/sad about all this is that when I worked for AA, I was given both cabin and cockpit jumpseat on Euro carriers at different times, but couldn't do so on AA without VP/Flight's written permission.

I remember when an engineer once suggested removing the second jumpseat from the 727 and 757 to save a couple million dollars in fuel. From all the commotion that raised, you'd have thought that someone had suggested taking Viagra off the list of covered prescription drugs...

FM,

Pre 9/11, any swinging "Richard" could get into the cockpit of a European carrier. That is one area where that FAA and the US airlines had it right.
Most pilots would probably prefer having the Captains discretion in permitting AA employees to observe a flight in a J/S that otherwise would go empty (provided a proper security vettting process of course). This observation needs to work both ways of course, sitting in S.O.C and watching them deal with a 100 pax stranded in a snowstorm would be enlightening too.
I'm sure removing the jumpseat caused a big commotion. On paper it would appear to be a sure winner, and a big corporate "gold star" for whoever suggested the idea. However, in the real world of airline operations, the idea was as brainless as they come. I'm glad someone had some common sense at C.P.

 

[AMFAMAN]

The AMT's are only good enough to ride jumpseats when they fix an aircraft or save a flight. Any other time, the AMT is just another "ground worker" to the flight crews. <_<

Funny how many AMT's are taxi/run qualified on 5 different fleet types but still not able to ride jumpseat when needed. :down:

A couple of years ago I was trying to fly out of OGG and there was only one seat left, so I asked about the jumpseat being that I was flying with my wife. The captain was asked and said sure as long as MOC sent the okay. MOC was called and wanted to know if I was flying business or pleasure. I asked why it would matter? He said jumpseat is for business use only. I pointed out the language in the contract, and was promptly told that he could care less about the language, the answer is no unless I was on a fieldtrip. I grieved it but the union dropped it saying that the pilots union didn't want us up there. Since then I have asked dozens of pilots their views on this, and most could care less either way.

You would think that we could at least get credit for this other concession.

 

[eolesen]

This observation needs to work both ways of course, sitting in S.O.C and watching them deal with a 100 pax stranded in a snowstorm would be enlightening too.

It's all there for the asking, sir. You've got a dispatcher's phone number on every release. Call and ask, and I'm willing to bet they won't turn you down. Same thing with load agents, tower agents at DFW, or just about any other workgroup.

Execs should be doing the same thing at least once a month, as opposed to paying lip service to it once every other year or so. Serving hotdogs on the ramp doesn't mean squat. But I'd gladly buy a ticket to see Dan Garton clean an aircraft lav or try to sell that crap that passes for onboard food these days. I don't have the time to watch Carmine change out a window, though....