SW Employees are (angry)!

[Toothy Grin]

Well I arrived into PHX today on a SW flight and was told by one of their crew members that they don't like us/US. I was mortified which is a fairly difficult thing to do. I asked if it was something that was happening in the East and was told no it is Phoenix. I was then told that their is a petition going around within the SW group and that this particular employee had signed it. The petition is requesting management to pull the flight attendant jumpseat agreement with US Airways.

The flight ends and I stay behind to gather more information. There's just a couple of pax nearby and a couple of SW pilots when I further discussed the "issue". SW employees are upset that US gate agents are sending their fa's back through security when their boarding passes come up with a Quad SSSS mark on it.

I tried to explain that this is a TSA directive the company is complying with, but he said well we are not doing it to you. The pilots chimed in that the gate agents are even sending some of the pilots back through security.

Who is the correct corporate person to resolve this issue so that we are all happy and understand the correct procedure - whether we like it or not. Non reving to Europe is a benefit I can use once in awhile, non reving on SW is something I REALLY need these days.

Is US to blame on this one? I don't think so, but I'm not hearing alot of similar complaints from the oal.

Thanks,

Toothy

PS - I was told that they do not have any issues at all with the flight attendants non reving, just the treatment from the gate agents. Phx gate agents are not necessairly the nicest overal. sorry guys.

 

[SegmentKing]

I don't know if i should blame this on two things:

1. LAZY counter agents

2. QIK SLO computer system.

Airline employees of US Based airlines are entitled to be EXEMPTED from TSA Selectee screening per the USAirways AOSSP.

Back in Sabre Days, it was a simple entry when we check you in:

g-1812-toothy:s9*emao

 

[Garfield]

I don't know if i should blame this on two things:

1. LAZY counter agents

2. QIK SLO computer system.

Airline employees of US Based airlines are entitled to be EXEMPTED from TSA Selectee screening per the USAirways AOSSP.

Back in Sabre Days, it was a simple entry when we check you in:

g-1812-toothy:s9*emao

that was back in the day when we had a real system not that Mickey Mouse QIK

sorry to here they are having problems but nothing out of PHX is surprising

 

[SegmentKing]

err .. um... this was moved to TSA when I have a gut feeling this is still a USAirways-ONLY related topic....

 

[Edward]

err .. um... this was moved to TSA when I have a gut feeling this is still a USAirways-ONLY related topic....

Folks while this may be USAIRWAYS related, it is also related to TSA & security issues. We would like to see this forum become alot more active with TSA issues as there is much to talk about when it comes to this agency. So please follow & discuss this topic here.
Feel free to start topics here on TSA & other related issues. Thank you.

 

[tadjr]

Airline employees of US Based airlines are entitled to be EXEMPTED from TSA Selectee screening per the USAirways AOSSP.

Actually, the latest memo I remember reading was that we could no longer exempt anyone except USAirways employees. Any other airline employees that get the SSSS are supposed to head back thru security screening. If the TSA were to check the boarding passes for a flight and find the SSSS without the TSA mark of the day, it would be a fine against US.

 

[jimntx]

I have to ask...what causes the SSSS to print on boarding pass? Is it random, or is there something in the passenger record that causes it? Is there anything the agent can do to override it before it prints? I realize these may "security issues" that can not be discussed in public. If so, just say so.

In my vast career of 6.5+ years in the airline industry, I have never seen that print on a crew member's boarding pass--particularly if they are in uniform. I'm not even sure I've ever had it print on one of my boarding passes when non-revving on vacation on any airline.

 

[tadjr]

I got it several times on CO when I had listed in advance. I also got it last year on B6 when coming back from Ireland. Ended up in EWR and bought a pass ticket to fly B6 and they didnt take it off of my bp.
I'd bet that if the crew is walking up to the gate and asking to be listed, it would be a good probability that they get hit with the SSSS. If they went to the counter prior to coming to the gate, they'd probably still get the SSSS, but would get the screening the first time they pass thru security instead of having to go back and get rescreened. They're probably using their id to get thru to the gate area and arent listed/dont have a boarding pass until the gate. Maybe they could start listing at the counter instead and it wouldnt be a problem?
No we cant override it before it prints. There is a way for us to take it off for those who qualify (military, kids, etc), but we arent supposed to do it for other airline people per the last memo I remember seeing. There was a while we could do that, and then it changed.

 

[HighbutFast]

Well I arrived into PHX today on a SW flight and was told by one of their crew members that they don't like us/US. I was mortified which is a fairly difficult thing to do. I asked if it was something that was happening in the East and was told no it is Phoenix. I was then told that their is a petition going around within the SW group and that this particular employee had signed it. The petition is requesting management to pull the flight attendant jumpseat agreement with US Airways.

The flight ends and I stay behind to gather more information. There's just a couple of pax nearby and a couple of SW pilots when I further discussed the "issue". SW employees are upset that US gate agents are sending their fa's back through security when their boarding passes come up with a Quad SSSS mark on it.

I tried to explain that this is a TSA directive the company is complying with, but he said well we are not doing it to you. The pilots chimed in that the gate agents are even sending some of the pilots back through security.

Who is the correct corporate person to resolve this issue so that we are all happy and understand the correct procedure - whether we like it or not. Non reving to Europe is a benefit I can use once in awhile, non reving on SW is something I REALLY need these days.

Is US to blame on this one? I don't think so, but I'm not hearing alot of similar complaints from the oal.

Thanks,

Toothy

PS - I was told that they do not have any issues at all with the flight attendants non reving, just the treatment from the gate agents. Phx gate agents are not necessairly the nicest overal. sorry guys.

Since I'm on a moderator-time/delay program, you may not get this for awhile...but I commuted on SWA from IND/PHX for over a year, and I had the same treatment...at the gate, sent back to get a paper pass with a TSA scratch across it...

It's a TSA thing...not a LCC or SWA thing.

It may even be a RES thing at the end of the day, but that I don't know.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

No we cant override it before it prints. There is a way for us to take it off for those who qualify (military, kids, etc), but we arent supposed to do it for other airline people per the last memo I remember seeing. There was a while we could do that, and then it changed.

Tad is correct. It is unfortunate that some OAL employees don't understand this. As for reasons why tthe exception policy changed.... (not going there on a public forum)

 

[SegmentKing]

I don't get why USAir would change their AOSSP... I nonrev on other airlines a lot, and when I show them my ID, i ask if I am exempt.... 9 times out of 10, I am exempted from additional screening..

In order to help "prevent" getting dinged:

1. list for your flight at least 24 hours in advance
2. list for ROUNDTRIP travel, even if you aren't using the return
3. do NOT change your listing within 24 hours to a diff flight

 

[Frontier69]

There are different criteria established for quad ssss on tickets. The reason the previous mentioned employess got sent back was that they entered the screening process without a bp or they didnt show it and just used their ID to get screened initially. Once they got to the gate, they were returned for additional screening per TSA requirements. It's always better to show the bp on the first time thru screening and not have extra hassles.

 

[Airline Employee]

I have to ask...what causes the SSSS to print on boarding pass? Is it random, or is there something in the passenger record that causes it? Is there anything the agent can do to override it before it prints? I realize these may "security issues" that can not be discussed in public. If so, just say so.

In my vast career of 6.5+ years in the airline industry, I have never seen that print on a crew member's boarding pass--particularly if they are in uniform. I'm not even sure I've ever had it print on one of my boarding passes when non-revving on vacation on any airline.


If you have a name that is the same name as someone on the Do Not Fly List, then you will never be able to print a boarding pass. You will always have to go to the counter and it doesn't matter if you work for the airline or even if you are a congressman (which has happened). If Chris Brown is on the DO NOT FLY LIST then anyone with the same name will be in the same situation.
There is a second list called the SELECTEE list. If Chris Brown is on the Selectee list than any person with that same name will be on the Selectee list. Selectees can print boarding passes but they will always have the SSSS on them. You will undergo a 2nd security screening process every time. Again, it doesn't matter if you are an airline employee or congressman, you will go thru this process. It sucks, but it's your government in action.
US Airways can clear US employees, but other airlines must go thru security with their tickets.
I don't think that i would send another person to be rescreened though. It is better for the WN agent to just go a ticket on their own airline with the SSSS on it. Then use their badge to go thru security in the employee line (thus eliminating the secondary screening). Then go to the US counter with their ticket showing that they did go thru TSA screening.

 

[SegmentKing]

posters: I'm not sure we should answer, in detail, how the selectee system works. May cause some people at airline security and the TSA to stir a bit.

regarding non-revs with SSSS-> it is a violation for the airline to board a customer who possesses the SSSS and has not gone thru the proper screening. if you don't do it and use your ID to clear security, it will cause problems at the gate.

its VERY annoying. but we just need to suck it up and realize we're keeping some TSA screeners employed.

 

[Toothy Grin]

I'm with all of you...NO COMMENTS from any TSA or DOT people!!!???

The crux of the matter is that fa's are using this benefit as though it were the same as the pilot program which it is not. The word "jumpseat" has a specific meaning to most fa's and unfortunately most fa's are not able to comprehend that what this benefit provides is the means to non rev on various airlines for free.

The process is to list for the flight, show up at the gate and get on...however as was posted earlier the way to do this to list ROUNDTRIP for the flight, show up at the gate and get on.

Southwest employees are as absent on this thread as group heading...perhaps it s/b moved to their forum??? Not sure.