Behind the two pilot seats on almost every airliner there is a small fold-down seat, sometimes two. It is called the jumpseat, and it is one of the most coveted seats in aviation. Off-duty pilots ride it to get to work. FAA inspectors use it to check that crews follow the rules. And from late 2026, air traffic controllers will be back on it too.

But you cannot simply buy a ticket for it. Who gets to sit on the flight deck of an American airliner is set out in federal regulations, checked against a security database and, in the end, decided by one person: the captain.

What the Rules Say

In the United States, the key rule for airlines is 14 CFR 121.547. It says no one may be admitted to the flight deck unless they fall into one of a short list of categories. Crewmembers come first. Then come FAA air carrier inspectors, Department of Defense commercial air carrier evaluators and authorised NTSB representatives, while they are performing official duties.

The rule also allows employees of the US government or of an airline whose duties make flight deck access necessary or useful for safety, and any other person with permission from the captain, an appropriate airline manager and the FAA. That last category is how off-duty pilots from other airlines can ride, under agreements between carriers.

The Captain Has the Last Word

No matter who you are, the pilot in command decides. The rule explicitly preserves the captain’s emergency authority to exclude any person from the flight deck in the interest of safety, inspectors included. As the Air Line Pilots Association points out, this follows from the most basic rule in the US Federal Aviation Regulations:

In practice the captain must check each jumpseat rider’s company ID against their face, verify their pilot and medical certificates where relevant, confirm their clearance, and give them a safety and security briefing, including what to do in an evacuation. The captain also acts as the in-flight security coordinator under TSA rules.

Airline pilot Swayne Martin explains how jumpseating works for pilots.

CASS: The Security Check

Since the attacks of September 2001, access to the flight deck has been tightly controlled. For off-duty crew from other airlines, verification runs through the Cockpit Access Security System, or CASS. It confirms that the person is who they say they are and that they are currently employed by a participating airline.

According to ALPA, CASS only meets the employment and identity check. It does not decide whether someone can sit in a cabin seat, and it does not replace the captain’s judgement. Etiquette matters too: jumpseaters are guests, and the unwritten rules of the jumpseat are taken seriously by the pilots who rely on it.

Jumpseat etiquette on the Boeing 737, explained by an airline pilot.

Air Traffic Controllers Return

Under ALPA’s reading of the rules, controllers ride as observers, not inspectors, need CASS verification and have no priority over pilots. On 14 October 2026 the FAA announced that it is reinstating its Flight Deck Training program, which had been paused at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each controller can take up to two commercial or general aviation flights and one military flight a year.

In Canada the rules are similar but not identical. Under Canadian Aviation Regulation 705.27, inspectors with official ID have free access to the flight deck, while other pilots may ride under an exemption if their company approves. Wherever you fly, the principle is the same: the jumpseat is a privilege, granted for a reason, and the captain can always say no.

A pilot’s guide to jumpseat etiquette for airline crews.

Sources: 14 CFR 121.547 and 121.583 (eCFR); Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA); Federal Aviation Administration