Website/Service to use empty seats for GA?

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LouisianaLady

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LouisianaLady
Does this service exist for GA flights where the pilot/owner has an empty seat and wants help with gas $ ? I'm not talking about charters.

Let's say I'm going to the Super Bowl and am only taking three people and have an extra seat. Someone from my area is looking for a ride. Is there a service to match up these people, where the fourth person pays 1/4 gas and 1/4 expenses ?
 
Not sure this wouldn't qualify as "holding out", which would be enough to qualify the flight as commercial and thus a violation.
 
My interpretation of the regs say this is verboten. The FAA considers this "holding out".
 
Just went to their website, looks like they got shut down. Looks like it was a good idea, but I didn't know about the "holding out" rule. I just thought that if the pilot didn't get compensated and you just paid your share of gas it was legit.

Thanks for clearing it up !
 
LouisianaLady said:
Just went to their website, looks like they got shut down. Looks like it was a good idea, but I didn't know about the "holding out" rule. I just thought that if the pilot didn't get compensated and you just paid your share of gas it was legit.

Thanks for clearing it up !
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It's a bit stricter than that. The fact that you and your pax are sharing a flight must be 100% incidental.

You and a buddy flying to see a game. You and a co-worker flying to a meeting/conference. You and a love interest flying somewhere for a romantic getaway. Things you would have done with that person ANYWAY and you just happen to be flying there in your plane.

If you advertise, in any way, then the flight isn't considered incidental.
 
Greebo said:
It's a bit stricter than that. The fact that you and your pax are sharing a flight must be 100% incidental.

You and a buddy flying to see a game. You and a co-worker flying to a meeting/conference. You and a love interest flying somewhere for a romantic getaway. Things you would have done with that person ANYWAY and you just happen to be flying there in your plane.

If you advertise, in any way, then the flight isn't considered incidental.
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Not quite so strict. I am flying to a wedding, and a friend is flying to see a sports event - and both are in Baltimore (or at least close enough that we both use the same destination airport) that's OK. We don't have to be going to the same exact place/event, just both have to have reason to be in the same city at the same time.
 
Ok fair enough - but still different from you holding out actively LOOKING for someone else going to the same place.
 
Hi. I have Boeing 737 and I'm flying from Baltimore to Orlando on Thursday morning. There are 25 empty seats on the plane, so I'll offer them up to anyone for $99 each.

Is $99 less than their fair share? Yes. Are we going to the same place? Yes. Would I fly anyway? Yes.

Am I holding out? Of course.
 
Greebo said:
Ok fair enough - but still different from you holding out actively LOOKING for someone else going to the same place.
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I look at it this way, I can look for someone to go with me all I want as long as it's not public. I can send out an group email/text or ask a group of buddies when we're watching the game saying "Hey, I'm heading to [destination] in August, anyone wanna go?"

Putting it on a bulletin board/message board/website is holding out. Asking my friend(s) vs asking my wife/girlfriend (if I had one) or my mom and dad directly isn't holding out. Putting it out there for the whole world to see is holding out.

Technically it is, but the FAA is never going to come down on anyone for that. Plus cash is untraceable.
 
How about the other way - could potential passengers post that they wanted to go and let pilots contact them about filling a seat on a flight the pilot was already going to make.

It's a technicality, but lawyering is a technical profession.
 
The FAA has already published a legal interpretation on this. One of the big things defining "common carriage" is holding out to the public OR "a significant portion of the public". That means if you post on your facebook to all your friends, and you only have 50 facebook friends you're probably ok, but if you have 1000 friends, probably not.

I just printed out this bit of reading for my Commercial Checkride this morning

Legal interpretation from the Chief Councel
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...on-jonesday - (2014) legal interpretation.pdf

AC No: 12042A Common Carriage vs. Private Carriage.
http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC 120-12A.pdf

Bottom line is No, you cant do this, and yes it's been tried.
 
bflynn said:
How about the other way - could potential passengers post that they wanted to go and let pilots contact them about filling a seat on a flight the pilot was already going to make.

It's a technicality, but lawyering is a technical profession.
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That's still not legal, as you are offering services for compensation regardless of who contacted who.
 
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We seem to beat this topic to death. There are no uber flights allowed.
 
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