Went Sydney to Perth last summer in QF First. Had the exact same crew on the return the next day. They invited us up to the cockpit for take-off from Perth and before I went back downstairs, the pilot asked us if we wanted to come back for the landing in SYD. Man that was awesome. I have got to write that trip report.

I was told by an FAA guy that for US carriers (and supposedly for all carriers flying out of or into the US), non-FAA or -airline employees are not allowed in the cockpit for take-off or landing no matter what the departure or arrival city is. I tend to believe his insuation that foreign carriers can do what they want to.

After the QF PER-SYD flight, the captain asked where I was going on to? I said "JFK the next day." He gave me his card and said to ask for a cockpit visit on that flight too. Did he give me his card to prove to the next pilot that I wasn't nuts?

When the new QF crew arrived for the LAX-JFK seg, the Captain said that he would have typically allowed the visit but it was his first time to fly into JFK and he would prefer no distractions just in case.

To answer your question, I would say your chances are good. They will be even better if you are schmozzing on the flight crew. Just pick your destinations carefully. I would guess that TLV et al would be places that they don't typically allow cockpit visits.