Date: 202010
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; First Officer
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Training / Qualification; Confusion; Distraction; Communication Breakdown
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Detector: Person Ground Personnel
When detected: Taxi
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Airport; Company Policy; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: After landing; while taxiing to park at ZZZ [airport]; we forgot to contact ZZZ Ramp for entry lane assignment before entering the ramp. Threats leading to omission: Reserve pilots; reduction of flights leading to reduced proficiency/recency; limited experience at ZZZ as ZZZ1-based pilots; lack of thorough identification of requirements during arrival brief. During the arrival brief; we failed to mention an operations note to 'Contact ZZZ Ramp for entry point assignment.'Due to renovations at the terminal; we should have briefed the ramp entry/exit procedures in advance and highlighted the terminal construction and area as a threat to mitigate. This was the last leg of our trip. We were assigned Gate X at the end of Terminal XX.  There was no traffic in/outbound as we taxied in; and as we approached lane Y on Taxiway A heading toward Gate X it was completely clear with what appeared a direct entry to the gate. This may have contributed to us thinking our Ground Control taxi clearance was sufficient.  The unusually short taxi with no traffic erroneously led us to believe our ground taxi clearance took us all the way to the gate.


Second narrative: After landing; and while taxiing to the gate; in ZZZ [airport]; we forgot to contact ZZZ Ramp Control before entering the ramp.  Threats that led to this omission were: being on reserve; and because of the reduction in flights; this was the first trip for both of us in many weeks; and we were both admittedly rusty in our procedures. Being ZZZ1 based; we don't fly into ZZZ often. During our arrival briefing we failed to mention the operations note that requires a call to Ramp Control. Since the renovation to the ZZZ Terminal; there have been recent changes to the procedures for exiting and entering the Ramp; and knowing this we should have briefed those new procedures in advance.  This was the last leg of the trip.  Our assigned Gate X; was at the very end of Terminal XX;; and appeared to be a direct access from Taxiway A; which may have contributed to us thinking that access was controlled by Ground Control; when in fact the access to the gate was through lane X; which was controlled by ZZZ ramp. After landing; we were given instructions by Ground Control; to; 'Taxi to the gate via 'taxi route' with no mention of lane X; or Ramp Control; which led to our complacency in omitting their call. Also; after landing; we both remarked at how unusually empty ZZZ was of traffic; we appeared to be the only aircraft moving on the field; which allowed for an unusually short taxi to the gate at the usually crowded ZZZ; this also led us to forgetting that there was a Ramp Control around the terminal.


Synopsis: Air Carrier flight crew did not call Ramp Control prior to entering the ramp area.