Section 7 - Scheduling

 

1. Flight Attendants shall be eligible for the following:

 

	Lineholders	Relief Lineholders	Reserves
Drop trips into COT	Yes	On Golden Days Only	On Golden Days Only
Pick up COT	Yes	Yes	On Golden Days Only
Trade trips with COT	Yes	Yes *	On Golden Days Only

* On days of availability a Relief Lineholder may only utilize trades with COT to increase her/his credited hours in accordance with Section 6, Bid Administration, Paragraph C.5.e.

2. All known flying remaining after completion of the relief line process will be posted as COT in the DPU system. The only time withheld from DPU will be unconfirmed variable staffing pairings, IOE/OJT trips and charters not known the day prior to report.

3. Company Open Time for the following month will be made available by Crew Resources via an on-line service and the Crew Management System beginning at 1800 on the 28^th of the month. DPUs will be processed on a first-come first-served basis beginning at 1800 on the 28^th day of the month for the following month and continuing every day thereafter, except that DPU for the current month may not be processed from 0900 on the 17^th through 1800 on the 19^th.

4. There is no cap on the number of hours a Flight Attendant may pick-up from COT.

5. Requests to drop trips will be approved if Crew Resources determines that there is sufficient reserve staffing to cover the dropped trip and the drop does not result in the Flight Attendant’s line being below the minimum bid period guarantee.

6. Requests to trade trips with COT will be approved if the requirements of subsection C below are met and if:

a. Crew Resources determines that there is sufficient reserve staffing to cover the dropped trip, and the trade does not result in the Flight Attendant’s line dropping below minimum bid period guarantee; or

 

1. The trade is for a trip that operates on the same days, is of the same length or greater length (i.e., one day, two days, etc.), and does not result in the Flight Attendant’s line dropping below minimum bid period guarantee.

DPU trades will only be approved up until 0500 on the day prior to the day on which the earlier trip is originally scheduled to report.

 

1. Beginning at 1800 on the 25^th day of the month for the following month, Lineholding Flight Attendants and Reserve Lineholders on Golden Day(s) may drop, pick up and trade trips with other Flight Attendants as follows:

 

	Lineholders	Reserves
Drop Trips to Other F/As	Yes	On Golden Days
Pick up Trips from Other F/As	Yes	On Golden Days
Trade Trips with Other F/As	Yes	On Golden Days

2. Beginning at 1800 on the 28^th day of the month for the following month, Relief Lineholders on Golden Days may drop, pick up and trade trips with other Flight Attendants on Golden Days.

3. Crew Resources may elect to use trip drop requests to build a line or a partial line for Flight Attendants who have returned from a leave of absence or for Flight Attendants whose lines have been mis-awarded.

4. Lineholder and Reserve trade requests will be processed on a first-come first-served basis beginning daily at 1800 on the 25^th day of the month for the following month. Relief Lineholder trade requests will be processed on a first-come first-served basis beginning at 1800 on the 28^th day of the month for the following month and continuing every day thereafter, except that trades for the current month may not be processed from 0900 on the 17^th through 1800 on the 19^th.

5. Lineholders shall be allowed to drop down to forty (40) credit hours per bid period. Lineholders who drop below the minimum bid period guarantee will have their guarantee reduced by the number of credit hours dropped below the guarantee.

6. There is no cap on the number of hours a Flight Attendant may gain through pick-up or trades.

7. The Company will provide an electronic method of picking-up, dropping and trading trips for use by Flight Attendants on a first-come first-served basis.

8. If the trip has not been approved for pick-up or trade or assigned by Crew Resources by four (4) hours prior to its original scheduled report, then the Flight Attendant will be responsible for flying that trip.

 

1. Requests to drop, pick up or trade must be in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and legal under the Flight Attendant F.A.R.’s.

 

2. Pick up and trip trade requests for Lineholders will be denied unless there is minimum of eleven (11) hours rest scheduled from release to report, with the following exceptions:

a. If the Lineholder has already been released from her/his last trip before the requested trip, a minimum of ten (10) hours of rest from release to report of the requested trip is sufficient.

b. If the Lineholder requests and is granted a pick up or trade of a trip which provides less than twelve (12) hours from release to report, that Flight Attendant will thereby automatically waive her/his minimum rest in domicile to ten (10) hours.

3. Requests to pickup or trade will be denied if the requested trip would cause the Flight Attendant to have less than twenty-five (25) consecutive hours off in seven (7) days. A Flight Attendant who requests and is granted a pickup/trade which would cause the Flight Attendant to have less than one (1) calendar day off in seven (7) days will thereby automatically waive the calendar day requirement for the purpose of the pickup/trade only.

4. Pick-ups or trades for Reserves must meet all of the following requirements:

a. There must be a minimum of ten (10) hours rest between the latest time the Reserve could be scheduled to be released in domicile and the scheduled report of the requested trip (i.e., if the latest time the Reserve could be released is 0200 on the first Golden or Moveable Day, then the requested trip must be scheduled to report no earlier than 1200, which is ten (10) hours later). Provided, however, if the Reserve has already been released from her/his last trip before the Golden or Moveable Day, a minimum of nine (9) hours rest from release to report of the requested trip is sufficient.

 

1. There must be a minimum of ten (10) hours rest between the scheduled release of the requested trip and the earliest time the Reserve could be required to report for duty on her/his first day of availability following the Golden or Moveable Day (i.e., the requested trip must be scheduled to release no later than 1800 on the last Golden or Moveable Day so as to have at least ten (10) hours rest prior to 0400 on the first day of availability).

c. A Reserve who requests and is granted a pick up or trade of a trip which provides less than eleven (11) hours from release to report (or less than twelve (12) hours in the event of a trip with duty through 0400 local) will thereby automatically waive her/his ten (10) hours minimum rest (or eleven (11) hours minimum rest in the event of a trip with duty through 0400 local) in domicile to nine (9) hours.

5. The Flight Attendant is responsible for confirming any trip changes as a result of drops, pick-ups or trades. (Flight Attendants may call Crew Resources to confirm the date, check-in time, cabin position and the trip number.) The Flight Attendant requesting to drop or trade a trip remains responsible for that trip until approval for the drop or trade has been granted. Once a request is awarded or processed, it becomes part of the Flight Attendant’s regular line, and conversely, once a trip is dropped or traded away it is no longer part of the Flight Attendant’s line.

1. Reschedule Prior to Report Time in Domicile: A reschedule occurs when a trip routing is changed prior to report time.

Crew Resources will advise a Flight Attendant that her/his trip routing has been changed as soon as possible.

a. The Flight Attendant will fly the rescheduled trip if it is within the following parameters:

 

1. Reports no earlier than the originally scheduled trip.

(ii) Releases no more than four (4) hours after the originally scheduled trip; and

(iii) Does not interfere with the Flight Attendant’s next trip or day off.

 

1. If the rescheduled trip reports earlier than the originally scheduled trip, then the Flight Attendant may elect to fly the trip. The Flight Attendant shall advise Crew Resources of her/his election upon initial contact.

c. If the Flight Attendant does not fly the rescheduled trip pursuant to Paragraphs D.1.a or D.1.b., then, upon initial contact with the Flight Attendant, Crew Rewources may assign a like trip(s), (i.e., a.m. for a.m., p.m. for p.m.) to the Flight Attendant which meets the parameters of Paragraph D.1.a.(i) through (iii). Crew Resources, in its discretion, may allow the Flight Attendant to decline this trip with pay/credit if there is adequate staffing.

d. Upon initial contact with the Flight Attendant, Crew Resources may offer her/him a trip which does not meet the parameters set forth in Paragraph D.1.a.(i) through (iii) above. The Flight Attendant may decline this trip(s).

e. If no trip is assigned or accepted by the Flight Attendant pursuant to Paragraphs D.1.a. through d., above, then she/he will be placed on Guaranteed Reserve.

f. If the Flight Attendant is assigned or accepts a trip of less credit value than the originally scheduled trip and which covers less days than the originally scheduled trip, then she/he will be placed on Guaranteed Reserve for those days not covered by the newly assigned or accepted trip.

g. If the Flight Attendant is assigned or accepts a trip(s) of equal or more credit value than the originally scheduled trip, and which covers less day(s) than the originally scheduled trip, then she/he will be released from Guaranteed Reserve for those day(s) not covered by the assigned or accepted trip.

h. The Flight Attendant will be guaranteed credit for the originally scheduled trip or trip actually flown, whichever is greater.

i. At the Flight Attendant’s request, Crew Resources, in its discretion, may release her/him from Guaranteed Reserve without pay and credit if there is adequate staffing. If Crew Resources determines that it will be unable to utilize a Flight Attendant on the status of Guaranteed Reserve, she/he may be released with pay and credit.

2. Reroutes After Report Time in Domicile: A reroute occurs when a trip routing is changed after report time.

a. A Flight Attendant who is rerouted after reporting for a trip will be guaranteed credit for her/his originally scheduled trip or trip actually flown, whichever is greater.

b. Reroutes will not be scheduled to extend the Flight Attendant four (4) hours beyond her/his originally scheduled release time. However, if a downline weather or mechanical problem prevents compliance with the four (4) hour extension, the Flight Attendant will be released as soon thereafter as possible.

c. If the reroute causes the Flight Attendant to lose a duty period(s), and the reroute results in less credit hours than the original trip, the Flight Attendant may be placed on Guaranteed Reserve as provided in Subsection E. herein.

3. Tags

Reserves may have additional segments (tags) added to their original assignments subject to the flight and duty time limitations of this Agreement and the FAR’s applicable to Flight Attendants. Lineholders will not be tagged without mutual agreement and shall receive volunteer fly pay for the tagged segment.

4. Irregular Operations

 

1. A Flight Attendant shall not be required to remain on duty beyond the maximum duty limits in, Section 5, Hours of Service, Paragraph F. However, when a Flight Attendant’s duty period is projected to exceed such limits, and she/he voluntarily agrees to continue working, in addition to the pay protections reflected in Paragraphs D.4.b. and D.4.c., below, the Flight Attendant will be paid, but not credited, at the rate of one (1) minute of flight pay for each two (2) minutes on duty for the entire duty period, commencing at the duty period’s actual report time and ending fifteen (15) minutes after the actual block-in. In such circumstances, the rest provisions contained in Section 5, Hours of Service, Paragraph E. will apply at the end of the extended duty period.

 

1. If a Flight Attendant loses a portion of a trip due to irregular operations, including a Flight Attendant making the election described in Paragraph D.4.a., Crew Resources will make every effort to return this Flight Attendant to her/his trip. If unable to do so, Crew Resources will reassign her/him to a like trip or assign her/him to Guaranteed Reserve.

 

2. In irregular operations, a Flight Attendant will be guaranteed pay and credit for her/his originally scheduled trip or trip actually flown whichever is greater.

 

3. In addition to guaranteed trip pay protection, a Flight Attendant who involuntarily exceeds (i.e., additional taxi, holding after block out, diverting, circling, etc.), the maximum actual duty limits listed in Section 5, Hours of Service, Paragraph F., shall receive one (1) minute of flight pay, but no credit, for each one (1) minute on duty in excess of the actual duty limits.

 

4. At least one (1) Flight Attendant from the applicable flight crew must contact Crew Resources in the event of an irregular operation; provided, however, Crew Resources may require communication with the other Flight Attendants as necessary.

5. Downgrades

If, as a result of an aircraft downgrade, Crew Resources determines that a member(s) of the flight crew is no longer needed on that aircraft, Crew Resources shall follow the procedures set forth below:

a. If Crew Resources determines that there is adequate staffing, it will offer to the Flight Attendants in seniority order the opportunity to be released with pay and credit. If no Flight Attendant(s) accepts this opportunity, the most junior Flight Attendant(s) will be released.

b. If Crew Resources does not release a Flight Attendant(s) pursuant to the preceding Paragraph 5.a., it will offer to the Flight Attendants in seniority order the opportunity to be reassigned. If no Flight Attendant(s) accepts this opportunity, the most junior Flight Attendant(s) will be reassigned.

(i) Crew Resources may reassign the Flight Attendant to any available trip which is scheduled to report at or after the original trip’s scheduled report time and which is scheduled to release no later than four (4) hours after the original trip’s scheduled release time.

(ii) Crew Resources may offer to the Flight Attendant the option of accepting a trip which does not meet the parameters described in Paragraph 5.b.(i).

(iii) If the Flight Attendant is assigned or accepts a trip which has less credit value and covers less days than the original trip, then the Flight Attendant will be assigned Guaranteed Reserve for the days which are not covered by the new trip. If the Flight Attendant is assigned or accepts a trip which is greater than or equal in credit value to the original trip and covers less days than the original trip, then the Flight Attendant will be released for the days which are not covered by the new trip.

 

1. If the Flight Attendant was not assigned or did not accept a trip, then she/he will be assigned to Guaranteed Reserve.

(v) A Flight Attendant may elect to sit Airport Ready Reserve instead of Guaranteed Reserve. The Airport Ready Reserve shift of the Flight Attendant making this election will be no longer than five (5) hours.

c. If the original equipment is reinstated, the originally scheduled Flight Attendants will be returned to the pairing if possible.

d. Flight Attendants will be credited for the originally scheduled pairing or the actual pairing worked, whichever is greater.

A Flight Attendant on GR will be required to call Crew Resouces after 1600 on the day prior to the original trip’s scheduled report and after 1600 on every day she/he was scheduled for the trip, except for the last day of the trip. If, at the time of the Flight Attendant’s call, no trip has been assigned, she/he will be released from GR for the following day.

1. All trips assigned to GR Flight Attendants must report no earlier than the original trip’s scheduled report and be released no later than the original trip’s scheduled release time; provided, however, GR Flight Attendants may be rerouted in accordance with Paragraph D.2., above.

 

1. In lieu of sitting GR, the Flight Attendant may elect to pick-up a trip from COT covering the same day(s) as the original trip, with equal or greater credit value as her/his original trip. This election must be made through Crew Resources not later than 0500 the day prior to the trip’s departure. If the Flight Attendant can recoup the lost credit time in fewer days, she/he will not be required to sit GR on the remaining day(s).

 

2. Pay and Credit for Guaranteed Reserve is as follows:

a. If the Flight Attendant is assigned or accepts a trip(s), of greater credit value than the originally scheduled trip, she/he will receive the rescheduled trip credit.

b. If the Flight Attendant is assigned or accepts a trip(s) of less credit value than the originally scheduled trip and sits GR on day(s) not covered by the rescheduled trip(s) she/he will be guaranteed the originally scheduled trip credit.

c. If the Flight Attendant sits GR on the day(s) covered by the originally scheduled trip she/he will be guaranteed the original trip credit.

d. If the Flight Attendant is released from GR at her/his request she/he will not be guaranteed the original trip credit, but will receive actual trip credit for any trip(s) accepted by or assigned to her/him.

Minimum crew shall be no less than that required by the FAR’s applicable to Flight Attendants. The Company will publish variable crew staffing parameters for flights requiring Variable Flight Attendants due to service, load factor or marketing considerations each time the guidelines are revised.

 

1. Flight Attendants may request additional flying on their day(s) off through Volunteer Fly.

 

2. The VF list shall be used at Company discretion when staffing is critical. Flight Attendants on the VF list will be called in seniority order with the exception of Flight Attendants with conflicts who may be bypassed. Acceptance of the VF will be at the Flight Attendant’s option.

3. Volunteer Fly shall be paid at one-hundred and twenty-five percent (125%).

1. All Flight Attendant calls to and from Bid Administration and Crew Resources with the exception of managers and above, will be taped. Such calls will be limited to business only.

2. All taped recordings will be kept by the Company for a minimum of ninety (90) days. In the event of a dispute, upon the request of the Union, the tapes will be kept until the dispute is settled.

3. Flight Attendant phone numbers and schedule information will not be given out by Crew Resources unless the Flight Attendant has given specific authority to do so. However, AFA emergency numbers, as provided by the Union for this purpose, will be made available upon request.

4. Crew Schedulers will not make pay interpretations or issue discipline. A Flight Attendant will not be required to discuss the nature of an illness or injury with Crew Resources.

5. When calling a Flight Attendant, Crew Resources (or however that department may designate itself in the future) employees must identify themselves by Company and department to the person answering the telephone.

The Company will assign open time in the following order:

1. To Flight Attendants who are being rescheduled/rerouted/reassigned;

2. To Flight Attendants on Guaranteed Reserve in inverse order of seniority;

3. To Reserve/Relief Flight Attendants on days of availability;

 

1. To Reserve/Relief Flight Attendants on movable days.

Provided, however, the Company may use Volunteer Fly at any time during the above process and the Company may use Junior Assignment prior to using Reserves if it first uses Volunteer Fly.

After exhausting the provisions of Paragraphs I.1. and 2., above, and Volunteer Fly, the Company may assign uncovered trips in reverse seniority order in the domicile. JA’d trips will be paid at one hundred and twenty-five percent (125%).

1. Flight Attendants will not be JA’d before 0800 the day prior to the trip.

2. A Flight Attendant may only be JA’d through positive contact at her/his designated telephone contact numbers.

3. Once a Flight Attendant is JA’d a trip, it shall be her/his responsibility to cover the trip and it shall become a part of her/his line. The trip may be traded to another Flight Attendant at JA pay, pursuant to the procedures in Subsection B. above.

4. Flight Attendants can refuse a JA in the following situations:

a. On Golden Days;

b. On vacation;

 

1. On leaves of absence; or

 

1. Pursuant to Section 5, Hours of Service, Paragraph A.2.b., if the JA causes the Flight Attendant’s line to be projected over ninety (90) credit hours and there is no trip(s) or segment(s) occurring after the JA which could be dropped to bring her/his line projection to or below ninety (90) credit hours, then the Flight Attendant may refuse the JA.

 

1. If the JA trip interferes with the Flight Attendant’s next scheduled trip, she/he will be paid the for the greater of:

 

1. the value of the originally scheduled trip; or

 

2. the value of the JA trip at one hundred and twenty-five percent (125%), plus

(i) the value of any trips flown on the remaining days of the originally scheduled trip, plus

(ii) the value of any day the Flight Attendant sits GR on the remaining days of the originally scheduled trip. The value of a GR day is based on the average daily credit value of the originally scheduled trip.

1. Check in must be completed by report time. If a Flight Attendant has not reported for her/his trip within ten (10) minutes of scheduled report time, Crew Resources may immediately assign the open trip to a Reserve. Once the trip is reassigned, Crew Resources may either return the Flight Attendant to her/his trip or assign her/him a like trip on the same days(s). The Flight Attendant shall receive pay and credit for time flown. If staffing permits, the Flight Attendant shall be released without pay or credit. Once the trip is reassigned, the Flight Attendant may recapture lost time through COT. Crew Resources may, in its discretion, return the Flight Attendant to her/his trip when it passes through the domicile.

2. A Flight Attendant who loses time due to a Crew Resources error will be guaranteed the original trip(s) credit or trip worked, whichever is greater. In the event the error is discovered before the report time of the original trip(s), the Flight Attendant will be offered a like trip(s) from COT and/or a Flight Attendant Personal Trade. Such trip(s) must be on the same or fewer day(s) than the original trip and must release no later than the original trip's scheduled release time. The Flight Attendant may elect not to fly the offered replacement trip, but will waive the pay and credit.

 

1. The Company shall have no telephone contact with Flight Attendants during rest periods except in Company-related emergencies, including reschedules, reroutes and irregular operations, or for personal emergencies. Flight Attendants will not "block" incoming calls while on a layover.

 

2. The Company will attempt to notify Flight Attendants as far in advance as possible if scheduled departure time is delayed by more than one (1) hour or canceled.

 

3. A Flight Attendant on a Reserve assignment must contact Crew Resources to be released at the end of a pairing or an Airport Ready Reserve shift. A Lineholder is only required to contact Crew Resources to be released in the event of irregular operations.

 

4. At the end of the bid period a crew utilization report shall be provided to the MEC. It shall contain the following:

 

1. Variable Staffing report;

 

2. A record of all charters;

 

3. Daily flight and Reserve assignment sheets;

 

4. Vacations canceled;

 

5. Total sick leave hours;

 

1. Trip/Credit hours flown by supervisors, including training facilitators;

 

2. Names and dates with respect to Reserves who had their Moveable Day(s) off moved;

 

3. Junior Assignment by domicile; and

 

4. Volunteer fly, by domicile.

 

1. The Company may substitute its on-line service. If it does so, it shall provide advance notice to the MEC.

L. EXPEDITED BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURES

The Company agrees to arbitrate any grievance filed by the Union alleging a violation of this Section 7 on an expedited basis directly before the System Board of Adjustment sitting with a neutral arbitrator mutually acceptable to both parties. If a mutually agreed upon arbitrator cannot be selected within three (3) business days of the filing, an arbitrator will be selected pursuant to Section 31 of the Agreement. The dispute shall be heard no later than thirty (30) days following the submission to the System Board (subject to the availability of the arbitrator), and shall be decided no later than thirty (30) days following submission, unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.

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