American Airlines Moves Up Launch Date for New Service to China

[czerny]

I just hope they start and keep the routes. I know someone that was studying Russian and now DME is not being flown. Art, do you know if the company can force a speaker to an int. base from another base?
there are CM speakers at IMA and LAX-I currently as well as one in JFK.

 

[ArtTang]

I just hope they start and keep the routes. I know someone that was studying Russian and now DME is not being flown. Art, do you know if the company can force a speaker to an int. base from another base?
there are CM speakers at IMA and LAX-I currently as well as one in JFK.

Hi there...to answer your question about forcing a f/a from one base to another: I am almost certain the company cannot do this contractually. The only thing the company can do is force a f/a from, say, ORD to IOR if the individual possesses a language qualification needed in the international operation. The f/a can then resign from the international division through the proper process, but the company can just re-draft the person if need persists. Also, if a f/a is based in, say, JFK and is a Mandarin speaker, the company could attempt to use that f/a on reserve to cover a speaker trip out of IOR, but I don't see how it can be done as only the IOR based f/as have visas for China and these are very expensive to obtain. So, I think you are safe from being forced back to IOR if you are based in MIA or LAX, etc. I'd double check with the union about this, however. I have often been wrong about such matters.

I have always found it frustrating that the company starts up routes only to drop them. When I flew out of IOR the first time, we used to lay over in Dusseldorf, Geneva, Munich, etc. We used to fly to Frankfurt from Miami, Taipei from San Jose, etc. Nothing is constant but change in this industry, that's for sure.

Peace...

 

[czerny]

I have always found it frustrating that the company starts up routes only to drop them. When I flew out of IOR the first time, we used to lay over in Dusseldorf, Geneva, Munich, etc. We used to fly to Frankfurt from Miami, Taipei from San Jose, etc. Nothing is constant but change in this industry, that's for sure.


I understand completely. It's just exhausting to commute from Bos-ORD and then fly PVG back to back and then commute home. And then to be bumped back to ORD. No offense to anyone who flies ORD but for those of us living in the east coast, I cannot afford to commute and fly turns when I can fly transcons out of LGA, with only a 30 minute commute to Boston. My first PVG trip in Jan of 08, some of the seniors were very mean to me and when I complained, no one did anything. There's a lot of resentment towards speakers. I was constantly getting comments from the fas, wether I was flying PVG or LHR, "Oh...you are here because you are a speaker. You didn't have to pay to get here."

My Chinese visa is still valid for a few more months! I really have to think long and hard about going back to IOR, and assess how it's going to affect me emotionally, psychologically, and financially.

 

[jimntx]

Don't take this as the final word, but I could find nothing in the contract that allows the company to force transfer based on language qualification alone. The closest thing to that is a provision that allows the company to draft language-qualified f/as from the adjacent base (think ORD-IOR) if a particular flight is short of speakers. I may be misreading, but that seems to say the draft would be a one-off occurrence for a particular flight on a particular day that is short of speakers.

I think Art's advice is correct, check with the union contract rep. Be as specific as possible. I.E., "I am a Mandarin-qualified LGA flight attendant who is also International-qualified. Can the company force transfer me to IOR if they do not have enough speakers for the China routes?" That should be (and note I said, should be ) a Yes/No issue.

 

[czerny]

[is correct, check with the union contract rep. Be as specific as possible. I.E., "I am a Mandarin-qualified LGA flight attendant who is also International-qualified. Can the company force transfer me to IOR if they do not have enough speakers for the China routes?" That should be (and note I said, should be ) a Yes/No issue.
[/quote]

Hi Jim
I did ask a union rep once, and his answer was a vague" Just sit tight and let them force transfer you."