Crew members at AWA fly seperate... US together

[hula-flyguy]

But legally, you have to be pulled from the trip if you are projected to go over 16 hours. I've had that happen twice.

That is true for both front end and back end. The contractual obligation is 15. You don't HAVE to go to 16, nor can you be forced to 16.

For east, that is. I dont know about west.

 

[flygirl74]

On the East we have 2 to 3 hour sits. This is because of staying with the pilots. So, does the West side NOT have sits?

 

[LongTimeF/A]

:down: It's much better staying with the pilots, I worked at another airline,which the crews didn't stay together, the F/A's usually got the short end of the stick, we constantly got rerouted, and it wasn't pretty...

 

[N109UW]

I believe that if you all did it out East (independant flying) you would find it allows you more time off with much more scheduling flexibility.

We have too many weak d###s over here. They are afraid to separate from the pilots. All they ever say is," You don't want to do that, at Piedmont, crew sched. used to really screw us." I actually belive they don't know how to make a trip sheet or sign into a hotel. I wonder how they did it at Pan Am or TWA, oh wait, those airlines are gone. Pathetic.

WN is another airline that doesn't keep crews together. SWA would love to schedule the crews together, but the differences between the F/As contract and the Pilot's contract doesn't make that possible.

Wn also has only 1 type of aircraft. If US had 1 type of aircraft, it probably might be good to keep crew together. You can't really compare US to WN, in that respect.

I
Duty rigs pretty much set the parameters for how efficient a trip pairing is built...at least efficient in the eyes of management. Put different parameters in the machine for pilots and F/As, and they don't stay together any longer.

Actually, it's the a/c type that set the parameters when the pairings are being built, duty rigs come later in the equation.

 

[Elevation]

I would not want to have to evacuate an aircraft or handle a medical emergency at the fourteenth hour.

Safety excuse is such a cop out. A doctor or nurse handle way more on longer hours in the ER. There's real safety issues then there's BS issues that are disguised. Keep it real.

 

[cactusflyer]

On the East we have 2 to 3 hour sits. This is because of staying with the pilots. So, does the West side NOT have sits?

No, unfortunately we get plenty of "airport appreciation time" on the west. 2 1/2 to 3 hrs is not uncommon. A few years ago when they started the big OTP push, Anthony Mule had scheduling build in a minimum time frame for connections on the FA pairings. He wanted to curtail the domino effect of delays resulting from crews arriving late into the hub. The result...lots and lots of wonderful airport appreciation time. We love it, don't you? 🙄

OTP=On Time Performance for those that may not know.

 

[LongTimeF/A]

staying together as a crew has nothing to do with trip sheets or signing in to a hotel..My opinion is that with the "me too" it works out better for the flt attendants, period.. Give us a little more credit than that..

 

[N109UW]

You need to get out more. I try to give you credit. At least as much as you deserve. Haven't you ever seen a f/a waiting for the f/o to give them a trip sheet. Then make a comment because they didn't get one. My response usually is, " You have the same trip sheets, why didn't you make us one?" Can you give me an example of "your opinion" to how it works better? Got to love that "me too". Great duty rigs, work more days, longer sit time. Yep, just love it.

 

[LongTimeF/A]

What I said was that I've worked trips both ways, with the pilots and without, It's been my own experience that as getting rerouted,reassigned what ever you want to call it, sucks, You bid a trip cause you want that trip, when your pilots are late inbound for your next leg, so instead of flying 1 more leg to FLL for a nice long layover, your flying 4 more legs and having a short nite in cleveland..(no disrespect to cleveland!!) thats my opinion.. and I don't need to get out more, I'm away more than I care to be..I also don't expect trip sheets from anyone..

 

[HPGUY]

If I am correct, US is the only one that does. I do find it interesting that we are. If it is so efficient, why isn't everyone doing it. There must be a reason why they don't.

The only reason that I can think of is productivity for the flight attendants. The West FAs have no block time limits built into their contract and ofcourse the pilots are limited by their FARs. So a West FA could have a PHX-ATL-PHX turn for 8+ hours of block but it would be illegal for the West pilot. Those kind of 1day high credit trips go very senior on the west side.

But who knows if any of this will be true under the "combined" airline and contract.

 

[N924PS]

The only reason that I can think of is productivity for the flight attendants. The West FAs have no block time limits built into their contract and ofcourse the pilots are limited by their FARs. So a West FA could have a PHX-ATL-PHX turn for 8+ hours of block but it would be illegal for the West pilot. Those kind of 1day high credit trips go very senior on the west side.

But who knows if any of this will be true under the "combined" airline and contract.

You mean they are combining the two airlines? The next thing you know pigs will fly......Wait a minute, they already have on USAir!

 

[SKY HIGH]

Can you give me an example of "your opinion" to how it works better? Got to love that "me too". Great duty rigs, work more days, longer sit time. Yep, just love it.

sky high states: One has to wonder if they do separate the front and back, if they would downgrade the flight attendant HOTELS/layovers compared to the Pilots. Furthermore, what would stop them from building days with 6, 7 or 8 legs for the flight attendant group? Wouldnt longer sit times happen more often because of having to wait for the front-end or the cabin crews during aircraft changes?

only stating opinions.

 

[tadjr]

I remember when the crews used to fly different. You'd be waiting for a crew and yeah! flight attendants, only to go down to board and find out you're still waiting for the front end. One inbound delayed could screw up two outbounds with the front on one plane and the back on the other. Just from an operational standpoint I think staying together just works better. Especially with CLT/DCA/PIT/PHL/LGA/PHX crews mixed into the system. Its bad enough now when DC and PHL are delayed inbound (of course they make up CLT and PIT outbound) so now nothing is going right or on time. Just add a mixed crew into the scenario and total gridlock isnt far off on some days.

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

"One has to wonder if they do separate the front and back, if they would downgrade the flight attendant HOTELS/layovers compared to the Pilots."

Are you kidding? Can our hotels be downgraded more-

" I've been down so long it looks like up to me."

Yeah, maybe it could get worse-really, I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around hotels getting worse. They could start overnighting at the Days Inn in PHL or whats left of the Lagoon.

 

[N109UW]

sky high states: One has to wonder if they do separate the front and back, if they would downgrade the flight attendant HOTELS/layovers compared to the Pilots. Furthermore, what would stop them from building days with 6, 7 or 8 legs for the flight attendant group? Wouldnt longer sit times happen more often because of having to wait for the front-end or the cabin crews during aircraft changes?

only stating opinions.

Sounds like my old DC-9 trips. Sitting doesn't pay money. Flying does. Give me more legs then. There has to be a better way. I'm just saying, we should look into it. That's all.