Crew Schedue And Lots Of Open Time

[AAStew]

It is Saturday, the 18th of December, and if you look at opentime at JFK, IMA,
IOR, the trips are going out understaffed BIG TIME! Sick doesn't seem to be any larger than usual so why the shortage of F/A's?
I feel sorry for you guys out there in Crew schedule but then again why won't you work with us so you get less sick calls? The pilots crew schedulers seem to be much more accomadating. Any comments schedulers?

 

[L1011Ret]

You are implying they will not work with you? Why not ask more specific questions?

 

[AAStew]

Quick example, I am low on time and would like a specific trip, they will not even consider.
ANother example, there is a trip where the first leg is deadheading to Chicago which then deadheads someplace else. I would rather deadhead from my commuter base instead of having to sign in in New York at 5am. The same destination deadhead flight is available from my commuter city, but I know they will say no if I ask. Yet the pilots don't ask they just tell them they will commute to the deadhead city.

 

[Royal Ambassador]

Anybody know why leaves were awarded through April when flights are going out understaffed? Please explain. Thanks.

 

[s80dude]

Anybody know why leaves were awarded through April when flights are going out understaffed? Please explain. Thanks.

[post="229969"][/post]​

i think because after the holiday is over, the recalled flight attendants create an overage. i know the company only needed 300 or so, but they recalled more. we did get a message that no bid leaves were being granted for january at DFW.

the #6 on my trip got a PVD for tomorrow (now granted she has 35 years seniority) but for 19DEC at DFW, PVD's were awarded.

 

[kirkpatrick]

It is Saturday, the 18th of December, and if you look at opentime at JFK, IMA,
IOR, the trips are going out understaffed BIG TIME! Sick doesn't seem to be any larger than usual so why the shortage of F/A's?

[post="229903"][/post]​

IORFA reports in another thread that the sick list is over 1400 on the 18th. I seem to recall one of the resident schedulers here said about 800 is average.

MK

 

[MiAAmi]

IORFA reports in another thread that the sick list is over 1400 on the 18th. I seem to recall one of the resident schedulers here said about 800 is average.

MK

[post="230014"][/post]​

I am curious as to what the annual totals for this time of year are and if they are really all that different. I have a feeling that the same amount of people are on the sick list every year around this time.

 

[operaations]

It is Saturday, the 18th of December, and if you look at opentime at JFK, IMA,
IOR, the trips are going out understaffed BIG TIME! Sick doesn't seem to be any larger than usual so why the shortage of F/A's?
I feel sorry for you guys out there in Crew schedule but then again why won't you work with us so you get less sick calls? The pilots crew schedulers seem to be much more accomadating. Any comments schedulers?

[post="229903"][/post]​

Crew Schedule was not put in place to work with you. Sorry this sounds harsh but why should the company be held hostage over holiday sick calls. The company and the APFA negotiated a contract. Whether you like the contract or not it is there and needs to be followed. Sick time is high how high I do not know and do not concern myself with what I can not control.

As far as helping you out with deadheading to and from different cities. Read the dhd commuter policy it is helpful and useful and if you are with in the guidelines we can not say no. The only suggestion I have to easy the holiday flu is that everyone that is scheduled to work actually come to work. No fake sick calls no excuses. Other than that I have nothing to offer.

I apologize in the future toi all the flight attendants that do not call in sick and get reassigned to cover a flight that may get cancelled because of the high sick time.

Happy Holidays

 

[TWAnr]

Crew Schedule was not put in place to work with you.

[post="230069"][/post]​

This is the epitome of the miserable company employee relations at AA. :down:

The goodwill that will be generated by accommodating reasonable requests by crew members, which can be accommodated without negatively affecting staffing, will pay off in the long run.

Just look at what a happy workforce accomplishes at JetBlue.

 

[FA Mikey]

With our flight attendants? Please just the BS I go through on a 8 hour flight with some of them. You think one would do anything to help? iIts all about take and zero give.

 

[FA Mikey]

It is Saturday, the 18th of December, and if you look at opentime at JFK, IMA,
IOR, the trips are going out understaffed BIG TIME! Sick doesn't seem to be any larger than usual so why the shortage of F/A's?
I feel sorry for you guys out there in Crew schedule but then again why won't you work with us so you get less sick calls? The pilots crew schedulers seem to be much more accomadating. Any comments schedulers?

[post="229903"][/post]​

This (dec) was the smallest reserve list I have ever seen. Manning awarded mini leaves on top of that. If anyone is to blame for not being prepaered it is the manning dept.

 

[operaations]

This is the epitome of the miserable company employee relations at AA. :down:

The goodwill that will be generated by accommodating reasonable requests by crew members, which can be accommodated without negatively affecting staffing, will pay off in the long run.

Just look at what a happy workforce accomplishes at JetBlue.

[post="230086"][/post]​

what do you call a reasonable request. Give an example

 

[operaations]

This (dec) was the smallest reserve list I have ever seen. Manning awarded mini leaves on top of that. If anyone is to blame for not being prepaered it is the manning dept.

[post="230090"][/post]​

you are absolutley correct. what the hell they were thinking is beyond me

 

[mjk]

Quick example, I am low on time and would like a specific trip, they will not even consider.

Not exactly true. That's what make up and the MIC provisions of your contract is for.

ANother example, there is a trip where the first leg is deadheading to Chicago which then deadheads someplace else. I would rather deadhead from my commuter base instead of having to sign in in New York at 5am. The same destination deadhead flight is available from my commuter city, but I know they will say no if I ask. Yet the pilots don't ask they just tell them they will commute to the deadhead city.

[post="229910"][/post]​

There is a letter of agreement regarding release from deadhead. You may request it, but it is subject to approval from crew schedule. Crew schedule must be able to control the number of releases from originating deadheads in the event that you would be needed to work your deadheading leg. You may not agree, but that's the reality of it. As far as pilots go, most of their requests go thru the flight office, not crew schedule.

This is the epitome of the miserable company employee relations at AA. :down:
The goodwill that will be generated by accommodating reasonable requests by crew members, which can be accommodated without negatively affecting staffing, will pay off in the long run.

The question of what is 'reasonable' can be answered many different ways. Let me give you an example of how what's 'reasonable' for one can be interpeted as a 'screw job' for another.

Let's assume that you're a LGA based reserve. You call your scheduler and ask if you could get a 3 day trip that originates at LGA since your crash pad is in Kew Gardens and gets back early on the 3rd day so you can commute home for your days off. The scheduler says, "Yeah, let me see what I can do, there seems to be alot of open time for tomorrow, I should be able to work something out."

The scheduler works his/her magic and poof, you got a 3 day LGA trip with an early return. Wow, what a nice person he/she is!! I wish all of them were as nice as him/her!!! :wub:

But wait....... :blink:

One of your friends just happens to be on reserve tomorrow too, good for three days, and has a wedding to go to in SEA on Thursday. Based on the number of hours your friend has flown, by the contract they were supposed to get that 3 day, early return trip. But since you made that phone call and talked real sweet to the scheduler, your friend got stuck with a 3 day out of EWR that doesn't get back until 2330 on Wednesday, and all the JFK-SEA flights are full Thursday morning.

You meet up with her for dinner later on that evening and she keeps going on and on about how she got hosed by crew schedule. :rant:

When f/a's wonder why schedulers sometimes won't help them with a 'reasonable' request, please keep the above scenario in mind. What's good for you isn't always what's good for your fellow co-worker(s).

I hope everyone has a good holiday.

-mjk

 

[FA Mikey]

That scenario is a bit of a stretch. Figuring there is only ONE open seq. with the time both want or need exists. That both hold the same quals and same days available, that both are friends and will be spending time together later to complain about crew schedule.

Here is something more plausible. Miami crew takes a short call to do a diverted 767 to GRU. Flight is scheduled to return to NY on Christmas day, with a scheduled 24 hour layover there. Most of the crew are good for 2 days or less and have asked to be able to DH back to base, waiving legalities, on arrival at JFK. Answer, no way we are not releasing today. Try to explain that we are not available to them until 230am to even be used. (two years ago double flying time off.) If we are home, we are still available to crew schedule at 230 at our own base for use and we would have the added bonus of spending Christmas with friends and family.

The decision was hold the crew in NY over Christmas and have them DH home next day. Hold a crew of 9 in NY City hotel for 24 hours. Who are not legal to fly till AM next day and if DH home and not used adds another 12.5 hours to there unavailability to be used. We got home the 26th at 10am not good to work until 1030pm with only 2 day available for all of us not going to be able to do S. America.

Too bad the decision to hold us in NY a fully staffed AA international and domestic crew base, was so black and white. It created ill will and wasted 9 flight attendants, and not less than 9 days of use by the company.

This is an example of wasted time resources and good will. Plus it really happened.