FA schedule questions

peter

Newbie
Jul 31, 2003
3
0
I have some questions for the resident flight attendants on the boards...

1. When you bid for trips, do you bid for one package each month, and each package is a full month''s worth of flights with different cities, days off, etc. Or do you instead bid for all the individual different trips that you''d like to fly that month? i.e., do you bid for a set of trips or each individual trip?

2. When you bid, do you bid for a premium cabin position or a coach cabin position so that it is assigned to you, or is this selected based on seniority when the crew first gets together at the start of the trip (i.e., you don''t know in advance whether you''ll be working premium or coach)?

3. Do you specifically bid for Purser/1st Flight Attendant/Onboard Service Leader/Service Manager, etc., or is this the job of the most senior FA. What extra details does this entail?

4. Do you fly with the same crew for the length of a trip? i.e., if you are on a three day trip, will you be with the same fellow FA''s over the three days, or are you on your own and meet up w/ different FA''s for each flight segment?

5. Does each trip or package consist of the same aircraft type or can you switch around aircraft types (i.e., an A319 for the first leg of the day then switch to a 757)?

6. Can you bid domestic and/or international? Or are you assigned to a specific domestic or international assignment and can''t switch at a whim?

THANKS!!
 
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On 7/31/2003 9:58:27 PM peter wrote:

I have some questions for the resident flight attendants on the boards...

1. When you bid for trips, do you bid for one "package" each month, and each package is a full month's worth of flights with different cities, days off, etc. Or do you instead bid for all the individual different trips that you'd like to fly that month? i.e., do you bid for a set of trips or each individual trip?

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Each airline is different. AA each base gets a bid package. It contains anywhere from 2 to 40 pages of lines to bid. Each line is set up with flying, days off, and duty free periods.

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On 7/31/2003 9:58:27 PM peter wrote:

2. When you bid, do you bid for a premium cabin position or a coach cabin position so that it is assigned to you, or is this selected based on seniority when the crew first gets together at the start of the trip (i.e., you don't know in advance whether you'll be working premium or coach)?
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Again each carrier is different. Here we bid a line and a cabin position. You know before the month starts where, what and when you will be working.

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On 7/31/2003 9:58:27 PM peter wrote:

3. Do you specifically bid for Purser/1st Flight Attendant/Onboard Service Leader/Service Manager, etc., or is this the job of the most senior FA. What extra details does this entail?
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You bid purser and its awarded by seniority. Except for the best lines its likely to be a more junior rather than senior position. Extra details depends on the destination. In short you get the crap no one else wants to deal with.


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On 7/31/2003 9:58:27 PM peter wrote:

4. Do you fly with the same crew for the length of a trip? i.e., if you are on a three day trip, will you be with the same fellow FA's over the three days, or are you "on your own" and meet up w/ different FA's for each flight segment?
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The FAA minimum crew will almost always stay together.
Any one above that will sometimes change crews from leg to leg.

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On 7/31/2003 9:58:27 PM peter wrote:

5. Does each trip or "package" consist of the same aircraft type or can you switch around aircraft types (i.e., an A319 for the first leg of the day then switch to a 757)?

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I dont know of a limit of the number of A/C a flight attendant can be quaified on. Yes on a given day we can go from a 737 to a 757 and back again.

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On 7/31/2003 9:58:27 PM peter wrote:

6. Can you bid domestic and/or international? Or are you assigned to a specific domestic or international assignment and can't switch at a whim?

THANKS!!

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At this airline they are two different divisions. You start out domestic and based on openings and relative seniority at a base. You can go to the international side. Some times a proffer will go senior and some times very junior. Some bases are senior and others not so. You can be drafted in to the international operation based on your juniority. No one take the openings. The assign from the bottom of the list up.
 
This is my first post here. I work for one of the major carriers. I just am wondering why your wondering this information. I am happy to respond to your question, as it differs airline to airline. With the new information from the governement just wondering why you want to know.