Flight Attendant Weekend Obligation/Restrictions EAST

[N109UW]

Do NOT...PLEASE...Do NOT let this happen!!! I beg you guys!!

This is how it goes down:

If you are scheduled to work weekends after SAP rewards are out (see bottom), you have to WORK weekends, even if you can improve off a weekend trip. BTW, You can drop your trip on the ETB to get off working weekends.

i.e. I am scheduled to work a 4 day trip Th-Sun. If I improve off that trip to say a 3 day over wed-Fri, the company holds you responible for working Sat. and Sun. They will put you on the list and assign you a trip if you do not leave a list of what you want to fly..REMINDER: You are only responsible for flying on the weekend days you are actually working.

We bid for what we call primary lines two months in advance. Right now we are bidding for February lines. After those are rewarded, we do what is called SAP (Schedule Adjustment Period)where we can drop trips we do not want down to 65 hours and increase to 90. This give the first chance to get rid of weekend trips if you don't want them.

After SAP awards are posted, thats what you have. If you are working the weekend, you can only get rid of those trips by using the ETB.

Secondary line bidding then starts where lines are built around open time. The company leaves 20% of open time for what we call the AIL (availabilty list), which gives one flexibility to pick up and drop trips on a day to day basis. Secondary lines are what they are. If you are rewarded a weekend secondary line, you are responsible for flying whatever day of the weekend it touches.

Then reserve line bidding comes out.

If you are a junior lineholder it is hard to get all weekends off. The reserves have started having the weekends off more now because we HAVE to work the weekends.

This is crazy. If I can improve to not work the weekend, I should be able to do so. But somewhere alone the way, the company thought we were short on the weekends. Now it is the opposite. It use to be the weekend trips were for the taking. You could get some sweet trips on the weekends. Forget it!! This system has but the junior f/a blockholders (for us 17-19 years) in a even worse position. Now the only way to get any good trips is off the ETB, which is pay NO credit. And then its hard to pick up because we most junior are stuck with difficult 4 day trips to try to drop.

Anyway, its a mess!! DON'T DO IT!! FIGHT IT TOOTH AND NAIL!!! :censored:

Are you kidding me. This is great. I am a RSV F/A in CLT and am loving it. I have Christmas off, becuase it is a Sunday. You BH are going to have to fly and I am FREAKIN loving it. More RSV's are getting weekends off, which is well deserved. With the old way, BH's flew during the week and RSV'a flew weekends. They did this to even out the flying during the whole week. With the old way, the weekend spiked with RSV use, which was bad. Alot of people actually like this way. Don't let LCC #1 cloud your thoughts on this. We RSV's hear the BH's piss and moan about stuff like this and we laugh. I tell them "That I wanted to be an Astronuat, but you know what, I got over it, so will you, now put yur head on my shoulder a cry some more". And on the ETB thing, bid RSV and that really good trip is above guantee. I bid weekends off now and pick up these sweet ETB 2 days on the weekends that BH's are trying to drop(can you imagine 50 extra pieces of candy in your wallet). Loving it.

 

[proudf/a]

Are any reserves breaking guarantee?

Dea

Certainly not in PIT. I have been on reserve since April, the most company time I have flown was in August I flew 2, 4 days for 43hrs.

 

[LCC_#1]

Are you kidding me. This is great. I am a RSV F/A in CLT and am loving it. I have Christmas off, becuase it is a Sunday. You BH are going to have to fly and I am FREAKIN loving it. More RSV's are getting weekends off, which is well deserved. With the old way, BH's flew during the week and RSV'a flew weekends. They did this to even out the flying during the whole week. With the old way, the weekend spiked with RSV use, which was bad. Alot of people actually like this way. Don't let LCC #1 cloud your thoughts on this. We RSV's hear the BH's piss and moan about stuff like this and we laugh. I tell them "That I wanted to be an Astronuat, but you know what, I got over it, so will you, now put yur head on my shoulder a cry some more". And on the ETB thing, bid RSV and that really good trip is above guantee. I bid weekends off now and pick up these sweet ETB 2 days on the weekends that BH's are trying to drop(can you imagine 50 extra pieces of candy in your wallet). Loving it.

Good for you! My beef isn't xmas anyway, but it is called senority, my friend. It doesn't mean much these days but it should be honored. I worked my years of weekends and shouldn't have ANYONE junior to me with them off over me if i choose to not work them.

You know, you should transfer over to west when you can. You will fit in there as MANY of them have the same disregard for senority that you seem to have..that is unless it somehow is to your disadvantage. :down: :down:

 

[tahitigirl]

Are any reserves breaking guarantee?

Dea

I haven't broken guarantee at all this year. I usually fly about 40hrs. a month. If you live in base and have other sources of income it's a great deal. For those who commute and have to support themselves it's terrible

 

[cltflyguy]

I haven't broken guarantee at all this year. I usually fly about 40hrs. a month. If you live in base and have other sources of income it's a great deal. For those who commute and have to support themselves it's terrible

I also know of a few people who are only getting around 35-40 hours a month. That is just so sad!!

Whats so exciting about working for a major airline if you have to have 3 other jobs to support yourself due to not being able to make your time. This system has got to change!! Ive already told a few of my friends that if call backs are done...to pass unless something changes with this system!! No one can live off 35-40 hours a month! :down:

 

[flygirl74]

Are any reserves breaking guarantee?

I have ZERO hours for this month (10+30) vacation if you want to get technical. Had 41 hours for Nov. I broke guarantee for Sep. and Oct. January will be tough as blockholders will try and make up for all that Xmas spending. I'm thinking Feb. I'll see guarentee.

 

[HPGUY]

I have heard the complete opposite. He does NOT want anything to do with our system. It is way to costly to the company. We have way to many reserves and way to much open time. Our system sucks!!!

Actually I think we can look to see a brand spanking new scheduling system.(As in software). I heard from the Director of Crew Resources that they have someone whose only job goal is to pick the best crew software for the new company.

 

[HPGUY]

I also know of a few people who are only getting around 35-40 hours a month. That is just so sad!!

Whats so exciting about working for a major airline if you have to have 3 other jobs to support yourself due to not being able to make your time. This system has got to change!! Ive already told a few of my friends that if call backs are done...to pass unless something changes with this system!! No one can live off 35-40 hours a month! :down:

As i stated previously in this posting, I believe we will be seeing a new scheduling system as the merger progresses. This in itself will solve a lot of the block availability issues US East is experiencing. I believe US East schedulers have been using paper scheduling as part of their process. (As someone with scheduling experience we should have new respect for the US East schedulers because that would be no easy task to move through everyday.) The system will no doubt be far more sophisticated and we will require far less reserves.

There are some things the FA group can ask for in the combined contract that would also solve some of these issues.

Such as FA pairings mirroring pilot pairings. Bad for FA group. Because the pilots have block time limits it limits the productivity of their trips.
Example: A US West FA can fly PHX-JFK-PHX one day trip worth approx 9hrs blk/credit. Because a pilot can only work 8 blk hrs in one duty period this trip is not possible for US East.

Let's pretend that US airways only flew PHX to JFK and back once a day. US west FAs would need one FA per day and that fa only need to work 10days per month for 90hrs of credit. US east would need 2 FA's per day, one to fly PHX-JFK and then overnight there and one to work the flight back. US east would have to work 20days out of the month for 90hrs.

To put it quite simply US East is partly suffering from the flip side of a "perk" they were awarded in their contract.

 

[LCC_#1]

To put it quite simply US East is partly suffering from the flip side of a "perk" they were awarded in their contract.

EXACTLY!! People complain about us breaking from the pilots but guess what trips are the most senior at US East? You got it, high time 1 day trips over 8 hours to the islands where we have an IRO.

I want to work harder while I'm out there, but less days.

 

[TheNewLowFare]

Can someone explain what you can about the "weekend restriction" rule?

Parker wants the WEST to adopt the EAST contract, and a lot of people are buzzing about Weekend Restriction without knowing the full details.

I am totally disgusted! If you think I'm going to adopt US Airways weekend restriction contract, you're out of your mind! I am not going to give up my flexibility, this is all we have! We are already the lowest paid flight attendants in the airline industry. They better not take away our flexibility! And they better not even touch my 6 week vacation, my full deadhead pay, cancellation pay etc! How are we going to get a decent paycheck if they take away that too? They better not or heads will roll!!!! We already gave up so much before! America West flight attendants, if you are OFF tommorow (Dec.16) We expect all of you to show up at the airport for picketing!!!!!! I'm livid.

 

[IpourNotCan]

Believe me. I will be there for the picketing tommorow! Bring it on!!!!


By the way, I've heard that US Airways cannot pick up ETB trips from other bases.

I think this :censored: ! My friend in Vegas picks up my ETB trips in phoenix sometimes.

I hope they don't put those retrictions!

My friend who works for Southwest drops all his trips in BWI and pick up trips in PHX since he is a commuter. I think tHey have one of most flexible scheduling system in the industry.

 

[PITbull]

Are you kidding me. This is great. I am a RSV F/A in CLT and am loving it. I have Christmas off, becuase it is a Sunday. You BH are going to have to fly and I am FREAKIN loving it. More RSV's are getting weekends off, which is well deserved. With the old way, BH's flew during the week and RSV'a flew weekends. They did this to even out the flying during the whole week. With the old way, the weekend spiked with RSV use, which was bad. Alot of people actually like this way. Don't let LCC #1 cloud your thoughts on this. We RSV's hear the BH's piss and moan about stuff like this and we laugh. I tell them "That I wanted to be an Astronuat, but you know what, I got over it, so will you, now put yur head on my shoulder a cry some more". And on the ETB thing, bid RSV and that really good trip is above guantee. I bid weekends off now and pick up these sweet ETB 2 days on the weekends that BH's are trying to drop(can you imagine 50 extra pieces of candy in your wallet). Loving it.

Thank Mollie McCarthy, PHL LECP and one of the negociators who did her damndest to protect the reserves. These few improvements in the reserve system that some appreciate came from her, including all the screens the reserves can see if c/s is violating the contract. The only raise coming anyones' way is reserve guarantee come Jan. 2006.

She's back December 2. If you see her give her a hand shake...she deserves this more than most will ever know...and I do.

 

[flygirl74]

Here at U, we can only pick up trips off of ETB in base. Also, if you are a reserve, there are some restrictions. If you have 3 days off, you can pick up a 3 day trip providing it leaves after 10 am and gets in before 6 pm. Transatlantic trips fall nicely into that parameter. 😀

 

[HPGUY]

Does anyone know the real purpose for this rule? One would assume it is staffing control but it doesn't seem logical.

 

[AstroLounge]

All I can say is hopefully the way the WEST operates is more efficeint than the way the East has resorted to in the last 2years. This Time Balancing of the Reserves is ludicrous.........many of them are struggling and there is NO WAY in Hell that customer service isn't effected by it- I would do the B-A-R-E minimum when I was drafted to work (most prefer to dodge working unless the trip is decent or resort to other "creative" means to avoid working.....if you are only getting 20-30hours would YOU care?) West better have a way to resolve this because morale needs a jump start!