jimntx
Veteran
The two contracts that the LCC FAs rejected actually had some pretty good duty day protections built in- the earlier your check-in, and the more takeoffs, the shorter the duty day. It is my understanding that the AA FA's do not have that type of protection in their recently ratified LBFO, is that correct?
Not exactly. We (domestic flight attendants) now have similar on-duty limitations as our International flight attendants as of the signing of the LBFO "contract." We used to have 3 separate sign-in "windows" with different duty limitations. Now there are two.
If sign-in 0600-2059, then scheduled/rescheduled maximum is 14 hours; operational on-duty maximum is 16 hours.
If sign-in 2100-0559, then scheduled rescheduled maximum is 12 hours; operational on-duty maximum is 14 hours.
In case you do not use same terminology, scheduled/rescheduled means when the sequence is created or a re-assignment occurs, the company can not create a flight sequence where you are on duty longer than the scheduled maximum. The on-duty maximum allows for situations where the last flight of the day has already started, but there is an unavoidable delay--such as diversion to a secondary airport to refuel, or in a holding pattern--and you need to finish that day.
This is all in transition because the company has finally decided to combine the domestic and International flight attendant corps as the rest of the airlines do, but this is going to take some time because they also are changing over to preferential bidding, and that software needs to be installed and operational first.
Domestic on-duty limits are now the same as International "Non-Long-Range" flying. International long range maximums are 16 scheduled, 18 on-duty. Long-range is such as Chicago to New Delhi, DFW to Narita. There's also an extended long-range, but you don't really want to know that one. (It starts with a possible 20 hour scheduled maximum. Eww.)