July Reserve Changes

[AAStew]

Has anyone seen the new reserve changes available through July? Some thru September? Of course it will help the sicklist stay lower, but why not all year? I would love to be able to TT my reserve days! Seems that only the July reservists will be ablt to do this! The APFA and the Company just don't get it......Reserve Supplemental Flying When Considered “Regularly Scheduled” – From June 23rd through September 30th, a reserve flight attendant who has met certain conditions to be considered a “regularly scheduled” flight attendant, may be eligible for Option II, Sick Make-up, Make-up, Optional Exchange or Voluntary Purser flying (settlement)



Reserve Average Daily Utilization Test – During the first 10 days of the contractual month of July (July 2-11), we will test a relaxed reserve average daily utilization range to allow more reserve flight attendants to fall into range, thus allowing more possibilities to be assigned a trip using his/her reserve preferences



Reserve Trip Trade Test - From July 2 through July 31, we will enhance the reserve provisions of Article 10 in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by allowing flight attendants to trade a reserve trip assignment with another reserve or a line holder



Use of Domestic Flight Attendants for International Option II



Use of International Flight Attendants for Domestic Option II


Option II/Limited Option II requests HISEND

 

[s80dude]

I really don't see this working at DFW-D. IDF doesn't use HIBOARD so to pick up you have to "buy" your trip from a bid service. Domestic uses HIBOARD like crazy and most bid services do not charge you to pick up trips they have posted in HIBOARD. Look on any given day that Option II is open and you will see very few domestic flight attendants taking those trips. Just my opinion.

 

[Skymess]

Has anyone seen the new reserve changes available through July? Some thru September? Of course it will help the sicklist stay lower, but why not all year? I would love to be able to TT my reserve days! Seems that only the July reservists will be ablt to do this! The APFA and the Company just don't get it......Reserve Supplemental Flying When Considered “Regularly Scheduledâ€￾ – From June 23rd through September 30th, a reserve flight attendant who has met certain conditions to be considered a “regularly scheduledâ€￾ flight attendant, may be eligible for Option II, Sick Make-up, Make-up, Optional Exchange or Voluntary Purser flying (settlement)
Reserve Average Daily Utilization Test – During the first 10 days of the contractual month of July (July 2-11), we will test a relaxed reserve average daily utilization range to allow more reserve flight attendants to fall into range, thus allowing more possibilities to be assigned a trip using his/her reserve preferences
Reserve Trip Trade Test - From July 2 through July 31, we will enhance the reserve provisions of Article 10 in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by allowing flight attendants to trade a reserve trip assignment with another reserve or a line holder
Use of Domestic Flight Attendants for International Option II
Use of International Flight Attendants for Domestic Option II
Option II/Limited Option II requests HISEND

Blah, blah, blah. They are only going to do what helps them. Reserve preferences don't so I find it doubtful that this will have top priority.

I just finished my wonderful reserve month here at JFK. I feel like a wrung out sponge. It was a horrible, garbage, month. It is amazing that I can fly 100 hours in 12 days on a line month, but they can't even get me past 72 hours on 20 reserve days. Lots of productive time use there.

 

[Garfield1966]

The preference range has been extended to 25 hours verses 6 so they should be honored more frequently as long as manning and flights allow.

I cannot keep it straight. We fly reservs 85 hours and they #### because they are working to hard. We can't fly you to 72 hours and they #### becasue they can't fly enough. Good lord I'm getting dizzy. I guess if we are not flying you enought we can always lay off more people to tighten up the manning.

 

[FA Mikey]

Everyone likes something different, so there will always be someone unhappy.

 

[MiAAmi]

Everyone likes something different, so there will always be someone unhappy.

And there are flight attendants that would B@#$% about any change whether it was an improvement or not. Just like the people who can't seem to grasp the new OSR that every waiter at a restaurant seems to manage pretty well with.

 

[AAStew]

Garfield,
You may have hit the nail on the head! I know lot's of f/a's at JFK who WANT to fly at least 85 if not 120 hours a month h34r: argh....
Yet there a quite a few who would rather be passed over. I am willing to lose my guarantee if I could have this flexibility. The problem is there are so many commuters who just sit there all month long to fly 40-45 hours like I did in May! I would of rather forsaken the pay in order to pass it to someone who wants to fly! I would rather sit standby once a week than sit in an expensive hotel room to not be called, or the alternative sit at home and risk being called and getting a missed trip!

 

[Skymess]

Garfield,
You may have hit the nail on the head! I know lot's of f/a's at JFK who WANT to fly at least 85 if not 120 hours a month h34r: argh....
Yet there a quite a few who would rather be passed over. I am willing to lose my guarantee if I could have this flexibility. The problem is there are so many commuters who just sit there all month long to fly 40-45 hours like I did in May! I would of rather forsaken the pay in order to pass it to someone who wants to fly! I would rather sit standby once a week than sit in an expensive hotel room to not be called, or the alternative sit at home and risk being called and getting a missed trip!

I'm with you. I have proposed changes to reserve that would include high time vs. low time lines to the union with no luck. They apparently looked into it but couldn't figure out how to handle it if nobody wanted the high time lines, or the low time lines, and others were stuck with it.

Garfield, I am not bi*tching because I got only 72 hours. I am bi*tching because it took you guys 20 flipping days to get me there. There's no reason that it should take 20 days to fly a measly 72 hours and to use me every one of the days I have available. It's beyond ridiculous.

I wouldn't be complaining if I could get some days off and then wind up with 72 hours. But no, I have to get no trip at 7 and a bunch of middle of the night/day calls to be at the airport immediately to get j*rked around all day and get paid 5 credit hours. If you are going to call me to work than I would at least like to work something that made it worth my while to leave my house. And if we wanted to fly domestic trips we would resign international and fly domestic trips that we picked.

Deadheading around all day is not exactly the greatest gig either, especially in the summertime. The flights are full, the planes are delayed, and people are pissed. If I heard one "your airline sucks" story I have heard them all this month. People see that you are trapped in the seat next to them and they love to stick the knife in and make you as miserable as they are. As if I enjoy getting stuck in the airport all day, buying 10 dollar stale bread sandwiches, and flying on an MD-80 in the middle seat. Yeah, that's why I got this job. Woo-hoo. MD-80 E seat by the engine. Right on! Thank you sir, may I have another?

 

[Garfield1966]

I'm with you. I have proposed changes to reserve that would include high time vs. low time lines to the union with no luck. They apparently looked into it but couldn't figure out how to handle it if nobody wanted the high time lines, or the low time lines, and others were stuck with it.

Garfield, I am not bi*tching because I got only 72 hours. I am bi*tching because it took you guys 20 flipping days to get me there. There's no reason that it should take 20 days to fly a measly 72 hours and to use me every one of the days I have available. It's beyond ridiculous.

I wouldn't be complaining if I could get some days off and then wind up with 72 hours. But no, I have to get no trip at 7 and a bunch of middle of the night/day calls to be at the airport immediately to get j*rked around all day and get paid 5 credit hours. If you are going to call me to work than I would at least like to work something that made it worth my while to leave my house. And if we wanted to fly domestic trips we would resign international and fly domestic trips that we picked.

Deadheading around all day is not exactly the greatest gig either, especially in the summertime. The flights are full, the planes are delayed, and people are pissed. If I heard one "your airline sucks" story I have heard them all this month. People see that you are trapped in the seat next to them and they love to stick the knife in and make you as miserable as they are. As if I enjoy getting stuck in the airport all day, buying 10 dollar stale bread sandwiches, and flying on an MD-80 in the middle seat. Yeah, that's why I got this job. Woo-hoo. MD-80 E seat by the engine. Right on! Thank you sir, may I have another?

I was not necessarily referring to you specifically. Sorry if it came across that way. I understand what you are saying. I have heard it several times. What we do up here is by no means a science. Our job, in it’s purest form is to make sure all positions on a flight are covered by one of you guys. We full fill our job with in the guide lines of the contract. The problem I see with your idea is what if I don’t have enough people to cover what I need. It’s like the preferences people complain about when they don’t get what they want. I had a FA up here a few weeks ago doing EPT’s and she was complaining about the preferences. I showed her the SBY list I had. I happen to be working LGA that day. I showed her that on that particular day I have 7 EWR trips open and only 3 FA’s who had EWR as their preference. What that meant is that 4 FA’s were going to be pissed. It’s plain and simple.

I know we all have wish lists to make our job easier. I have a few of my own. But all these changes add IMO, to what is already a complex system. Adding another division with in RSV adds another layer of crap that we will all need to wade through to get thing covered. Will your idea work, may be yes, will it make your life and the lives of other easier, yes maybe so. Do we really need to custom fit every job to every person to make them happy? I say I don’t think so. I joined up with AA knowing full well I would not see my family for a holiday for decades. I knew what I was getting into as did most of us. Part of being a FA is to sit reserve. You don’t like it but it’s part of the job. I don’t what to sound like a PIA but suck it up. I don’t mean that in a mean way, honest. I just wish people would take the bad with the good and just deal with it. I have heard so many ideas, to make life easier. Well, start your own airline and give it a spin.

I have mentioned this a few times. Come up here on a light slow day and then come up here on a OS day. I know it’s not the best way to spend a day off but if you want to see what we do, why we do what we do, and that there is no "black book" no screw over these FA’s first list, then come on over. It is not a perfect system, but unless you have a SIMPLER system that is better, I don’t know what to tell you. I sure as hell do not want any more complexity added to my job than is already there. We have a hard enough time figuring out what we can and cannot do as it is.

 

[operaations]

I just got back from Vacation and was just briefed on the July reserve changes. It is my understanding that they will actually open up preferences unlimited. If it works as I think it will than it will stay. If it bombs than back to the strict almost impossible preferences.

TT for reserves....another good idea but can backfire real easy. Please be fair and not dirty and make sure both parties agree to the reserve tt because as long as you are in tt mode only one person needs to request the trade for it to happen. I would hate for a person 2 hours from EWR for a 0500 sign in get swap it to an unsuspecting reserve.

I truly hope these enhancements make reserve life a little more bearable. But the truth of the matter is Reserve sucks.

 

[jimntx]

But, Scheduling so far is proving to be the same ole, same ole for July.

Example:

I am on reserve in July and I have a fly-through that does not terminate until 2342 on 02JUL. And, 02JUL is my 5th straight day of flying.

There are as always problems with coverage on the 4th of July. I am good for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th. However, I am not good until 1157 on the 3rd, and if they use me that day, I have a 7-day legality on the 4th.

Now, Scheduling called tonight to tell me they had moved my moveable day off until the 4th. What a waste. They could have saved that moveable day for later in the month when they might need me to fly or to prevent a legality problem. I was going to have the 4th off anyway if they used me or even put me on ready reserve for that half a day on the 3rd.

I suggested to the Scheduler that they release me for that half-day on the 3rd and then I would be good for both the 4th and the 5th. I don't mind flying on the 4th at all.

But no, that won't do. They much prefer to do it their way. They would rather have me good for 1/2 day and a single day on the 5th than 2 consecutive days. Go figure.

Now, I can assure you that they will probably start calling me early on the 3rd to give me an afternoon turn. As it will be in my legal rest period, I will not answer the phone. Then, they will give me a missed trip. Then, when I call in at 1157, I will have to once again refer them to Article 10, Section F, paragraph 11 of the CBA that specifies that I do not have to maintain contact with scheduling during my legal rest periods whether I have sent them a "do not disturb" HISEND or not. Then they will have to remove the missed trip.

In the meantime there will be no trips in Open Time by then and I will sit Ready Reserve for the rest of the day and I will have the 4th off despite trying to show them a way to use me that day. As they say, this ain't my first rodeo.

 

[Garfield1966]

jim,

Ops will correct me if I am wrong but I believe there are a few things missing.

M2 - since you have a 7D on the 4th, we are (as far as I know) required to use the M2 on that day (I got busted for this way back when because no one told us this). The only way we can move it to a day other than that is with your permission BUT, it must still eliminate the 7D issue. In other words, if you say it is OK, we could move it to the 3rd. It cannot be moved to the 2nd because it is a partial day. 3rd/4th are our only options. If we release you, and keep the M2 where it is, you may or may not have another legality that it could be used for. Assuming your M2 was on lets say the 10th, once it is 12n on the 9th we can no longer use it so you get an extra day off. We use the M2 at the first opportunity as we do not know if it will be needed again or if it can be used again. If you have a legality issue later in the month, we can always release you if you are not legal. 90% of our legalities are in the beginning of the month. Personally, I would have asked you to move it to the 3rd but I have been told to stuff it so many times that I have become quite sick of it.

Releases – again, as far as I am aware, releases for reserves must be a mid-to mid release. Partial day releases are not recognized by fos and the 7D will not be eliminated.

It is not our first Rodeo either. In most cases, were are both screwed by an over burdensome poorly written, poorly thought out contract that is the result of anger and stubbornness that it ends up screwing both parties.

If you can get letters oking us to release for partial days and move the M2 when ever the legality arises, we will be more than happy to accommodate you (assuming the scheduler has a clue what they are doing and not pissed off).

 

[jimntx]

jim,

Ops will correct me if I am wrong but I believe there are a few things missing.

M2 - since you have a 7D on the 4th, we are (as far as I know) required to use the M2 on that day (I got busted for this way back when because no one told us this). The only way we can move it to a day other than that is with your permission BUT, it must still eliminate the 7D issue. In other words, if you say it is OK, we could move it to the 3rd. It cannot be moved to the 2nd because it is a partial day. 3rd/4th are our only options.

Gar, my point is just that. It makes no sense to use up the moveable day when the result is the same, I am unavailable to the company on the 4th. And, since crew planning in its infinite wisdom has loaded up the bid sheet with 2-day trips, that wastes the opportunity to use me on a 2-day on the 4th and 5th. So, you eliminated a 7-day legality. You still did not increase coverage by one single hour.

You do not have to release me for a partial day. All you would have to do is show released for the 3rd. The fact that I wasn't good for half that day would be coincidental--particularly if the scheduler I talked with last night had taken my suggestion and released me for the 3rd then. The HI1 would not have shown a duty free "roll" to 1157 on the 3rd at that point. I'm not saying that you are not doing the best job you can do, but I would love to hear management's justification for burning a little bit of YOUR flexibility to give me a day off that I was going to get anyway.

 

[Garfield1966]

I might be missing something. I am a visual person. I need to see the skd for things to make sense but I’ll give it a try.

OK, you get in at 12n on the 3rd. You are not good for us on the 3rd due to legal rest. You are reserve 4-5. If I am understanding you , you want us to put a release in for the 3rg and then just not plot anything on the 4th till 12n. Assuming I have that part right, I will tell you why it won’t work. I’ll try and test this with one of the 7d’s I have in front of me later and let you know what I find. Anyway, Decs/fos looks at a rsv line different than a line holder. Decs will allow me to put in a release for the balance of the 3rd and till 12n on the 4th. How ever, it will not read it as satisfying the 7D legality. The only thing that will satisfy a 7D is a full24 hr release (M2 or release) from 12m to 12m. Regardless of how it is accomplished, you are off the 3rd and the 4th just due to the nature of the beast. I think you understand that according to the end of your post.

Given the fact that you will be off on those two days regardless, it is better for us to move the M2 than to release you simply because the day we move the M2 off of, is a day that you will be reserve.

I am not sure this was our idea as it is far more restrictive to us but I could be wrong. Your right in that it does screw us as do a lot of the provisions in the contract and they end up screwing you guys as well. For example, we cannot reassign a line holder till they sign in. I may know 3 or 4 hours ahead of time that the only option I have to cover this trip is to reassign someone. You’re on a turn and I’m going to put you on a 2day or vice versa. Wouldn’t you rather know before you leave the house that you need to pack for an extra night or that you will be home a night sooner? There are lots of examples like that. Makes not sense but the powers that be won’t budge. I was told the 4p clear sick time is just a random time that was picked a long time ago. We have asked repeatedly to clear it earlier and are just told no. My understanding from some of those involved is it is just because we want it. No valid reason. Hell it would even help you guys by giving more options for AVBL and the 1st round of MU but what ever.

Let me know if I missed something.

 

[jimntx]

I might be missing something. I am a visual person. I need to see the skd for things to make sense but I’ll give it a try.

OK, you get in at 12n on the 3rd. You are not good for us on the 3rd due to legal rest. You are reserve 4-5.

Now I know why your answer didn't make sense...

No, I get back to STL at 2342 on the 2nd. With 15 minute debrief, my legal rest extends to 1157 on the 3rd. That was my point...why not release me for the 3rd then between my half-day legal rest + half-day release, I am totally good for the 4th and the 5th.

Given the fact that you will be off on those two days regardless, it is better for us to move the M2 than to release you simply because the day we move the M2 off of, is a day that you will be reserve.

True, but then it will be the 5th day of a block of 5. The way things have been going, you might end up having to release me for a 30 in 7. Also, I am good for the last day of the month. Just increases the chances of my maxxing out and not being good for that day.