Latest Numbers on the VBR & OVL's

[czerny]

Here are the latest numbers for VBR's and OVL's as of July 16, 2008.


Overage Leave Requests DOM INTL:

BOS D-10 I-3
DCA D-6 I-2
DFW D-46 I-3
LAX D-27 I-4
MIA D-33 I-15
NYC D-53 I-37
ORD D-28 I-9
RDU 0
SFO D-23 I-0
SLT 14

TOTAL D-240 I-73


As far as the VBR, the numbers are as follows:

· 135 total F/As
· By base & division:

BOS-4
D-3
I-1

DCA-6
D-6

DFW-23

IDF-25

IMA-11

IOR-15

JFK-9

LAX-15
D-3
I-12

LGA-15

ORD-5

SFO-7
D-5
I-2


I don't see SLT or RDU in here - I don't know if that is an error, or if they have not received any VBR requests.

Anyone who wants the VBR will be granted one. As long as you qualify with the following: 50 years of age with 15 years of seniority

Remember that all requests are due by 1030 on Monday, July 21st. Please do not wait until the last minute, as I am sure the system will be extrememly busy Sunday night/Monday morning. There are no ifs, ands or buts about this deadline - If you do not have it in by Monday morning, there is no way to try and request a waiver.

Thank you, thank you! I still have a job! Many thanks to every single person that has put in for OVL/BTR and Partnership flying. Thanks for saving my job and many others. Now, I'm personally not projecting past December but I'm hopeful that there will not be another round. But, you never know.
Good luck to all!!!

 

[Bulldog63]

The numbers posted can be deceiving. Those requesting a leave of less than one year need to be combined with another Flight Attendant requesting a larger block to create a year. Basically only those requesting a full year are guaranteed being awarded the overage leave.

I am sure these numbers were posted to relieve some stress of those subject to furlough. I suggest waiting until the actual numbers are announced on Monday, before jumping to any conclusions.

 

[AAStew]

I found someone to partner fly with. Hopefully it won't be denied! (I am a FR speaker and they threw the Word "Operational Necessity" in to cover anything and everything.

 

[Veritas]

Bonne chance.

 

[kirkpatrick]

Some new unofficial numbers indicate the 900 may have almost been reached. I'm hoping for confirmation soon.

Check your HI6 for new info which allows FA's released from furlough to take OVL's and partnerships, thus saving a few more jobs (if needed).

MK

 

[AAStew]

I am back to the drawing board looking for a partner.... I wish flight attendants would look to their contract and the AA & APFA sites for information as opposed to galley gossip.

 

[coldplay]

I wish flight attendants would look to their contract and the AA & APFA sites for information as opposed to galley gossip.

But if we did that we'd be more confused than a 6 year old tackling an Algebra problem.
Our Contract: too many gray areas that requires you to call APFA, only to have the person answering the call to confuse you even more because they also have no idea. they'll say they'll pass it on to someone who knows the answer and then you never hear from them again or after you get the answer from galley gossip.

AA sites: All BS and rah-rah go team hogwash.

APFA site: a day late and $300 million short.

It's such a sad state of affairs when We get more up to date and straight to the point answers from galley gossip intead of places designed to give you the answers.

 

[FA Mikey]

Anyone know when and where awards will be posted for the leaves?

 

[jimntx]

Bear in mind that what I am about to post is piecemeal info garnered from more than one source.

1. Now that the proffer windows have closed, the first thing they will look at are 12mo overage leaves of absence (OLA). All, up to 900, will be awarded regardless of base. No fear, there were not that many proffers for the full 12 months.
2. Next, they look at combining the partial year OAL proffers--i.e., combine a 9mo with a 3 mo.--to make 1 12mo OAL.
3. The VBRs are being handled by HR; so, who knows when that result will be out. However, I heard today that the final number of proffers for the VBR was between 200 and 250.

If they still don't have the 900 covered, then they will look at partnership flying. I heard today that the combination of 1,2, and 3 is in the range of 700. But, that depends upon who you talk to. I think that one person I talked to is combining the OLAs and the VBRs and calling it all OLAs. Can't do that.

Also, I heard of a problem with partnership flying--not from a company, but a f/a standpoint. It seems that a lot of f/as are confusing partnership flying with buddy bidding--i.e., that the partnership will hold whatever the junior partner can hold. Some senior f/as wouldn't sign up for partnership because they thought that if they were paired with a junior f/a, they would be subject to reserve again.

In fact, it is just the opposite. In partnership flying, the partnership holds whatever the senior partner can hold. If the senior partner is not subject to reserve, then neither is the junior partner for the duration of the partnership. Wish I didn't have a kitchen floor to replace, and could afford to fly part-time for the next 12 months!

I also heard today that if they get within 200 of mitigating all the furloughs, the union is going to try to get the company to deal with the overage temporarily and let attrition take care of that number. 200 would probably be covered before the end of the year.

 

[ReadyNow]

But if we did that we'd be more confused than a 6 year old tackling an Algebra problem.
Our Contract: too many gray areas that requires you to call APFA, only to have the person answering the call to confuse you even more because they also have no idea. they'll say they'll pass it on to someone who knows the answer and then you never hear from them again or after you get the answer from galley gossip.

AA sites: All BS and rah-rah go team hogwash.

APFA site: a day late and $300 million short.

It's such a sad state of affairs when We get more up to date and straight to the point answers from galley gossip intead of places designed to give you the answers.

If Airline mgmt is so horrible and airline industry sucks and union sucks...why doesn't everyone quit and work at a job they enjoy...it's depressing to read this board about how horrible the airlines are, yet everyone still works there....I don't get it. I am not in airline biz, but I fly them a lot....

 

[frontline]

If Airline mgmt is so horrible and airline industry sucks and union sucks...why doesn't everyone quit and work at a job they enjoy...it's depressing to read this board about how horrible the airlines are, yet everyone still works there....I don't get it. I am not in airline biz, but I fly them a lot....

Seniority is one reason why. Because of that perverse part of the industry, we are somewhat wedded to the company.

I do agree about the whining, though. There seems to be a lot of it. Irrationality, too. We should bargain hard for the best deal, but keep in mind that the best deal today is not the same as the best deal would be with profits flowing in. It's tough to find that balance between self-interest and realism, but if we don't the consequences will be dire.

 

[jimntx]

3. The VBRs are being handled by HR; so, who knows when that result will be out. However, I heard today that the final number of proffers for the VBR was between 200 and 250.

Hot off the HI6 messages...

21JUL08/1817
********************************************************
FLIGHT ATTENDANT VBR --- OPEN UNTIL 2300 7/21
********************************************************
.
WE ARE DOWN TO THE WIRE TO ENTER THE REQUESTS FOR
THE VBR. AS OF EARLIER TODAY, 240 HAD ENTERED THEIR
REQUESTS.
.
THE NAMES FOR THOSE ACCEPTED FOR THE VBR WILL BE
ANNOUNCED ON 7/23.
.
DFW FLIGHT SERVICE ......... 7/21

 

[eolesen]

Floating a couple hundred heads over might be reasonable for a few months.

But also consider (which Dave already mentioned) that a fair number of those FA's who signed up for the VBR and overage leaves are probably the same ones who would have left via normal attrition means.

If there was really that much confusion over the partnership flying, is there any reason they couldn't re-proffer that option? Is it always available, or only as an alternative to furloughs?

 

[Veritas]

21JUL08/1817
********************************************************
FLIGHT ATTENDANT VBR --- OPEN UNTIL 2300 7/21
********************************************************
.
WE ARE DOWN TO THE WIRE TO ENTER THE REQUESTS FOR
THE VBR. AS OF EARLIER TODAY, 240 HAD ENTERED THEIR
REQUESTS.
.
THE NAMES FOR THOSE ACCEPTED FOR THE VBR WILL BE
ANNOUNCED ON 7/23.
.
DFW FLIGHT SERVICE ......... 7/21

The 240 figure was as of 08:00 CST, July 20, according to the Voluntary Bridge to Retirement page on Jetnet. Surely there have been a few additional requests since then.

 

[jimntx]

Floating a couple hundred heads over might be reasonable for a few months.

But also consider (which Dave already mentioned) that a fair number of those FA's who signed up for the VBR and overage leaves are probably the same ones who would have left via normal attrition means.

If there was really that much confusion over the partnership flying, is there any reason they couldn't re-proffer that option? Is it always available, or only as an alternative to furloughs?

Normal attrition wasn't taken into account this time because the company has been carrying this overage for some time. The recalls within the past year were in anticipation of sizable proffers for International. If you will remember there were supposed to be substantial increases in International flying. The increases didn't happen because of the precipitous rise in jet fuel prices.

Yes, some of the VBRs are people who were planning to leave anyway. I know of at least one who is leaving a few months earlier than planned. She has been eligible for full retirement for a few years already. She decided to take the VBR, collect her $15,000 (before taxes) and then retire. However, the company needed them to leave now, not just "some time in the near future." By leaving now, they are saving the job of a more junior f/a. Good on them.
2nd question first:
It is available only as a furlough mitigation option. The company did away with part-time flying in 2003 under the RPA. There used to be part-time lines on the bid sheet each month. No more.

1st question:
As a matter of fact, one of my sources asked the same question of the person in charge of all this in Flight Service. The response was something to the effect of "They didn't understand it. Too bad. I guess they are SOL. That option will not be re-opened."