RUMOR CONTROL

[john john]

SA1 SA1
• Vacation Pass: Electronically credited in travel profile.
Allows employee and all accompanying family members one round-trip per pass. 2 trips per year per active
employee and 1 trip per year per retired employee.
• Standby Spousal Business Travel: Spouse or domestic partner of an active employee who is traveling with the
employee when the employee is traveling on company-approved positive space business travel. (Authorized
through employee’s department)
date of hire time of check-in
S2 SA2
• Emergency travel for retired employees.
• Wholly-owned US Express new hire/applicant.
date of hire time of check-in
S3 SA3
• Personal pleasure travel: active employees (including JS & EN Express employees )
• When traveling with an active employee: family members (spouse, domestic partners, dependents, registered
guest, parents/in-law) and/or guests pass travelers.
• When traveling with an employee on an SA1 pass: guest pass travelers
date of hire time of check-in
S4 SA4
• When traveling without the active employee: spouse, domestic partners dependents, registered guest and
parents/in-law of active employees.
• Personal pleasure travel: retirees (including JS & EN Express employees )
• When traveling with a retiree: family members (spouse, domestic partners, dependents, parents/in-law) and/or
guests pass travelers
• When traveling with retiree on an SA1 pass: retiree guest pass travelers
date of hire time of check-in
S5 SA5
• When traveling without the retiree: spouse, domestic partners dependents, parents/in-law of retirees.
• Personal pleasure travel: active and retired employees of affiliated, non-wholly owned US Express affiliates.*
• Employees on leave/furlough.
date of hire time of check-in
S6 SA6 • When traveling without the employee of a non-wholly owned US Express affiliate:* family members of the
active employee of a non-wholly owned Express carrier date of hire time of check-in
S6OA SA60 • Company business: other airlines time of check-in time of check-in
S7 SA7 • When traveling without an employee: guest pass travelers time of check-in time of check-in
S8** SA8** Unused at this time
S9 SA9
• Personal pleasure travel: other airlines.
• Applicant of non-wholly owned US Express affiliate carrier*.
time of check-in time of check-in
*Non-wholly owned US Airways Express affiliates are: Mesa, Air Wisconsin, Chautauqua, Trans States, Air Midwest, Republic

 

[PHX-F/A]

I have to admit, I come from the old school system of going on seniority but I've been doing some traveling on the AWA metal and kind of like the FCFS, being able to check-in 12 hours before and knowing where you are on the list is kind of nice. While I respect and appreciate our Senior employees I also agree that EVERYTHING cannot be on seniority especially since we need to start finding some common ground.

Wait until the day you may end up on the TSA no board list, then you can only check in at the airport in person, no kiosk either!

If you are on the no board list, all those people who checkin 12 hours in advance on the web are ahead of you, because the earliest you can check in live is 4 hours in advance.

Until the TSA comes up with a trusted travel program the keeps incocent people off that list BOARDING BY SENIORITY is the only way to be totally fair.

 

[SKY HIGH]

If it is true : one more things to WHINE about the rest of the month. Afterword something else will be. There will always be people who look for issues to complain about, instead of being happy that they are not out of the job. 2 years ago this time, US employees were talking about saving their job at any cost; now they have it... the demand and entitlement never ends....

SKY High states: This board can be a great resource for information. I posted it here because I knew the RUMOR OR FACT would be looked into by someone. This has nothing to do with whining or being greatful. I heard a decision had been made on an important issue and used the board to discuss it. I've enjoyed the pro's and cons of people's choices. This debate has been informative. And heck, during the last merger, Piedmont/USAir, we didnt have the internet as a resource. This time, it's helpful.

 

[etops1]

did anyone read my post?. it has not been made yet.

 

[rjh]

With seniority, you know exactly where you stand and if the above 2 courteousies are employed, you can rest easy as no one "more senior" can bump you at the last minute or while you are in the air on your way to a connecting flight.

That's the argument I don't get. HOW do you know where you stand with seniority? THere is nothing in Shares/Sabre or the ETC that shows the hire date of listed non-revs.

Granted, the ETC does not show the number of people by SA3P, etc . .but the old compass system does. In addition, when you check in for an HP flight (currenlty the only flights that use FCFS), you DO see how many people have checked in with your priority.

Even though the ETC doesn't show the number of people in each priority, you can easily access this through Shares, or by calling reservations.

With seniority, you have no way of knowing where you stnad until you get to the airport (unless you pull up every non-rev listing, and look up the hire date of each SA3P). Even if the ETC were modified to show your order in seniority, there can always be changes. Even with the "courtesies" mentioned, changes to the overall list could still happen up to 24 hours in advance.

 

[rjh]

Here is some food for thought. Many that are more senior commute from the west coast to the east coast. Not thousands like the west MEC let many to believe or didn't correct the rumor. If these more senior folks find it harder to commute to work they will only be forced to bid into PHX when it becomes available whether it be 6 months or 6 years. Other bigger airlines use FCFC true but they do not have the large amount of commuters in relation to their size as US east does. Though a decision has not been made yet, be careful what you wish for.

Some food for thought on commuters (I have nothing against them, but these are the facts as I see them):

1. Unless the commuter is most senior person at the company, they STILL take the risk of not getting on a flight. Once again, I have seen no evidence of how you can tell where you stand on a seniority-based list. When listing, you can get a general idea of when you need to check in for FCFS. When you actually check in for the flight, you know EXACTLY where you are within your priority.

2. Commuters can check in on-line, 12 hours ahead of time, just like everyone else. "But not all hotels offer internet access"--true, but in that case the commuter would be checking in for a flight at the END Of their trip--therefore, they are not in danger of missing work. OK< they may not get home as quickly as they like--that's the risk they take with commuting (yes, I know: the employee did not choose to have their base closed, but they DID choose to live in that city and commute).
OK, what about the commuter that doesn't have internet access at home and IS trying to get to work? Once again, their choce to commute. ANd if you have no computer, or no friends/family with a computer, go to Kinko's! Even at its slowest, you can check in for a flight in about 10 minutes (probably less, a lot fewer steps to check in than to list)--that's $2.00 at Kinko's

3. The vast majority of commuters are pilots & FA's. For those of you that tend to not read entire sentences, notice I said VAST MAJORITY. Pilots & FA's have options available to them that most employees don't: the jumpseat. IN addition, pilots can jumpseat (for free) on other airlines. If another employee wants to travel OAL, they have to pay.

 

[ClueByFour]

Wait until the day you may end up on the TSA no board list, then you can only check in at the airport in person, no kiosk either!

If you are on the no board list, all those people who checkin 12 hours in advance on the web are ahead of you, because the earliest you can check in live is 4 hours in advance.

Until the TSA comes up with a trusted travel program the keeps incocent people off that list BOARDING BY SENIORITY is the only way to be totally fair.

How many people with airline IDs do you suppose get put on the no-fly list?

I'd suggest that if you are on the no-fly list and have an airline ID that US should be able to either work with the TSA to fix it and/or notate it in their system for employee check in.

Boarding by seniority in this unlikely instance favors the senior over the junior--the senior can wait until 4 hours prior and then just show up. The junior is hampered.

Whereas if it's FCFS, both senior and junior employee on the no fly list are equally as screwed. Both unlikely and crappy, but more "fair" than a seniority based system (in this case).

Just out of curiosity, how many flight crew are on the list? I've never heard of it, and I have to believe AFA/ALPA would have raised a stink if it actually happened (I thought it might have happened to a cape air pilot a few years ago....)

 

[700UW]

It is not just about commuters, many people still don't have internet access and many people who are on vacation do not have access to the internet also, that is one of the reasons Seniority should be used.

 

[rjh]

It is not just about commuters, many people still don't have internet access and many people who are on vacation do not have access to the internet also, that is one of the reasons Seniority should be used.

I was responding to a post that specifically talked about commuters. I dont' believe that lack of ability to check in online is a valid argument for seniority--just my opinion.

 

[700UW]

If some people are able to check in via the internet and some people are not it is not a level playing field.

Seniorty based is fair, everyone goes by the same standard. Pay, Benefits, Vacation, jobs, shifts, days off and numerous other things goes by seniority and travel is on the east side.

If you don't have the internet how are you suppose check-in and give every employee the same opporunity?

 

[rjh]

If some people are able to check in via the internet and some people are not it is not a level playing field.

Seniorty based is fair, everyone goes by the same standard. Pay, Benefits, Vacation, jobs, shifts, days off and numerous other things goes by seniority and travel is on the east side.

If you don't have the internet how are you suppose check-in and give every employee the same opporunity?

The majority of people can get to the internet somehow: their own computer, a friend's, Kinko's. No, not everybody can do this ..but NOTHING in life is totally fair. There is also no ONE fair way of doing things--fair means different things to different people. Fariness is a matter of opinion. I don't think seniority is fair, becuase it's not fair to the person who showed up at the aiport 2 hours ahead of time, only to be bumped by someone who wansers up to the gate 30 minutes before departure. Travel is a benefit. .senior employees don't get better premiums on health insurance. And, as someone argued a while back: they also don't get to go to the front of the line at the credit union.

Like a previous poster stated, I just hope when a decision is made, that people on the "losing side" won't use this another excuse to #### & moan and be even more negative. What am I thinking .of course they will.

 

[Awa Contract]

but they do get the better days off - I do not like the new check in from home I like the old way that if you want to go bad enough you got off your butt and went to the airport and checked in 4 hours early - It leveled the playing field

 

[HPearlyretiree]

Seniority based ain't fair.

Admin employees and employees in jobs that have high turnover never get a fair shake at getting on a plane because some aged old FA who works one weekend every month or so wants to fly.

FCFS, you actually have to make an effort to be early, make an effort to try for flights where there is room, and all employees have the same sporting chance.

Employees in seniority based positions have a great benefit, they can choose the schedules they want and plan around that, newbies don't have that luxury.

It worked great at AWA for over 20 years.

 

[Breath_of_Fresh_USAirways]

That's the argument I don't get. HOW do you know where you stand with seniority? THere is nothing in Shares/Sabre or the ETC that shows the hire date of listed non-revs.

Granted, the ETC does not show the number of people by SA3P, etc . .but the old compass system does. In addition, when you check in for an HP flight (currenlty the only flights that use FCFS), you DO see how many people have checked in with your priority.

Even though the ETC doesn't show the number of people in each priority, you can easily access this through Shares, or by calling reservations.

With seniority, you have no way of knowing where you stnad until you get to the airport (unless you pull up every non-rev listing, and look up the hire date of each SA3P). Even if the ETC were modified to show your order in seniority, there can always be changes. Even with the "courtesies" mentioned, changes to the overall list could still happen up to 24 hours in advance.

You have no way of knowing where you stand with FCFS, either, when there's 30 SA3's listed and 30 SA3's checked-in and only 15 seats available!

Oh, I was under the assumption that Sabre showed your listing by seniorty date -- that has been my experience at other carriers. If you don't know where you rank seniority-wise, how good is that? What if you're at your destination and check loads -- you can't see how many people with more seniority are listed ahead of you? Then what good is it?

There will always be changes to the list -- it's non-revving for heavens sake! At least if you had to list at least 24 hours in advance (which wouldn't be a bad idea for FCFS, either) you know if you have a fighting chance, or not. I fear that if we go by seniority and I manage to get to PHL to catch a flight to wherever, that while I'm in the air between PHX and PHL that someone with more seniority will list and get on the plane -- just to bump me and other "youngsters". Also, if I've planned and gotten myself to PHL, I shouldn't be bumped while I'm in the air on my connecting flight if I listed and checked in hours ago. Of course, there's always changes -- cancels, pax from oal, etc -- but that's the risk every non-rev takes.

 

[Travelpro72]

Regardless of what some think about commuters is besides the point. A choice it may be but many do it here at US on the east side. If these commuters who are west coasters from PSA or whatever, have not left after all the crap that the company has put them through over the years. They will handle the FCFS if it goes that way. What I AM saying though is that when it DOES become possible to bid into PHX I'm sure some would take the positions there rather than deal with the new process if they found it harder to cross the country to get to work. Quite a few are waiting already. I couldn't care less either way to be perfectly honest. I did the commute and I wouldn't wish it on anyone to do. It definately blows. Though the choice has not been made public I think we (east and west) know the way it is going to go. Let's not kid ourselves. It's a change. LOOK, we on the east thought we would never be able to deal with the new reserve system but we are dealing. Not perfect by any means, downright horrible but we get by because WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. :unsure: