Assignment of Open Premium

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assignmentAs we all know, during the operation, flight schedules can fall apart, and while frustrating, reassignments are part of our job. To protect our rights during reassignment, the company is obligated to follow the provisions outlined in our Contract.

When United’s operation causes all, or part of our ID(s) to cancel, resulting in a misconnect, or becoming illegal for our scheduled trip; our Contract outlines procedures for reassignment. Sections 8.J. for domestic and 12.I. internationally apply when at your home domicile. Sections 9.I. and 9.K apply for reassignments away from home domestically, and 12.Q. and 12.R. for the international operation when away from home.

Section 9.F.7. of our Contract which provides the guidelines to fill an open Purser position. Whether in a briefing on or off the aircraft, filling of Open Purser positions are filled as follows:

  1. The most senior Purser qualified Flight Attendant who elects to fill the position
  2. By the most junior qualified Reserve
  3. By the Flight Attendant who picked up the position through Open Flying process
  4. By the Most junior purser qualified Flight Attendant on board
  5. By the most junior Reserve

Section 9.F.7.b.
In the event there are no reserves on board, the most junior Lineholder will be involuntarily assigned to the open premium position(s).

In the event there are no Reserves on board the most junior Lineholder will be involuntarily assigned to the open position. In some cases you may have two junior Lineholders and a senior Reserve. The senior Reserve will be involuntarily assigned to the open position.

Once Filled, Remains Filled

Once the purser position is filled it is held by the person assuming it at briefing until she or he leaves the crew, even if she or he has not yet completed one year of service.  This means that a Flight Attendant who is purser qualified or more senior may not take the position from a non-qualified or more junior Flight Attendant who has assumed the purser duties and is mid-sequence of an ID. 

First Segment Assignment

Remember that the open purser position may be filled by any Flight Attendant on the first segment of an ID, even if the most senior Flight Attendant qualified who wishes to work the position is on a different ID or mid-sequence in her/his own ID that started in a different domicile. 

Again, follow the provisions of Section 9.F.7. and instructions on FAIM Supplement page 23 when filling open premium positions at briefing.

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