Frequently Asked Questions

Section 7.B.12 indicates that in order to be eligible to bid a line, a Flight Attendant must be available for no less than fifteen (15) consecutive days of the bid period. Does a vacation absence resulting in availability of less than fifteen (15) days preclude a Flight Attendant from bidding a line?

A Flight Attendant with vacation is not impacted by this provision.

When the incentive pay rate, International, or Purser pay rates are added to the base pay, is that total used as part of the holiday pay calculation?

No.  Holiday pay is calculated using the Section 4.A. Base Pay Rates.

If I pick up an out of base pairing departing from an International Base, can I jetway trade the return segment?

Yes, provided the jetway trade complies with all of the provisions of Section 7.P.

How do I indicate my preference for a Vacation Relief Line during the primary line bid?

According to the Bidding and Awards Guide (pg 24), you may enter “RLF” to bid all Vacation Relief Lines (Domestic and International) or you may enter the specific line numbers, or line number ranges, identified as Vacation Relief Lines.

When there is no Language Qualified Flight Attendants assigned to a given flight, can a Language Qualified Flight Attendant who speaks the designated language(s) of that flight and who is also working a non-language pairing, be required to make language announcements?

Yes.  A Flight Attendant who is qualified in the designated language of the flight must make the required announcements on the flight.  

If the value of the pairing being brought into the new schedule month is greater than the value associated with the pairing being dropped, am I subject to adjustment?

No.

Can I be awarded a move-up line in a month where I have vacation?

Yes.

Does Scheduling make an effort to honor the days off from my original reserve line award?

Yes. Scheduling does make an effort, consistent with the recommendations of the Local Schedule Committee as outlined in Section 30.L.2.b. to place pairings on days originally scheduled to the extent open flying exists to do so.  A Reserve may specify up to four (4) of their scheduled days off as protected days.   Reserve move-up lines will not be built until the company is able to honor the specified Reserve protected days.

In a month where I have vacation, can Scheduling place flying on days off preceding and following the vacation days in my original reserve line award (sacred days)?

Yes. When Reserve Move-up lines are built, vacation and any protected days designated by the Flight Attendant will be placed in the line.  Trips will be filled in to complete the line.  It is important to understand that any days off preceding or following the vacation days that were in the original Reserve line are not considerate as sacred days for the purpose of building the Reserve Move-up line.However, once the Reserve Move-up line is completed, any days off in the completed Reserve Move-up line that are preceding or following the vacation are then considered as sacred days. 

On the seniority trade day, are there allotments, as to a limit on how many trades can be accomplished, as we do on the sub UA side?

There is no limit to the number of trades that can be accomplished. However, trading is based on the Reserve Availability Pool. The Reserve Availability Pool works similar to the allotment concept in that it may prevent you from trading out of a trip when the pool is negative. However, you may be able to trade using Bad Day Worse Day. Please review the Trip Trades & Adjustments Guide as well as JCBA Section 7 for additional information.

My base has Reserve A/B rotation. How will it work when pairings from our line month carry over into days off into a reserve month?

If the overlap trip is part of the original line or is picked up or traded into before the new month’s schedule is loaded, the reserve days off shall be restored on days mutually agreed upon by Scheduling and the Flight Attendant. If the overlap trip is picked up or traded into any time after the new month’s schedule has been loaded, any reserve days off will not be restored.

If an International Purser Reserve is given an assignment, and there is an International Purser who is opted out for the month, working in a non-International Purser position on the crew list, can the Purser who opted out, Senior Opt the Reserve?

No. The Purser must be active in the International Purser base.

I was awarded a line with the minimum of ten (10) days off and am scheduled to attend CQ (due month). Am I expected to pick up a CQ pairing on my day(s) off?

Flight Attendants with a ten (10) day off line should contact FAST for the scheduling of CQ. The Flight Attendant will be removed from a pairing to be scheduled legally for training.  Section 11.B.4 outlines the options available to the Flight Attendant. That is, released from duty with no protection (reduced guarantee) or to be protected in accordance with Section 7.Q. (subject to reassignment) and shall receive full pay and credit for missed trips or the training/meeting credit plus any credit for reassigned trips – whichever is greater.

When two Flight Attendants enter into a mutual trade, is there any prohibition against these same Flight Attendants from later trading back into the same pairing/position that was exchanged through the trade?
There is no language in the JCBA that would prevent you from later trading back into that pairing. However, consistent with the language in Section 7.I.19 of the JCBA, the parking of pairings is strictly prohibited.

If a Flight Attendant picks up a position from Open Time that requires a special qualification, such as a Language or International Purser Position, is she/he required to fly the position, or can a more junior Flight Attendant be required to fill the position requiring the special qualification?
A more junior Flight Attendant cannot be required to fly the position designated with a special qualification. However, if there is a more junior Reserve in an alternate position on the flight, the Flight Attendant in the position requiring the special qualifications may “senior opt” the Reserve from her/his position at which time the Reserve is required to fill the position vacated by the Flight Attendant who exercised the senior option provided in Section 7.O. of the JCBA.

How do I trade positions with another Flight Attendant who is working on the same pairing with me? For example, we are both on Pairing 5001, I am FA04 and the other Flight Attendant is FA01. 

Refer to Sections 7.I.5 and 7.I.7. This would still be processed as a trip trade and is done in the computer up to 4 hours prior to check-in (Section 7.I.5) or done at check-in (Section 7.I.7), through a call to scheduling. 

Will Flight Attendants have the ability to reverse a mutual trade? 
There is no language in the JCBA that would prevent you from reversing a mutual trade. You should coordinate the reversal with the other Flight Attendant. 

If an International Purser drops all their awarded International Purser Pairings from her/his line, then picks up an International Purser pairing from open time, outside of their geographical base, will this time count towards the fifty (50) hours?

No. The International Purser must finish the month with 50 hours (20 hours for job 
shares, partnerships, and half-month leaves) of qualified (International Purser) flying from their assigned base on their line.  Hours picked up out of open time from another base do not count toward this requirement. 

Since an out of base pairing refers to a different geographic location, as an International Purser, may I trade my International Purser Pairing with any Flight Attendant in my geographic base?

International Pursers pairings may only be traded with other Flight Attendants who are currently active in the International Purser sub-base.

Can a Language Qualified Flight Attendant or International Purser, based in their respective Special Qualification sub-base, trade their Special Qualification pairings with Open Time for non-Special Qualification pairings?

No. A Language Qualified (LQ) Flight Attendant may only trade their LQ pairing for another LQ pairing in open time or with another Language Qualified Flight Attendant having the same language qualification. The same is true for International Pursers in the International Purser base.  They may only trade their International Purser pairing for another International Purser pairing in open time or with another International Purser. 

For a reserve desiring to pick up pairings from open flying, there is no contractual timeline as there is in Section 8.M (Picking up Time From Other Flight Attendants). What is the timeline and process for a Reserve to pickup from open flying?
In accordance with Section 7.S.4.a, a Reserve Flight Attendant may pick up a pairing from open flying once per month. This may be accomplished after being released into days off via the Electronic Bulletin Board (EBB) in CCS, just as if she/he were a Lineholder. The pairing being picked up must be in the block of days off into which the Reserve was just released. Section 7.S.4.b provides for the additional opportunity to pick up open flying in order to prevent drafting, by placing a request on file in CCS. Additional information will be contained in the Reserve Guide.

How is a Reserve Flight Attendant paid when open flying is picked up on days off?
All flying picked up on days off by a Reserve Flight Attendant, whether from open flying or from another Flight Attendant, will be paid as add-pay which is paid above their guarantee.