Base Transfer Guidelines

Recently, the company has awarded over 200 Flight Attendant transfers to DEN, EWR, and HNL. Flight Attendants are reminded, under the provisions of Section 17 of our Contract, once awarded a transfer you must either accept or decline such transfer within seven (7) days of the award date. Keeping in mind, a non-response (failure to respond) will be treated in the same manner as if you had declined the transfer.

When a Flight Attendant declines an awarded transfer, they will be inhibited from any further transfers for a period of three (3) months.  

There may be instances where Flight Attendants who are considering but not intending to transfer, are inputting a transfer request out of curiosity to see where they fall on the list and subsequently forgetting to withdraw the transfer request. A consequence of this is being awarded a transfer, declining it and being restricted from transfer for a period of three (3) months. For this reason, we ask everyone to review transfer requests that may be on file and consider deleting those for which you no longer have an interest.

Once a Flight Attendant accepts a transfer award, they will be restricted from being awarded a successive transfer for a period of six (6) months.

Travel Time Process: Flight attendants will be notified via CCS message of the awarded transfer. When submitting the acceptance, the Flight Attendant will choose if they would like to fly, drive, or not have an assignment/pairing dropped. Travel time will be applied by utilizing the chart displayed on page 5 of United’s “Flight Attendant Base Transfer Guidelines.”

As a reminder, a Flight Attendant who voluntarily changes Bases for the first time is eligible for paid travel time. Each subsequent transfer is still entitled to travel time but will not receive pay protections.

For more information, please review the Flight Attendant Base Transfer Guidelines under the Crew Scheduling tab in Flying Together, while there you may review the official list of transfer awards as well.

Settling Time: Settling time is the period of time provided by the Company for the sole purpose of assisting Flight Attendants in geographically relocating due to a base transfer. 

Settling time is applied after the effective date of a transfer, must be requested in advance by the Flight Attendant, and adhere to the guidelines below in order to be approved. 

Settling Time Guidelines: 

• Settling time is for up to 3 consecutive days (which may include scheduled days off, as well as work days) to be used within 12 months of the effective date of the transfer.
• The term “settling” implies there is an actual move between one residence and another.
• Change of residence need not be to the new base, but rather to the base from which the flight attendant intends to commute.
• The Company may require proof that a residential move either has or will take place. The request must be accompanied by proof of transfer, residential move (i.e. copy new lease or moving company contract).
• The Company may delay whatever settling time is requested by up to seven (7) days, based on anticipated coverage needs. 

Settling Time Process: 

• To request settling time, Flight Attendants must submit their request via Help Hub, providing at least seven (7) days advance notice. 
• Flight attendants can also find the request form by going to helphub.ual.com and searching for “Transfers: Settling Time”.

Additionally, it’s good to remember that you are eligible to transport personal items through COMAT on United. For those who are moving to Hawaii this can be a great benefit of our Contract.

Section 17.G. of our Contract provides for the shipment of personal items to a new base when transferring.

Moving Provisions

1. Successful bidders on permanent Base transfers, Flight Attendants making mutual transfers by seniority with the approval of the Company, and Flight Attendants transferring in accordance with Paragraph I of this Section shall pay their own moving expenses to their new Base location except that the Company shall furnish free contingent air transportation on the Company’s system for such Flight Attendants and their spouse and dependents to the extent permitted by law, and shall allow such Flight Attendants to ship up to five hundred (500) pounds of personal effects to the new Base as space available COMAT on Company aircraft.

2. All Flight Attendants who have been assigned to their initial Base after Flight Attendant training shall be provided with the following:

a. Free contingent air transportation for the Flight Attendant and her/his spouse and dependents, if relocating, on the Company’s system to the extent permitted by law.

b. Shipping allowances up to five hundred (500) pounds of personal effects to the new Base as space available COMAT on Company aircraft.

c. 1. Free hotel accommodations at the new station for a period of seven (7) Days, which may be extended on an individual basis by the Manager of Inflight Service.

Note:   The shipping allowance was raised to 750 pounds on April 5, 2019.

2. The Company will make its best effort to arrange single room accommodations. If an insufficient number of single hotel rooms are available at the designated hotel to accommodate all such Flight Attendants, the Company agrees to make its best efforts to locate and arrange for single room accommodations at other equivalent hotels.

3. If, however, despite the best efforts of the Company, it is unable to arrange single hotel rooms for all such Flight Attendants, double occupancy may then occur.