Self-Help Reminders

As Flight Attendant’s we are aware that there are instances such as weather, IRROPS, software outages, and more, that can disrupt our planned layover hotels. 

Don’t be afraid to act in your best interests.  United is responsible for our safety on layovers.  If they do not respond, take care of yourself.  If one of your flying partners is in trouble and doesn’t have the expendable cash or a credit card to take care of it, help them out if you can. Section 5.D.4. of our Contract requires layover hotel-operated transportation to be available to pick-up Flight Attendants within 35 minutes of block arrival. In those circumstances where transportation is contracted independently (“public limousine service” – in other words not a hotel van), the cut-off time is 45 minutes after block arrival. If these wait times are exceeded, Flight Attendants may use other means of transportation to the place of lodging, i.e. self-help, and seek reimbursement, as a result of irregular operations, you arrive in a city where a hotel was not planned but becomes necessary after trying to reach the Hotel Desk, you may find yourself needing to use these Self-Help procedures to secure a hotel room for the night.

If, as a result of irregular operations, you arrive in a city where a hotel was not planned but becomes necessary after trying to reach the Hotel Desk, you may find yourself needing to use Self-Help procedures to secure a hotel room for the night. Additionally, Section 5.B.5. states if you arrive at a layover hotel and your room is not ready within 30 minutes after arrival you may use Self-Help and obtain other accommodations. There are certainly other times you may also use Self-Help such as: no hot or cold water, no power, no heat or air conditioning, broken door locks, bugs or vermin of any kind in your room, no food availability whatsoever, noise that prohibits legal rest or any situation that threatens your safety or well-being.

Once at the hotel, you must attempt to notify the Crew Desk of your layover contact information. In times of IRROPS, we suggest having one crew member be the point of contact when calling, so multiple calls and waits don’t slow down the process. Keep in mind, the Hotel Desk is not the Crew Desk. In some instances, the Hotel Desk can arrange to cover the cost of the hotel rooms by sending a voucher directly to the hotel, and this will avoid the need for you to seek reimbursement for the hotel room.

Don’t hesitate to ask for this assistance and employ self-help to ensure your proper rest.

When you return to your domicile, submit a claim for reimbursement using the Concur™ system. In addition to filling out an expense report in Concur™ with receipts attached, you are strongly encouraged to document your experience by writing an AFA Hotel Report which can be accessed on Help Hub through Flying Together. Always include the names of the people you’ve spoken to at both the Hotel Desk and Crew Accommodations.

As a reminder, make copies of the expense report and your receipts. If you are not reimbursed promptly, file a Local Council Worksheet and call your Local Council Office for assistance.