The reduction in flying to Asia due to the Coronavirus and recent base transfers may shift what Flight Attendants can expect to hold during the upcoming bid month(s). As Flight Attendants prepare to bid for their upcoming March Schedules, we strongly encourage each member to bid to cover themselves, accounting for any reduction in flying at their base, but always bidding what they want to fly.
In addition to the importance of bidding a sufficient number of positions to cover oneself, another area that continues to cause confusion and frustration is when a Flight Attendant, who teeters between being a line holder or a Reserve, also has vacation during the upcoming bid month and how this affects their ability to hold a Vacation Relief line.
A Flight Attendant with scheduled vacation period(s) in the upcoming bid month cannot bid for a Vacation Relief line (VRL) during the Bid Process. However, there are situations where the award of a vacation relief line (VRL) is still possible.
If a Flight Attendant is not senior enough to hold ANY primary line in their base and she/he does not bid any Reserve schedules, she/he may be “forced” into a Vacation Relief Line (VRL) if it is the lowest numbered line available at their seniority.
If, however, a Flight Attendant bids for ANY Reserve lines and their seniority holds any of the Reserve lines bid, she/he will be awarded the Reserve Line and not a Vacation Relief Line.
Additional questions should be directed to your Local Reserve Committee.