• 30 and 7 AND 35 and 7 ARE ALIVE AND WELL
• WEEKEND AIL RESTRICTION AND CARRY-OVER TRIPS
• OVERPROJECTION ADJUSTMENTS PRIOR TO THE MONTH OF FLYING
• FLYING OBLIGATION FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS IN THE HIGH OPTION GROUP

Over the past week, several different scheduling issues and questions have surfaced and this Eline will try to clarify and answer those issues and questions.

30 and 7 AND 35 and 7 ARE ALIVE AND WELL

The Union has recently received reports crew schedulers have told Flight Attendants 30 and 7 or 35 and 7 no longer exist.

Prior to the 2004 Flight Attendant Agreement, Flight Attendants had the ability to exceed 30 hours of actual flight time up to 35 hours in a 7-day period.

The 2004 Flight Attendant Agreement allows the Flight Attendant the option to exceed 35 hours of actual flight time in a 7-day period.

Section 10.G of the 2004 Flight Attendant Agreement reads as follows:

G. 30:00/35:00 Hours in 7 Days

1. A flight attendant's scheduled flight duty shall not exceed that afforded other flight crewmembers. Further, a flight attendant will complete his/her trip combination if the scheduled time for such trip(s) did not exceed thirty (30:00) actual hours in seven (7) days so long as no applicable FAR is violated.

2. A flight attendant, at his/her option, may fly up to thirty-five (35:00) actual hours in seven (7) consecutive days. Further, a flight attendant will complete his/her trip combination if the scheduled time for such trip(s) did not exceed thirty five (35:00) actual hours in seven (7) days so long as no applicable FAR is violated.

3. A flight attendant, at his/her option, may exceed thirty-five (35:00) actual hours in seven (7) consecutive days. A flight attendant will complete his/her trip combination so long as no applicable FAR is violated.

The key words in paragraphs 2 and 3 are, "at his/her option".

Please be aware it is your option to exceed either 30 and 7 or 35 and 7. Schedulers can never schedule a Flight Attendant to exceed 30 and 7. If you have been scheduled trip combinations that do not exceed 30 and 7 but in actual operation, 30 and 7 will be exceeded, Flight Attendants must complete such trip combinations as long as no applicable FAR is violated.

A Flight Attendant may, at his/her option schedule trip combinations up to 35 and 7 and, in actual operation, be required to complete such trip combinations if they exceed 35 and 7 as long as no other applicable FAR is violated.

A Flight Attendant may, at his/her option schedule trip combination that exceed 35 and 7 and be required to complete such trip combinations in actual operation.

If you do not wish to exceed 30 and 7 or 35 and 7, you have the right to decline a trip assignment that would exceed those parameters.

Please remember 30 and 7 and 35 and 7 refer to 30/35 hours of actual flight time, not the value of the trip including any applicable duty rigs.

In conjunction with the above discussion, please review the following Contract section that outlines how 30/7 relates to Month-to-Month Legalities:
 

Section 10.G.4 Month-to-Month Legalities

4. Month-to-Month Legalities

The following information will provide clarification on month-to-month legalities as they apply to the flight attendant group. If a flight attendant flies his/her last scheduled trip(s) (i.e., primary, SAP, secondary, or secondary augmented) in the current month and is 30/7 for the first trip in the new month, the flight attendant can request to be removed from such trip in the subsequent month as illegal.

Flight Attendant "A" is entitled to be removed from his/her trip on May 2 since the cumulative block hours exceed 30 in 7 days. He/she is required to make up the lost time before the end of the May contract month.

Flight Attendant "B" would not be removed from his/her trip on May 2 for exceeding 30/7 since he/she used the bid sheet on April 26 to pick up a trip, which created such condition.

NOTE: The difference in Examples 1 and 2 is the use of the AIL. F/A "B" in Example 2 waived his/her 30/7 contractual right, creating the 30/7 condition by using the AIL to fly on the 26th, 27th and 28th of April after receiving his/her line award. In Example 1, F/A "A" completed a monthly sign in for the April contract month and was awarded a line that created the 30/7 condition for the May contract month. F/A "A" would contact Crew Scheduling prior to 12:00 on May 1 to be removed from the trip on May 2. The scheduler will remove the flight attendant by using the appropriate operational code.


Please note, if Flight Attendant "B" used the Electronic Trade Board (ETB) instead of the AIL to pick up at the end of the April Bid Month Flight Attendant "B" would not be removed from the trip on May 2nd for exceeding 30 and 7 since he/she used the ETB to pick up a trip that created such condition.

So there you have it- you are always entitled to refuse any assignment that would exceed 30 hours of actual flight time in a 7 day period unless you created the condition either through use of the AIL or ETB or the trip combination exceeds 30 and 7 in actual operation.

WEEKEND AIL RESTRICTION AND CARRY-OVER TRIPS

A Flight Attendant was awarded the following lines in January and February (keep in mind the February bid month includes January 31).

This particular Flight Attendant placed himself on the AIL on Tuesday for Wednesday. He requested a different four-day pairing spanning Wednesday through Saturday. He was told by the scheduler that because he "was using the AIL" he would be responsible to touch both Saturday and Sunday.

Obviously, the Flight Attendant cannot fly both trips so; pairing #0123 is automatically removed from his February Line once he signs in for his January pairing or picks up a pairing that touches Thursday.

Crew Scheduling has been under the impression the Weekend AIL Restriction means in order to only be responsible for Saturday; this Flight Attendant could only fly his originally scheduled January pairing.

The Union's position is as long as a Flight Attendant works a pairing spanning the same number of duty periods as the original pairing, a Flight Attendant cannot be restricted to the original pairing. In this case, the Flight Attendant should have been allowed to pick up a four day pairing of his choosing.

After conferring with Mike Finn, Managing Director of Crew Scheduling and John Petronzi, Manager of Flight Attendant Scheduling both Mr. Finn and Mr. Petronzi agreed with the Union's position and have informed the schedulers of the proper procedure.

Flight Attendants can fly a different carryover pairing, as long as that pairing is for the equivalent number of duty periods as the original carryover pairing.


OVERPROJECTION ADJUSTMENTS PRIOR TO THE MONTH OF FLYING

Primary and Secondary Lineholders who are overprojected are allowed to drop a pairing(s) to lower their projection below the Company Maximum. For the purposes of discussion, the following definitions apply:

What remedies does a Primary or Secondary Lineholder have when he/she is overprojected prior to the month of flying?

Primary Lineholders:

Refer to Section 9.2.c.

Prior to the month of flying, a Primary Lineholder has the following Overprojection adjustment remedies:

1. Drop the necessary time in SAP.
2. Notify Crew Scheduling prior to the beginning of the month of flying of the pairing(s) to be dropped.

The preferred method for dropping pairing(s) for Overprojection is via SAP, as that would allow the pairings to be picked up by other Flight Attendants in SAP, possibly be put into Secondary Lines or picked up during Secondary Line Augmentation. Although that is the preferred method, Primary Lineholders maintain the right to notify Crew Scheduling prior to the beginning of the month of the pairing(s) to be dropped. Once the month of flying begins, the Flight Attendant must utilize the AIL to drop for Overprojection.

Crew Scheduling will not drop pairings that touch a Protected Holiday (January 1, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, December 24, 25, and 31st).

Dropping trips for Overprojection does not reduce a Flight Attendant's line obligation. Primary Lineholders are obligated to the GREATER of the value of their post-SAP line award or the original awarded line.

Secondary Lineholders:

Refer to Section 9.4.d.

If a Secondary Lineholder is Overprojected due to carryover-in pairings, vacation, etc., a Secondary Lineholder may contact Crew Scheduling after 0700 on the day following the Secondary Line Awards up until 1800 on the last day of the current bid month prior to the month of flying. The key difference between Primary and Secondary Lineholder remedies for Overprojection is that Secondary Lineholders and Crew Scheduling must mutually agree on the pairing(s) to be dropped.

Coverage requirements may dictate which pairing(s) may be given up to downward adjust a Secondary Line.

A Secondary Lineholder will not be allowed to drop a pairing touching a Protected Holiday. In the event the only pairing to be dropped is either the Protected Holiday pairing or the last pairing of the month, the last pairing of the month will be dropped.

Secondary Lineholder obligation remains the published value of the Secondary Lineholders' awarded line or post-augmented value, whichever is greater.

FLYING OBLIGATION FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ON THE HIGH OPTION GROUP

Please review the following Contract Sections:

9.2.e - Primary Lineholder Obligation (High Option Group)

(1) A primary lineholder on the high option will have his/her monthly flying obligation set equal to the applicable option window of one hundred (100:00) to one hundred five (105:00) hours.

(2) A high option primary lineholder awarded a line in excess of the monthly maximum of eighty-five (85:00), ninety (90:00), or ninety-five (95:00) hours may drop a pairing(s) to reduce his/her projection below the monthly maximum. However, such flight attendant's monthly obligation shall be his/her applicable high option range of one hundred (100:00) to one hundred five (105:00) credited hours.

(3) Notwithstanding the paragraph above, a high option primary lineholder whose post-SAP value is between one hundred (100:00) and one hundred and five (105:00) hours may have his/her obligation revised in accordance with Paragraph C.3.f. below. (Set to not less than 100 hours).

(4) A high option flight attendant will not be required to make an effort to pick up time to meet his/her monthly obligation if meeting such obligation would cause him/her to go below his/her minimum days off.


9.4.e - Secondary Lineholder Obligation (High Option Group)

A secondary lineholder on the high option will have his/her monthly flying obligation set to no less than one hundred (100:00) hours. Such flight attendant will not be required to make an effort to pick up time to meet his/her monthly obligation if meeting such obligation would cause him/her to go below his/her minimum days off.

Please remember Flight Attendants are never required to make an effort to pick up time to meet their obligation if that would cause a Flight Attendant to go below eleven days off in their domicile (Section 10.F).

Fly your Contract, and, when in doubt contact your local AFA representatives.

Thank you,

Mike Flores, President
The US Airways Master Executive Council
AFA-CWA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AFA USAirways Website

www.afausairways.org

Accessing The Hub:

http://thehub.usairways.com 
Logging in the first time your user name is u0(zero) and your five digit employee number. Your initial password is the first five digits of your social security number. Questions about the Hub? Please contact the EDS Help Desk at 336-744-6000 for assistance. More information can also be found HERE.

AFA Local Numbers

Council 40 PIT 412-245-1214
Council 41 DCA 703-212-8090
Council 69 BOS 781-289-8454
Council 70 PHL 215-492-0840
Council 82 LGA 315-736-3483
Council 89 CLT 704-527-0325

New Hotline Number Toll Free: 866-USA-AFA2
US AIRWAYS Benefits Information 800-872-4780

Reply to Inflight: askinflight@usairways.com

Got Questions? Get Answers

The *E-Line* is now in a new and improved format. By updating your profile at unionvoice.org you will be able to enjoy improved services in the near future! Visit your subscription management page at: http://www.unionvoice.org/

Got questions about This *E-Line* from AFA - US Airways or any other Union matter? Do NOT REPLY to the *E-Line*. PLEASE contact your local AFA officers or committee chairs directly: http://www.afausairways.org/emailaddresses2.htm

Your MEC Officers
Association of Flight Attendants
Hotline & *E-Line* - US Airways