• NEW PASS POLICY
• VM DH SETTLEMENT
• ETB and LOW/ HIGH BLOCK
• TRANSITION AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS

NEW TRAVEL POLICY

The Company has announced a new Combined Travel Policy. With some notable exceptions the Travel Policy is corporate policy and is not negotiated within our contract. You can view the complete Combined Travel Policy on theHub at: http://thehub.usairways.com/about/transformation/merger/combined_travel_policy.htm.

The new policy will be implemented in phases. Phase I will begin October 5, 2005 and will include free reciprocal travel on the two carriers for employees of each carrier. Travel on America West flights by US Airways will require a ticket from the counter designated as an ID100 (free). US Airways employees will board after America West employees in seniority order but before OAL employees (other airline). America West employees will board after US Airways employees on our flights on a first come/first served basis but before OAL employees. The new more relaxed dress code will take effect on October 5, 2005. All other aspects of our current travel policy will remain unchanged until the implementation of the new Combined Travel Policy, Phase II, sometime in early 2006. There are two important items to note:

1) The decision on "boarding method", company date of hire or first come/first served will not be made until late in 2006 or beyond. According to management there are advantages to both the seniority driven system we use and the current America West policy of first come/first served and they encourage employees to provide feedback as to their preference. Here is some feedback from me-SENIORITY DRIVEN SYSTEM. Please check theHUB for further contact information so you can express your opinion.

2) Any travel that is a result of our collective bargaining agreement will remain unchanged by the new policy. Travel programs included but not limited to VFLR, VSIP and Indefinite Voluntary Furlough Extension will remain as negotiated. Travel associated with various leaves (medical, military, personal etc) as covered in our agreement will remain unchanged when the new policy takes effect.

ALPA VM/DH SETTLEMENT

Flight attendants will have their duty rigs and VM pay for deadhead calculated in the same manner as pilots pursuant to the settlement of ALPA's Duty Rigs and VM Pay for DH grievance. In circumstances where payment of deadhead at 50% pay no credit results in the flight attendant receiving less pay than if the deadhead were credited at 100% under any rig (VM, Duty, or Trip), the flight attendant shall receive pay no credit up to the specified rig. This settlement does not mean that DHs will now be paid at 100% pay/credit as one rumor has it. The 50% pay/no credit provision had the effect of eliminating the VM or other duty rigs and resulted in, for example, a two day trip paying less than 10 hours. In the following example you will see how this settlement would apply.

A 2-day trip 

• DP1 - 4:07 block; 1:22 deadhead (DH); VM 5:22 
  DP2 - 4:45 block; VM 4:38.
  Total value during construction = 10:14 (4:07 + 1:22 + 4:45) 
  Current Application - 8:52 (4:07 + 4:45) (pay and credit) + 0:41 (50% PNC for DH) = 9:33 total pay for trip. 
  
  Application of Settlement - 9:33 + 0:27 (PNC VM) = 10:00 
  Trip pays 8:52 pay and credit plus 1:08 pay no credit

As a result of the settlement this trip would pay 10 hours (money in your pocket) but would only yield 8:52 in credited time. The settlement is somewhat convoluted in its application and therefore will cause some implementation headaches. The settlement is retroactive to August 1, 2005. We are working with the Company toward a simplified claim procedure for the affected trips as well as a process for claims going forward until the process is automated. As soon as a process is developed I will update you on the details. Please check your CBS messages as well for any news on the process from the Company.

ETB AND LOW/HIGH BLOCK

With the elimination of the options the ETB is the method for trading trips in order to reduce or increase a flight attendant's flying obligation. Each flight attendant who uses the ETB is in effect creating their own option by adjusting their obligation to the Company. Any ETB activity that adjusts the Company obligation (OBL) higher/lower will also adjust the Company monthly maximum (MAX) hours by the same amount. The monthly MAX is the amount of Company Time that can be flown in a given month as set by the Director of Crew Scheduling or 105 hours for those in the High Option Group (we do have the ability to exceed that limit by three hours). For example:

--At the beginning of the month F/A Smith and F/A Jones each have an 80 hour block and thus an 80 hour obligation (OBL). The Company MAX is set at 90 hours for that month.

--During the month F/A Smith posts a 10 hour trip on the ETB and it is subsequently picked up by F/A Jones. There is no further ETB activity by F/A Smith or F/A Jones. 

F/A Smith has now decreased her obligation to 70 hours and her Company MAX Hours to 80. F/A Smith can pick up time from the A/Il up to her new MAX of 80 hours but can't exceed 80 hours by way of the A/IL. Any additional time above 80 hours must now be acquired from the ETB. 

F/A Jones has now increased her obligation (OBL) to 90 hours and her Company maximum time (MAX) to 100 hours. F/A Jones must fly 90 hours of Company Time in order to avoid a low block. By virtue of her picking up a trip from the ETB it is placed in her line and now considered part of her obligation along with her original line value of 80 hours. F/A Jones is not required to fly 100 hours of time but may use the A/IL to do so if desired. 

Another example:

F/A Smith has an 80 hour line and uses SAP to increase her line to 90 hours. She now has an obligation (OBL) of 90 hours and a Company maximum time (MAX) of 90 hours. If F/A Smith posts a 10 hour trip on the ETB and it is picked up she now has an obligation (OBL) of 80 hours and a MAX of 80 hours. F/A Smith would not be allowed to acquire additional time above 80 hours from the A/IL.

It is important to remember several things:

1) Any time picked up on the ETB is time picked up from someone who is lowering their monthly obligation to the Company. Time picked up on the ETB thus increases the obligation to the Company for the person that picks the time up.
2) Any ETB activity picked up/dropped raises/lowers the obligation (OBL) and Company maximum time (MAX) the corresponding amount.
3) Each flight attendant is allowed to be two (2) hours under their obligation (OBL) or three (3) hours over the Company maximum time (MAX) without being in jeopardy of a low or high block letter. 

Allowing someone to lower their flying obligation without affecting the MAX would adversely affect those who do not use the ETB and/or reserves as they tried to pick up trips from the A/IL. Since the options were eliminated and the ETB was implemented in May there has been a great deal of confusion regarding obligation and max hours. The Company was aware of this and decided not to penalize anyone for Low/High Block for the months of June, July and August. Beginning in September they will. If you have any questions on how this works or where you stand in relation to your obligation please call your local representatives or your supervisor.

TRANSITION AGREEMENT

Meetings are scheduled for the last week of October between the Company and AFA regarding the Transition Agreement. The Company proposal is relatively straightforward but there remains work to be done on several points. We are not interested in a long term fence agreement for PHX nor are we interested in any deviation from the AFA Date of Hire Merger Policy. These two issues are Union issues and we will confine our discussions regarding them to our counterparts at AWA AFA. Our discussions with the Company regard issues specific to the time period leading up to the operational integration of the two work forces under the same operating certificate. I will keep you abreast of the meetings. 

Thank you,

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

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AFA Local Numbers

Council 40 PIT 724-695-3329
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

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