12.26.08 – (LAA) – Uniform, Leave of Absence Proffer,Base Representation Elections, A300 Qualification Drop, Last Five Days of the Month, Hotel Emenities, Personal Leaves of Absence, Family Leave, VTF, De-Icing Pay

You have reached the APFA weekly HotLine update for December 26, 2008. This is Frank Bastien, National Communications Coordinator.

As we near the end of the year 2008, a few deadlines are approaching which bear reminders.

UNIFORM ORDERING

First, uniform points: Remember that your allotted uniform points will not carry-over from one year to the next. You should place any orders for uniform items with the vendor as soon as possible to ensure that you do not lose your unused 2008 uniform points. VF Imagewearís Customer Service Center will be closed ñ or have reduced hours ñ on certain days during the holiday period. The Customer Service Center will close at 2 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, December 31 for 2008 orders. The last chance to order via the web (www.vfsolutions.com/amr/) is 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, December 31. It is suggested that you not wait until the last day to place an order.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE PROFFER

January 7, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. Central time is the deadline for submitting a ballot for the Personal Leaves of Absence currently being offered. The ballot is available through the Flight Service web site (www.aaflightservice.com/html/ploa09.html) where you will also find a Question and Answer section. Be sure you understand all of the ramifications of proffering one of these leaves. The emailed and online versions of this HotLine contain additional Personal Leave information, including the possible impact on seniority.

BASE REPRESENTATION ELECTIONS

January 7, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. Central time is the deadline for receipt of the Notices of Willingness-to-Serve for the positions of APFA Base Chair, Vice Chair and Operation Council Representatives (OCRs) at all bases for the two-year terms of service to begin April 1, 2009. Only the form provided by APFA, or a photocopy, may be submitted and must be received in the post office box indicated on the election notice by the stated deadline. The election notice and the Willingness-to-Serve form are available from the APFA website. They are also included in the Fall/Winter 2008 SKYWORD. Please go to the APFA website at www.www.apfa.org and click on the link “Base Election notice and Willingness-to-Serve” to view, print or download a copy. A password to the APFA site is not required to access the forms. For answers to your specific questions on the election and balloting procedures, you may also contact the APFA National Ballot Committee via email to: [email protected] or by calling headquarters extension 8311.

A300 QUALIFICATION DROP

January 16, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. Central time is the deadline for submitting a request to drop your A300 qualification if you are a non-reserve Flight Attendant at one of the permitted bases. A list of the bases and additional information is included on the proffer ballot found on the Flight Service website. Go to the “Crew Resources” menu and look under “Featured Links” (or go to: www.aaflightservice.com/html/qualdropa300.html). Awarded A300 qualification drops will become effective with the February 2009 contractual month.

LAST FIVE DAYS OF THE MONTH

Saturday, December 27, begins the last five days of the contractual month of December. Flight Attendants who experience an Illegality or Cancellation during this period should review page 23 of the On Duty Contract Guide to determine if the Last Five Days of the Month Cancellation/Illegality Protection applies in their case and, if so, the precise steps to follow. The text from the guide is also reprinted at end of the emailed and online versions of this HotLine.

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Please keep in mind the 1,180 of your fellow APFA members still on furlough and waiting to rejoin their colleagues on the line.

The Wings Foundation works year round to help your fellow Flight Attendants in need. Resolve to assist the Wings Foundation at your base in the year 2009. Go to www.wingsfoundation.com for more information on how you can help.

Thank you for calling the APFA HotLine.

# # # # # Email and Online HotLine Extras # # # # #

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OFFICE HOLIDAY CLOSURE

The APFA Headquarters office will be closed on Thursday, January 1, 2009, in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday. Regular hours will resume on Friday, January 2. You may leave a message for the After-Hours Rep-on-Duty over the holiday, the weekend or whenever the office is closed by calling 817.540.0108 and following the prompts.

MISSING HOTEL AMENITIES

APFA’s Hotel Coordinator asks all members to please notify the Hotel Department whenever you encounter a hotel or transportation company that does not provide what has been advertised, either in SKYWORD or in the Hotel Amenities section of the APFA website. As an example, the BWI short layover hotel featured in the latest SKYWORD is currently failing to honor the agreement to provide the amenities listed in the review. Please report discrepancies by completing a Hotel and Transportation Debrief Form online through the website by selecting “Hotel” from the “Departments” menu on the main page. Website log in is required.

PERSONAL LEAVES OF ABSENCE

Last week the company announced a proffer for Personal Leaves of Absence (PLOA). The company is proffering 10-month leaves for the contractual months of February through November 2009 and 3-month leaves for the contractual months of February, March, and April. Keep in mind that PLOAs differ from Overage Leaves (OLOA) in that Occupational (or Bidding) Seniority will only accrue for the first 180 days of a PLOA. Similarly, travel privileges are only available for the first 180 days of the PLOA.

If you are on another leave (other than an OLOA) in conjunction with the PLOA, then the 180 days are measured from the start date of the first leave. For example, if you have a Bid Leave (BL) 09JAN-30JAN and then take a PLOA beginning 31JAN, the 180 days would be measured from the start of the BL on 09JAN. If you are concerned about a possible adjustment to your OCC SEN you should review the system Occupational Seniority List on the APFA website. Use the link for “Seniority List” on the left hand side of the homepage.

The deadline to submit a web ballot for the proffer is 8:30 a.m. Central time on Wednesday, January 7, 2009. Flight Attendants who are currently on OLOA, or are waiting to start an OLOA awarded for a future date, can bid for the PLOAs. Your OLOA would continue as originally awarded and then any subsequent leave time would be added as a PLOA to the end of your OLOA. The number of leaves to be awarded at each base has not yet been determined.

FAMILY LEAVE AND IMPACT ON PENSION

The Contract Department continues to receive reports of misinformation on the line regarding Family Leave and the impact on pension. There is no truth to the rumor that you will not earn credit toward pensionable earnings for a paid Family Leave absence. Regardless of whether you use SK hours, Vacation or PVDs to provide pay during the Family Leave, those paid hours will be counted towards your pensionable earnings as your pension is based on your paid hours from AA (up to a maximum of 1020 per calendar year). If your Family Leave is unpaid then there would be no credit toward pensionable earnings, just as is the case with any other unpaid absence.

VOLUNTEER TO FLY (VTF) TEST

Flight Attendants based at DFW/IDF or DCA/DCAI should review the information on the “Volunteer to Fly” — or “VTF” – program being tested at these bases for a sixty-day period starting January 15, 2009. The VTF program is designed to increase opportunities for Flight Attendants to earn extra pay without regard to monthly maximums, and – for Reserves – above the guarantee, in return for a commitment to accept an assignment on a limited number of volunteered days off. After log in to the APFA website, go to the Negotiations page to view, download or print are documents detailing the various aspects of the VTF program along with Questions and Answers. The sixty-day trial at the test bases will allow your APFA Team to gather real data on the program, and its impact on both reserve numbers and the ability to earn extra pay for Line Holders and Reserves alike.

Remember you can email your APFA Negotiating Team directly with your questions and comments on the VTF test or any of the issues that concern you. The Teamís email address is: [email protected]. You may also send comments directly through the APFA website by logging in, going to ìNegotiationsî in the main menu, then ìTell Your Team What You Want.î

DE-ICING PAY

Now that we are in the thick of the de-icing season, Members need to be vigilant and ensure that they are being properly paid per Article 8.J.2.b. of our Contract. This provision provides that Flight Attendants will be paid flight time pay and credit when de-icing is performed at the gate. Some cockpit crews will file for this time while others will not due to the lack of similar language in their agreement. On any flight where you have experienced de-icing at the gate, check the HI3 for the sequence and look for the code ìDEIî and the time paid at the end of the “ACT” entry for that flight. If your cockpit crew does not file for the de-icing time at the gate, please use HICLAIM to file for this time. Use the remarks section of the form to indicate that the reason for the claim is de-icing at the gate. If you experience any problems in receiving proper pay, please contact either the Contract Department at APFA headquarters extension 8171 or Scheduling Department at extension 8161. Or email APFA through the contact link on the APFA website.

APFA REMEMBER NOVEMBER VIDEO AND PHOTO GALLERIES

Our Remember November – 15th Strike Anniversary – streaming video and base-by-base 1993 picketing photo galleries remain available for viewing on the Remember November page of the APFA website. Click on the Remember November link on the main page. (Or go to: images/remember_november)

MEMBER INFORMATION UPDATE

Does APFA have your most recent contact information? Have you moved recently? Changed phone numbers or email address? The Company does not pass along changes to your personal information to the Union. You may call or email the APFA Membership Department: [email protected] or 800-395-2732 ext. 8153, to let us know your new contact info. Or log on to the APFA web site and click on Member Services to change your information directly.

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from the On Duty Contract Guide

LAST FIVE (5) DAYS OF THE MONTH
CANCELLATION/ILLEGALITY PROTECTION:

1. Pay protection and obligation limited to contractual month in which
the sequence was scheduled to originate.

2. Applies only at origination of Flight Attendant’s last trip of the
month, including Make-Up, Option II and Optional Exchange.

3. Last trip of the month must originate in last five days of the month.

4. If Flight Attendant is at or above guarantee and wants to protect
her/his hours, s/he must:

a. Place her/his name on the make-up list for all days originally
scheduled to fly, including the eight (8) hour period after the
scheduled termination of the trip sequence lost or until midnight
of the last day of the contractual month.

b. Accept any trip offered that that originates up to eight (8) hours
after the scheduled termination of the trip sequence lost. Flight
Attendant must be legal and available for assignment.

1) If not offered such a trip on make-up, s/he is pay protected
for lost time.

2) If offered and actually flies a trip worth less than trip lost,
s/he is pay protected for the greater time.

5. If Flight Attendant is at or below guarantee:

a. No further obligation.

b. Only guarantee is protected.