4.04.12 – (LAA) – Reserves, Misconnection, Illegality, Cancellation (MIC), Clarification to Article 9.P.2 and Appendix I, 9.P.2,Commuter Policy

Special Hotline Update

Special Hotline Update for April 4, 2012

Our members have done a commendable job of taking care of passengers and each other in the wake of the tornados and hailstorms that ripped through North Texas yesterday and wreaked havoc on the operation system wide.

APFA extends our deepest sympathies to those who have experienced a personal loss as a result of the storms. Please remember that the Wings Foundation is available to assist with disaster relief. Please visit http://www.wingsfoundation.com/ to learn more or to donate. You may also be eligible for assistance from the AMR Family Fund. Information is available by clicking https://www.aafamilyfund.org/FamilyFund/index.html.

The weather system forced 485 cancellations on Tuesday. Flight Attendants and passengers were evacuated to tornado shelter areas at D/FW airport. APFA was also affected forcing headquarters to partially shut down as our staff and Flight Attendant representatives took protective cover. Over 200 cancellations are already slated for today with the expectation that the number will grow. Please make sure that you are familiar with MIC language. You can download or view the complete guide here.

RESERVES

Reserves who sign in at the airport and have a subsequent sequence cancellation may be reverted to a standby with the standby starting at their original sign-in time. The Flight Attendant will receive 5 hours of pay and credit as well as standby credit.

MISCONNECTION, ILLEGALITY, CANCELLATION (MIC)

Excerpts from the On-Duty Contract Guide

Please read the applicable section: Sequence Origination or Mid-Sequence

SEQUENCE ORIGINATION: Applies to every sequence at origination†except schedule conflict and the last sequence during the last five days of the month.
Flight Attendant:

1. Must contact Crew Schedule as soon as possible and before leaving the airport for assignment or release.

2. May be entitled to call-out pay.

3. If†PPROJ is above monthly maximum,†HVBL days apply. (See†HVBL procedures below). Crew Schedule may do one of the following:

1. Require Flight Attendant to deadhead to cover his/her return flight.
If this happens, Flight Attendant:
a. Has no further obligation after return to base at termination of the sequence.
b. Only guarantee is protected.
c. No greater pay protection (not a reassignment).
d. In addition to make-up, may pre-plot to recoup lost time.

2. Assign Flight Attendant to airport availability duty.
If this happens, Flight Attendant:
a. Cannot be held at airport for more than four (4) hours without being given another flight assignment that departs in the same duty period (does not have to depart within the four [4] hours). Four-hour period begins at original departure time or time of cancellation; whichever is later.
b. Must be released at the end of four (4) hours if not assigned, will have no further obligation and is entitled to call-out pay.
c. Only guarantee is protected.
d. No greater pay protection (not a reassignment).
e. In addition to make-up, may pre-plot to recoup lost time.

3. Reschedule Flight Attendant to another trip or trip sequence.
If this happens, Flight Attendant:
a. Has no further obligation after return to base at termination of sequence.
b. Only guarantee is protected.
c. No greater pay protection (not a reassignment).
d. In addition to make-up, may pre-plot to recoup lost time.

4. Hold Flight Attendant for duty on all days originally scheduled to fly.
If this happens, Flight Attendant:
a. Must contact Crew Schedule for assignment on each day prior to a day s/he was originally scheduled to fly: 0800-1200 for Domestic, 1000-1200 for International.
b. Is subject to multiple assignments that must:
1) Originate on days originally scheduled to fly (DOSTOF).
2) Not create a conflict with a duty-free period.
3) Not exceed monthly maximum.
c. May elect to have remaining days originally scheduled to fly converted to AVBL
for self-plotting purposes.
d. Has no further obligation once pay projection is at or above monthly guarantee.
e. Only guarantee is protected.
f. No greater pay protection (not a reassignment).
g. In addition to make-up, may pre-plot to recoup lost time.

5. Release Flight Attendant from duty with no further obligation; guarantee not protected. Crew Schedule must ask Flight Attendant if s/he would like to protect guarantee. Flight Attendant may:
a. Decide s/he does not want to protect guarantee and end further contact.
1) Flight Attendant is then eligible to pre-plot a trip(s) later in the month or use make-up to recover the lost time.
2) If using pre-plot, must not alter schedule until after pre-plotted trip(s) are obtained. (See Pre-Plot)
3) Time lost due to MIC will be treated as a trip trade down in time.
b. Decide to protect guarantee by advising Crew Schedule at point of contact that s/he is going to use ìcomparableî days to protect guarantee.
1) Comparable days are unscheduled days off (DOís) later in the month on which s/he agrees to be†AVBL for flying to recover time lost because of MIC.
2) Depending on number of†DOís remaining in month, comparable days should be equal to number of days in original sequence.
3) If the MIC occurred after s/he had reported to the airport, the number of comparable days is one less than the number of days in original sequence.
4) To protect guarantee should contact Crew Schedule for assignment on each day prior to a comparable day: 0800-1200 for Domestic, 1000-1200 for
International.

HVBL(ìHAS NO OBLIGATIONî TRIP RECOVERY)
Flight Attendants who lose a trip due to Misconnection, Illegality or Cancellation (MIC) and whose pay projection is at or above the monthly maximum following the involuntary loss of time may recover the time through†HVBL days.
1.†HVBL days will equal the number of days in the original sequence.
2.†HVBL days are automatically placed on the original days of flying but may be moved via HISEND request to Crew Schedule.
3. The Flight Attendant can in addition to receiving call-out pay, recover the original time lost plus one (1) hour.
4.†HVBL days work like†AVBL days for self-plotting and pre-plotting purposes; however, a Flight Attendant will not be involuntarily assigned.

MID-SEQUENCE: Applies only after completion of at least one leg.
Flight Attendant:
1. Must call Crew Tracking as soon as possible and before leaving the airport for assignment or release.

2. Is not automatically released.

Crew Tracking may:
1. Reschedule the Flight Attendant, including deadhead.
If this happens, Flight Attendant:
a. Has no further obligation after return to base at the termination of the rescheduled sequence.
b. Only guarantee is protected (not considered a reassignment).
c. In addition to make-up, may pre-plot to recoup lost time.

2. Release Flight Attendant, if at home base.
If this happens, Flight Attendant:
a. Has no further obligation.
b. Only guarantee is protected (not considered a reassignment).
c. In addition to make-up, may pre-plot to recoup lost time.
* If MIC occurs after completion of at least the first leg of the on-duty period:
a. Call-out pay does not apply.
b. Four (4) hour rule does not apply.
c. Crew Tracking will make every reasonable effort to reschedule the Flight Attendant as quickly as time and circumstance permit.
* If MIC occurs at the beginning of the Flight Attendantís on-duty period.
If this happens, Flight Attendant:
a. Cannot be held at airport for more than four (4) hours without being given another flight assignment that departs in the same duty period (does not have to depart within the four [4] hours). The four-hour period begins at original departure time or time of cancellation; whichever is later.
b. Must be released to go to hotel to begin legal rest or field break at the end of four (4) hours if not assigned.
c. May be entitled to call-out pay.
d. Has no further obligation after return to base at the termination of the rescheduled sequence.
e. Guarantee is protected (not considered a reassignment).
f. In addition to make-up, may pre-plot to recoup lost time.

CLARIFICATION TO ARTICLE 9.P.2. AND APPENDIX I, 9.P.2.

This is to clarify our recent understanding regarding the interpretation of Article 9.P.2. and App. I, 9.P.2. of the AA/APFA Agreement.

When a flight attendant falls under the parameters of the preamble paragraph in 9.P.2. and App. I, 9.P.2. (Misconnect, Illegality, Cancellation at Sequence Origination), Crew Schedule may choose to do one of five options, which are outlined in subsections a.-e. These options are mutually exclusive, although it is understood that choosing option “b.”, “assign him/her to airport availability duty”, could mean that during that availability duty, a flight attendant could be assigned to a trip sequence. Otherwise, the above understanding precludes the ability of Crew Schedule to combine options. For example, a flight attendant could not be assigned to airport availability (option “b.”), be sent home at the end of the availability period with no flight assignment, and then be held available for further duty on all days originally scheduled to fly (option “d.”).

It is understood that the four (4) hour airport availability period allows Crew Schedule to assign a flight attendant a trip that departs outside of that four (4) hour period, provided such flight assignment can be performed within the same on-duty period (Art. 7.R., and App. I, 7.T.). For purposes of calculating the maximum four (4) hour period of airport availability in that situation, the flight attendant will be considered to have commenced airport availability from the time of the MIC or scheduled departure time, whichever is later.

We also agreed that given the current state of technology, it is not always possible for the Company to provide Crew Schedule with the means of obtaining the information necessary to make an instantaneous determination of which option will best protect the operation once the misconnection/illegality/cancellation (MIC) has occurred on any given day. That being said, we have agreed to investigate technological advances and to work together to find ways to allow Crew Schedule appropriate information to expeditiously determine which option to choose.

In the interim, we have agreed that Crew Schedule will use its best efforts to make the determination of which option they will use with a particular flight attendant as soon a practicable. There are some irregular situations, however, (e.g., multiple cancellations caused by weather or other off schedule operations) where a quick decision is not possible. In those irregular situations only, Crew Schedule will have up to two (2) hours from the time of the MIC or scheduled departure time of the flight attendant’s originating leg, whichever is later, to make the decision on which option they will elect for a particular flight attendant. No later than the end of that two (2) hour period, Crew Schedule must notify or attempt to notify the flight attendant and advise them of which option they have chosen.

Should the Company attempt to make contact with the flight attendant within that two (2) hour period but not be successful, the Company will be considered to have elected airport availability as the flight attendant’s assignment.

COMMUTER POLICY

1. A flight attendant who chooses to be considered under this policy (i.e., a “Commuter”) must list himself/herself with Flight Service as a commuter and must designate one (1) city on the American Airlines/American Eagle schedule.
2. If a commuter attempts to commute to work on two (2) consecutive American or American Eagle scheduled flights from their Designated Commuter City (both of which were originally scheduled to arrive at the base city in time for normal sign-in), and because of a flight cancellation or delay beyond the commuter’s control, is unable to arrive in time to permit normal sign-in at the domicile, the commuter must notify Crew Schedule immediately, but in no case later than two (2) hours prior to the originally scheduled sign-in time. In addition, the flight attendant will need to contact his/her FSM and provide them with their flight cancellation or delay information. Such flight attendant will be removed from the trip without pay and without credit; however, no attendance occurrence will be charged against the flight attendant’s attendance record. Full loads and other airline cancellations will not constitute an excused absence under this policy.†