2.18.16 – (LAA) – Airbus & 737 Training/Proffered Training/Vacation Bidding/Vacation Relief Bidding/Reserve Rotation

---

APFA LAA Members	Subscribe to the APFA Hotline
APFA LUS Members	Subscribe to the APFA Hotline
Non-Members	Subscribe to the APFA Hotline
Press	Subscribe to APFA’s Press Release

---

 

Thursday, February 18, 2016

 

• Airbus & 737 Training – LAA
• Drafts for Traditional Proffered Training – LAA
• Vacation Bidding – LAA
• Vacation Relief Bidding – LAA
• Reserve Rotation – LAA
• Transfer Preference Purge – LAA

---

Airbus & 737 Training – LAA

As previously announced, the Company will be training all LAA Flight Attendants on the Airbus (A319/A320/A321) and the 737 to ensure all Flight Attendants are qualified on core equipment prior to Full Operational Integration (FOI). For the month of March, traditional bid sheet training proffers/drafts will take place. Based on the success of the proffer method used for Overwater Training, we have reached agreement with the Company to use this same process for Airbus and 737 training beginning with proffers for the month of April. This will allow Flight Attendants to bid for and be assigned their training class date prior to bidding each month. They can then bid for the month knowing their class date and bid to avoid or create conflicts with training.

Each month the Company will notify every base of the seniority number of the most senior person subject to drafting. If you are junior to that seniority number you can submit a ballot so that your training date can be awarded based on your seniority in the event there are not enough proffers for the month. Flight Attendants still have the opportunity to get 737 qualified when attending CQ by using the Voluntary enrollment process if they have not proffered or been drafted by the time they attend CQ.  In addition, Flight Attendants will still have the ability to trigger for the Airbus.  

Drafts for Traditional Proffered Training – LAA

In an effort to avoid unpaid trip removals when drafted for training, we have recently reached agreement with Crew Resources to allow for Duty Free Periods (DFPs)  to be moved for those who are drafted for training. Crew Resources will still first try to plot training on days off. However as a last resort prior to an unpaid trip removal, they will move DFPs to plot training.  If the Flight Attendant does not desire to have their DFPs moved, they can contact the company to have the class changed to another day that does not conflict with DFPs and may result in an unpaid training removal for a trip that was part of their original bid line. The Flight Attendant must contact the company by the first day of the contractual month to make this change. 
 
777-300 Differences Training – As a reminder the 777-200 and 777-300 are moving to a single qualification type. Therefore anyone who is currently only 777-200 qualified has until May 15 to complete the 777-300 web based differences training. 

Vacation Bidding – LAA

Vacation Bidding for the 2016/2017 fiscal year is now open. This is for the vacation we accrued in 2015. Since 2015 accruals were based on the CLA for the months of January through April and the JCBA for the months of May through December, the chart below shows the amount of vacation days eligible for accrual based on your Vacation seniority date. Your Vacation seniority date can be found at the bottom of the HI8 and appears as VAC Date. This date was added to our HI8 last year as seniority for vacation accrual purposes now has different provisions for accrual when on various types of unpaid leaves under the JCBA. Please see the chart in Section 25.N. to see how unpaid leaves of absence may affect vacation seniority accrual.

The deadline to submit a ballot in the Primary Vacation Bidding Period is Monday, March 7, 2016 at 0800 CT. 

Keep in mind that PBS will not be implemented during the 2016-2017 fiscal year and all trip removals would be on a trips missed basis.

Vacation Relief Bidding – LAA

We continue to receive questions related to vacation relief bidding. One common misunderstanding regarding relief bidding concerns the placement of R1 or R2s in the bid ballot. If R1 or R2 is entered after each selection, then each line will immediately be checked to see if it could be held as a relief before proceeding to subsequent selections  in the bid ballot. If you prefer to have more of your selections considered to see if you can hold them on your own seniority prior to holding them as a relief wait to enter R1 and/or R2 until you want the bid award program to begin checking  to see if a relief of the selections could be held. Keep in mind R1 and/or R2 does not just check the immediate selection for relief. It will go back to the beginning of the ballot or the previous R1 or R2 to check if you could hold the selections as a relief. Only the selections entered as R3 are skipped from consideration to see if they could be held as a relief. Selections with R3 are still checked to see if they could be held on your own seniority.

Click here for a more detailed article on vacation relief bidding. You can also find more information on vacation relief bidding on the Crew Resources page of Jetnet.  

Reserve Rotation – LAA

As we approach the third consecutive year of hiring, many of the LAA Flight Attendants hired in 2013 are approaching the time they will transition from a 1-month on/1-month off Reserve rotation to a 1-month on/3-month off rotation. Many Flight Attendants are asking when that actually occurs.  Here is the example for class 13-01.
 
Class 13-01 began their 3 year period of 1-month on/1-month off rotation in May of 2013. They would be 1-month on/1-month off through April of 2016.

• If they serve reserve in April of 2016, they would then have 3 months off before they were subject to Reserve.
• If they are off reserve in April of 2016, they would serve in May (if seniority warrants) and then have 3 months off.

Transfer Preference Purge – LAA

On February 4, 2016 all transfer preferences were purged.  If you desire a Vacancy Transfer or Mutual Transfer you must reenter your transfer preference. Please Note: You cannot rescind a vacancy transfer or mutual transfer once it has been awarded so be sure to remove any transfer request if you no longer desire to transfer.