5.04.18 – (LAA/LUS) – Basic Principles of Rescheduling

Basic Principles of Rescheduling –  LAA

New pay protections and rescheduling rules went into effect for Legacy American Airlines Flight Attendants on Wednesday. These provisions apply to both Lineholders and Reserves who are flying on their days off. Pay protection and rescheduling for Reserve Flight Attendants flying on Reserve days will be implemented along with the Reserve section in August.

The rescheduling provisions of the JCBA Section 10.J. are intended to allow for orderly rescheduling procedures in the event of last minute operation irregularities. Here are key points to remember in Section 10J – Rescheduling of the JCBA:

• A Lineholder will not be treated as a Reserve.
• Crew Scheduling shall: Reserves flying on days off are considered Lineholders.
  • Keep the crew together, if possible.
  • Return the Flight Attendant to her/his original trip.
  • Return the Flight Attendant to base no later than the original release date and time, unless Reserve coverage has been exhausted.
• A Flight Attendant should not be removed from her/his sequence to cover another sequence, unless all options have been exhausted without causing a cancellation or delay.
• A flight segment is considered canceled when it does not operate.
• If a flight segment is removed from a Flight Attendant’s sequence but operated by another crew, it’s a crew substitution and she/he is pay protected.

Rescheduling Prior to Report Time

Section 10.J.2.b. – Up to three (3) days prior to report; i.e. Tuesday for trip originating on Friday

Example: You are scheduled to overnight on Friday afternoon in JFK. On Tuesday morning, Crew Scheduling notifies you that the airport is closed in JFK due to a snowstorm, and you have been rescheduled to overnight in MCO.

If the changed sequence results in different city pairs, layover cities, or causes the sequence to operate on additional days, you have the option to refuse the rescheduled assignment. You will not be pay protected should you decline the trip.

If you accept the rescheduled sequence, you will be pay protected for the greater of the original sequence or the rescheduled sequence.

In no case will you be required to report for a sequence earlier than the originally scheduled sequence. If you decline an earlier report time for the sequence, you will receive crew substitution pay for the entire sequence.

Section 10.J.2.c. – Within three (3) days prior to report; i.e. Wednesday for trip originating on Friday

Example: You are a LGA-based Flight Attendant who is scheduled to fly to MIA on Friday afternoon. On Wednesday morning, Crew Scheduling notifies you that the airport is closed in MIA due to a hurricane, and you have been rescheduled to operate a flight to ORD.

If the changed sequence results in different city pairs, layover cities, or causes the sequence to operate on additional days, Crew Scheduling will notify you and, with their approval, you will not be required to accept the trip. You will not be pay protected should you choose to decline the trip.

If you accept the rescheduled sequence, you will be pay protected for the greater of the original sequence or the rescheduled sequence.

In no case will you be required to report for a sequence earlier than the originally scheduled sequence. If you decline an earlier report time for the new sequence, you will receive crew substitution pay for the entire sequence. Crew Scheduling’s consent is not required to decline a sequence with an earlier report.

After Report but Prior to Sequence’s Origination

Section 10.J.3.

Example: You report for your sequence. A flight on a different sequence at your base is currently delayed due to crew availability. Since there are no Reserve Flight Attendants available to replace the delayed crew without causing a further delay, you are rescheduled to operate the delayed flight.

Once you report for a sequence, the Company may reschedule you or substitute another crew on a part of the sequence to prevent a delay or cancellation.

The Company will make every effort to reschedule you with your original crew together. However, in certain situations, the Company can split you from your crew in order to maintain the flight schedule.  The opportunity to be rescheduled shall be offered to the Flight Attendants in seniority order. If insufficient Flight Attendants volunteer to be rescheduled, assignments will be made in inverse seniority order.

If you were to report for a sequence and that sequence is then canceled in its entirety, each one of the crew may be rescheduled in the event that such rescheduling is required to prevent a delay or cancellation. The opportunity to be rescheduled shall be offered to the crew in seniority order. If not enough Flight Attendants volunteer to be rescheduled, they will be assigned in inverse seniority order.

In no event will any of the crew be rescheduled beyond their originally scheduled return time unless the Company has unsuccessfully made every effort to provide Reserve coverage to continue the sequence from that point without causing a delay or cancellation.

If your trip cancels, and it is your last trip in the last 5 days, you will be pay protected for the full value of the trip, including the carryover into the next month. In Late Summer, this will change to Last Series/Sequence protections. (10.L)  

After Origination (Departure of First Flight)

Section 10.J.4.

Example: The #1 Flight Attendant became ill just prior to departure out of SEA. You are currently on an overnight in SEA, but have had legal rest. Crew Scheduling is able to make positive contact with you. You have now been rescheduled to operate the flight out of SEA as the #1 Flight Attendant.

Once you have originated a sequence, the Company may reschedule you to or substitute you on a part of the sequence to prevent a delay or cancellation. You must be advised of your remaining duty assignment via positive contact for that day and for the remainder of the sequence within three (3) hours after the disruption is known. If you are not assigned replacement flying within the three (3) hours, you shall be released for that duty day. (Going to hotel, not released from the remainder of the sequence.)

Return to Crew Base

Section 10.J.7

Example: You are originally scheduled to end your sequence at 1700. The day before the trip ends, you are rescheduled due to a weather delay.  Crew Scheduling has you rescheduled to return to base on your last day at 1500.

At the time of rescheduling, the Company shall make every effort to schedule you to arrive back at your crew base no later than the time you were originally scheduled to return. You can never be rescheduled beyond your originally scheduled return time unless the Company has unsuccessfully made every effort to provide Reserve coverage to continue the sequence from that point without causing a delay or cancellation. 

More Than a Three (3) Hour Delay after Report at Origination

Section 10.J.8

Example: The first flight of your sequence is to operate a flight from DFW to JFK. The flight was originally scheduled to depart at 1300. The flight is now scheduled to depart at 1601. Since the originating flight of the sequence is delayed for over three (3) hours, you decide that you no longer want to operate the sequence. You call Crew Scheduling and request to be released from your entire sequence. Since there are Reserve Flight Attendants available to work the delayed sequence, you are released.

When a flight departure is delayed for more than three (3) hours at the origination of a sequence, you can request to be removed from duty provided that other Flight Attendants are available to replace you without increasing the delay. You will remain on duty until the replacement reports for duty. You will forfeit all pay and credit for the sequence, but will receive pay for the time on duty, 1 for 2.

Delayed Flights until the Next Day (formerly known as Deferred Flights)

Deferred flights, as we know them today, no longer exist. If your flight is delayed until the next day, in order for you to be scheduled to fly it, they will need to catch you up to your original trip, returning on the same date and time as your original trip (10.J.7.). If this is possible, you will receive call out pay and a hotel for the first day of the trip, as well as the pay for the sequence. If Crew Scheduling cannot catch you up to your original trip and another Flight Attendant flies your original sequence, you are paid according to the crew substitution provisions.

Crew Substitution

Section 10.J.10

Example: You are scheduled to operate MCO – MIA – MSP – MIA on the last day of your sequence. Due to a mechanical delay in MCO, you arrived two hours late into MIA. The MIA – MSP – MIA portion of your sequence has been re-crewed by Crew Scheduling. you are guaranteed crew substitution pay and will receive pay and credit for each segment operated by the replacement crew.

Since you were replaced as a result of a crew substitution, you are guaranteed your original credit for those segments operated by a different Flight Attendant.

*With the first phases of pay protection, you will still be paid for any mid-sequence cancellations or misconnects the same as you have been paid under the IPP protections. This provision will be eliminated with the second phase of pay protection. 

In Unity,

The APFA JSIC
Alin Boswell
Julie Hedrick
Linda Haertling
Vicki Balistreri