4.11.20 – PHL Allocations May 2020

Saturday, April 11, 2020

PHL Allocations May 2020

This is undoubtedly an allocations base brief we never expected we would see. In May of 2019, we had a total headcount of 2730 Flight Attendants with 2130 lineholders and 358 reserves. What a difference a year, and a pandemic, can make.

PHL will see a pull-down of our flying by 82.3% -the highest in the AA network. We will have two banks of flying, and we will operate between 42-50 departures per day, except on Tuesday and Saturday, where we will operate 18 mainline departures per day.

PHL had 933 Flight Attendants awarded a PVLOA, and 58 Flight Attendants took the VEOP. We had an additional 23 lineholders, and six reserves awarded a May VLOA, which still leaves us with a significant headcount overage for the amount of flying we have.

For May, we have a total headcount of 1621. The available headcount is 1107, with the projected line holders needed at 753 and a reserve projection of 367.

The overall line average is 75.2

• BOS 75.0
• CLT 75.0
• DCA 75.0
• DFW 75.5
• LAX 75.6
• LGA 75.4
• MIA 75.
• ORD 75.0
• PHL 75.3
• PHX 75.0
• RDU 75.8
• SFO 75.0
• SLT 75.0

 

Overall total reserve is 21.8%

• BOS 28.7%
• CLT 21.6%
• DCA 25.1%
• DFW 21.2%
• LAX 22.8%
• LGA 19.9%
• MIA 22.4%
• ORD 22.5%
• PHL 24.8%
• PHX 17.8%
• RDU 18.1%
• SFO 21.0%
• SLT 17.3%

 

The total number of block hours in PHL is 28,754, and PIT will have 3,204, for a total of 31,958. To put this situation into perspective, in May of 2019, we had 160,455 block hours. Those numbers speak for themselves- what we are facing is serious.

Our trips for May are not pretty; however, we are going to be grateful for every minute of time we receive, because that means jobs. The company has tried to limit as many sequences as possible to two duty periods, mainly due to hotel and transportation logistics. We will see some three and four-calendar day trips due to some 30+ hour layovers.  Those are simply due to the pull-down of flights in certain cities.

We definitely will not see the flying we are used to having. We will have very few turns due to the reduced flying, and the reduction of banks at the hubs. We will see new city codes in our bid packet. PHL will be flying to some South/ Central American destinations from MIA.  Some will be turns, and some will be layovers.

Most of these trips are not commutable on both ends, and they are long duty days. We have asked if there are some they might break apart and turn into one days or add a more extended layover and create a few three days. We are not sure if any changes will be made for May.

There will no wide-body flying, and the E190 has been retired.

Percentages for our sequences:

• 1 Days: 5%
• 2 Days: 83%
• 3 Days: 11%
• 4 Days: 0 %
• ODAN’s: 1.4%

 

We realize there is a lot of angst with how the company will have to handle the PBS bid run for May.  PBS is a mathematical equation based on the line average, headcount, and block hours.  PBS is a very complicated IT software program that is programmed to our contractual language and parameters.  (Section 10 D 13, 14, 15, and 16). We cannot just change how it runs and awards with the flip of a switch.  Because the company kept extending the PVLOA/ VEOP deadline, there was not enough time to explore more in-depth solutions for May.

Section 10.D.16.a-d outlines how to handle an infeasible solution, which is what we will have if there are too many bidders in the bid run for the number of block hours we have. The system would never be able to satisfy the line average.

Section 10.D.16.c:
Upon notification of an unsuccessful PBS award process, the National Scheduling Chair may provide recommendations for methods to effectively complete the PBS award process.  If the company is unable to reach the National Scheduling Chair, the company shall contact the APFA National President.

The company and the Union have done all that can be done to reduce the headcount for the May bidding to try to reach a feasible solution in PBS. We still have a headcount problem, with limited time to work on options. It was decided that to achieve a viable solution in the bid run, they will have to remove Flight Attendants from the headcount. There were several base presidents, me included, that wanted to wait to make this final decision until we were provided the headcount reduction after the leaves and VEOPs were awarded, the final staffing numbers for line holders and reserves, and the distribution of flying. I also felt very strongly we needed an ‘opt-in’ for the bid run for Flight Attendants who might be in that ‘no schedule’ line holder pool who want to bid and fly a full schedule. For each one of those who opt-in, that gives a ‘no schedule’ line to a more junior Flight Attendant. We have been told some people did opt into the bid run. I felt all of this information would give us a clearer picture of how May bidding would look.

It is very unfortunate that we have Flight Attendants who feel slighted. PHL will have close to if not more than 30-year Flight Attendants who will be part of the bid run, and a few who opted in that would have otherwise been in the ‘no schedule’ line holder pool. That is a far cry from the bottom 20% who feel they have been harmed. Nothing is fair in the situation we are in right now, no matter where you fall on the seniority list. We will all be feeling this pain. For April, we had plenty of senior Flight Attendants who worked a full schedule because they didn’t have sequences cancel from their lines. They, too, were upset because more junior Flight Attendants had a guarantee pay protection with little or no flying obligation. I hear you. We are all doing the best we can with the provided information. The changes have been coming quickly, often with little time to react.

I am hopeful we will start to see an increase in flying for June, and if not, we will have more time to try to find alternative solutions for the bid run.

Tracey and I are always available to answer any questions you may have. May is going to hurt. I am not going to pretend it is not. We need to move past it so we can begin to focus on June and how to keep as many Flight Attendants working as possible.

For now, please take care of and support each other. These are tremendously uncertain times, but we will get through them together.

In Solidarity,

Kim Kaswinkel
APFA PHL Base President
[email protected]

Tracey Montanari
APFA PHL Base Vice President
[email protected]