1.12.22 – Abuse of Our Scheduling Tools

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Abuse of Our Scheduling Tools

Flight Attendants continue to voice concerns regarding illicit trip trades and drops. With the elimination of many premium trips throughout the system, the abuse has become more evident. Many of you have exercised tremendous restraint in reporting these abuses to management because you respect and value the core tenets of unionism: solidarity and unity amongst Flight Attendants across the industry.

Our career is unique and requires flexibility. Being away from home for long periods necessitates having scheduling systems that allow us to trade and drop sequences quickly when a life event occurs, and to improve and adjust our schedules throughout the bid month with the intent of flying the trips on our schedule. These systems were not designed to encourage any type of trip brokering or to circumvent Flight Attendant seniority.

The vast majority of Flight Attendants are using our scheduling tools as intended and conduct transactions with the intent of flying the trips on their schedule. However, some continue to conduct transactions for trips they do not plan to fly. Some continue to share passwords to Crew Portal and Jetnet, which is a direct violation of our work and conduct rules. Any transactions conducted with Company scheduling tools are subject to scrutiny, even if conducted on your personal device (laptop, phone, etc.)

Management has made it clear that this illicit trip activity is prohibited. If you are trading or dropping trips outside of the intended means of our scheduling systems, you will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination. Flight Attendants who are disadvantaged by these activities have grown tired of this behavior. If you are receiving trips or gifting trips from your schedule, you both risk discipline up to and including termination. We are asking you to please stop conducting these transactions immediately. If another Flight Attendant has access to your bidding tools, we recommend changing your password immediately. Please do not share your new password with another Flight Attendant. If a Flight Attendant has your password to help you with your bidding and could be gifting trips without your knowledge, you will be held responsible.

For those of you that are frustrated with the lack of oversight accompanying this behavior and have been continuously sharing your frustration with your APFA Leadership, we hear you. We will do all that we can to end the illicit trip trading activity that affects us all.

In Solidarity,

APFA National Officers
APFA Base Presidents