8.10.22 – APFA DFW Base Brief – September 2022 Staffing and Allocations

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

September 2022 Staffing and Allocations
***Staffing Information is Preliminary and Subject to Change***

Staffing Information

• Active Headcount: 6,485
• Available Headcount: 5,998
• Lineholders: 4,742
• Reserves: 1,256 (20.9%)
• System Reserve: 20.8%
• Initial Reserve Seniority: 8,443 (04 APR 1992)
• No Voluntary (unpaid) Leave of Absence (VLOA) will be available.
• Vacancy Transfers reporting on 31AUG: 0
• New Hires reporting to DFW in SEP: 0
• Expected Open Line Average: 81.2
• Expected System Line Average: 81.3

Important Timelines

September Schedule Highlights:

• The Sep Schedule change dates are 07SEP.
• Labor Day weekend: 03SEP-05SEP.
• Burning Man Festival: 07SEP-08SEP.
• Toronto Film Festival: 07SEP-13SEP.
• Bristol, TN NASCAR Race: 14SEP-19SEP.
• Alabama @ Texas: 09SEP and 11SEP.
• Penn State @ Auburn: 16SEP and 18SEP.
• Wisconsin @ Ohio State: 23SEP and 25SEP.
• Notre Dame Home Football Games: 09SEP, 11SEP, 16SEP and 18SEP.

Allocations Information:

Wednesday of last week was a repeated sighting of “BIG FOOT”. The elusive mystical creature that’s yet to be confirmed. I reference this as a correlation to “productive meeting” with manning and planning during our monthly calls.

Each month, APFA Local and National Leadership join management to discuss manpower balance and schedules being loaded into PBS. Pairings are discussed relative to what the dreaded optimizer has produced based on inputs of global parameters the contract and aircraft routings control. Each Base and National voice their concerns and comments and then we listen to the excuse of the month. If only I could get an approved FMLA for the headaches caused. Your DFW base reps and all union officials battle incessantly with the company and its refusal to acknowledge and attempt to implement some of our solutions.

While we see a lot of garbage pairings and inflated reserve numbers, we are not alone.  Percentages are fairly close base to base relative to head count. However, some trends do emerge each month that affect multiple bases and this month is no exception.

*  Turns also known to some as 1 days with excessive sit time especially on high frequency markets.
*  4 leg turns at low credit with excessive sits. (DFW PHL MIA) all got walloped.
*  Multi day trips at low productivity.
*  A lower percentage of commutable trips on one or both ends of the pairings.
* Excessive DH to cover bases when those bases still have forced displacements here with us in DFW or elsewhere.

September did offer some challenges with last minute schedule changes in RES. DFW, CLT, ORD & PHX all saw massive bank cancellations on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. This caused a lot of frequency alterations to lengthen trips or shorten trips with DHs attached. The productivity was way down.

Management refuses to take the suggestions offered that will help to reduce reserve numbers and improve FA quality of life which converts to the “reliability” that is their latest buzz word. We fight tooth and nail for your schedules, flexibility, and quality of work life that continually falls on management’s deaf ears.

Absenteeism is at its lowest levels in 9 out of 11 bases, yet reserve is still high. Previously, management used absences as their barometer to explain the need for high RSV coverage. Now the excuse is network planning changing the flying and aircraft routings with too little notice. Where pre-pandemic schedules were usually 6 months out, now they claim they can’t plan because those things change as close as 2 months out. When will the excuses end? Your base leadership is fighting to reduce these numbers and return those FAs who wish to go back to their respective bases from the displacements.

ODAN flying remains historically high, even with a slight reduction for September. ODANs provide flexibility and have been a popular option for many Flight Attendants this summer.

DFW was allocated 349,801 block hours for September, a decrease of 16,420 hours from August. AUS satellite base was given 1,519 hours, an increase of 13 hours. STL satellite base was assigned 4,407 hours, an increase of 49 hours from August.

3FA and 4FA Sequence Durations

• 1-Day: 31%
• 2-Day: 37%
• 3-Day: 27%
• 4-Day: 5%

3FA and 4FA Overnight Rest Distribution

• Overnight Rest 10:30-11 hrs: 0.3%.
• Overnight Rest 11-12 hrs: 2.8%.
• Overnight Rest 12-14 hrs: 26.5%.
• Overnight Rest 14-16 hrs: 22.2%.
• Overnight Rest 16-18 hrs: 19.9%.
• Overnight Rest 18-20 hrs:  9.5%.
• Overnight Rest 20-24 hrs:  8.0%.
• Overnight Rest Greater than 24 hrs: 10.7%.

DFW Combined Operation Percentage of Sequences:
All equipment all positions.

• 1-Day: 26%
• 2-Day: 31%
• 3-Day: 37%
• 4-Day: 6%

IPD, Hawaii, Alaska Markets Changes:

• DFW-ANC    07SEP -Decrease from two daily r/t on 321 to one daily r/t on 321.
• DFW-EZE     07SEP -Decrease from daily r/t on 772 to 3x weekly r/t on 788.
• DFW-HNL     07SEP -Decrease from two daily r/t on 772 to one daily r/t on 772.
• DFW-ICN     07SEP -Shift daily r/t from 772 to 788.
• DFW-OGG    07SEP -Decrease from two daily r/t on 789 to one daily r/t on 789.

September Language Speaker and Purser Hours:

• CM                        1,098
• DU                        483
• FR                        1,415
• GE                       1,229
• IT                        1,334
• JP                        2,243
• KO                       2,973
• PO                       1,199
• SP                       9,276
• Purser                  8,839

September Charter Flights:

• SEQ 1723/25SEP
• SEQ 1724/26SEP
• SEQ 14238/01SEP
• SEQ 14239/16SEP
• SEQ 14240/23SEP
• SEQ 14241/30SEP
• SEQ 15897/19SEP
• SEQ 15901/20SEP
• SEQ 16533/28SEP

Designated email for Allocations and Manning questions and concerns:
[email protected].
Be careful and fly safe!

In Solidarity,

Amber De Roxtra
APFA DFW Base President
(682) 422-7179
[email protected]

Amy Knox Green
APFA DFW Base Vice President
(972) 696-9766
[email protected]