9.04.22 – APFA ORD Base Brief – October 2022 Staffing and Allocations

Sunday, September 4, 2022

October 2022 Staffing and Allocations

Hello Chicago! Whether you are traveling or staying home, we hope you find time this weekend to celebrate Labor Day. A famous author tells us, “workers create all wealth”. We know workers are the backbone of this country, as you are for this airline.

APFA will never stop fighting for Flight Attendants to be respected and recognized, both at our company and throughout the industry. Let us show our solidarity. Wear the APFA Union pin! Pins are available in our K19 mailboxes.

The October staffing and allocations call was held this past weekend. Here are some highlights:

• There is a major schedule change towards the end of October, as the summer season ends the last weekend of October.
• Boeing was able to resume 787 aircraft deliveries. Because of this, the Company offered vacation buyback systemwide in an effort to help reduce the line averages. Over 1,250 days were bid for buyback, all of which were awarded. Unfortunately, this only decreased the line average by about 15 minutes.
• We are always asking for a better balance in trip length. Based on feedback, the Company continues to try and minimize 4-day sequences. The result unfortunately drives more 3-days trips.
• The Company is also focusing on reducing 3+ hour sits, that also pushes 3-days higher while reducing 1- 2-days. It is a balancing act, and we will keep fighting for improved pairings.
• The ODAN starts per day is slightly higher. October 12.0 versus September 10.20.

 

Staffing

The systemwide reserve percentage is 19.2%. Chicago is slightly lower at 18.4%. This number is lower than the system average, and it is still 3% higher than 2021. While October 2021 ended in a catastrophic mess for the operation, the factors at play for this October are not the same. We feel this increase, especially for Chicago, is extreme.

The expected line average at PBS open is 82.0. The systemwide average is 81.7. This number is in line with the September PBS line averages. This number is far higher than October 2021. We continue to point out that the high PBS line average will result in minimums in PBS which continue to restrict our flexibility overall.

Allocations

October flying is similar to September. There is a decrease in some of the summer flying at the end of October.

Trip Construction1-day: 26% in October vs 24% in September
2-day: 27% in October vs 27% in September
3-day: 43% in October vs 45% in September
4-day: 4% in October vs 4% in September

PBS Preliminary Manning Plan

Please be kind to one another! Stay safe.

In Solidarity,

Susan Wroble
APFA ORD Base President
(630) 802-2268
[email protected]

Dray Howard
APFA ORD Base Vice President
(630) 215-8410
[email protected]

Justin Patterson
APFA ORD Base Council Representative
(509) 720-0067
[email protected]