12.06.23 – APFA DCA Base Brief – January 2024 Staffing and Allocations

January 2024 Staffing and Allocations

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

When PBS processing begins, if additional Lineholders are needed, those with Reserve status will be changed to Lineholder status in the following order:

1. Tentative Flight Attendants whose preference was Lineholder in the LRD process.
2. Reserve Flight Attendants who toggled to Pref LH in the LRD who were unable to hold Lineholder status in LRD.
3. Most junior Reserve Flight Attendants involuntarily moved to Lineholder status after all the above have been utilized.

Important: If you are in one of these 3 categories above, you will want to bid 7 layers of Reserve and 7 layers of Lineholder in PBS.

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• DCA: 37,256
• IAD: 1,783
• BWI: 2,956

41,995 Total flying hours (DCA, IAD, BWI) (-634 month-over-month)
January will not be a flex month. The contractual targeted credit range default is 70-90, with a line average of 78.3.

The Reserve percentage is down 1.1% from last January, with an increase of 50 Lineholders. The overall headcount has increased year over year by 55 Flight Attendants. Last January’s line average was 79.9 hours after PBS awards.

As we tell you, each month, we have PBS constraints that hold Flight Attendants to a certain number of hours, pushing time into their line. December, we had 2 constraints with the most restrictive constraint at 78 hours, this was at system seniority 6,211. Last year January 2023 the most restrictive constraint was at system seniority. 11,379 at 78 hours, our block hours year over year are +9% with more reserves and more line holders in January 2024 vs January 2023.

The company plans to offer unpaid Voluntary Leaves of Absence (VLOAs) to DCA Flight Attendants for the January 2024 bid month. Bidding for January 2024 full month, unpaid VLOAs will close Thursday, December 7 at 1200 (CT). You may access the ballot in Comply365 > My Forms > AAFA > FA Voluntary Leave of Absence (VLOA). For more information, refer to: Unpaid VLOA Bidding Open for January 2024

We do not expect the line average to be affected by these VLOAs, and the January constraints not to be as senior as December 2023 and could be more junior than January 2023. Remember that the line averages and constraints have much to do with the bidding practices of the Flight Attendants, how much vacation is in January, and how many Flight attendants are removed from PBS due to medical or other leaves, QI status, etc. We suggest you bid with your relative seniority as your basis, but consider these other factors. Nine hundred ninety-one (991) vacation days were awarded for January 2024.

DCA January Reserve seniority begins at System Seniority 22,705/ March 17, 2022. We are not projected to receive new hires in January.

January Holidays or Events:

• New Year’s Day: January 1
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:  January 15

Allocations Notes for January:

• -634 block hours over December 2023
• 669 sequences (down from December)
• Less ODAN flying (BOS, LGA)
• LAX turns operating 7 days
• LAX 2-day one leg out one leg back operates 2 days with 24-hour RON.
• LAX 2-day one leg out one leg back operates 8 days with 15-hour RON.
• PHX “pink eye” operates 30 days
• BWI-DFW-BWI 1-day operates 28 days
• No charter/honor flights
• 46 sequences with 3+ hour sits.
• 4 speaker sequences requiring Spanish Speakers
• 75 NIPD trips out of DCA with layover: ANU, BDA, BJX, CUN, CUR, GEO, GND, KIN, NAS, POS, SAP
• 5 NIPD trips out of IAD with layovers: CUN
• 12 NIPD trips out of BWI with layovers: ANU, CUR, GND, MBJ

Scheduled Duty Days:

• < 8 hours: 47.7%
• 8 – 10 hours: 26.4%
• 10 – 12 hours: 23.3%
• > 12 hours: 2.6%

Scheduled Legs in Duty Day:

• 1-leg: 33.3%
• 2-legs: 49.7%
• 3-legs: 15.8%
• 4-legs: 1.2%

Scheduled Layover Rest:

• < 11 hours: 0.1%
• 11 – 12 hours: 4.6%
• 12 – 14 hours: 27.4%
• 16 – 18 hours: 17.1%
• > 24 hours: 11.4%

Scheduled Sit Times:

• 2-  2.5 hours: 11.7%
• 2.5 – 3 hours: 8.9%
• > 3 hours: 3.0%

January 2024 Bidding Timelines

January 2024

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Incentive Credit and Holiday Pay
FOR ATTENDANCE ONLY, the Critical Period runs from December 22nd through January 3rd. Any absences during this period will accrue an additional point under the company’s Attendance and Performance Program. Likewise, operating all sequences, RAPs, or Standby Shifts during this period will earn an incentive credit (banked point) that can be used later to reduce a point-generating absence.

FOR HOLIDAY PAY INCENTIVE, any flying performed on January 1st will be paid a premium of 100% in addition to your base hourly rate for any leg that touches the day. ODANs will receive holiday pay for both legs if at least one leg touches those dates. There is no attendance requirement to earn this incentive pay. More information about Holiday Pay can be found in the Holiday Pay hotline.

Required Update to Comply365 Version 9.2:

A mobileCCI message has been sent to all Flight Attendants regarding a required update to Comply365 version 9.2 on the EFB with an effective date of Tuesday, December 12, 2023.

Updating to version 9.2 is accomplished by opening the Self Service app and reinstalling the Comply365 app. Please click this link to review APFA’s “Updating Your EFB” Hotline. Once reinstalled, it is recommended you sync Comply365.

Final Notes for DCA:

November 16, 2023, we had another successful APFA picket event at the DCA airport. Many of you turned out to support our efforts to secure a much-needed contract with economic and work rule improvements.  To our Contract Action team for making this a success – Thank you!

We had the distinct pleasure of having the Honorable John Fetterman, United States Senator from the bellwether state of Pennsylvania, join us on the picket line in solidarity. Mr. Fetterman and his staff walked with the Flight Attendants and spoke to the crowd, including local media outlets. John is a true champion of the people, and we were proud to have him support APFA. Thank you, Government Affairs, for making this happen!

Our brothers and sisters from AFA-CWA, including AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson, joined us, and representatives from United and Southwest Airlines walked alongside us. We had representatives from SAG-AFTRA, the entertainment industry’s mid-Atlantic local and support from airport workers alike.

Our fight is not over, and we will continue to make our voices heard until we get the contract we deserve!

WHAT DO WE WANT? – CONTRACT!
WHEN DO WE WANT IT? –  NOW!

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We want to thank all of you for your support this past year!

Your solidarity and resolve are like no other. This year has seen many ups and downs, but you always shine. We will always stand here next to you and support you no matter what.

You have our promise! We would like to wish you and your family a very happy holiday season and a prosperous new year! ~ John and Di

In Solidarity,

John Pennel
APFA DCA Base President
[email protected]

Dianne Britton
APFA DCA Base Vice President
[email protected]

Lisa Barnes
APFA DCA Base Council Representative – Allocations
[email protected]