7.19.24 – Rescheduling Reminders: Nationwide Computer Outage

Rescheduling Reminders:
Nationwide Computer Outage

Friday, July 19, 2024

During the evening of July 18th, there was a nationwide outage created by an outside vendor of cyber security. This outage affected all airlines, air traffic control, hotel bookings, and banking services.

American Airlines, along with all other airlines were on a ground stop for several hours, ending around 0630 this morning. Currently, the ground stop is lifted, but the airline is in IROPs as it recovers from the extended ground stop and hotel unavailability for our crews when arriving at layovers.

APFA Contract, Scheduling, and Hotel departments have been in contact with the company for several hours this morning regarding this issue. The company is working on canceling the necessary flights and rebuilding schedules. However, due to the global implications of the outages, it will take some time.

Below are the rescheduling provisions from the JCBA. Additionally, there is an IROPS form on the APFA website, which allows us to collect data regarding any IROPS situation and how it was handled by the company.

Rescheduling language is located in JCBA Section 10.J, Hours of Service in JCBA Section 11, and Crew Accommodations in JCBA Section 6. In this hotline, we want ensure you are aware of the resources available on APFA.orgto support you during IROPS.

Please visit the ‘On the Job‘ section of the APFA website for examples and information on rescheduling, calculating legalities, Reserve, and more. The ‘On the Job‘ portion of the website may be accessed from the landing page without signing into your account: 

DECS Add/Removal Codes on Your HI1

Are you questioning if a removal code on your HI1 is pay-protected? The APFA website includes a search feature explaining what the removal code means and if it is a paid or unpaid removal.

To find the ‘DECS add/remove codes‘ search feature, click on the ‘Resources‘ tab on the landing page:

Are you canceled or being rescheduled? Find the language that applies to your scenario below:

Prior to Report
Full sequence cancellations

If you have an XI-coded trip on your HI1 or a trip where all segments have canceled, you are not required to report to the airport. You may not be rescheduled to a different sequence.

If you are notified of an entire sequence cancellation within three (3) hours of your scheduled sign-in time, you are entitled to call-out pay if you have left your residence. Contact crew scheduling if call-out pay has not been added to your HI1.

Prior to Report
The first leg(s) of your trip has cancelled, and your sequence has a deadhead or live segments remaining

If crew scheduling has not contacted you, you may either contact them or report as scheduled. You may be rescheduled to catch up to the rest of your trip or be rescheduled to prevent a delay or cancellation if there are insufficient reserves.

Prior to Report
First segment(s) cancelled, no notification from crew scheduling

While crew scheduling is required to attempt to notify you (a voice message satisfies the attempt), you may contact them regarding any changes to your sign-in time. If you are unable to get through to crew scheduling, you should report as scheduled. Your duty time will begin at your original sign-in time. If you see “Failed Continuity” at the top of your HI3, crew tracking is in the process of repairing your sequence.

• Prior to Report – Sequence Changes up to 3 days prior to origination: Per JCBA 10.J.2.b., Crew Scheduling must contact you and you are not required to accept the sequence. If you choose to come off the sequence, you will forfeit any pay protection.
• Prior to Report – Sequence Changes within 3 days prior to origination: Per JCBA 10.J.2.c., crew scheduling must contact you, and with their agreement, you may be removed; if removed from the sequence, you will forfeit the pay protection for the sequence.

After Report but Prior to Origination
Sequence changes (prior to first flight)

Per JCBA 10.J.3., if you are able to sign-in, but your trip subsequently has cancellations or another disruption, Crew Tracking will need to contact you within three (3) hours after the disruption is known or four (4) hours after report, whichever is later, to advise you of the balance of your flying. If you have not heard from Crew Tracking at the end of the applicable 3 or 4 hours, you may call them; however, you are released from your flying for the remainder of the sequence.

• If you are unable to sign in, call crew tracking. Once you speak to a tracker, they will advise you of your flying or any reschedule at that time. They may reschedule you following the provisions in JCBA 10.J.3 to prevent a delay or cancellation if there are insufficient reserves. If the entire crew is not needed, the reschedule will be offered in seniority order, and assigned in inverse seniority order.
• If you are unable to sign in, and can’t get through to crew tracking, the clock for rescheduling (4 hours past sign in or 3 hours past the disruption – whichever is later) starts at the scheduled report time.
• After you sign in, if your entire sequence has cancelled, you should be notified of the cancellation by crew scheduling, but if you have not been contacted, the 3 hour/4 hour “clock” still applies as above.
• If you are notified of an entire sequence cancellation, you are entitled to call out pay, or other pay protections may apply. Contact crew scheduling if call out pay has not been added to your HI1.

After Origination
Sequence changes

Per JCBA 10.J.4., you may be rescheduled to maintain scheduled operations. If you are rescheduled due to a disruption to your sequence after you depart on your first segment, crew tracking must make positive contact to advise you of any changes to your schedule. If you have cancellations or delays that cause you to misconnect within your sequence, crew tracking must advise you of the balance of your flying within three (3) hours of when the disruption is known. During this time, you must remain contactable.

• If you are released to rest (even in your base) – call the hotel/ limo desk to arrange your hotel/transportation.
• If you are mid-sequence and at home base and have additional duty periods scheduled, you are entitled to a hotel room for an in-base layover.

Other Important Points:

• Return to Crew Base – JCBA 10.J.7.: The company must make every effort to schedule you to arrive back in base at your originally scheduled arrival time if there are available reserves. Keep in mind, the Reserve call out list is not “real time” and there may be reserves showing available who have been or will be assigned in the next ROTD run. Following UBL, open sequences are sent to reserve processing.
• Lineholders are not to be treated as Reserves. (10.J.1)
• Flight Attendants should be allowed to fly the trips they have been awarded from PBS, TTS, UBL, etc. If you have been rescheduled, scheduling should make every effort to catch you up to your original trip. (10.J.1.c)
• The Lead Flight Attendant will be responsible for communicating with crew scheduling. In no event shall a Flight Attendant accept a change in itinerary from anyone other than crew schedule, a Company designee, e.g., member of management, Inflight Management or the Captain. Notwithstanding the above, a customer service agent may inform the Flight Attendant of the need to contact Crew Schedule for possible change of itinerary. (10.V.5)
• If you pick up flying over a trip with cancellations, remember that if there is pay protection, pick up only from TTS or UBL. Picking up ETB on a calendar day with pay protection will cancel out the pay protection, even if there is legal rest between the conclusion of your sequence and the ETB sequence picked up.
• During the three (3) hours from a disruption to your sequence, or four (4) hours from sign in, you must be contactable when crew scheduling/tracking calls. If you miss a call and a voice message is left, you must return the call.

In Solidarity,

Jeff Petersen
APFA National Contract Chair
[email protected]

Marti McMillan
APFA National Scheduling Chair
[email protected]