8.3.2024 – 2024 Tentative Agreement Update #3: All About Reserve

Saturday, August 3, 2024

2024 Tentative Agreement Update #3:
All About Reserve

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In this hotline:

How does this Tentative Agreement improve my finances on Reserve?
What Reserve quality of life improvements were addressed in this Tentative Agreement?
Frequently Asked Questions: Reserve
Base Visit Information/ RSVP/ Tentative Agreement Call Center
Virtual Town Hall Recording from July 31, 2024

One of the top priorities of your Negotiating Committee has been to enhance the Reserve system and incorporate language throughout the agreement to reduce the company’s reliance on Reserves. We focused on improving scheduling provisions and creating more opportunities for Reserve Flight Attendants to boost their income without sacrificing days off. Many improvements include pay components above guarantee (pay/no credit).

How does this Tentative Agreement improve my finances on Reserve?

Below, we’ve provided three examples that illustrate financial increases for Reserve Flight Attendants at the first, seventh, and thirteenth year pay steps.

Example 1:

A first year DFW-based Reserve Flight Attendant who flies 84:22 in their Reserve month. The Flight Attendant’s month included 32 domestic boardings at 30 and 35 minutes.

This schedule under the current JCBA using a one-year pay rate would pay $2,560.53.

This same schedule using the 2024 Tentative Agreement one-year pay rate would pay $3,022.01, an increase in wages of $461.48.

Boarding Pay provides an additional $319.40 (above guarantee) for a total monthly increase of $780.88.

For EXACTLY what you are doing now.

Example 2:

A 7-year DFW based Reserve Flight Attendant who flies 84:22 in their Reserve month. The Flight Attendant’s month included 32 domestic boardings at 30 and 35 minutes.

This schedule under the current JCBA using a 7-year pay rate would pay $4,198.09.

This same schedule using the 2024 Tentative Agreement one-year pay rate would pay $4,995.35, an increase in wages of $797.26.

Boarding Pay provides an additional $527.96 (above guarantee) for a total monthly increase of $1,325.22.

For EXACTLY what you are doing now.

Example 3:

A 13+ year PHX-based Reserve Flight Attendant who did not reach their guarantee on their reserve month. Here, the Flight Attendant flew 60:57 hours, and had 11 domestic boardings at 30/35 minutes and 1 NIPD boarding at 45 minutes.

This schedule under the current JCBA using a 13-year pay rate would pay $5,118.75.

This same schedule using the 2024 Tentative Agreement 13-year pay rate would pay $6,168.00, which is $1,049.25 in increased wages.

Boarding Pay provides an additional $280.99 (above guarantee) for an increase of $1,330.24.

This schedule under the current JCBA has 6 vacation days (6X3.30=21 hours pay and credit) which is absorbed into the 75 hour guarantee. This same schedule using the 2024 Tentative Agreement provides an additional 3 hours of pay no credit from vacation (above guarantee) for an increase of $246.72.

This schedule under the JCBA for CQ training receives $225.00.

This same CQ training event using the 2024 Tentative Agreement provides an increase of $225.00 for a total of $450.00.

Total monthly under the current JCBA $5,343.75 ; Total monthly using the 2024 Tentative Agreement $7,145.71: Total monthly increase of $1,801.96.

For EXACTLY what you are doing now.

What Reserve quality of life improvements were addressed in this Tentative Agreement?

Some of the enhancements to the Reserve system include:

The ability for Reserves to pick up flying on TTS/UBL on days off or after calling out of time. This includes red flag flying.
The ability for Reserves to bid a block of days off anywhere in the month.This allows greater flexibility for Reserves who plan to fly ETB or TTS/UBL trips on days off above guarantee or just like to count on one longer block of days off.
Reserve Out-of-Base pickups. The ability for Reserves on days off or after calling out of time to pick up out-of base, after all in-base Flight Attendants.
Automated Reserve Day(s) Off Trade with the company, a “set it and forget it” ballot system- instead of repeated phone calls to crew scheduling.
Guaranteed Flex Day/Golden Day (FD/GD) slide. New guaranteed day off replacement at the end of that block of days off when flown into a FD/GD, if crew scheduling does not mutually agree to the Reserve’s request for a different day. If a Reserve has Wednesday-Friday off and is flown into Wednesday, they are guaranteed Saturday off.
No more blind Standby bidding. Specific identifiers when bidding for Standby shifts, which include start/end times, required days of availability, crew base, and terminal.
ONLY Aggressive hours credited. Credited aggressive hours will now be based on the first forty (40) awarded aggressive hours. Any other credited time (vacation, jury duty, ROTA, etc.) will no longer eat up those first 40 aggressive hours.
Transferring Trips Out of Base Limitations. If crew scheduling is going to redistribute open time in one base to another base, this must be done by 1200HBT. This will prevent Reserves from bidding on ROTA trips only to find they’ve been transferred to another base when ROTA processes.

Click here and scroll to Section 12 of the Tentative Agreement Executive Summary for more Reserve information.

Frequently Asked Questions: Reserve

Q1: Can you share a list of what is paid above guarantee for Reserves, both current and if the Tentative Agreement is ratified?

A: Currently, per diem, position premiums, Voluntary Extension pay and training pay are paid above Reserve guarantee. All of these were increased under the 2024 Tentative Agreement. In addition, picking up ETB on days off, international pay, holding time, holiday pay, and red flag all pay above guarantee.

The Tentative Agreement adds more items paid above Reserve guarantee, including Sit Rig, Boarding Pay, Hotel Penalty Pay, TTS/UBL pickups on days off, and 30 minutes per day of vacation in blocks of 6 or less days.

Q2: Was anything added to address the high Reserve seniority at certain bases?

A: Yes. A provision was added to require the company to meet with APFA upon request to discuss methods and solutions to reduce reserve seniority. This will be a high-level meeting between union and company leadership.

Q3: In the Tentative Agreement, RAP D will be 1400-0200 HBT in all bases, and will be modified to end once all departures are airborne and there are no known diversions or returning flights. What is the benefit of this?

A: The benefit of changing the time is that today at some bases, RAP D is scheduled overnight and into the early morning, so Reserves were receiving 6am or 7am reports after being on call all night. By changing RAP D to 1400-0200, you will no longer have to report after 4am.

If released after last departure (when there are no known diversions), the Reserve may even sit RAP D shorter than 12 hours with early morning reports going to Reserves on RAP A.

Q4: If I am flying on my days off, why must my trip release no later than 1600 HBT instead of the current 1800 HBT in the JCBA?

A: This change to 1600HBT reflects the change to our FAR required rest from eight (8) hours to ten (10) hours. The company wanted to limit our earning ability by requiring a Reserve to have their home based rest (HBR) scheduled to complete prior to 0000HBT on the first day of Reserve.

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