10.08.24 – APFA PHL Base Brief – November 2024 Staffing and Allocations

November 2024 PHL Staffing and Allocations

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Hello PHL,It is officially fall and time to start thinking about our bids for the holidays. Our Allocations and Staffing call was on October 3rd and here is what we know:

Once again there are no plans for VLOAs in November, or any new hires for the remainder of the year. There will be many college football charters systemwide built into sequences. The system wide line average is projected to be 77.9 hours, while PHL’s line average is projected to be 77.7 hours.

CHANGES FOR OCTOBER

First and foremost, our new pay and per diem rates began October 01, 2024. The October 30^th paycheck will be the first paycheck reflecting the new pay rates. The October 15^th paycheck is a ‘catch-up’ paycheck for September flying; therefore, it will still be calculated using the old pay rates. Please refer to the Implementation Timeline for all the changes that began October 1^st.

RESERVES

As of October 1st, Reserves can request an early release the day prior to or day of a RAP. Crew scheduling’s discretion will determine whether an early release is possible. Also, Flight Attendants on RAP D can request to be released early if all departures are airborne and there are no known diversions or returning flights in process. Currently, there are no changes to RAP start times in November for PHL. Reserves may also request to extend their standby shift to either 6 or 8 hours. Please refer to the implementation agreement for all the changes to reserve that began October 1^st. Starting with the November bid packets, all projected RAPs and standby shifts will be included in the cover sheet.

STAFFING/COVERAGE NEEDED

November’s monthly line average will be unchanged from October at 77.7 hours. The systemwide line average is projected to be 77.9 hours. Reserve number is projected to be 425 FA’s which is 17.3%. That is down slightly from 18.3% in October.

Thanksgiving Day is November 28^th. The average number of sequence starts per day for PHL will be 256. Pay attention to the days that have the highest number of starts.

These days will require greater reserve coverage and possibly be “coverage needed” (CN) days at certain seniorities for both line holders and reserves. CN days are predicated on bidding patterns for the month and cannot be determined until after the award process begins. November 1^st, Thursdays-Sundays, and after the 22^nd are the days with the highest number of sequence starts.

ALLOCATIONS

PHL will have 137,116 hours of flying in November, down from 139,378 in October. That ranks PHL 6^th in terms of number of hours allocated to the base.

ODANS

ODANS are slightly reduced for November. BOS, IND, BTV, PVD, CHS, PWM, and JAX are available to bid.

IPD

DOH remains staffed with 10 flight attendants and November will be the first month of IPD flying without our complete seasonal line-up. Over Thanksgiving, ZRH, FCO, CDG, BCN, DUB, and LIS are scheduled for RON’s in excess of 48 hours. AMS on the 11,18, and 27 will also have extended RON’s. AMS on the 25^th is scheduled for 72+40 RON!

**Please note: almost ALL our destinations have variable departure and/or arrival times. Look at the sequences carefully especially if you are trying to plan around commuting in and out of PHL.

DOMESTIC WIDEBODY FLYING

PHL has 4 charter sequences in November: 1925/9^th (DFW), 1926/23^rd (LAX), 1927/25^th (MIA), and 1943/15^th (LAX). There also will be a DFW 1/1 two day operating throughout the month, just not daily.

PIT SATELLITE

PIT has a slight increase in hours for the month of November, up from 4,685 hours in October to 4,714 in November. This equates to roughly 60 pure lines of satellite flying for PIT.

GENERAL REMINDERS

• For those of you who have not served RESERVE in quite some time, please review Section 12 of the newly ratified CBA.
• Late sick call off’s (LC points) are still problematic. Please reach out to the PHL APFA Office if you have any questions or would like more information about this.
• The new commuting policy changes are in effect. (CBA Section 37.I)
• The opportunity to earn a banked point for the Thanksgiving critical period is Wednesday, 11/27 – Sunday 12/1.
• Holiday Incentive Pay. Please read all the information in the new CBA for more details. (CBA Section 3.K)

• On November 8th, our Retro (Incentive Bonus) Paycheck will be issued. It will be an additional paycheck and will be taxed at a flat rate of 22%.
• VIRTUAL PHL BASE MEETING – Mark your calendar… Wednesday, December 4^th at 1600 EST, we will host a Virtual Base Meeting thru the Teams App. Details will follow in the next few weeks.
• If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, a crew member is missing, etc., please call the APFA Emergency Notification Line immediately!

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PHL STRONG! PHL PROUD! 

In Solidarity,

Tracey Montanari
APFA PHL Base President
[email protected]

John Pratt
APFA PHL Base Vice President
[email protected]