No reason to get qualified if I'm not on reserve . Why would I get qualified on say the 737?? I never would bid it and my senority holds widebody Transcon trips.
Also one less A/C to deal with at EPTs. That means I get out earlier.
Glading's Delusions
- Thread starter FWAAA
- Start date
Also one less A/C to deal with at EPTs. That means I get out earlier.
Ah that sense of entitlement. The answer is because AA flies the equipment. Never say never. I NEVER thought I would fly an MD80..then came AA. I lost my FSM (purser) position (we had FSMs/pursers on 757s,767s,L1011s, and 747s both domestic and intn). My STL-SEA, and STL-SFO 757 turns became an MD-80. I wanted to fly 9 days a month. Thank goodness I was qualified on the equipment. Great for MU, and a better business plan for AA. AA seems to love airport stand-by and the changes of being reassigned or losing a trip due to aicraft substitution are very effectively handled if qualified on all aircraft. It really isn't that big of a deal. I was qualified on all of our equip., dom, intn, and our AERs (EPTs) were only one day. (and we had more aircraft types)
It's not a sense of entitlement . It's just how AA does things. Back to the fact that what worked or didn't work at TWA doesn't apply to AA's operation. We all hate to hear... " Well at such and such an airline we did this way"... That saying holds no clout at AA. Also if I go back onto reserve that's one less A/C they can fly me on.
It must work here at AA or else I'm sure it would have been changed years ago.
No, the fact that you always say, "We've ALWAYS done it that way" is going to come back and bite you. Believe me, not everything we had was wonderful! BUT, I was just using a different system as an example. Want to keep your restricted trading rules? Current duty rig? Current reserve rules? Why look at negotiating changes? You've always done it that way. The company is asking for cross utilization and I'll bet they get it. Then what? Remember, self help goes two ways. The minute you are placed into self help, the company is also placed into self help and is able to unilaterally implement anything still on the table. And then, once again, just like 2003, where snap backs and me toos were not negotiated, you will be forced to negotiate from a deficit
Some of my friends aren't qualed on the 757,nor the 737, drafetd for 777 because of RSV and they have no intentions in qualifying, and for those who droped their quals, simple re-qual.
jersey777
Veteran
- May 24, 2006
- 627
- 73
Personally I would think it would help reduce reserve numbers if every crew member was qualified on every aircraft. On the flip side, I benefit by the laziness of most flight attendants at JFK to not get qualified on the 737 and stay at EPT's an extra 10 minutes once a year. The last 2 months I have flown a 3 on 4 off Caribbean trip that has one leg on the 737 so people more senior then me can't bid it. On another note, I used to be able to hold the early CDG trip because f/a's were to lazy to go out and get a French visa to fly Paris. Now that France has lifted that restriction the senior people have come back in droves.
That happened in 1993 . Maybe it will happen again, only time will tell.
It's not a sense of entitlement . We know what we can hold because we have separate divisions and separate qualifications. That works for the majority of us and we don't want to change it.
If you go into self help and AA implements what THEY want, it won't really matter. I predict cross utilization.
In 1993 the company entered into self help and they were very careful what they implemented. It was not skys the limit. Plus I'm not for combining Int'l and Dom because that will cost more jobs.
It won't be up to you.. I'll bet on cross utilization and no more defined benefit for new hires and insurance will change or be eliminated for retirees.
floatingon9
Member
- Mar 10, 2010
- 39
- 1
Gee Nancy, are you and your Coalition of Flight Attendants going to cross our picket line if we strike? You are wrong on cross utilization! Nobody wants it and it will cost thousands of jobs.
As far as myself, no. I have never said I would cross a picket line. The Coalition merely presented possibilities. There is no loyalty to the APFA. AA wants cross utilization. If it is on the table at the time self help is called, then the company CAN implement whether you or anyone else wants it. That is why it is called self help. Don't think for a nano second that this will be like the '90s or even '03. And unfortunately, when that difficult decision is made, you may not know what is left for the Company to change. There are some pretty big ticket items still left on the table as of today. This workforce is woefully uneducated when it comes to unilateral implementation and permanent replacements. I am a believer in informed consent. It is the union's duty to educate the membership but in the case of Ms. Gladding and the APFA, education is not one of the strong suits. Never blindly follow, go to the road show and ask the hard questions. Don't let it be just a rah rah session. When I made the choice to strike, I did so with the realization that I might never fly again. I felt so strongly about what we were fighting for that I was willing to sacrifice my career. It is easy to get caught up in the hype, just make certain you know the consequences of your decisions.
kirkpatrick
Veteran
Nancy, cross-utilization is in the company's proposals right now, with the stipulation it can be implemented 48 months after signing at the company's discretion. 401k instead of DBP is also proposed for newhires. I happen to think the 401k is a better option for someone just starting a career.
MK
