Question For Us F/as - Trades/dpu

[PITbull]

N903AW

Just a few extras
Block is the same as line, just in case there is any question.

SAP...Was great at one time, but because we no longer have flight options...50/70/95/100 hour, more people hang onto their trips, desperately trying to drop their trips on the ETB, limiting the amount of trips available.

Weekend obligation sucks!! You can NOT get out of working the weekends if a trip falls into your line/block, so SAP does you no good there. :angry: 

The way the ETB now works, this is the company's way of throwing options out the door and putting the responibility onto the f/a's. That isn't bad, but the system seems to benefit the most senior as the most popular and easiest trips to pick up are transatlantic, 1 day Carib. turns, and 2 day redeyes. So if your senority holds only 4 day trips, you are out of luck. You will stare at that screen till the cows come home waiting for a four day to go.

Also, anything you pick UP on the ETB is pay NO credit. So you are STILL obligated to your original block time or post sap, whichever is greater. Here lies the problem. Too many times, I end up with a 93-95 hour block. If I can drop a trip in the ETB, my obligation goes down. If I want to pick UP time on the ETB, My obligation goes up. Many of us feel the trade board should be pay credit as a blockholder. If I only had 5 more years.   Gee, 19 years and such worries. :blink:

There is some good news for reserves. They can pick up trips off the ETB on their days off and still get their 71 hour guarantee, so if you don't get but 20 hours for the month, but you can pick up 30 hours on the ETB, you would be paid 101 hours...71 guarantee plus 30 pay no credit. The problem with THIS? Most rsv blocks are scheduled at 3 days at a time. There are new rules that prohibit picking up trips on the first day off until 1000 and you have to be back the day before going on duty by 1800. This severly limits the reserves unless they switch around their days off. The RSVS benefitting are the PHL RSVS has there are about 15 transatlantic trips that leave late on day 1 and get back early on day 3. Those are the best trips, along with one days and red-eyes to pick up. This is bad for, say CLT because we have only 2 transatlantics and SOOO many keep those redeyes and 1 days, limiting choices.

ETB not computerized. There are glitches as schedulers process the ETB request. This will not change until merger. You guys have the better system and we will be intergrated into that computer system, which makes sense as you already have the upgraded system.

Pilots...We currently stay with our pilots for the entire trip. This is great for CRM but bad for limited scheduling. i.e. no working transcon turns over eight hours.

deadheading...50% pay no credit.. :down:  :down:  :down:  Too many three day 8-10 hour three days and 13-18 hour four days and one days worth 1:30- 2:00. Double  :down:  

This is just information to let you know some of what is GOOD that we have but also some of what we as a merged group will need to get rid of or change.

I like that you guys are paid a leg if it cancels.   KEEP that!!

Hope the info helps. As far as AL...IMO, 7/8? No problem.

Ciao!

[post="284512"][/post]​

Actually, what I have been witnessing is that ETB benefits reserve population more so than the lineholder with regard to money. If a reserve gives up even 1 set of days off, they get all that time above guarantee even if the Company uses them on their AVL period once the entire month.

 

[firstamendment]

US F/A not being able to drop a 4 day or weekends? That is horrid !!! Oh my gosh. We have so much to be thankful at AWA then. No wonder you guys have to call in sick if you have something important to do. I think being able to split the 4 day into personal trades, so reserves and other F/As can pick them up helps the F/As and the company. It will eliminate some of the sick calls.

Hopefully our new contract will address this and our combined contract will better your contract.

:::: Crossing my fingers ::::

[post="284534"][/post]​

Just a correction...you could concievably trip improve down to a 3 day if one is available, but thats providing there IS one. Also, if you have a FRI-MON block/line, and you trip improve to a two day trip to knock out that four day, you would still have to go on the bid sheet for SUN or scheduling will do it for you...and it will be for the highest paid trip. If you can get rid of that trip on the ETB, then of course you wouldn't have to work that weekend.

You are sooooo smart! The company is stupid if they can't see that people will just call in sick. I warned someone in inflight. They said they will be going after sick abuse. So a f/a has no sick calls, gets 4 and will call out one continuos sick call spanning 4 weeks...doing this 4 times. There is nothing that inflight can do but complain and beat us down for not making it to your son's soccer game or to take care of a sick relative.

And now, if you have an ongoing illness or virus like HIV that may spike sick calls and you reach 6 sick calls, regardless if you have a written doctors note and have NO other infractions, the company will put you on its dependability list. Our rules are screwed up.

You guys have it MUCH better. Just keep our Sherry Groff away!!

 

[airlinedivalish]

Okay...I don't know what BKs either.

Don't give up hope. Let's hope for the best. I'm sure the merged contract would improve some of this.

 

[firstamendment]

Actually, what I have been witnessing is that ETB benefits reserve population more so than the lineholder with regard to money. If a reserve gives up even 1 set of days off, they get all that time above guarantee even if the Company uses them on their AVL period once the entire month.

[post="284541"][/post]​

I agree with you 100%. Infact, a friend of mine bid RSV because he is tired of working so much while his comrades on RSV work less and make as much. Believe me, the thought has crossed my mind.

 

[PITbull]

BK means Bankruptcy.

USA has gone through 2 bankrupties in 3 years. Labor has had a difficult time holding on to their shirts in this environment. When you have your senior managmnet threatening you along with a federal judge, and no labor laws to protect you, you're really flattened out.

Most you can do is make is alot of noise. Which we did. Garner support from the public and congress and hammer away until the laws start to change.

I got the priviledge of speaking to Congressman Veon staff today. They are looking to "change". Using US Airways as their bad example.

 

[airlinedivalish]

I have never called in sick because I can easily get rid of my trips easily (I bid 2 day trips back to back and occasional turns)


Now what is reserve like at US? I heard it's better than our reserve system.

We have several former US F/As that now works for HP and one of them said she never worked! (She got like 1 trip a month at US. I don't know if that is true)

 

[airlinedivalish]

Okay what about your lines? Southwest utilizes their crews and they work so many legs!

I see some of our trip pairings and I sometimes think scheduling is modeling some of them like WN trips and the only way they could get rid of them is through partial trip drops. We don't have that option yet, but our Union is addressing this. I think if this happens, we'll have happier crews and operations will improve.

One thing I've noticed is... the more restrictive your schedule is, the more you will encounter challenges. The more flexible it is, the more it's going to flow.

 

[what_a_trip]

airlinedivalish,

I appreciate your interest in U’s scheduling. The more educated you are the less you have to rely or contribute to rumors. If I may comment on a quote you posted earlier:

No wonder you guys have to call in sick if you have something important to do.

I know you mean no harm and you are speaking generally, still, please be careful with comments like these it only adds more animosity that many AW employees have of us.

Certainly, there are always a few that abuse the system (I'm sure AW has them, as well). However, if really needed, we have personal days to drop a trip during a serous scheduling conflict. And, of course the easiest way to drop a trip comes from that word we all righfully earned with time in our individual companies - seniority!

If you are referring to the Christmas “melt downâ€￾ of 2004, a government inquiry found the blame to be on U management’s excessive job cuts and not on any particular work group sick out. The f/a sick calls averaged the same or less than Christmas’ before. Of course, the press didn’t give the same level of coverage for this fact. If this is not well known among your AW peers, please spread the word!

Just trying to keep the peace,
Trip

 

[N903AW]

I know you mean no harm and you are speaking generally, still, please be careful with comments like these it only adds more animosity that many AW employees have of us.


If you are referring to the Christmas “melt downâ€￾ of 2004, a government inquiry found the blame to be on U management’s excessive job cuts and not on any particular work group sick out. The f/a sick calls averaged the same or less than Christmas’ before. Of course, the press didn’t give the same level of coverage for this fact. If this is not well known among your AW peers, please spread the word!

Just trying to keep the peace,
Trip

[post="284609"][/post]​

Thank you, Trip, for your tactful and eloquent response. The misconceptions are still rampant about the Christmas 2004 debacle and that is a shame since Congress clarified the actual source of the problem you mention many months ago.

As to the animosity towards the employees of USAirways that may exist: I hope that the incidents are far and few between from a random few. The reason that I say this is because many of us, including myself, are honored to bring your experience and professionalism to this new airline. I have always been impressed with the front line employees of USAirways and cannot think of a better group of people to work with in the future.

Our workgroups have much in common. We have both been through bankruptcies, and wondered if our respective airlines would close their doors. We have both suffered working under bad managements. We have endured concessions and paycuts to keep our planes in the air. Most important, we have always held each other up in good times and during the bad times.

We are survivors in this volatile industry. I believe that our workgroups will work very well together and we can make our new airline one that travelers will flock to with cash in hand. I cannot find any reason why the new USAirways with our outstanding workgroups working together would not be a force to be reckoned with.

The vast majority of us at America West Airlines will be priveleged and proud to work alongside our USAirways counterparts. Just my two cents.

Best regards,
N903AW

 

[StewGuy86]

N903AW--

Classy post. If I decide to return to flying when my invol furlough is up, I look forward to working alongside the America West folks, as well!

 

[StewGuy86]

N903AW--

Classy post. If I decide to return to flying when my invol furlough is up, I look forward to working alongside the America West folks, as well!

[post="284822"][/post]​

Sorry, I meant my voluntary furlough. Fortunately for me, I have a choice whether or not to go back, unlike the folks on invol.

 

[Light Years]

A couple things from MAA that would be nice are partial trip drops and the ability to pick up out-of-base trips....

It is true that with the old reserve system some people never flew. I know people that worked there for 9 months and flew 4 trips. They didn't put themselves on quick call though.

Apparently there was a US F/A in PHL that graduated, went on international, then went through United training and was flying away for them while getting an international guarantee paycheck from US. Not sure how she could have gotten away with it in interviews and background check, but otherwise it would be totally possible. An old roomate of mine had a full time job for 5 months on international reserve, and just called in sick to the new job the two times she got called for the late London in that whole period!