12.6.12 – (LAA) – Critical Coverage Pay Explained

APFA Special Hotline

12.6.12
Critical Coverage Pay Explained

First, before we elaborate on the Critical Coverage Pay, let’s get some confusion out of the way.
 
The company just dropped their annual holiday card in FA mailboxes designating the stricter attendance policy guidelines when calling in sick between 22DEC and 03JAN. The company calls this its “critical period.”

It is important to note that FAs who work during the company’s “critical period” do not necessarily qualify for Critical Coverage Pay.

This month the Company implemented Critical Coverage Pay for Flight Attendants.

Critical Coverage involves specific trip sequences in Open Time that are available, and therefore, obviously need covering.

Critical Coverage trips will be credited at 100%, and paid at 150% but only 100% of the value of the trip sequence will be reflected in a Flight Attendant’s PPROJ [PAY]. The 50% Premium will be reflected on the HI1 under the Critical Coverage Sequence and shown as “GUARPREM.”

Reserve FAs are also eligible for Critical Coverage trips and can use up to four DFPs for this or other supplemental flying (OR and L2).  Reserves will not be credited nor will the hours reflect in their PPROJ, but GUARPREM for the full value of the trip will show below each sequence on their HI1 (and paid above and beyond monthly guarantee).

Critical Coverage is similar to what Option II flying was, but is more in line with an “over-time” shift on the ground, or when the Company proffers “PayMax” for a specific sequence/position in Open Time. Crew Schedule may offer Critical Coverage when there is an insufficient number of Reserves/Available Flight Attendants to cover flying. This flying may be specific in nature, like OPT II flying was, such as a need for “speakers”, “pursers”, “equipment”, and/or “duration” flying. However, it may be proffered any time there are more open trip sequences than Flight Attendants to ensure coverage of Open Time.

If Crew Schedule determines Critical Coverage is needed, they will update DECS file RF 8803 CCS (the file that Crew Schedule used to publish OPT II availability by base). This RF file will also designate whether Reserve Option Flying [L2] is available.

Since, at this point, the company’s DECS programming is not capable of displaying CC/CR trips when pulling up an N4D or N4I list, FAs can view sequences designated for critical coverage at their base by using the list below: 

BOS     RF 8770 OT    RDU      RF 9010 OT
SFO     RF 8660 OT    DCA      RF 8550 OT
MIA     RF 9220 OT    DFW      RF 8330 OT
ORD     RF 8220 OT    IDF      RF 8330A OT
LGA     RF 8110 OT    IMA      RF 9220A OT
SLT     RF 9110 OT    IOR      RF 8240A OT
BOS-I   RF 8770 OT    JFK      RF 8880 OT
LAX     RF 8440 OT    LAX-I    RF 8440A OT

Critical Coverage Trip Sequence(s) for the next day’s operation will most likely be determined after the 1330 Make-Up Round and prior to the assigning of Reserves. However, like OPT II flying before, Crew Schedule may designate one or more Trip Sequences after Reserves have been assigned to trips as well as for same-day flying.

Crew Schedule will call to proffer Critical Coverage Trip Sequences in seniority order to those Flight Attendants who have placed their names on the Critical List [XC]: HIHP/STARTDATE/ENDDATE/XC.

AmericanAirlines + US Airways 
“Our Future Depends On It”

Leslie Mayo
APFA National Communications Coordinator