5.11.18 – DFW Base Brief – June Allocations Call

A personal note from our hard working Bid Sheet Committee:

For those of you who may have glanced at a previous DFW Base Brief, this month we are pulling the curtain to demystify what we do on a monthly basis on the Bidsheet Committee.

First off, we want you to know that we hear you because we also sit reserve and fly the line. We appreciate the qualities of a good trip because we, ourselves, have collectively endured the good, bad, and the ugly.

We understand that we represent the entire spectrum of the membership—from junior to senior, commuters to locals, and domestic to international. We attempt to incorporate your varied concerns while measuring them against the JCBA and balancing them with computer algorithms designed to maximize productivity and profitability.

It is a precarious and shifting collaboration, but there is a method in navigating this landscape. All trips are categorized, counted, and tabulated. High-time turns are sorted by date, time, and arrival city. The percentage and variety of two and three-day trips are also noted.

Trips are evaluated by excessive sit time, prevalence of deadheads, duty-day limitations, number of legs, layover periods, and consistency of departure/arrival times. All trips are checked to meet the latest contractual language as negotiated. We meet with the Company before bids go to print to offer suggestions, and we discuss the membership’s concerns with existing and past allocations.

We consider issues related to changing planes, going through customs, and the number of legs in a sequence. It is important to note, although some trips seem arduous, we always ensure they meet legal parameters. For instance, you may not be aware that on the Super 80 and A319 aircraft with 3 Flight Attendants, the minimum layover is 9:30 with a maximum of 4 legs. On 757/737/A321 with 4 Flight Attendants, your minimum layover is 10:00 hours with a 3-leg limitation. We sometimes attempt to change the composition of a trip by splitting a tough 3-day, but this requires attention to E, F, and G time.

We ask that like trips be paired together with regular cadence, preferably with three days off between trips, to allow optimal rest and enough time for high time flyers to pick up other trips. Armed as a team with your concerns and preferences, we attempt to get the best possible construction of trip sequences and lines. It is not always promising, but it is important to try.

DFW Allocations Call June 2018

• 5563 headcount for June 2018.
• Increase of 145 Flight Attendants from May 2018
• 5320 Available headcount.
• DFW had 243 inactive Flight Attendants.
• 4005 Bid jobs are planned.
• Increase of one bid job from May 2018.
• 369 Vacation relief lines are planned.
• Decrease of 29 vacation relief lines year over year.
• Manning will send out a HI6 if VLOAs will be available in June.
• 946 (17.6%) Flight Attendants are planned to serve reserve in June. Increase of 134 Flight Attendants from May 2018. System reserve percentage is 17%.
• June is the February rotation for Flight Attendants serving the one on three off rotation.  813 Flight Attendants served reserve in February 2018.

Manning contributes the increase in reserve demand to the loss of AVBL days, increase in block times, variety of conflicts (training, vacation, special assignment), and recent usage trend.

Due to these factors, the June 2018 posted reserve staffing plan for the LAA system has increased significantly year over year.

We are working with manning to lower reserve percentages and lessen the impact on DFW Flight Attendants.

May 2018 was the first month of the new JCBA pay protection and rescheduling rules. The Company anticipated the new rules would cause an increase in reserves. DFW saw an
increase of 58 Flight Attendants on reserve in May. DFW APFA is recommending all Flight Attendants on the back up reserve list bid reserve lines in addition to their regular bids.
103 Flight Attendants were awarded transfers to DFW effective June 2nd. The DFW transfer list was cleared. The base will receive 44 non-speaker new hire Flight Attendants in May.
Target line average for June is 81.6 hours. System line average is 81.1

Allocations:

June 7th marks a start of the summer peak season and seasonal flying. This major schedule change may cause some lines to be bottom heavy.

• KOA returns and will be flown on a 777-200.
• ANC returns and operates daily out of DFW.
• KEF (Reykjavik-Keflavik Iceland) operates daily effective June 7. This flight operates on a 757 aircraft. Departs DFW 2020, arrives KEF at 0915. This will be a 24.25 layover.
• Domestic and NIPD turns increase for June. ODANS increase as well, layover cities: PNS, OKC, MFE, DSM and SAT

Domestic Percentages of Sequences:
3FA Solution:  1D-18.1%  2D-42.2%  3D-36.3%  4D-3.4%
4FA Solution:  1D-31.9%  2D-23.2%  3D-42.8%  4D-2.0%

NIPD Percentage of Sequences:
3FA Solution:  1D-18.1%  2D-7.4%  3D- 51.9%  4D-29.6%
4FA Solution:  1D-49.2%  2D-13.9% 3D-30.6%  4D-6.2%

DFW Combined Operation Percentage of Sequences:
All equipment all positions:
1D-23.8%  2D-16.6%  3D-51.9%  4D-7.8%

Additional Statistical Data:

Domestic Overnight Rest Distribution:
Overnight rest less than 11 hours: 17.3%
Overnight rest greater than 12 hours: 70.3%
Overnight rest greater than 24 hours: 2.9%

Domestic FA Productivity:
Scheduled block hours per calendar day: 5 hours  2min.
Credit hours per duty period: 5 hours 34 min
Credit hours per calendar day: 5 hours 13 min
Domestic sit time: 2 hours 9.2%  2.5 hours 3.8%  3 hours 1.6%
Number of Leg distribution: 1 leg-21/9%  2 legs- 46.5%  3 legs- 30.8%  4 legs 0.6%

NIPD Overnight Rest Distribution:
Overnight rest less than 11 hours:  10.9%
Overnight rest greater than 12 hours:  70.1%
Overnight rest greater than 24 hours:  7.8%

NIPD FA Productivity:
Scheduled block hours per calendar day: 5 hours 27 min
Credit hours per duty period:  5 hours 60min
Credit hours per calendar day:  5 hours 34 min
NIPD sit time: 2 hours: 11.1%  2.5 hours 2.9%  3 hours: 1.3%
Number of leg distribution:  1 leg: 27.2%  2legs: 47.2%  3 legs: 25.4 %

In Unity,

The DFW Bidsheet Committee,

Maureen Walsh-Martin
DFW Base President
[email protected]
817-739-5202

Chris O’Kelley
DFW Vice President
[email protected]
940-465-6003