6.06.25 – APFA DFW Base Brief – July 2025 Staffing and Allocations

July 2025 DFW Staffing and Allocations

Friday, June 6, 2025

This month, we want to discuss the bid sheets and how sequences are created. As many of you know, a program called the optimizer creates schedules that Crew Planning oversees. This program is the lifeline the company relies upon to build the master schedule. Bid sheets are not produced base by base but rather as a system-wide packet which is then portioned out to the bases by hours to be flown and other parameters. What Planning enters into the system each month includes information from your contract, Network Planning’s route structure, hours per base, available headcount, and anything else that may influence the final pairings.

We receive questions as to why DFW doesn’t have certain layovers or requests to increase certain lengths of trips, etc. These run the full spectrum of preferences from your coworkers. Your DFW APFA reps to this department communicate monthly about all issues related to quality of work life surrounding your schedules. We make these requests on your behalf but must always be conscientious of how this might affect another group of Flight Attendants at other bases since the bid packet is created system-wide and not individually.

International flight schedules are generally more consistent than the domestic operation. Therefore, fewer variables are entered into the programming. Oddities can occur when extra sections or out-station flying are added. For example, the company operated routes like LAS-NRT or LAS-LHR for the consumer electronics show in January. Planning must determine how to allocate that flying in a way that best meets the operation’s needs and doesn’t negatively affect the main schedule of the chosen base. This decision is meant to prevent a domino effect from occurring across the system or to the main base’s core flying.

Domestically, it becomes much more complex. Our network changes monthly with aircraft swaps for seasonal routes, business demand, and special events. When mainline and Eagle routes are swapped, or a 3FA complement has an equipment change to a wide body, an entirely new sequence is generated. Contractual and FAR requirements play a big part in how bid packets are finalized. Even the slightest change at one station can alter the flying at our base or indirectly affect another base. Rest assured, we monitor DFW bid sheets every month to watch for major impacts.

Throughout the last few years, the bases have worked diligently to provide data and feedback to fine-tune parameters that benefit all Flight Attendants. For example, in the summer/fall of 2023, we were able to reduce the programming parameter for sit time from 3:30 to 3:15. This 15-minute change produced a drastic improvement in pairings for Flight Attendants across the master bid packet, and we were able to keep this in place. Any changes that can improve the quality of work life for Flight Attendants while allowing for a cohesive operation to continue and remaining contractually compliant will always be researched and advocated for by your team.

While this is only a brief synopsis of the process, we hope it helps to clarify some of your questions and concerns.

Important Dates:

• July Contractual Month runs from July 2 – July 31 (30 days)
• July Incentive Point / Critical Period: July 1 – July 7During the July Critical Period, which is from July 1 to July 7, if you complete all operational assignments (sequences, airport standby assignments, Reserve Availability Periods (RAPs), and special assignments) without any absences or removals (such as Sick, FMLA, Jury Duty, Military, Personal, Bereavement, etc.), including pre-planned absences and removals, you will earn one (1) incentive point. These incentive points will help reduce future point-generating dependability events.You can earn up to three (3) incentive points per year, and there is no limit on the total number of incentive points you can accumulate, and they do not expire.
• Schedule change occurs on July 5th. DFW will operate nine daily banks in July (reduced on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays).

Special Events in July:

• July 4: Independence Day
• July 6-7, 12-13: YYC – Calgary Stampede
• July 6-7: BHM – Police and Fire Games
• July 20-28: ATW – EAA Oshkosh
• July 25-Aug 2: ANU – Antigua Carnival

PBS Preliminary Manning Plan, DFW – July 2025:

We will be welcoming 2 new hires into our base in July.

System-wide reserve saw a percentage increase of 1.4 from June; however, DFW’s reserve percentage rose 2.7 points, resulting in 26.5% projected to serve reserve in July. Although last July also saw an increase in reserves, it topped out at 25.2%, so this is over a full percentage higher than last year. The line average also increased from 80.0 in June, but is still lower than last July, which projected a line average of 83.3.

Crew Planning:

ODANs account for 7.4% of all NB sequences with approximately 68 ODANs originating each day.

Narrow-body (3-5 FA) Construction Sched Duty Length:

• < 8 Hours 46.5%
• 8-10 Hours 26.3%
• 10-12 Hours 23.3%
• > 12 Hours 3.9%

Sched Block in Duty:

• < 5 Hours 41.3%
• 5-7 Hours 40.7%
• 7-9 Hours 16.4%
• > 9 Hours 1.6%

Sched Legs in Duty:

• 1: 32.7%
• 2: 51.0%
• 3: 15.2%
• 4: 1.1%

Sched Layover Rest:

• <= 11 Hours 0.2%
• 11-12 Hours 5.2%
• 12-14 Hours 30.6%
• 14-16 Hours 19.6%
• 16-18 Hours 16.3%
• 18-20 Hours 9.2%
• 20-24 Hours 7.2%
• >= 24 Hours 11.7%

Sched Sits Between Flts:

• 2-2.5 Hours 11.4%
• 2.5-3 Hours 10.3%
• > 3 Hours 3.4%

In Unity,

Robin Reitz
APFA DFW Base President
[email protected]

Luis Vasquez
APFA DFW Base Vice President
[email protected]