Reserve is a dirty word. No one likes it and no one wants to share the love. It doesn't matter which subsidiary your with everyone wants a change. At S-UA they have devised the AB Rotation system. This is how it works, the top 25% of each domicile (base) is exempt from AB Rotation. Everyone else serves straight reserve for up to 5 years. At 5 years you are assigned a reserve designation letter, A or B. Now this doesn't necessarily put you on reserve, it just ensures that you are aware of the months you may be required sit reserve should reserve reach your seniority. RSVs are assigned an A or B letter in the month prior to bidding vacation, this is usually September. This info enables to to bid your vacation around your reserve letter. "A" months are January, March, May, July, September and November. "B" months are February, April, June, August, October and December.
Flight attendants are allowed to trade their letter once, they cannot trade back. There is no limit to the amount of time you can serve on AB rotation. You are a reserve until you can hold a line or become the top 25% of the domicile. Reserve is cyclical, some have never served reserve and many have been on reserve for over 20 years.
The Build
RSV lines are built with 12
days off on the S-UA side and a guarantee of 78 hours and a RSV
override of $2.12 for each credited hour. Lines can be built at up to 16 days off with a proportionate reduction to guarantee. If a reserve WOPS or GWOP (Personal Drop) a day their guarantee is reduced by 4.20 hours for a 30 day month and 4.07 hours for a 31 day month. Crew scheduling may not assign Reserves above the maximum of 95 hours but reserves may opt to "unlimited" hours and must maintain the 1/7 rule.
Call In and Ready
On the sUA side there are 2 types of RSV lines a "call in"(CLLR) line and a "ready"(RSV) reserve line. A CLLR reserve must check on line or call-in at &PM the night before they are scheduled to work to receive their assignment. A CLLR may have an assignment, be converted to a ready (RSV) status, or released for the day. There is no limit to the number of times your sit standby or are converted to ready reserve.
Legal Rest
RSVs at S-UA are required to block in upon returning to their home domicile. They are either released for crew rest, 12 hours of which 8 hours they are not required to be in contact with the crew desk. The legal rest begins 30 minutes (15 minutes after deadhead) after block arrival. They can be re-assigned to avoid drafting providing all legalities are met or re-assigned to an ID departing after 15 hours from block in time.
When a s-ua reserve is given an assignment he/she is not required to remain available for contact. If the assignment is subsequently assigned to a lineholder the crew scheduler will attempt to contact the reserve. If the reserve arrives at the airport and their flight has canceled the reserve is requires to remain at the airport for another assignment, they are covered by the "standby" rules.
A Standby RSV will be sit for 4 hours but is paid for 5 hours if they are not used. They are not always required to stay in the crew room. Each domicile has a different system. At ORD f/as have access to pagers. They simply sign their name and pager number on the clip board and notify the crew desk of their arrival and pager number.Everyone must have a pager. They must remain in the crew room for contact. F/as in other domiciles have a choice of contact, such as being in the crew room, use of a cell phone or have the crew desk call the Coordinator (duty desk) for contact.
Standby (Airport Alert)
An S-UA RSV serves 4 hours of standby and can receive an assignment departing no more than 5 hours after standby begins. They do not pre-board flights. If a UA RSV walks aboard the flight, the trip is theirs. If you sit standby and are not assigned a trip, you receive 5 hours pay.
If you receive a trip on standby your duty time reflects the time you checked in for standby.
Picking up Open Flying
A RSV can pick up open flying on their day off if the company is short. However those days off aren't restored. RSVs cannot pick up on the days they are scheduled to work. Just recently my friend Michael Yee picked up an EZE out of EWR. He was happy for the opportunity to fly the trip and earn the extra money.
Trading
At s-UA you may not trade below 3 consecutive days on and you may not trade above 6 consecutive days on. At s-UA, you can trade with other flight attendants instantly, but there is no instant trading with a pool. I repeat there is no trading with a pool. F/as can trade with their own line but can't increase blocks of days off. When trading with your own line, the request is evaluated 2 days before the earliest trade day at midnight. It will be approved or rejected with the reason stated. In July RSVs were able to trade their reserve assignments with other f/as. In August they will be able to RDO (drop) their reserve assignment to another f/a.
Moveable Days
RSV days off are immoveable, but due to operational needs you can be worked into your days off but it is RARE and they will be restored. Of course if it's on a reserve month into a lineholder month the days aren't restored. But like I said it is rare to be worked into your days off. If you have a RSV line with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off the entire month then you are off all weekends.
Move Up
Move up is handled differently at UA. F/as elect to move up to a line on the bid screen when bidding for the next month. You can choose 2 protected days that won't be assigned should you receive a move up line. They are built by the F/A service center. There is no guaranteed number of move up lines. Move up lines are built pure domestic or international. I remember working with a reserve last year who lamented she was next for a move up but alas there were no trips.
Holiday Pay;
A RSV (ready) who is not given an assignment on a holiday receives holiday pay for the value of the reserve day, 4:20 for a 30 day month and 4:07 for a 31 day month. If your a CLLR and are released for the day you receive no holiday pay. Now it's gets complicated. The company cannot release a RSV on a holiday unless the reserve is high time and not eligible for an overlap assignment on the last day of the month ot has timed out in hours or legalities. The f/a must be advised. Also the f/a can't be released from a Holiday (with the exception of his/her birthday) for the purpose of providing 1 in 7 days off.
A Flight Attendant qualifying for two (2) hour call-out pay or five (5) hour stand-by reserve pay shall receive double pay for those hours if they fall within the holiday period. ;-)
I understand that these items are in the works and were voted in with the new contract;
Reserve Preferencing (within 12 months);
- Ability to preference specific ID, co-terminal, ID length
- Earliest check-in, Latest arrival
- Purser/non-purser, position, Language, Equipment, Stand by and Position
Limited Ready Reserve preferencing system;
- Standby, Minimum or Maximum fly
- Ability to preference specific ID, co-terminal, ID length
- Earliest check-in, Latest arrival
- Purser/non-purser, position, Language, Equipment, Stand by and Position
While either reserve system isn't perfect, it looks as though each union is working at building a better system. We will never be able to recognize that better system unless we all understand both systems. "Best of Both" only becomes reality when we know what the best of each contract is.
I can honestly say I spent little time on reserve at S-UA. In order to write a post about something you know little or nothing about you need the help of experts. Scott Holman, Franco Ocasio and Andrew William Jones all kicked in information and have been an endless resource. Thanks Gentlemen, you were invaluable.
If you would like to check out the S-UA Contract click
here.
If you would like to peruse the S-CO Contract click
here.
All text and photos are property of Cross Checked.
