The Never Ending Vacation

Travel is one of the many benefits of being a flight attendant. You don't have to plan and anticipate that  once a year opportunity. We are always moving around the globe visiting new places. The world has become our pied-a-terre.

So if you fall in love with a destination it's not hard to leave. Just stow away the memories in your head and know in your heart you'll be back. 

I had 25 glorious hours in Istanbul and it was a feast for the senses. The aroma of spices and incense, the call to prayer, the beautiful Bosporus, the delicious grilled fish and kabobs and the soft touch of a cool breeze while dining on a roof top restaurant.

Istanbul, I love you. Your an exotic city that feels familiar, your tame but a bit wild. Thanks for the wonderful time. I'll be back.

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Stuff I forgot about S-CO Reserve

Image from FaceBook

Ok, I'm not perfect. I admit it.  There are several important items that I forgot and thanks to Andrew Williams Jones for bringing them to my attention. 

Pre-boarding is an item I wouldn't want to leave out. It's an integral part of sitting AA or Airport Alert. For instance let's say the inflight crew is late on an inbound flight and cannot make boarding time. Scheduling can assign f/as on airport alert or reserve f/as "blocking in " to go to the gate and board passengers. Readying the flight for an on time departure. If your blocking in you receive a "pre-board" assignment you are credited "one hour" toward line value. If your on AA and your pre-boarding assignment takes you beyond your scheduled 4 hour AA period one hour toward line value in addition to airport alert pay. 

 The time I was involved with a pre-boarding we got the passengers settled, bags stowed and pre-departure drinks served. About 10 minutes after departure time the crew arrived. We then swapped out our bags and left the airplane. FAST.

At S-CO reserves eligible for a move up line have their days off honored as closely as possible.. Scheduling calls the f/a and he/she builds their own line from  vacation drops, month-to-month (EOM) adjustments and open time. The Move Up list (in seniority order)  is displayed on CCS approximately 48 hours prior to the first day of the bid month.  The lines are built between the 1st and 5th day of the bid month. This gives you the opportunity to begin searching through the trips for assignments you want. Because your days off are honored, lineholders may down bid to hold weekends off. This of course enables a reserve to hold a line they may not have otherwise held. 

I believe this sums up the reserve system for S-CO.

Do you have anything to add? Please leave a comment.

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Reserve

One thing I've learned about reserve is that no one likes their own system. Everyone is sure their reserve rules are the worse. I crossed over to S-CO knowing I would be on reserve for a long time. The average CO reserve seems to be enjoying the privilege  about 5 years. Some sit longer and  some less but no matter how long your on reserve we all agree it's too long! In this post I am going to do my best to explain the CO system. I will post about the UA and CMI reserve system at a later date.

After speaking with so many people on both sides I realized few of us really know the rules and guidelines of each. How many of us know anything about the reserve rules of the CMI contract? I've never heard it mentioned. If we are ever going to get a combined contract we need to understand each subsidiary's contract. Once we understand the differences perhaps we can work together to negotiate an industry leading reserve system. 

On the CO reserve system you can actually control your schedule and make reserve work for you. A flight attendant can pick up a trip out of open if they are coming from days off, have sat airport alert (stand by) but didn't get a trip and has flown under 65 hours. As you can imagine it's a lot easier to plan your life if you know you can pick up your next assignment. 

All reserves here have a 83 hour guarantee and you can preference your flying. There are 3 choices; request to fly, airport alert and request minimum fly. You can preference a choice everyday your available. I have had my requests honored more times than not. 

There are 2 different reserve philosophies the first is to basically fly as little as possible. By  flying low time 2 days trips with long layovers you build per diem,  stay under 65 hours and have control of your schedule all month. One of the cross-overs actually flew 37 hours and was paid for 83, not bad right? As Pam Pace said " I chose to "work it"  to fly minimum....there are many options for different preferences.....learning to make a system work "FOR" you ...is a beautiful thing!!" 

Others chose to fly high time. They preference "request to fly". Their plan is to fly as much as possible early in the month, because scheduling/ crew desk  will use you at the end of the month. This is the strategy a friend used to earn 110 hours for June. 

As a reserve it's always good to pick up trips with Dead Head, your fully paid for DH but it doesn't count in your hours towards 65, so essentially you are earning money and have control of your schedule longer.

Trading at S-CO is terrific. It's first come first serve. That said, reserves can trade with a pool, or with another reserve. Yep, it's a different system, you can't begin trading your days once you've received your line but you must wait for the open window. Reserves generally advertise their needs and set their trades up before the open window. For instance this month reserve to reserve trades opened on June 26th at 1700-0400. June 27th brought us reserve trades with the pool at 0500-0700. At 2100 EWR reopened for all trades. 

Another terrific option is a partial drop. Let's say your on a 4 day trip out of EWR, the last day you do a BOS turn. You can call scheduling and if there is enough coverage you can drop that turn. On my last trip two crew members dropped the first two days of their pairing/ID. We flew the first 3 legs and enjoyed a layover in YYT and were finished in EWR the next day at 1100 when they took over their pairing essentially turning a 4 day into a 2 day. How cool is that?

In another post "We Beat the 1600 Pick Up"  I talked about the 1600 reserve pick up window at EWR. Basically at 1500 CST for IAH and CLE, 1600 in EWR, reserves go on CCS and chose a trip. AT 1600 you click and hope for the best. I found though, trips are continually posted for pick up until 1800. If I don't see anything I like I wait and watch CCS for a better trip. Which brings us to Golden Pairings. A Golden Pairing departs before 1100 and a line holder cannot bump a reserve out of the trip. However any trip departing after 1100 can be taken by a line holder but there is a 12 hour cut off. If within 12 hours of check-in no one has picked up your trip.....it's yours! Let me say this, I have yet to be bumped and I've flown several nice trips. Other f/as that have been bumped tell me they have been given a chance to pick up something else.


S-Co has a two hour call out. That's 2 hours from check-in. Knock on wood, I've yet to have a two hour call out.........


Schedules are as follows, lines are built with 10, 11 and 12 days off. At 10 days off you have a 83 hour guarantee. if you have an 11 or 12 day day off line you lose 4 hours for each of those days. A 12 day off line would have a 75 hour guarantee. You can bust that guarantee and fly more or call scheduling to restore days off to increase  your guarantee to 83 hours.

Every line has 4 immoveable days. These are days where scheduling can't work you into your day off. You can always count on these. I traded my line around and put days off behind my immoveable days so that I had 7 days off. I added a personal drop (wop) for a total of 8 days for a Hawaiian vacation. If you trade an immoveable day only the day traded becomes a moveable day. The rest remain immoveable.


Rolling.........I know everyone at UA has heard of rolling. The crew desk if necessary can roll your day off. For instance let's say you have 3 days off beginning the 11th. You are good for 4 days and scheduling wants to send you to BOM on a 5 day trip. Yes they can do it but they have to restore your day off. So instead of beginning your day off on the 11th you will begin your day off on the 12th. 


Now remember you can't work more than 6 days in a row. Every 6 days you must have a day off.   So no matter what happens the 7th day is a day of rest. That brings us to break days. Since you must have 1 day in 7 off there can be a time when your exceed the 6 days on. For instance in an EOM/ End of Month Conflict. You will be given a break day, 24 hours off in between the days on to make you legal. I have worked through my break day and it was reassigned after I returned to base. 

Reserves at S-CO are able to pick up their choice of  training dates. I called scheduling and ask for 787 training on a specific date, it was open and I was awarded that day. An added bonus is that I can trade into another class if I so desire. 

Airport Alert is CO's equivalent to UA's standby. Given in 4 hour increments it can be extended to 6 hours. If you sit AA and get a trip you receive 2 hours pay and the trip pay.
If your AA is extended 2 hours and you sit any portion of the 2 hours and are assigned a trip you are credited with the greater of 6 hours or the flight time plus 4 hours for that duty period. Per diem begins when you began sitting AA.
When you are assigned a pairing after sitting 2 hours AA you receive 4 hours pay or 2 hours plus flight time which ever is greater. 

While sitting AA at CO you must be in the crew room near the phone. ;-( Scheduling will not call your cell phone.

Reserve lines are built as Call out lines and 24 hour ready lines. Call out lines have 8 hour increments in which scheduling can contact you. They can never exceed 8 hours and can be split into two 4 hour periods. Last month I held a call out line that required I be available   between 0400 to 0900 and 1500 to 1900. If the crew desk calls at 0330 I technically don't have to answer the phone. 
Scheduling can convert you to ready if needed but never more than 3 times in a bid period.  They can convert a call out reserve to ready  if he/she doesn't acknowledge their assignment at midnight CT.  
All reserves are converted to ready the first 3 days of each bid period, July 1st through July 7th, 3 days before and after Thanksgiving Day and December 21st to January 4th. 


Recently I heard the Cross-overs referred to as HPRs or Highest Paid Reserves. It's true, making a decent salary does make reserve more palatable but honestly there's more to it. The ability to pick up trips, trade with one another and the pool allows you to control your schedule so that you don't feel like a pawn in the airline game. Sure it's not perfect but worked properly the reserve rules can be used to your advantage ensuring a good quality of life.  

Last year we heard horror stories about reserve at S-CO, however things have changed. I can honestly say.....it's not a bad deal. If you have to be on reserve you certainly want the flexibility this system offers. 

All photos and text are property of Cross Checked

The Sisterhood and Brotherhood of the Traveling Scarf and Tie.

 Photo courtesy of Sara Pinto Keagle of The Flying Pinto

Mergers are like an arranged marriage, the families are thrilled with the match but the bride and groom keep wondering what the benefit will be for them. You and I are destined to marry but we're still wondering when and how it will take place. No doubt angst and concern are falling around you like rice on the chapel steps. 
Regardless of the uniform you sport you can see your flying changing, new domiciles/bases opening and your experiencing new procedures, rules and ideas. We are told the future will be rosy but like a groom on the eve of the big day we're hesitant to take the plunge. We're wondering if our new partner will be nice and cooperative.  And like those two souls in that arranged marriage for better or worse we're in this up to our necks. 

Photo courtesy of Kathe Hull

Kathe Hull, a JFK flight Attendant believes that flight attendants are the same regardless the uniform they wear. She thought that if we could exchange scarfs and ties with a kind word to our brothers and sisters on the other side that it could alleviate some of the fear and stress that accompanies a merger. Developing the idea from the movie "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"  Kathe devised a plan to allow the f/as of each subsidiary to exchange and wear one another's neck ware.  USA Today was so impressed they included Kathe and her idea in an article in today's issue. You can find it here. Flying Together also included Kathe's idea and Sam Risoli demonstrated his support saying, "We appreciate Kathe's inspiring idea and her efforts to bring us all together in such a positive way". 

Photo courtesy of Kathe Hull

Flight Attendants at each domicile/base have begun putting their neck ware and sometimes wings with a note attached telling a bit about themselves and their hope for the future. Just as the bride and groom traditionally shared a moment on the eve of their wedding we too can begin to know one another.  It's a small gesture but it's one that will help us confront the future with a less apprehension knowing our sisters and brothers on the other side (whichever side that is for you) share the same concerns. . 

Photo courtesy of Gina Boccadoro

Known as the Scarf Squad they are placing the boxes in all domiciles and bases. Take a look around for the box in your base and add a scarf or tie  and your thoughts. Chances are the recipient will be thrilled to share and who knows he/she could be you jumpseat partner in the not too distant future. 

Photo courtesy of Lucy Evangilista

Photo courtesy of Patricia Van Keer Flanagan

Thanks Kathe for sharing your terrific idea! And Thank You to the Scarf Squad for making this idea a reality! I know we will all enjoy seeing all those smiling faces sporting a sister's scarf or a brother's tie.

All text and photos are property of Cross Checked unless otherwise noted.

Coffee

I'm feeling a bit snarky about my coffee these days. I've been flying into airports where a good cup of coffee is impossible to find. What's that all about? It's not like there aren't good brands out there. I dream about a strong, flavorful, aromatic brew served with fresh milk or cream. Is that too much to ask? Clearly it can be.

At times I roll the dice and buy a cup only to find they have no fresh milk, only little cups of radiated cream. When I ask the counter folks for milk they roll their eyes but usually pull out a gallon container of milk. This makes me wonder if I'm the only person asking for fresh milk.

On wide bodies at S-CO they have these marvelous espresso machines that serve up a flavorful and strong espresso or cappuccino.  Be still my heart. That machine is enough to  keep me bidding the 777 until retirement.  If I could, but alas I'm on reserve. At the mercy of coffee vendors around the country. 

 I find everyone has a preference for their morning beverage. While I like a strong bitter brew, some like a lighter blond flavor, while others prefer a medium roast. We all agree though that the coffee must be fresh and served properly.  The vessel it's served in can make or break your cup of joe.  A heated ceramic cup is the first choice and a paper cup is the next best thing. Styrofoam should never be used because it imparts a nasty taste to both tea and coffee.  The current styrofoam cups came with the Starbucks coffee S-UA once brewed. We were told due to the high brewing temperature styrofoam was needed so that customers could hold the cups. In First/ Business Class we have a terrific mug which when heated holds a good amount of coffee and makes a terrific presentation. Now if only we could upgrade the economy cups. Either that or install espresso machines on every airplane. Frankly I'm leaning towards that idea.

I don't know about you but a good cup of java really starts my day off right so if we must drink our coffee on the go could we please have a flavorful brew with fresh milk, cream and paper cups?  I'll be less cranky.......I promise.

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The Erudite Vernacular of Bohemians, Aristocrats and Flight Attendants

Flying to and from Florida has it's challenges. Full planes, too many bags and short boarding times all come together to produce the inevitable Passenger without a seat. Just this morning after such a challenging boarding scenario we were trying to close the door when Chad and I both came to the same conclusion, "We have a strap-hanger" I said about the same time he mumbled to the agent "I think we have a spinner". Both he and the agent looked at me and said "Strap-hanger?" While I said "Spinner?". We laughed, corrected the situation, closed the door and proceeded to Tampa. 

We spent the rest of the flight comparing  the Vernacular of two different airlines.

Inevitably when you put f/as together they talk about everything from romance to business. In between bits and pieces of operational jargon comes to the surface of the conversation. At times we stare at one another baffled trying to figure out exactly what the other person is talking about. When it all becomes clear and then we walk around repeating what we've just heard "A Stew?" or "Spinner?".  Eventually we will all speak the same language, but for now there is something so sweet about learning new jargon for the things we're all familiar with.

Stew Kit/ Inflight Service Kit

Id/ Pairing

Extra Stew/ Load

Purser, A Stew/ Lead or Inflight Service Coordinator/ ISM or  International Service Manager

Crew Desk/ Scheduling / Crew Coordination

Standby/ Airport Alert

Mailbox/ Vfile

Bunkie/ IRP /International Relief Pilot

Strap hanger/ Spinner ( PAX w/out seat)

Dirty Book/ Log book write up

IAH/ Mecca

Domicile/ Base

I've also noticed S-UA says 57 or 47 when referring to aircraft, S-CO says Seven 3 or Seven 5.

I'm sure I'll add plenty more to the list in the days to follow.

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Paperwork

Change is difficult. Human beings fight change whenever it threatens to enter our lives. Airline mergers fall into this catorgery. It seems the minute we've grown accustomed to the new procedures they change something else and we are back where we started.
 The day will start out like any other and then the agent hands you a piece of paper you've never seen before. On one of my last trips at S-UA the Captain was handed a small white piece of paper called Reconciliation Totals.  He looked at me and inquired "What am I supposed to do with this?" "Got me " was my reply. We closed the door and pushed.
On the other hand, once I arrived at S-CO, one of the first questions I was asked was" Why do the S-UA agents keep asking me if I want an IBS?"
Folks, I'm here to tell you.......yes! You want an IBS and you want a "Reconciliation Totals".
The perfect airline would have both. ;-)
An IBS is the end all to be all. What is an IBS you ask? It's an Inflight Briefing Sheet. All the info you need for your entire day, every leg of your trip/pairing is in the IBS.

Flight attendant and pilot names, seniority and file/employee numbers, and all meal info for any crew member on each leg. The origination and destination of each flight and FAA minimums.

Flight specific information such as boarding times, configuration of the aircraft,  planned load and stand-bys. Also special equipment, special passengers and inflight entertainment information are included thus taking all the guess work out of deciding what to play on the video system.

Also noted are galley and liquor boarding info, Milage Plus miles, and cabin maintenance issues.

As an added plus if your layover hotel or van changes it will be noted on the IBS. 

Honestly the first few trips I flew at S-CO I was lost without it. Sam, I need an IBS.


The Reconcilliation Totals comes in handy. Picture this, your working an all nighter, it's full and several wheel chairs were boarded 6 hours ago........do you remember how many? Do you trust the manifest? By golly no, at s-UA you check with each passenger listed at a WCHR asking if they still need a wheel chair at the destination. Sometimes you order the right number but other times you sit on the plane with the passenger waiting for the wheelchair you missed. Well the RT breaks down the numbers in the cabin, laps, kids , wheelchairs and umnrs.  How cool is that? I think, if we can have both on each flight, we can conquer the world or at least have the tools to do a terrific job. Because really isn't that what it's all about? Being the best in the business by having combined our acquired knowledge to make life at work a breeze. 

As always, CO and UA folks, please comment if something is askew.
All text and photos are property of CrossChecked.