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The Basics

(Based on the 2012-2016 Contract)

Duty Time (Section 2.X.)

Duty time begins when you are required to report to fly, deadhead, or for Standby Reserve. Duty time continues through debriefing at home, or at a layover, or when a Standby Reserve is released to begin a legal rest. Your duty time is extended by :30 when you are required to go through customs per Sections 7.I.3.a. and 12.N.2.  When you are required to undergo drug or alcohol testing, your duty time is extended by :15 for pay purposes only, Section 7.I.3.f.. Medical advises Inflight payroll to update your payfile. Your duty time is found on the key pages and on meter IDs under DTM.  (Occasionally, DSPID, used to display IDs within 72:00 of operation, does not show accurate duty time. When this happens, you need to contact Inflight Scheduling to have them correct the duty time shown.)

There is a maximum time you may be scheduled to be on duty. This depends on what time you check-in, the type of operation, your scheduled flight time, non-stop/multi-stop status, and scheduled activity within the ID. The actual time you may be on duty depends on the same factors.

Domestic duty period maximums are determined by when you begin your duty period. The maximums are based on your home domicile time zone.

Domestic ID Duty Time Maximums (Section 7.I.4.)

West Coast to Hawaii Turns (Sections 12.A.2. and 12.A.3.)

You may be scheduled to fly round trip between the West Coast to Hawaii in one duty period with a maximum scheduled and actual duty time of 14 1/2 hours.

International ID Duty Time Maximums (Sections 12.L.2.a & b.)

Most international ID duty time maximums are determined by situations.

Non-stop Flight Stops (Sections 12.L.3. & 4.)

Maximum actual duty time for non-stop flights of more than 12:00 may exceed the combination of flight time, check-in, debriefing time and customs by a maximum of 3:00. If a non-stop flight makes a stop for operational or emergency reasons, it maintains its non-stop status and duty maximums.  If a non-stop flight makes a stop for revenue purposes (loading or unloading passengers or freight) it is no longer considered a non-stop flight and multi-stop duty time maximums apply.   If a non-stop makes a stop for operational or emergency reasons and people get off incidental to the reason for the stop, it is still considered a non-stop.

Extended Duty Time Maximums (Sections 12.A.3. and 12.L.5.)

The company may ask you to extend your Sections 12.A.3 and 12.L. duty time maximums. You may extend the duty time maximum to the F.A.R. duty time maximum of 20:00 for flights covered by Sections 12.A.2. and 12.L.2.  Flights falling under Section 12.L.3. and 4. are restricted to an additional 2:00 extension to the duty time maximum. If you concur to extend your duty period you will be paid at 5 times your hourly rate for hours in excess of the contractual maximum.  There must be a request and individual concurrence. You are to be guaranteed a minimum of one hour of pay at 5 times your hourly rate.

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Going On Duty

Determining when your duty time commences varies.  Are you at your domicile or on a layover?  Are you scheduled to work a narrowbody or a jumbo?  Are you working or deadheading?  If you are deadheading, are you deadheading on another airline or ferry flight, or to cover a charter?  Will you have to cross town to depart from a co-terminal?  Are you working an International flight with an increased report time?

Domestic Duty Time Provisions (Section 7.I.1.)

At the home domicile, duty time commences 1:15 prior to departure on Jumbo, B757 and B737-800/900 aircraft and 1:05 prior to departure on A319/320 aircraft. At layover points, duty time commences 1:05 prior to departure for all Jumbo aircraft (except the B767-300), 1:00 prior to departure on B767-300, B757 and B737-800/900 (including the MAX version) aircraft and 50 minutes prior to departure to the A319/320 aircraft.

When the first segment of your assigned ID is to deadhead on-line, duty time commences thirty (30) minutes prior to departure of the flight on which you are scheduled to deadhead. If you are deadheading from your home domicile to cover a charter, ferry or deadheading off-line, duty time commences forty-five (45) minutes prior to departure. When deadheading on international flights, reporting time may be increased up to forty-five (45) minutes on specific departing flights. Refer to your domicile Cover Letter for more specific information.

International Duty Time Provisions (Sections 12.N.1. and 12.N.3.)

The company may increase the scheduled report time for International flights by a maximum of :45. This information must be published in the lines of flying and bid cover letter.

The company may increase scheduled report times for International IDs by a maximum of :30 if the first assignment is to deadhead.

Increased check-in times must comply with scheduled duty maximums.

Waiving Report Time (Section 7.I.2.)

If you arrive late on an inbound flight at a layover point, your outbound report time (check-in) may be delayed by :15.  If hotel van transportation cannot be rescheduled, you may use a cab or limousine at company expense.  (Get a receipt and submit it to WHQUN using the company provided reimbursement envelope, which is available at your domicile.) At your home domicile, you may be requested to waive up to :30 for a working flight and up to :15 to deadhead.  For a charter operation, your report time for a deadhead may not be reduced to less than :15 before scheduled departure of the ID. When your report time is waived, you receive pay and flight time credit based on your scheduled report time.

Flight Delay Notification (Section 9.N.)

If the first flight in your assignment is delayed, the company must notify you as soon as possible if the delay is known 2:00 before scheduled departure and the delay is estimated to be more than :30. This notification would change your report time. If you are not notified and check-in at the scheduled time, the crew scheduler should update your duty time to reflect your actual report time. Your duty time will probably be different from others working the delayed flight that were notified of the delay.

Going Off Duty

Determining when you go off duty depends on the type of activity for the last flight of the duty period, where your duty period terminates, and any necessary activities after your last flight blocks in, i.e. customs, holding.

Termination of Duty (Section 7.I.3.)

If you work your last flight in a duty period, your duty period is extended by :30 at your home domicile and :15 minutes at a layover.  If you are required to remain on board the airplane after block arrival, your duty period ends either when you stop holding or the extended :15 or :30 minutes, whichever comes later.  If you deadhead on the last flight in a duty period, your duty period ends when the deadhead flight arrives at your layover point.  If at your home domicile, it is extended by :15 minutes.

When you are required to go through customs following the final assignment in a duty period, either at a layover point or your home domicile, your duty time is extended by :30 minutes. When a customs check is extended due to unusual circumstances, duty time is extended accordingly and you must tell a crew scheduler of these situations for notation in your ID. If you go through customs in the middle of a duty period, there is no change to your duty time.

Co-Terminal Surfacing (Section 7.I.6.)

If you are based at a domicile with flying originating or terminating out of more than one airport (co-terminal), your duty period is extended when your duty period originates at one airport and terminates at another airport. You may choose which airport to begin and/or terminate your duty period. For example: Your ID departs from DCA and arrives at BWI. You determine if you want the 1:10 duty extension at the beginning of the ID before leaving from DCA or at the end of the ID after arrival at BWI.  Your maximum time on duty must comply with all duty maximums, as appropriate. The following times are considered scheduled deadhead time. Full pay and flight time credit will be allowed.

Reserve End of Duty Period (Section 10.D.3.b.)

Reserves end their duty period at home by contacting a crew scheduler. The crew scheduler will advise the Reserve of one of three actions:

• The Reserve may begin their legal rest after debriefing (:30 for working, :15 for deadheading plus customs).
• The Reserve is being given a second assignment within the same duty period to avoid drafting.
• The Reserve is assigned to an ID departing within 15:00 after the legal rest.

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Legal Rest (Section 2.T.)

Legal rest is the amount of time necessary before you are eligible to begin another duty period.  Legal rest does not include briefing, debriefing, customs, holding time in excess of debriefing. (7.J.4.)

Legal Rest Determined by the Type of Flying  (Sections 7.J.7.a. & b. and 12.M.4.b. & c.)

The minimum time required for a legal rest is determined by the type of flying (Intl/Dom), Lineholder/Reserve status, amount of time flown and/or scheduled to fly and location of layover hotel.  If you complete a Domestic ID, you receive a Domestic legal rest. If you complete an International ID, you receive an International legal rest.

Domestic Minimum Legal Rest at Home (Sections 7.J.1.a. and 10.D.3.a. & c.)

At your home domicile, Lineholders must have a minimum of 10:00 legal rest. Reserves must have a minimum of 12:00 legal rest and are not subject to contact for the first 8 hours.

Lineholder Reduced Legal Rest (Section 7.J.4.)

Lineholders may reduce the legal rest at home to a minimum of 9:00 to remain legal for their next scheduled flight or to pick up open flying. This is not applicable for minimum legal rest when bidding for trips encompassed by vacation.

Operational Reliability Incentive (Section 7.J.2.)

Section 7.J.2. of our Contract provides for an incentive of 5 hours pay to be offered to ensure flights at non domicile points depart on time in those situations where it is anticipated one or more Flight Attendants will not be legal for an on time departure following a layover.

Certain procedures must be followed in order for the company to implement this provision.  The Flight Attendant(s) must be notified prior to, or immediately upon arrival at the layover station. The Flight Attendant must concur. Also, the layover hotel must meet the field layover requirements (Section 7.J.1.b.), and transportation must be immediately available upon arrival.  If any of these actions are not provided, the Flight Attendant(s) may, at their option, revert to the actual legal rest provisions in Section 7.J.1.b. of our Contract. 

The legal rest period does not include debriefing/briefing times or authorized holding time in excess of debriefing.  If prompt transportation to the layover hotel is not available (Section 7.J.1.b.), and the company is unable to resolve this issue in a timely manner, the layover should be rescheduled to nine (9) hours if the hotel is within approximately :15 minutes from the airport, or eleven (11) hours if the hotel is more than approximately :15 minutes away. The Operational Reliability Incentive provision only applies at non-domicile locations where timely replacement is not possible. 

Domestic Legal Rest on Layover (Sections 7.J.1. & 6.)

On a layover, if the hotel is within approximately :15 minutes from the airport with prompt transportation provided, 9:00 is the minimum layover. These layovers are called field layovers because the shortness of the legal rest requires a hotel close to the airport.  On the key pages, these hotels are identified as (S) for short or (B) for both.

ID# 0706   CHECK-IN AT 06:25    EFF. JAN. 04 ONLY     ID# 0706
OFR     37X     144 SFO SAN 0725 0853  2.20   1.28  1.28      XTUSU  SFO M05        V04
OFR     20B   1282 SAN ORD 1113 1713   2.07   4.00  5.28 XSU SAN   # L05  V07   #V02G  V06R
OFR     37R   1250 ORD BUF 1920 2151  18.33nl  1.31  6.59 12.41  .00   XSASU  ORD  V03
V06
                           HYATT REGENCY DOWNTOWN (B)     716-856-1234
OSA    37B     771 BUF ORD 1624 1717    1.43   1.53  1.53 OMOSA  ORD V0
V06
OSA    37R     392 ORD MDT 1900 2145     9.45nl  1.45  3.38  6.21  .00   OSA    ORD   V03
V06
                           SHERATON HARRISBURG (S)       717-564-5511
OSU     37R     341 MDT ORD 0730 0837m  1.23   2.07  2.07       OSU     ORD M05S V04S
OSU     77A    139 ORD SFO 1000 1240*     4.40  6.47  9.25  .00     XSA    ORB   # L05  V07     # V02G  V06R
        T/D-  3     BID- 17.24  TTL- 17.24      T/C-  .00   TMA-  54.45   M/ $ 82.13

Hotels more than approximately :15 minutes from the airport require a legal rest minimum of 11:00 or (L) on the key pages. The 10:00 at home, 9:00 or 11:00 on a layover may be reduced by 1:00 when the change is made from Standard Time to Daylight Time.

The company may not contact us on our layovers unless there are irregularities or, to give us return assignments.  In these cases the company is not to contact us during the first 8:00 of the legal rest. Exceptions include alcohol or drug testing and emergency situations.

International Minimum Legal Rest (Section 12.M.1.)

International minimum legal rest requirements vary due to flight time, Lineholder/Reserve status, and whether you are on a layover or in your home domicile.  International legal rest minimums for layovers consider block-to-block minimums and place of lodging minimums. It is possible to satisfy the block-to-block required legal rest and not satisfy the place of lodging requirement. You must consider debriefing, customs, check-in and transportation to determine if both legal rest factors are satisfied.

Flights between the United States and Japan have the following minimum legal rest requirements:

Minimum Legal Rest At Home Domicile After International IDs (Section 12.M.2.)

Your legal rest at home is determined by your flight time or deadhead time in the last duty period.  For Reserves, the number of days of the ID flown plus the amount of time away from home of the next ID to be assigned will also be considered to determine your legal rest
at home.

Reserve Returns Home (Section 12.M.3.)

When a Reserve returns home from an ID of more than 5 days, she/he is guaranteed 48:00 free from duty regardless of the flight time in the last duty period.  If this projects a Reserve for more than her/his minimum days off, the company may change a day off to an availability day. Preference as to which availability day is changed is subject to the concurrence of the Flight Attendant and Inflight Scheduling.

Minimum Days Off (Sections 7.G.1. & 10.D.1.)

Lineholders shall be scheduled for a minimum of 10 calendar days off at the home domicile each month.  Reserves must be scheduled for a minimum of 12 calendar days off at the home domicile each month. At company discretion, Reserve lines may be built with up to 16 days off subject to a proportional reduction in guarantee.

As a Lineholder, if your inbound flight is scheduled to arrive before midnight but arrives between midnight and 0200, your day off will not be replaced.  If the flight arrives after 0200 and you wish the calendar day off restored, you must immediately contact Inflight Scheduling for rescheduling. If the rescheduling results in the substitution of ID(s) of less scheduled flight time than the ID dropped, or dropping an ID without substitution of another ID, you will receive the scheduled flight time credit and pay of the ID(s) dropped.

If you are projected under 10 days off because of drafting, you must contact Inflight Scheduling for rescheduling and you will be pay protected for any loss of pay required to restore minimum days off.

Per Series 75 (The company's Contract Interpretation Manual), Reserves who fly into their day off with no availability days left in the month may have the day off restored in the following month.  If you are a Lineholder in the next month, you may have the first ID dropped, or if there is a coverage problem, an ID later in the month. You are not pay protected for the ID. If the next month is a Reserve month, you would have the day off restored on the first scheduled Reserve availability day in the new month.

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