Additional Vacation Fly Through Clarifications

Date: March 15, 2019
Type: AFA Article

Additional Vacation Fly Through Clarifications

MEC Reserve Committee

Although there have already been several E-Lines articles published since October 1st  addressing the Vacation Fly Through provisions of our JCBA (11/06/18, 11/27/18, 01/30/19), we have continued to press for clarification on how Operational Fly-Through requests made after the vacation period has started are to be processed.

As a reminder, Operational Fly Through occurs when a Flight Attendant elects to fly through her/his vacation any time after schedules for a given month have been awarded. This includes during the current schedule month and even after the vacation period has started.

Flight Attendants who make the election to fly through vacation any time after schedules have been awarded for the month in which the vacation occurs, including after the vacation period has started, will have the entire vacation period treated as a vacation fly through.  The result will be the removal of all of the vacation days from their lines.  Pay in lieu of vacation will apply. The value of each of the vacation days (3:15), including those that may have occurred prior to the election, that is, the entire vacation period, will appear in Add Pay. The vacation days will then become regular days off, on which the Flight Attendant may pick up flying only from other Flight Attendants.

Reserve Operational Vacation Fly Through

Additionally, in the case of Reserves who elect Operational Fly Through, it is important to remember that the Reserve minimum will be reduced by the value of the number of Reserve days of availability that were part of the awarded line and were encompassed by the vacation. If there are no days of availability encompassed by the vacation, that is the vacation period occurs during a block of days off, there will be no reduction to the guarantee.

For example, John and Jane both have seven (7) days of vacation, and both are awarded Reserve line 6220. It is a 30-day month, and the line was built with 12 days off. Both John and Jane elect to fly through their vacation after the lines have been awarded.  Their vacation days fall on different days and will be treated slightly differently. Here is an illustration of a portion of each of their lines showing the vacation days.

John’s vacation period is from the 8th through 14th:

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

VAC

R

VAC

R

VAC

R

VAC

R

VAC

OFF

VAC

OFF

VAC

OFF

OFF

OFF

OFF

OFF


When John elects to fly through operationally, the value of the vacation days is moved to his Add Pay (7 X 3:15 = 22:45), and each of the vacation days will become “OFF” days in his schedule.

He is relieved of his Reserve obligation on the original Reserve days encompassed by the vacation (8th-11th), and thus his Reserve minimum guarantee will be reduced by the value of each of the reserve availability day (4:20 x 4 = 17:20).

Subtracting 17:20 for 78:00, his new Reserve minimum will be 60:40. His total pay after adding 22:45 to Add Pay + 60:40 = a total of 83:25 of pay for the month. (Any additional flying that is picked up on days off will then increase the amount in Add Pay and will be paid above the Reserve minimum.)

Jane’s vacation period is from the 12th through 18th:

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

R

R

R

R

VAC

OFF

VAC

OFF

VAC

OFF

VAC

OFF

VAC

OFF

VAC

OFF

VAC

OFF


When Jane elects to fly through operationally, the value of the vacation days is moved to her Add Pay (7 X 3:15 = 22:45) and each of the vacation days will appear as “OFF” days in her schedule. Since there were no original Reserve days encompassed by the vacation (over the 12th -18th), there is no reduction to her Reserve minimum guarantee.

Therefore, her Reserve minimum remains at 78:00, and she will have 22:45 of Add Pay for a total of 100:45 of pay for the month. (Any additional flying that is picked up on days off will then increase the amount in Add Pay and will be paid above the Reserve minimum.)

If you have additional questions, please contact your Local Council.

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