eMaestro not able to adequately handle the amount of users
Over the past few months the Master Executive Council (MEC) and the AFA Scheduling Committee have been actively working with management to help ease the transition during implementation of the new Open Time system. The reality of the situation is that eMaestro is not able to adequately handle the amount of users accessing the system at one time. This is why Open Time crashed in September when Seattle OT trading began.
User capacity increased in October, but…
To help remedy the issue, management agreed to increase the user capacity in October. This action did appear to soften the blow during Open Time. However, there were still reports of Seattle flight attendants continuing to experience accessibility issues.
eMaestro has just about reached maximum performance given its limitations
The changes in the contract to the Open Time system are designed to help enhance trading options for flight attendants. Unfortunately, it appears that management did not fully understand the capabilities, or lack thereof, of the eMaestro system during negotiations. Management continues to work with Jeppesen and the Information Technology (IT) department to tweak the system for maximum performance given its limitations. Unfortunately these adjustments have returned about as much improvement as we’re probably going to get.
AFA has the daunting task of finding workarounds
This leaves AFA with the daunting task of finding workarounds to ensure all flight attendants have the ability to exercise their contractual rights to trade with Open Time. Once the new Jeppesen Crew Tracking Enterprise (JCTE) program is in place the issues will subside. During negotiations management estimated that JCTE would be implemented at the end of second quarter 2016.
Seattle Open Time trading moved to the 16th at 0900 PT
One workaround in effect during November Open Time for December trading is Seattle flight attendants’ Open Time moved to the 16th at 0900 PT.
- Posting of trips for trade: 14th at 2000 PT.
- Open Time trading & FA to FA trading: 15th or 16th (see below)
- Out of domicile trades, pick-ups and give-aways: 17th 0900 PT
Trading/Open Time start times for each base:
- SAN: 15th at 0900 PT
- PDX: 15th at 1000 PT
- ANC: 15th at 1100 PT
- LAX: 15th at 1200 PT
- SEA: 16th at 0900 PT
The Threshold Sequence Number (TSN) for ANC, PDX and SAN is 3 trips per day. For LAX, management has agreed to increase this to 4 trips per day on a trial basis. For SEA, the TSN is 11 trips per day. For more information, see Inflight Required Bulletin #2015-0210.
The MEC believes moving Seattle trading a day later will help offset the problems with capacity overload for all bases when their respective Open Time trading begins. We will continue to monitor Open Time and work with the AFA Scheduling Committee to find solutions to problems if they occur.
Update on the upcoming fixes for Open Time Trading
There are four items that will be fixed in the coming months:
- Net 40 Calculator being visible in Maestro
- No need to recall your trip before being able to trade with OT
- Correct coding of trips – programing the TX code
- Codes displaying on trips in Maestro
We will keep you posted on the progress of these fixes, but please know they are on the list and actively being addressed. Once the coding is corrected, this will allow you the ability to trade a trip on your line with a trip in OT coded other than DD (direct drop to OT), TO (open trade with OT) or CP (coupon drop) (e.g. TX, SL, ML, UB, CB, etc.) for a different report date as long as you are covering the same days of flying or greater. Remember, trips coded with DD, CP or TO cannot be traded in this manner although they can be traded down based on day of departure only.
Example: You have a two-day trip on October 20/21 and you want to trade for a 3 day trip coded TX on October 19/20/21 in Open Time, the fix will now allow this trade to occur.
Vacation Open Time Update
Due to problems with vacation open time, the MEC has worked with management to make it easier for you to trade your vacation with vacation open time! Refer to Inflight Bulletin #2015-0268 for detailed information.
Vacation trading will start on October 28th
- SAN at 0900 PT
- PDX at 1000 PT
- ANC at 1100 PT
- LAX at 12:00am PT
- SEA at 2:00pm PT
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We know that is a lot of information! If you have any questions, contact a Local Executive Council (LEC) officer (ANC 30 | SEA 19 | PDX 39 | LAX 18 | SAN 15) or a local Scheduling Committee member.
In solidarity,
Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; and MEC Scheduling chairperson Jake Jones
