[See “Full Implementation” Guarantees / Penalties [VX], “Full Implementation” Guarantees / Penalties 2 [VX] and “Full Implementation” Guarantees / Penalties 3 [VX] for more info.]

Q:     I have a question in regards to the TA and JCTE.  My main concern with the TA is for the L-VX side.  I am not confident in the Company with having verbiage that says a “goal date” for implementation of March 2019 for L-VX when it comes to L-AS work rules.  Since Alaska management knew we were purchasing Virgin America when they decided to go with JCTE, why didn’t they have the Airbus programmed in there to begin with? I have also heard that Jeppesen won’t program the Airbus into JCTE and management is looking for a new system. Is there any truth to this? Is this the reason why management is asking for a March 2019 goal date?

A:     Alaska management did not know it was purchasing Virgin America when it selected JCTE to replace Maestro. At the earliest date, management was discussing acquiring Virgin America as a mere possibility in late 2015. However, JCTE was selected far earlier. Management and AFA were at least peripherally discussing JCTE during the last round of negotiations at least as early as 2013. There is no truth to the rumor that Jeppesen will not program the Airbus into JCTE, and in fact that effort is already well underway. Management did not “ask” for a March 2019 goal date. That is the estimated date for Full Implementation based on pilot integration expected in October and aircraft differences training for L-VX and L-AS FA is not scheduled to be finished until very late 2018. Management is very interested in integrating Flight Attendants earlier if possible but management also wishes to avoid the holidays.

Q:     Should the Company not meet the March 2019 timeline, what is involved with implementing L-VX to the 10.5 hour duty day as a penalty? Will there be a ton of programming that will need to happen? Is it “flipping a switch” easy or “going back to book” easy?

A:     Management has led AFA to understand that programming the L-AS duty and rest requirements for L-VX pairing construction is closer to “flipping a switch” easy rather than “going Back to Book” easy. The main impediment to moving to L-AS duty and rest requirements on the L-VX side is not programming–it is staffing.

Q:     My question is, should the TA pass would the full pay for L-VX FA deadheads be retroactive to cover trips beginning in January?

A:     No. Effective DOR, any L-VX FA who deadheads on a flight at the Company’s request will receive one-hundred percent (100%) block hour credit for pay purposes. This provision will be retroactive to the first day of the bid month of DOR.  If the TA is ratified on April 3, 2018, then 100% deadhead pay will begin April 1, 2018. This information can be found in the L-VX Transition Agreement 2018 TA.

Q:     Do you have current per diem rates for the other airlines?

A:     The following is a list of Industry per diem rates both domestic and international for comparison.

Alaska  $2.50 / $2.50 Intl (Same)

Delta $2.40 / $2.90 Transoceanic and HI       

Southwest  $2.30 / $2.80 Intl

United $2.20 / $2.70 Intl

JetBlue $2.15 / $2.30 Intl

Hawaiian $2.00 / 70% of State Department allowance

Q:     If you are out on a medical leave of absence, do you still accrual 1.333 towards vacation and 480?

A:     Yes, if you are on an unpaid leave you still accrue 1.333 per day towards all 480 provisions.  This is covered under Section 15.N [Unpaid Leaves…] of the JCBA (no change to this provision):

Any bid month a Flight Attendant is on an unpaid personal, military, extended, medical, maternity or parental leave, FMLA, Workers’ Compensation, STD or LTD, or on a furlough (including voluntary furlough) and is not coordinating sick leave (or vacation with STD, LTD or Workers’ Compensation), the Flight Attendant will receive an unpaid credit of one and one-third (1.333) TFP for each day for which s/he is on such leave of absence or furlough for the purposes of applicable provisions in Sections 13 [Uniforms], 14 [Vacations], 23 [Insurance Benefits] and 32 [Attendance Policy].

For Flight Attendants who coordinate sick leave/vacation in order to maintain healthcare insurance at the active employee rates while on their leave, there is a lookback application for determining their 480 threshold. See Section 15.M.4 [Leaves with Coordination…] of the JCBA (no change to this provision).

Q:     To my understanding, some Virgin FAs were allowed to keep their Company seniority for pay/vacation/line bidding if they transferred from CSA to FA. Some of those new hire FAs who just came online are currently making more money than me. I’ve been flying for close to 5 years and some are barely going into their 4th month. I’m trying to understand the ‘freezing’ part of the contract. How will they be merged when it comes to bidding? Will they still keep their 8 years even though they came online in November? Or will they merge with current 4-5 month L-AS FAs? Hope this makes sense.

A:     See the following.

“I’m trying to understand the ‘freezing’ part of the contract.

Virgin America has had several different Company policies for transfers into InFlight over its history, including differing policies for pay and bidding. Generally speaking, L-VX FAs have their pay rate determined by Company Seniority and their bidding order determined by Occupational (Flight Attendant) Seniority. Consequently, a 4 month L-VX FA who has 8 years of Company Seniority (due to a transfer from GST/CSA to FA) has the Year 8 FA pay rate but bids as a 4 month FA. The VX “Red Circled” Pay Rates LOA allows those FAs to continue receiving Year 8 Alaska FA pay until their Occupational Seniority exceeds their Company Seniority as it was on the date of ratification of the TA.

How will they be merged when it comes to bidding?

Shorter approximately correct answer: They will be merged in with the current 4-5 month L-AS FAs for the purposes of line bidding, vacation bidding, etc.

Longer more technically correct answer: The Seniority Merger Integration Committee (SMIC) will merge the lists together using a fair and equitable application codified in Section X [Merger Policy…] of the AFA Constitution & Bylaws; no adjustment to relative seniority may occur with respect to others on one’s pre-merger carrier seniority list. Eligible L-AS FAs will receive the appropriate credit for time spent in Initial Training prior to merging the lists together. Specific questions about competitive bidding seniority integration should be directed to the SMIC: seniority@afacwa.org.

Q:     Will the L-VX FAs pay the same $50 union dues as L-AS FAs if the TA passes without the same work rules essentially causing a discrepancy in pay still?

A:     Like in any merger, there will be a period of time in which there is a difference in work rules between the two pre-merger FA groups. However, L-VX FAs will have the Alaska pay rates, per diem, full grievance protections, grievable work rules, access to the full AFA committee structure and support, etc. That being said, AFA understand the desire to achieve the Alaska work, and the Association will do our part to help achieve Full Implementation as soon as possible. Dues will start being collected in July based on an April ratification.