Helpful Hints for Trading

Please refer to Section 12 F for more information and clarification of the codes 

Questions on Open Time and TSN Counts

1. Is actual opening/closing of days in OT automatic or must it be done manually for each day of the month?

Automatic open/close.  Currently closing at 9:59:59 for reserve self-assignment. This should time should be 1:59:59 but due to programming technicalities Flight Attendants can call and request, on a first come first serve basis, until full implementation this fall.

2. TSN counts: If it’s manual is it a one time manual fix when OT opens or must it be manually entered daily throughout the month? Are TSN counts only done by managers of CS?  

TSN counts are entered manually into the system.  Crew Planning sends the numbers to Crew Scheduling management to adjust prior to start of Open Time. Flight Attendants may see an increase in TSN counts throughout the month, which allows more trading flexibility. Cannot be reduced below the contractual number.

3. Can this become automated with new system?  Will new programming software have this ability? 

No, it will always require someone to enter the numbers either maintaining, increasing or decreasing the TSN is required because base sizes may change.

4. Is there a system to check accuracy of TSN counts throughout the month? Is anyone in CS ensuring TSN counts regarding opening/closing of OT days are correct?

No, there is not a system to check. It is up to Crew Scheduling management to check.  They can alter specific days as well versus the whole month. If an error is located then it is our responsibility to report it and get it corrected.  We rely on them to uphold the contractual requirements but sometimes there is human error.  No one is monitoring the TSN opening and closing of days except for when they pull the trips for the next day operation at 1:59:59 to assign reserves, which in the future will be 9:59:59.

5. Since coding of trips are automatic TO TX DD CP, is there accountability to ensure its coding counts (assignments) are done correctly?

Yes. All transactions leave a history and are logged by every user in the system.  If a scheduler makes an adjustment the Arctic appears. If it is the FA there is an audit report.  We can track everything. Even if scheduling pulls trips out of OT and returns the trips, they keep the same designation that they left with. You only see the trade codes, but there is a lot of coding in the back end system access you don’t see as a flight attendant.

6. March 30th discrepancies: TSN count in upper date corner showing 11 but trips listing in OT had a count of 10 TO coding, yet day was showing closed. When TSN count of TO trips went to 9 day was open. Why was this day different than other days in March? Manual entering/programming oversight why?  

Yes, someone entered the information incorrectly causing the issue.  If issues are discovered also requires manual fix

QUICK TUTORIAL ON TRADING

TO is a trade with Open Time that counts towards the threshold sequence number (TSN) for opening/closing a day.

TX is a trip that went into Open Time as non coded, then was subsequently traded when the day was closed and does not count towards the TSN.

CP is a Coupon Drop that counts towards the TSN for opening/closing the day.

DD is a Direct Drop into OT that counts towards the TSN for opening/closing the day.

Non coded is a sick call, illegality, personal drop, Union/Company Business drop, medical leave, jury duty and much more that does not count towards the TSN.

TO/CP/DD may be traded down, equal or more days when the day is closed and the trip on your line shares the same day of check in as the trip in OT (provided you have not exceeded your net 40 tfp trading down with Open Time).

TX/non coded may be traded equal or more days (no down trading of days, provided you have not exceeded your net 40 tfp trading down with Open Time can reduce your tfp of the trip) as long as the trip in Open Time checks in on the same day as the trip on your line or earlier and covers the same days.

TX, or non-coded, trips can become coded as TO when traded with an open day.

DD need same start date as the trip you are giving away if all the days are closed.

Examples

You can trade a 4 day on the 12th for a turn, 2, 3 or different 4 day on the 12th as long as as the trip is coded TO or DD

TX and no codes

Have to cover the same days as your original trip but can be different start dates

Examples

A 2 day on the 5th and a 2 day on the 7th can be traded for a 4 day on the 5th as long as that 4 day trip is coded TX or had no code.. doesn’t matter if days are open or closed.

A 2 day on the 10th can be traded for a 3 day on the 9th or a 4 day on the 8th as long as the trip your picking up is TX or NO CODE

Additionally,

A 2 day on the 10th could be traded for a 4 day TX trip on the 8th.

Then you trade that new 4-day for a turn that’s coded TO or DD on the 8^th.

Now your 2-day is in open time, the 4 day is back in open time and you have a turn on the 8th.

OTHER EXAMPLES: ß 

When the days are closed your trading abilities are limited.

Closed day trip in OT coded TO/CP/DD then must trade for example the 15th for the 15th, can trade up, down or equal.

Closed days trip non-coded or TX can trade equal to or greater, cannot trade down. Example:

15, 16 – 2 day on your line. Can trade into a 2 day 15/16, or 3 day 14,15,16 or 15,16,17 or 4 day 13,14,15,16 or 14,15,16,17 or 15,16,17,18. Trips must cover the same days and start on the same day of report or earlier.

You cannot trade down a TX even if you are covering the same days.  Example: 2 day on your line 15/16.  2 turns in OT on 15th, 16th non-coded.  The liability you are putting into OT is larger than what you are taking out.

TRADES WITH OPEN TIME 

You can trade 2 turns on your line for a 2 day TX/non coded in Open Time when the days are closed and you are covering the same days.

You are not able to trade a 2-day on your line for 2 turns.

If you are trading a 2 day TO/CP/DD for two turns in OT then you must first down-trade the 2 day to the turn that shares the same day of check in as the trip on your line, then pick up the turn on the subsequent day. TX/non coded trips may be traded equal or up, no down trading is allowed with TX.  TO/CP/DD allows trading up, down and equal.

Trade:  1 day on the 15th, 1 day on the 16th for 2-day TX in OT on the 15/16 – Approved

Trade:  2 day on the 15/16 for two one day TX in OT on the 15th and 16th – Denied

Trade: 2 day on the 15th for 1 day TO on the 15th – approved, then pick up one-day turn on 16^th– approved

TRADING INFORMATION:

A turn on the 24th may only be traded for another turn on the 24th if the day is closed and you have another sequence beginning on the 25th.

If all you had was a turn on the 24th and the days were closed you could trade into a turn, 2, 3 or 4 day on the 24th.

Turns are not as flexible when accompanied by additional turns or multi-days as they were in the previous contract.

Once you set up a configuration of consecutive sequences you are locked in that configuration unless you are able to drop a trip into OT or another FA picks up one of the sequences.

Depending on what you prefer to fly and trade you may want to avoid turns and ask for 3 or 4 day trips and then trade those trips with other 3 and 4 day sequences.  Even multiple 2 day trips back to back, such as the 24/25, 26/27 could not be traded for a 4 day trip coded TO/DD/CP on the 24th if the days were closed.  The multi-trade function is only operational when all days are open that share the report date of the sequences involved for dropping into OT.

WHAT IS FADO? 

FADO is Flight Attendant Drop to Open Time.

This is the net 40-tfp provision, or dropping of 40 tfp into Open Time.  If you show FADO of 30, you can drop 10 more TFP to open to get to 40 tfp net.  If you are -30, you can drop 70 tfp to open (Negative 30 plus your 40 positive.)

This calculates dropping to open days, up trading, down trading and pick-ups from OT.

In regards to the TO/CP/DD those will be combined into one code in JCTE in October. You can only down-trade TO/CP/DD coded trips with same date of departure when days are closed.

No code means the trip is a result of a sick call, jury duty, medical leave, or CB/UB.

If the trip went in to Open Time and then was traded with another trip in Open Time, trip left in Open Time would be coded TX.

Sincerely,

Martin Vance

Rita Tillou

SEA LEC Scheduling CO-Chairs

 

AFA-CWA Council 19 Base Meeting

When: Tuesday, May 17th, 2016

Where: Meeting location will be at the BEIJING ROOM on the mezzanine level (south end) of SEA-TAC Airport at the Sea-Tac Conference Center

Time: 1pm-4pm

(Parking will be validated on any floor except floor 4 in terminal)

Your AFA Officers are preparing for the annual AFA Board of Directors (BOD) meeting and we need to discuss the agenda items for the BOD and seek your input. We will be posting the agenda items for review and look forward to discussing them with you at the May 17th meeting.

Please bring all your Open Time trading questions for our scheduling experts; we will be having a Q&A regarding Open Time trading. If you can’t attend our base meeting send us your trading questions to sea.scheduling@afaalaska.org.

Agenda

1. Call meeting to order

a. Call for late agenda items

b. Late agenda items

c. Announcements

2. AFA BOD agenda items

3.  LEC Update

a. Officer Update

i. LEC President Report

ii. LEC VP Report

iii. LEC Sec and Membership Report

b. Committee Report

4. Open Time Trading Q&A

5. Budget Review

If you would like to add an agenda item please email LEC Secretary Linda Christou at lschristou@comcast.net by May 8th.

In solidarity,

LEC President Laura Masserant,

LEC VP/MEC Scheduling Chair Jake Jones,

LEC Sec/Tres Linda Christou,

Council Rep Stephanie Adams, and Council Rep Adam Clarey