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New “Temporary” FA to FA and Open Time Trading Schedule

Background

 

In light of recent technical issues with Open Time, the Master Executive Council (MEC) made a decision at our November meeting last week to temporarily change trading times for all bases. This is a temporary change that should end with an upgrade from eMaestro to the Jeppesen Crew Tracking Enterprise (JCTE) system next year.

 

The problem appears to lie with the current system’s inability to handle the amount of users when Seattle Flight Attendants access the system. As many of you know, technical issues with Open Time are not new. However, all trading within a base now starting at the same time has been consistently causing Seattle Flight Attendants to have trouble logging into eMaestro. The system completely shut down for over 30 minutes when Seattle Open Time began in September and, even though management implemented changes to accommodate the traffic for October and again in November, Seattle Flight Attendants experienced problems accessing the system.

 

Due to the on-going problems and the fact that these problems begin with Seattle’s start time, the MEC has decided to further alter FA to FA trades and Open Time(s) by splitting FA to FA trades and Open Time(s) to different days/times beginning in December for January trading. Again, this is a temporary fix until transition to JCTE. We anticipate the new schedule—which will be in effect in December for January trading and until further notice—will offset the ‘load factor’ to the system that allows every Flight Attendant, in every base, a fair opportunity to access Open Time and FA to FA trades.

 

NEW TRADING TIME LINE IN PACIFIC TIME

 

15th – FA to FA Trades

0900: SAN

1000: PDX

1100: ANC

1200: LAX

1300: SEA

16th – OT (Except Seattle)

0900: SAN

1000: PDX

1100: ANC

1200: LAX

17th – 0900 OT SEA

18th – 0900 Out of Domicile (ALL)

* * *

 

If you have any questions please contact your LEC president.

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

AFA Alaska

More Open Time Trading Tips

AFA and management have set priorities to resolve issues with Open Time

 

AFA and management have set priorities to resolve issues with Open Time. At this time a work request is pending with Jeppesen and we are waiting for an estimated time of delivery for the fixes to eMaestro. In order of priority the items pending include:

 

  1. Net 40 TFP calculator visible in eMaestro
  2. No need to recall your trip before being able to trade with OT
  3. Correct coding of trips – programming the TX code (i.e. non TO/CP/DD coding)
  4. Codes displaying on trips in eMaestro
  5. Single trip trading for another trip of a greater number of days and covering the same dates even if not sharing the same date of departure

 

AFA’s position is that the Open Time trial of 12 months is still pending until we are able to fix issues #1 through #4 above. Once the trial begins we will be submitting a monthly survey to Flight Attendants on feedback regarding the new trading system.

 

In order to assist you with the new trading system we have provided helpful OT trading tips below. Additional information can be found in a previous AFA Alaska communication from October 14, 2015: “Open Time Trading Tips.”

 

Picking up a SIP

There are many four day trips in Open Time and you will have to be quick, but you can pick up a trip, SIP it, dump back the portion you don’t want to keep back into OT as long as the day remains open and someone else does not drop while you are processing your SIP.

Example: I see a 4-day starting on the 5th, but I want the MCO 2 day on the 7th and 8th. I pick up the trip, I go back to drop it to open time, I click on the SIP, I give away the top half (because the day is open (because I picked it up and the TSN dropped below the threshold which allows me to drop it quickly back as long as it remains open) and process. The 2-day MCO stays on my schedule.

Again, you have to be quick and only wanting to keep the bottom portion of the SIP while giving back the top portion of the SIP to OT.

Month End Overlap

When you are dropping a trip on the last few days of the month that carries over into the subsequent month, the TFP in the current month will count towards the current month. The additional TFP dropped in the subsequent month will also count towards that month’s net 40 drop.

Example: On Oct 31st I have a 4-day pairing and I drop it into OT. The first day on the 31st is worth 4.0 TFP and takes my 40 TFP net for October down to 36 TFP. The trip dropped also covered November 1st, 2nd, and 3rd which totaled 20 TFP. My net drop for November is now only going to allow 20 TFP in the month of November when I get my next schedule for the subsequent month, unless I pick up more flying from Open Time that overlaps into November.

“Process” button

When processing transactions you must click once and only once on the “Process” button. If you click more than once, the system will process the trade “approved or denied” and then boot you off the system. You will get a duplicate session and have to click “Reset,” then log back on. Click “Process” only one time, let the transaction process, and then go onto the next transaction. Please realize there are many transactions taking place nearly simultaneously on Open Time trading day and that you will need to allow the server time to complete the entire transaction.

Downtrading

Once a day is “limited,” you can still downtrade a trip that operates on the same date of departure as the trip on your schedule.

Example: The 4th is limited and there is a 1-day turn. I have a 4-day trip that originates on the 4th. I can trade down my 4-day, for the 1-day as long as they both operate on the 4th when the day is limited and provided I have not exceeded my net 40 TFP drop.

Recall Trip

If you have a trip posted for pick up, you must recall the trip in order to drop it to Open Time.

* * *

 

We’ve definitely heard there are concerns with multi-day trading and other functions that changed between the old and new system. We appreciate the feedback and will continue to review all suggestions and concerns. If you have questions regarding trading, dropping or picking up please contact your LEC Scheduling Chair.

 

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

AFA Alaska

Open Time Trading Tips

What do the Open Time codes mean?

 

Although the actual two letter codes in eMaestro are somewhat arbitrary and could change in the successor trading system, Jeppesen Crew Tracking Enterprise (JCTE), they do have a meaning. If a day is “open” in Open Time (OT), trips with the following codes can be traded (including downtraded) without respect to legs, days, TFP, et cetera—including the codes.

 

If a day is “limited” in OT, that is when the codes become important. Trips with the following codes in OT can be traded (including downtraded) without respect to legs, days, TFP, etc.:

  • DD (direct drop to OT),
  • CP (coupon drop), and
  • TO (“open” trade).

 

If a day is limited in OT, a trip with any other code than those three can be traded only day for day or greater. Those codes include TX (“limited” trade), SL (sick leave), ML (medical leave), CB (Company Business), UB (Union Business) and others.

 

However in order to avoid confusion, AFA has requested that all the other codes to be “masked” in the Open Time group display (“Grp”) so you can focus on finding the “golden ticket” coded-trips that may be downtraded regardless of whether the day is open or limited: DD, CP, TO.

 

We’ve simplified it so that if a trip’s group display field is blank, the trip can be downtraded if the day of departure is open in OT; otherwise if the day of departure is limited in OT, a blank trip can be traded only day for day or greater.

 

Where to find the codes

 

The DD, CP and TO trip codes will eventually be displayed in eMaestro and/or the successor JCTE. In the meantime, you can still view the codes by logging into the World of Inflight –> My Schedule –> Open Time.  The relevant codes are listed in the third column on the left under “Grp.” As mentioned above, if the field is blank that means the trip is coded something other than DD, CP or TO (e.g. TX, UB, CB, ML, SL, etc.) and the trip can be traded only day for day or greater if the day of departure is limited in OT.

Net 40 TFP

 

CBA §12.F.4 “A Flight Attendant has the ability to reduce her/his schedule by a net maximum of forty (40.0) TFP…as a result of drops or trades with OT each bid month.”

 

The net 40 TFP reduction only applies to activity in OT—not FA to FA trades/pick ups/drops.

 

There is no net 40 TFP calculator presently, so you will need to keep track of that yourself for now. AFA finds this extremely frustrating and is diligently working toward a solution with management.

 

For example, if you have a 4-day trip worth 20 TFP and you trade in OT for a 1-day trip worth 5 TFP, your net 40 TFP is now down 15 TFP to 25 TFP. If you then pick up a 2-day trip from OT worth 10 TFP then your net 40 is now up 10 TFP to 35 TFP. If you pick up a 3-day trip from a FA worth 15 TFP, your net 40 in unaffected since it only applies to trades/pick ups/drops with OT.

 

Open Days

 

On any calendar day that is “open” and not “limited,” all sequences with that day of report may be picked up, traded or dropped into OT without respect to the number of flights, the number of days and/or duty periods, TFP credit or any other parameters.

 

For example, if you wish to trade your 3-day trip beginning on October 4th for a 2-day trip in OT beginning on October 17th, as long as October 4th is open and you are not over your net 40 TFP, you can make the trade.

 

Limited Days

 

Any sequence reporting on a calendar day that is “limited,” that sequence may be traded for another sequence with the same day of report regardless of the length of the trip.

 

For example, if you wish to trade your KOA OAK 3-day trip reporting on October 9th with a turn in OT reporting on October 9th, it would be approved provided you are not over your net 40. For further detail on how this is accomplished, click here.

 

The example shows how to first trade up from a 2-day to the KOA OAK 3-day and then down to a turn, but the latter part of the trade is perfectly legal by itself if the KOA OAK 3-day was already on your line.

 

* * *

 

Questions? Contact your local Scheduling Committee members.

 

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; and your AFA Scheduling Committee

AFA Alaska

 

 

 

 

Open Time Trip Trading Example October 2015

October 2015 Open Time Update

Not surprising there are several issues with Open Time…

 

It will not be surprising to most if not all of you that AFA and Alaska Airlines management are working on several issues with Open Time. The reality is that our new OT system is built into an antiquated trading program (Maestro/eMaestro) that has been dying a slow death for years and probably should have been replaced a long time ago. To make matters worse, the system can barely handle the number of users we have today. Unfortunately we’re stuck with eMaestro until the successor trading system, Jeppesen Crew Tracking Enterprise (JCTE), is implemented in late 2016.

Mitigation steps taken to prevent another crash on October 15th for November Open Time

 

In order to minimize the possibility that eMaestro will crash again this coming October 15th for November Open Time, the parties have agreed to several mitigation steps. Shortly before 2 pm Pacific Time—around 1:40 pm—eMaestro will be “bounced,” which basically means the system will be rebooted and everybody will be kicked off for approximately five minutes. Nobody is particularly happy about this, but we believe being logged out for five minutes in order to ‘clean’ the system is a minimally acceptable if it prevents the half hour crash that occurred this past month. The parties are also looking at increasing the virtual CPU allocation (i.e. processing power) and possibly the number of licenses (i.e. connections) for eMaestro.

Bidding alert: Out of Domicile trading and Seattle Open Time being moved in November for December Open Time

 

Starting in November for December Open Time, trading for Seattle will be moved from 2 pm PT on November 15th to 9 am on November 16th. This will likely greatly reduce the strain on the system by spreading out the server and connection load over two days rather than concentrating it on one. Out of domicile trading will be moved 24 hours later to the same regularly scheduled time but on November 18th rather than the 17th. This change will be tested for OT in November for December trading and in December for January trading at a minimum. Now that bids are open, please bid accordingly with these new dates and times in mind—AFA sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience!

Net 40 TFP Calculator

 

There is no net 40 TFP calculator presently, so you will need to keep track of that yourself for now. AFA finds this extremely frustrating and is diligently working toward a solution with management.

“TX” coding error

 

The “TX” code outlined in Section 12.F [Open Time Trial] was not programmed in the system properly. This is resulting in more “TO” trips than originally intended, which is both good and bad. On the plus side, all TO-coded trips may be downtraded based on the day of departure only even if the day is limited whereas TX-coded trips can be traded only day for day. On the negative side, all TO-coded trips count toward the Threshold Sequence Number (TSN) and therefore the closing of Open Time. Excess TO trips makes it more difficult to reopen a day once it is limited. The parties intend to have eMaestro reprogrammed with the originally agreed-upon rules.

Code visibility

 

The DD, CP and TO codes that count towards the TSN and that also indicate a trip may be downtraded based only on the day of departure are not currently displaying in eMaestro. This is also an oversight that is being corrected as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can still view the codes by logging into the World of Inflight –> My Schedule –> Open Time. The relevant codes are listed in the third column on the left under “Grp.” If the field is blank, that means the trip is coded something other than DD, CP or TO (e.g. TX, UB, CB, ML, SL, etc.) and the trip can be traded only day for day if the day of departure is limited in OT.

Next steps

 

Going forward AFA has insisted and management has agreed that we will be more intimately involved with the programming process. Additionally, AFA will test the system prior to rollout. Once we receive an update on the estimated time to implement the fixes, we will communicate those with you.

 

 

 

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

AFA Alaska

Reason Codes for Open Time Sequences Not Displaying in eMaestro

AFA recently sent out the “New Open Time User Guide,” which describes the reason codes associated with trips in Open Time. It has just come to our attention that eMaestro does not display the reason codes that are associated with the individual pairings in Open Time.

 

If you place your cursor over a specific date in the Open Time calendar, you can see the number of trips associated with each reason code that counts against the limiting of Open Time. You will also see the Threshold Sequence Number (TSN), which shows how many sequences need to be dropped into Open Time before the day becomes limited. However, the specific reason codes for each pairing are not yet visible.

 

AFA is committed to working with Alaska Airlines management and Jeppesen to display the reason codes on each individual pairing as soon as possible. Since the codes are already programmed into the system, we are hopeful the turnaround will be fairly brief. AFA will provide an update once we have additional information.

 

All other aspects of the new Open Time are expected to go live tomorrow.

 

In Solidarity,

 

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt

AFA Alaska

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