9.01.18 – (LUS) – JSIC Update – TBS, LRD, & JCBA PBS

JSIC Update – TBS, LRD, & JCBA PBS – LUSWith Flight Attendant Operational Integration (FOI) around the corner, LUS Flight Attendants will begin a new chapter in monthly bidding including opening and closing dates for the related scheduling systems. Below you will find important dates and differences that you should be aware of over the coming days and weeks.

Please note that dates and times may have changed from what you have done in the past.

Training Bidding System (TBS)

This remains largely unchanged from the way you have been bidding for CQ (recurrent) training. You can bid to go a month early, during your normally scheduled month or if you have could not attend in either, your grace month.

Lineholder/Reserve Designator Tool (LRD)

This is a new process related to JCBA PBS. In the new PBS a Flight Attendant will know their status prior to bidding in PBS. The LRD will be used to identify if you are a Lineholder or a reserve and how you can bid onto or off Reserve in a given month. It is important to note that if you are identified as being on reserve for a given month and remain on reserve it will count as your reserve month regardless of the number of vacation days you have in that month. If you do have 7 or more days of vacation in that month your days off will be prorated according to the chart in Sec.10.D.18.d. If you have Lineholder or tentative status in LRD and bid onto Reserve (Senior Bump) it will count as your Reserve month unless you have more than 3 days of vacation in that month (Sec.12.A.3.b). We have a PowerPoint presentation on the APFA website with more information about the LRD Process and a Reserve Rotation.

Preferential Bidding System (PBS)

PBS will open on the 10th calendar day of each month at 1200 DFW time and will close on the 15th calendar day of each month at 1200 DFW time. Bids will be viewable on the 19th calendar day of each month and final on the 20th calendar day at 1200 DFW time.

Reserve Bidding in the JCBA PBS

A significant change in PBS is the Reserve days off bidding logic. In the previous version of PBS, reserves would bid for “must off” or “preferred off”. If a Flight Attendant was not able to hold all “must off” days their entire layer would be tossed out. In the new PBS all days off are considered preferred off and they will be awarded using accumulative logic.

When bidding for days off each Flight Attendant will have 7 layers to bid for Reserve days off. While you can bid all days off in the first layer, it will view all days as being equal.

If you are bidding Reserve days off and have dates that are more important to you to hold off, it is recommended to bid for those days in the first layer. For example you know that you need a specific weekend off, bid for that in the first layer, which is telling PBS these are the most important. If you are able to hold those days off PBS will begin to build your series of days off, according to the rules in the JCBA (Sec 10.D.18), using your bids in subsequent layers.

When PBS processing begins, if additional lineholders are required to cover the remaining open time, Flight Attendants with Reserve status in following categories should bid 7 layers of Reserve, and 7 layers of Lineholder in PBS.

Flex Day/Golden Day Tool (FD/GD)

Reserve Flight Attendants may use the FD/GD day tool beginning on the 20th at 1800 DFW time until the 27th at 1200 DFW time to re-designate their Flex or Golden Days. This is a new tool that allows movement of the Flex or Golden Days to provide better flexibility to the reserve Flight Attendants.

Speakers (formerly LOD/O’s) and JCBA PBS

If you are a speaker or fly routes requiring a speaker there are significant changes related to both bidding and position awards. Speakers will no longer have different sequence numbers and designated positions. Per the JCBA (Sec. 15.A.3), speakers will be able to hold any position on the aircraft except for the galley position on widebody aircraft. Speakers now will be bidding the same sequence as all other flight attendants and will be awarded/assigned positions relative to their seniority and the needs per cabin according to the JCBA.

Local Station Time

Another important change to remember when bidding is all pairings in PBS are in local station time.  The pairings have some added information from the previous PBS system.

How to Read a Pairing

The process for mis-awards will be the same as it is today. If you are unable to reach a resolution with the FABRC, please contact the JSIC (Joint Scheduling Implementation Committee) to review your case.

In Unity,

APFA JSIC
[email protected]Alin Boswell
Julie Hedrick
Linda Haertling
Vicki Balistreri