8.06.21 – August Monthly Vacation Buyback

Friday, August 6, 2021

August Monthly Vacation Buyback

This summer has been extremely challenging for our Flight Attendants. We have experienced high Reserve numbers, unsustainable trip construction, long duty days, long sit times, short layovers, delays, cancellations, and worst of all contract violations in the form of many illegal reschedules. The operation over the last week has been particularly messy. It is obvious the Company is scrambling to get things back on track. Many of our Reserve Flight Attendants have already been overworked, and it is only the 6th of the month.

In an effort to bring some much-needed relief to our Reserves and Lineholders who are being rescheduled, APFA and AA signed a Letter of Agreement that modifies language in JCBA Section 8.F.2. as a one-time exception. If you have vacation that is scheduled to start in August, you can request to participate in monthly vacation buyback.

If you are on Reserve in August and have vacation days and would like to participate in the monthly buyback, you may only sell back full vacation blocks starting on August 13th through August 30th. If you have already picked up an ETB trip during a block of vacation days, you are not eligible to participate in buyback for that block. Once your vacation is cancelled, you will be obligated for all Reserve days in that block. Pay for relinquished blocks of vacation days will be paid above your reserve guarantee.

If you are a Lineholder and wish to participate in the monthly buyback for August, you may only sell back full blocks of vacation days that start on Aug 1st – August 30th.

Your vacation days will be paid out at 4.0 hours per day for blocks of 7 or more consecutive days, while blocks of 6 or fewer consecutive days will be paid at 3.5 hours per day, excluding premiums. Selling back your vacation allows you to pick up more time from TTS/UBL. If you sell back seven (7) days of vacation for 28 hours, the amount of hours you may pick up from TTS/UBL will increase by 28. You will be paid for the vacation buyback in your September mid-month paycheck.

To request monthly vacation buyback, access the form via aa.comply365.net.

Comply365 > My Forms > APFA FA > August 2021 Vacation Buyback

The deadline to submit the form is August 11th at Noon (CT). The Company will start processing requests on August 9th, and will process them daily. All results will be posted on August 11th by 1700 (CT). There will be no limit to the number of monthly buyback requests granted.

Have more questions about your vacation? Contact [email protected].

In Solidarity,

Jeff Petersen
APFA National Contract Chair
[email protected]

Marti McMillan
APFA National Scheduling Chair
[email protected]

Renée Mayer
APFA JCBA Specialist
[email protected]