12.03.21 – APFA MIA Base Brief – January 2022 Staffing and Allocations

Friday, December 3, 2021

January 2022 Staffing and Allocations

All,

For January, we will see an increase in IPD flying with less wide-body flying in the Domestic operation. The plan in the upcoming months is to move the majority of wide-body to the International operation providing the demand stays strong, and the countries continue to lift restrictions.

The Company has hired six new-hire classes this fall and is projected to hire 2000 Flight Attendants in 2022. We currently have 162 transfer requests into Miami. Once the list is cleared, we can expect to receive new hires. We will have one new-hire Hebrew speaker reporting to Miami in late December. Please make her feel welcomed if you happen to fly with her.

Traditionally, January carries a relatively high reserve percentage. This is largely in part due to anticipated coverage issues associated with the first week after New Year’s Day. We are at 26.8% compared to 26.3% last month, 22.7% last January, and 23.7% in 2020. It is safe to say that the Company expects the lost time to increase substantially after the Holiday Incentive Period ends on January 2nd. I have challenged the Company to extend the incentive period through Sunday January 9th rather than increasing the reserve headcount to protect the first week in January. I also pointed out the additional guarantee they would most likely pay out to reserves who do not max out. They were unwilling to offer any extension to the Holiday Incentive Period.

Our total headcount for January is 2,972. We are still down about 850 heads from pre-COVID levels. The total block hours are 150,701, down about 1.5% from last month.

GRU will increase to three daily departures. One Rocket on the 777-300, and two daily departures on the 787 with a 22-hour layover, and a 38-hour layover. GIG will operate daily on the 787 with a 40-hour layover. EZE will operate daily on the 787 with a 38-hour layover. MVD will operate three times a week as a Rocket on a 787. CDG will add an additional departure and both flights will operate daily on a 777-200. MAD will operate daily on the 777-200, LHR will operate daily on the 777-300, and BCN will operate daily on the 787. There will be no changes to TLV.

LAX, JFK, DFW, PUJ, BOG, and GYE will operate daily wide-body turns. LAX will operate a daily 2-day trip on the 777-300, and a daily morning departure with an all-nighter on the return leg.

The Company has begun programming the 10-hour minimum FAR rest requirement. They are still in the testing phase, but anticipate programming to be completed by the spring. Once implemented, the Company will not be able to reduce any rest period following the completion of a duty day below 10 hours. Sequence construction, PBS, UBL, and pay protection will have to be modified to reflect this change. This has been long awaited, and I’m please to share this news.

I have received several calls regarding Flight Attendants not being accommodated by Agents when requesting an earlier deadhead. If the deadhead leg you are requesting departs outside of your on-duty maximum, you must bring your PNR to an Agent and they are required to add you to the standby list as an RID. Once you have been issued a seat, you must call Tracking to advise them you are no-showing for your scheduled deadhead. Failure to do so could result in a miss trip in the event you are rescheduled since tracking will assume you are still on your active sequence. I have been in contact with HR regarding Agents who are refusing to comply with this procedure. They are sending out a communication to ensure compliance. If the leg you are requesting to deadhead on departs within your on-duty maximum (most cases 15 hours Domestic, and 16 International), call Tracking and advise them you are requesting to exceed the on-duty limitation and deadhead back in the same on-duty period. Provided there is inventory, Tracking is contractually required to modify your sequence to reflect the requested deadhead within the on-duty maximum.

Click Here for Deadheading Flexibility Scenarios & Important Reminders

Here are the staffing numbers and trip composition numbers: