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11.07.23 – APFA DCA Base Brief – December 2023 Staffing and Allocations

December 2023 DCA Staffing and Allocations

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

When PBS processing begins, if additional Lineholders are needed, those with Reserve status will be changed to Lineholder status in the following order:

  1. Tentative Flight Attendants whose preference was Lineholder in the LRD process.
  2. Reserve Flight Attendants who toggled to Pref LH in the LRD who were unable to hold Lineholder status in LRD.
  3. Most junior Reserve Flight Attendants involuntarily moved to Lineholder status after all the above have been utilized.

Important: If you are in one of these 3 categories above, you will want to bid 7 layers of Reserve and 7 layers of Lineholder in PBS.


  • DCA: 37,468
  • IAD: 2,106
  • BWI: 3,055

42,629 Total flying hours (DCA, IAD, BWI) (-1,487 month-over-month)
December will not be a flex month. The contractual targeted credit range default is 70-90,  with a line average of 82.4.

The Reserve percentage is up .6% from last December with an increase in Lineholders of 39. The overall headcount has increased year over year to 50 Flight Attendants. Last December’s line average was 80.9 hours.

As you know every month, we have PBS constraints that hold Flight Attendants to a certain number of hours, pushing time into their line. Last month we had 2 constraints with the most restrictive constraint at 78 hours, this was at system seniority. 22,599. December 2022 the most restrictive constraint was at system seniority 10,882 at 78 hours. Our block hours are up 5.8% year over year with more Reserves and less Lineholders.

This leads me to believe that the constraints will be more like they were in 2022. But keep in mind it also has to do with the bidding practices of your peers as to how the block hours are smoothed through the bidding process. Bid accordingly.

DCA December Reserve seniority begins at System Seniority 22,865 / March 31, 2022. DCA is not projected to receive new hires in December. The monthly base transfer-in numbers have satisfied the headcount needed.

December Holidays or Events:

  • Hanukkah: December 8-15
  • Christmas Eve: December 24
  • Christmas Day: December 25
  • Kwanzaa: December 26 – January 1
  • New Year’s Eve: December 31

Allocations Notes for December:

  • -1,487 block hours over November 2023
  • 747 sequences (slightly down from November)
  • ODAN flying no change (BOS, BDL, LGA, PVD)
  • LAX 2-day, one leg out and one leg back operates 17 days with 20+ hour layover.
  • PHX “pink eye” operating 30 days.
  • BWI-DFW-BWI 1-day operates 28 days.
  • December has no charter/ honor flights
  • 3+ hour sit times (77 sequences)
  • 2 Speaker sequences requiring Spanish Speakers.
  • 71 NIPD trips out of DCA with overnights in BDA, CUN, CUR, GEO, KIN, MTY, NAS, POS, STX
  • 3 NIPD trips out of IAD (CUN overnights)
  • 13 NIPD trips out of BWI (CUR, STX overnights)

Scheduled Duty Days:

  • < 8 hours: 47.8%
  • 8-10 hours: 27.2%
  • 10-12 hours: 22.5%
  • >12 hours: 2.5%

Scheduled Legs in Duty Day:

  • 1-leg: 33.9%
  • 2-legs: 50.1%
  • 3-legs: 14.9%
  • 4-legs: 1.1%

Scheduled Layover Rest:

  • < 11 hours: 0.3%
  • 11-12 hours: 5.1%
  • 12-14 hours: 26.5%
  • 16-18 hours: 17.8%
  • >24 hours: 11.0%

Scheduled Sit Times:

  • 2-2.5 hours: 11.4%
  • 2.5-3 hours: 9.7%
  • >3 hours: 3.7%

December 2023 Bidding Timelines

December 2023


2024 Annual Enrollment Deadline Extended

2024 Annual Enrollment has been extended through Friday, November 10, 2023 at 11:59 pm (CT). Go to myenrollment.aa.com and click on “Enroll” to get started.

Joint and spine surgeries will not be required to use SurgeryPlus in 2024. If you are enrolled in the Core, Standard, Plus, and High-Cost Coverage medical options, you may choose whether or not to use SurgeryPlus for your surgical procedures.

Incentive Credit and Holiday Pay

December has another period of both the Holiday Pay Incentive as well as the chance to earn an Incentive Credit (Banked point) under the company’s Attendance and Performance Program.

  • FOR ATTENDANCE ONLY the Critical Period runs from December 22nd through January 3rd. Any absences during this period will accrue an additional point under the company’s Attendance and Performance Program. Likewise, operating all sequences, RAPs, or Standby Shifts during this period will earn an incentive credit (banked point) that can be used later to reduce a point-generating absence.
  • FOR HOLIDAY PAY INCENTIVE any flying performed on December 24th, 25th, 26th, 31st, and January 1st will be paid a premium of 100% in addition to your base hourly rate for any leg that touches the day. ODANs will receive holiday pay for both legs if at least one leg touches those dates. There is no attendance requirement to earn this incentive pay. More information about Holiday Pay can be found in the Holiday Pay hotline.

Final Notes for DCA:

APFA will be holding a nationwide picket event Thursday, November 16, 2023. DCA will hold our picket event from 11 am until 1 pm on November 16 at the designated outside North Terrace Terminal-2 area (same area as past picketing events) (upstairs past ticketing counter).

We prefer you wear your Uniform and RED SWAG, but the red APFA t-shirt is also acceptable.

You are needed more than ever to participate in the upcoming events as we are closing in on our decision to ask the National Mediation Board for a 30-day cooling-off period between the Company and the Union.

The National Mediator and the parties will meet again mid-November for continued discussions. Further details will be announced in the coming weeks!

WHAT DO WE WANT? – CONTRACT!
WHEN DO WE WANT IT? –  NOW!

Together we stand hand in hand and together we will achieve our goals!


Your APFA DCA Base Representatives would like to wish you and your family a…

In Solidarity,

John Pennel
APFA DCA Base President

[email protected]

Dianne Britton
APFA DCA Base Vice President

[email protected]

Lisa Barnes
APFA DCA Base Council Representative – Allocations

[email protected]

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APFA Headquarters
1004 West Euless Boulevard
Euless, Texas 76040

M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108

Call APFA

Contract & Scheduling Desk
M-F: 7:00AM - 7:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108

Chat APFA

After-Hours Live Chat
M-F: 3:00PM - 11:00 PM (CT)
Sat-Sun: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)

APFA Events

Currently, no scheduled events...

APFA Headquarters
1004 West Euless Boulevard
Euless, Texas 76040

M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108

Call APFA

Contract & Scheduling Desk
M-F: 7:00AM - 7:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108

Chat APFA

After-Hours Live Chat
M-F: 3:00PM - 11:00 PM (CT)
Sat-Sun: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)

APFA Events

Currently, no scheduled events...

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