1.04.23 – APFA DCA Base Brief – February 2024 Staffing and Allocations

February 2024 Staffing and Allocations

Thursday, January 4, 2024

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: 39,491
• IAD: 1,915
• BWI: 2,885

44,291 Total flying hours (DCA, IAD, BWI) (+2,296 month-over-month)

• February 2024 will not be a flex month. The contractual targeted credit range default is 70-90, with an opening line average of 79.3.
• There will be no unpaid VLOAs for February.
• DCA February Reserve seniority begins at System Seniority 23443 (August 4, 2023, OCC date).
• We are projected not to receive New Hires in February, but next growth of new hires could be in April 2024.
• The Reserve percentage is up 3.6% from February 2023 with an increase of 37 Lineholders.
• The overall headcount has increased year over year to 56 Flight Attendants.

January 2024 PBS constraints started at base seniority 52 with a minimum constraint of 70 hours and base seniority 443 with a minimum constraint of 78 hours. Both metrics were an improvement from months of having more senior restrictive hourly constraints.

January Vacation Low ‘most junior’ base seniority 463. This was an improvement from previous months, awarding 22 Flight Attendants low hours based on seven or more vacation days. In February 2024, 1295 vacation days were awarded and will be part of the PBS processing.

With the increase of +2,296 block hours year-over-year, along with increased reserve headcount and decreased line holder percentages for February 2024, we predict that PBS line constraints could be more senior than they were in January 2024 with a double constraint of 70/78 hrs.

When bidding, consider not only your relative seniority but also factors like line averages, constraints, adjustments for vacation distribution, medical, and other leaves. We have asked for a decrease in reserve headcount to help balance out the PBS line average and forced time.

Flight Attendant bidding habits and the above factors affect the outcome of PBS.

February Holidays or Events:

• First Day of Black History Month: February 1
• Chinese New Year: February 10
• Mardi Gras: February 13
• Valentine’s Day: February 14
• Ash Wednesday February 14
• Presidents Day: February 19
• Leap Year: February 29

Allocations Notes for February:

• +2296 block hours over January 2024
• 683 sequences
• Same amount of ODANs (BOS, LGA) operates 31 days.
• LAX High time turns operate 16 days (2nd half of the month)
• LAX 2-day one leg out one leg back operates 15 days (20+ hour RON)
• LAX 2-day one leg out one leg back operates 8 days (15 + hour RON)
• PHX “pink eye” operates 31 days.
• Honolulu-HNL RON 17+ hours operate one time (4-day trip)
• BWI-DFW-BWI 1-day operates 17 days.
• No charter/honor flights
• 90 sequences with 3+ hour sit time.
• 4 speaker sequences -Spanish Speaker
• 114 NIPD sequences out of DCA with layovers: ANU, BDA, BJX, CUN, KIN, LIR, MBJ, PUJ, SAP, STT, STX
• 5 NIPD trips out of BWI with layovers: ANU, CUR, MBJ, NAS
• No Canada flying

Sequences appear to be built more consistent, if the duty day exceeds 10 hours which is backed up with a long layover and followed up with a shorter duty day. Any 4- leg days are mostly shorter flights with less service. 3+ hour sit times have increased and this is a concern we will address.

We will continue to advocate for trip construction and trip lengths, etc. per the survey results we sent out a few months ago. Another survey will be sent out shortly since the base is ever changing with transfers, new hires and different type of flying.

Scheduled Duty Days:

• < 8 hours: 48.4%
• 8-10 hours: 26.4%
• 10-12 hours: 22.8%
• >12 hours: 2.4%

Scheduled Legs in Duty Day:

• 1-leg: 34.2%
• 2-legs: 48.6%
• 3-legs: 15.9%
• 4-legs: 1.3%

Scheduled Layover Rest:

• < 11 hours: 0.2%
• 11 – 12 hours: 5.3%
• 12 – 14 hours: 26.7%
• 16 – 18 hours: 17.4%
• > 24 hours: 10.9%

Scheduled Sit Times:

• 2-  2.5 hours: 11.5%
• 2.5 – 3 hours: 9.4%
• > 3 hours: 3.0%

February 2024 Bidding Timelines

February 2024

---

Required Base Equipment and Service Training
Widebody Aircraft Training 777/787/IFS

Please note that mandatory widebody equipment and service training bidding opened January 1 at Noon (CT) and will close on January 6 at Noon (CT). If you are not qualified, you may be drafted into a class date. Please ensure timely completion and submission to participate in the bid process.

FEB 2024 RBEST Training Ballot

Updated: FA numbers that still need trained as of January 1, 2024

• 206 FA /777
• 271 FA/ 787
• 157 FA/ IFS

Final Notes for DCA:

Our Contract Negotiators will be meeting with the company for our first session of the new year on January 8. Our objective remains the same, and we will monitor the progress at the table.

Your commitment to advocating for a deserving contract is commendable and we will continue our media and social outreach at our next picketing event scheduled for February 13, 2024.

This event will be a nationwide collaboration with other airlines and unions. We will amplify our collective message and stay united to fight corporate greed and get the contract we deserve.

Worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action

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

---

We wish our Flight Attendants a year filled with smooth journeys and friendly skies.
Happy New Year DCA!

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]