6.07.24 – APFA DCA Base Brief – July 2024 Staffing and Allocations

July 2024 DCA Staffing and Allocations

Friday, June 7, 2024

We will honor Bette by sending flowers on behalf of APFA DCA. Additionally, we will attend the services, and we will be wearing our Flight Attendant uniform as a mark of respect and solidarity.

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Please join us on Thursday, June 13, 2024, for the Worldwide Picket event at Reagan National Airport from 11 am to 1 pm. It will be held at the upper-level ticketing counter outside the north terrace area. Please remember to wear your uniform and APFA swag to show your solidarity!

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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.

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• DCA: 42,485 (-1599)
• IAD: 1768 (-503)
• BWI: 2977 (+128)

47,230 total flying hours (DCA, IAD, BWI) ( -1974 hours month over month) (+2698 year over year)

• July will not be a flex month.
• The contractual targeted credit range default is 70 to 90 with an opening line average 82.8 hours
• No unpaid VLOA’s for July.
• DCA Reserve seniority for July begins at systems seniority 24,235 with an OCC date of January 26, 2023.
• 30 total new hires which 14 will be active in PBS and 16 will not be bidding but will be assigned to a reserve line of days off.
• Reserve percentage is up 1.2% compared to July 2023 with an increase of 23 Lineholders over July 2023.
• The overall headcount year-over-year has increased by 39 Flight Attendants.

July Events and Timelines

July 4: Independence Day 
July 5: Schedule Change

Allocations Notes for July:

• 1974 Block Hours Over June 2024
• 793 Sequences
• Slight Decrease in ODANs From June (BGR, BOS, BTV, BUF, MKE, PWM, RDU)
• LAX High Time Turn Operating 2 Days
• LAX 2-Day Sequence Operating 28 Days (21-Hour Ron)
• Las High Time Turns Operating 27 Days (9:45 Credit)
• PHX ‘Pink Eye’ Sequences Operating 29 Days
• BWI 1-Day Sequence Operating 21 Days (6:33 Credit)
• No Charter/Honor Flights for July
• 86 Sequences with 3+ Hour Sits
• 8 Spanish Speaker Positions
• 58 NIPD Sequences Operating Out of DCA with Layovers in CUN, BDA, BGI, MTY, NAS, SLP, STT
• NAS Turns Operating 30 Days Out of DCA
• BDA Turns Operating 30 Days Out of DCA
• Canada Turns Within Sequences (YYC and YYZ)
• 737 Max Sequences (77 Total)

Last month, we had 2 PBS minimum constraints: one at 70 hours, base seniority one or system seniority 53, and the second minimum constraint of 78 hours at base seniority 23 or system seniority 882.

July 2023, we had a minimum constraint of 70 hours at system seniority one and a second constraint of 78 hours at system seniority 11,414 (about 23 years seniority)

This July, we are +2698 block hours more than last July, with only 23 more Lineholders at the opening of PBS. This leads us to believe that the constraints could be like last month and be more senior.

Keep in mind that constraints and force time have two direct factors:

1. The amount of Lineholders vs. Reserves in PBS
2. The bidding habits of the Flight Attendant workgroup.

PBS must cover the open time by leaving no more than 3% of the time after processing; the higher-time bidders allow more low-time bidders and keep others at line average or below. This mixture has not been consistent, causing the monthly PBS constraints.

Every month, we advocate for fewer Reserve Flight Attendants and more Lineholders to balance PBS and help eliminate the minimum constraints. We also need more Flight Attendants to balance the need for higher Reserve utilization and quality of life for Flight Attendants.

As communicated last month, we are taking a stand on allocations; we have sent out an email blast to management regarding the need for allocation and trip construction changes. Additionally, we require a better PBS solution to enhance the quality of life for our Flight Attendants. Our email blast has been successful, with over 400 of you sending emails to the company demanding change. If you have not done so, please participate in the email blast by clicking here.

We also informed you that allocations and crew planning management were scheduled to visit us in DCA. However, due to inclement weather, that meeting was canceled. We have rescheduled the meeting for June 12 in DC. At this meeting, your local APFA base leadership will represent you and your concerns.

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Scheduled Duty Days:

• <8 hours: 47.5%
• 8-10 hours: 27.1%
• 0-12 hours: 22.5%
• >12 hours: 2.9%

Scheduled Legs in Duty Day:

• 1-leg: 31.4%
• 2-legs: 50.4%
• 3-legs: 16.7%
• 4-legs: 1.5%

Scheduled Layover Rest:

• < 11 hours 0.4%
• 11-12 hours 5.8%
• 12-14 hours 28.0%
• 16-18 hours 17.6%
• >24 hours 10.6%

Scheduled Sit Times:

• 2-2.5 hours 10.2%
• 2.5-3 hours 8.9%
• >3 hours 3.0%

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July 2024 Bidding Timelines

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July 2024 System Reserve Seniority

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

Please note that mandatory widebody equipment and service training bidding opens the first and closes on the sixth of every month. If you are not qualified and you don’t bid for a date, you may be drafted into a class. Please ensure timely completion and submission to participate in the bid process.

DCA Flight Attendants who still require training as of June 1, 2024

• 32 DCA Flight Attendants requiring Boeing 777 Training
• 105 DCA Flight Attendants requiring Boeing 787 Training
• 13 DCA Flight Attendants requiring IFS Training

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New Hires

We’re excited to welcome new hires to DCA! We are sharing some photos from the recent DCA INDOC. We are scheduled to receive thirty (30) additional new hires throughout July. We’re thrilled to be expanding our ranks and let’s all do our part to support our new members as they join the DCA base!

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APFA DCA Leadership Contacts

We are providing you with an official roster of representatives and their contacts who represent you in Washington, D.C.

APFA DCA Contacts

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our representatives for their tireless efforts and unwavering dedication in assisting us every day.

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Final Notes for DCA

As we approach the summer, if the challenges we experienced in May are any indication, it will be a long summer ahead! We are committed to providing support and resources to help you navigate various situations, such as understanding contract terms, assisting with crew tracking, and managing hotel accommodations. If you encounter any issues while on a trip, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Your safety and well-being are our top priorities.

We understand your frustrations, and APFA is actively working to address these issues with crew scheduling management. It is unacceptable to wait for hours for lodging, transportation, or for someone to answer the phone. As Flight Attendants, we don’t get special treatment from management, and the company shouldn’t either.

Your resilience has been remarkable, so continue to stay strong and unwavering!

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

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]