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Fast Fact Friday
Shifted Reserve System – Week One Review
Friday, January 10, 2025
Q1: “How does Crew Scheduling assign trips and Airport Standby (APSB)? Does it have to be that they utilize one category of Reserve (SAR/SPR/JAR/JPR/JLR) before another?”
Crew Scheduling must follow the Order of Assignment (Article 11.5) Contract language when assigning out Reserves. For example, SPR cannot be assigned a check-in prior to 1200 Local. Crew Scheduling is not required to utilize all of one shift category prior to moving to another Reserve type.
Q2: “Did the calculation of RDV change with the new Shifted Reserve System?”
No. The only thing that changed with the calculation of Relative Daily Value (RDV) is the adjustment to the daily compensation for the monthly/block Reserve guarantee, which increased to 6.5 TFP per day.
RDV Formula: Block/Month Guarantee – TFP flown towards Block/Month Guarantee – (Days Left in Block/Month x 6.5 TFP) = RDV
Q3: “I am good for 3 days of JAR. This morning, Scheduling called at 0400 Local and assigned me a turn. I looked up the Reserve Report and noticed that there are two Flight Attendants good for 1 day of JAR on the list. Don’t they have to assign the turn to Flight Attendants good for 1 day before using me?”
No. Crew Scheduling does not have to use a specific Reserve type or those liable for specific durations before another. In this situation, they can absolutely assign you this turn instead of giving it to another JAR good for only one day… as long as they have assigned you in order of your Reserve type (JAR) and duration (good for a 3-day).
Crew Scheduling is required to give Reserve assignments based on the Reserve line-up, which is constructed using the parameters in Article 11.5 (Order of Assignment). The Reserve Report is ordered by Reserve type (SAR, SPR, JAR, JPR, JLR) and duration of assignment (4-day, 3-day, 2-day, 1-day). Crew Scheduling will contact Reserves for an assignment using the Reserve line-up (aka Reserve Report 2.0), while keeping in mind legal contact times (which could be adjusted for rest), APSB preference (if applicable), and LODO assignments.
Q4: “Does being on an AM or PM Reserve Shift mean that I am guaranteed an AM or PM pairing/assignment?”
Unfortunately, no. It’s very important to remember that the AM and PM designator on our Reserve shifts pertains to your RESERVE SHIFT and liable for contact times, and not necessarily the type of assignment Crew Scheduling is legal to assign you. There is Contractual language protecting Reserve assignment check-in times after the conclusion of our Reserve shift, but like was the case with our old AMR and PMR system, these limitations alone do not provide specific pairing requirements (AM Pairing, AM turned PM, PM turned AM, PM Pairing)
With that being said, the best chance we have as a Reserve Flight Attendant to work an assignment within a certain timeframe is to self-assign. This is especially true with self-assigning a pairing with an early AM check-in (SAR or JAR) -or- an early AM APSB shift (JAR).
INTERESTING NOTE: Over the first week, we saw Crew Scheduling giving JAR late reporting assignments. While this is NOT how TWU Local 556 would like SWA to manage this new shifted system, it’s important to remember that there are protections in place for contact outside of your liable for contact hours, domicile break/crew rest, and maximum duty day.
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If Crew Scheduling contacts a Flight Attendant via phone and gives an assignment outside of their designated shift (aka liable for contact time), the Flight Attendant will be paid 2x for the assignment. (Article 11.3.G)
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A Flight Attendant is required to be scheduled for a legal domicile break when returning to domicile, whether mid-block (11:30 hours from end of debrief to liable for contact/check-in or 12 hours from end of APSB to liable for contact/check-in) or between two non-original blocks (11 hours end of debrief to liable for contact/check-in). This could mean that Crew Scheduling will need to adjust your liable for contact time on a subsequent day of Reserve… which may GREATLY limit your contactable time.
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Example: I am on day one of JAR. Crew Scheduling called at 1300 Local Time and assigned me APSB from 1500-2000 Local Time! Unfortunately, this is a legal assignment for me… but when I complete my 5 hours shift, Crew Scheduling must adjust my liable for contact time tomorrow to account for the 12 hours domicile break (end of APSB to liable for contact/check-in). This means I am not liable for contact until 1000 Local Time tomorrow… eating up most of day two of my block.
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A maximum scheduled duty day for a Reserve Flight Attendant is 13:00 hours into a RON (check-in to end of debrief) or 12:30 hours into domicile (check-in to end of debrief). This max duty calculation includes any time spent on APSB.
Q5: “I’m sitting JAR and am liable for contact until 1500 Local Time. It’s 1400 Local Time and Scheduling just called to give me an assignment that is scheduled to check-in at 1730 Local Time. Is this legal????”
It depends. In your situation, you were contacted within your designated Reserve shift (1400 Local Time) for an assignment that was scheduled to check in 2:30 hours after the completion of your liable for contact time (1500 Local Time).
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If this is the first time this bid month that Crew Scheduling assigned you a pairing with a scheduled check-in time 2:01-4:00 hours after the completion of your Reserve shift, it is a legal assignment. You will be paid 1.5x for all trips credited or flown (including APSB) on the first day of the assignment.
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If you have already been given an assignment this bid month which was scheduled to check-in 2:01-4:00 hours after the completion of your Reserve shift, you have the option of working the assignment and receiving 1.5x for all trips credited or flown (including APSB) on the first day of the assignment -or- politely refusing the assignment.
Example: I am called at 1300 Local Time for an assignment that is scheduled to check-in at 1500 Local Time. After being given the assignment, the flight I am scheduled to work experiences a mechanical delay and is now 3 hours late. When I was given the assignment, it was legal and the delay would not result in the premium (1.5x) for an assignment schedule to check-in 2:01-4:00 hours after my shift ends.
KEEP IN MIND: The calculation for check-in time is based on the assigned check-in at the time of assignment by Crew Scheduling.
Q6: “I know that SAR Flight Attendants must be scheduled to return to domicile by 1800 Local Time on the last day of their block. Are there any return time guarantees for SPR, JAR, JPR, and JLR?”
Unfortunately, no. The only language with a specific time associated with scheduled return to domicile on the final day of the block is Senior AM Reserve (SAR).
“The scheduled release time of all SAR assignments, with the exception of a commuting SAR who is covered under Article 33.1.B and an SAR who self-assigns, will be no later than 1800 Local time (end of debrief) on the last day of each Reserve Block.” (Article 11.3.B.1.b)
No other Reserve designation has language such as this, including JAR.
Q7: “I’m on JAR but my block says I’m not released until 0210 Local Time. I thought my shift was from 0300-1500 Local Time?!?!”
When looking at CWA, the times associated with your Reserve block are the last flight you can be scheduled to work + 30 minute debrief. This isn’t the same as your Reserve Shift liable for contact times. Once your designated Reserve shift has finished, you are no longer liable for contact and do not need to be contactable by Crew Scheduling. In your situation (JAR), once that clock hits 1501 Local Time… you can go about enjoying the remainder of your day.
Q8: “I’m on JLR and Scheduling just assigned me an originator tomorrow. Is that legal?”
Per our Negotiating Team, the intent of the language negotiated for Junior Late Reserve (JLR) was NOT to have these Flight Attendants cover the early morning originators. Those early originators should be available for SAR and JAR Flight Attendants to self-assign and work. Another option Crew Scheduling has to cover these early, unassigned pairings would be to offer early APSB shifts and utilize those Reserves legally. There are on-going discussions about the conversations and agreements between our Team and SWA made at the table. These conversations will continue until this new Reserve Shift is being utilized as was designed.
Q9: “It’s my last day of JLR. Am I still liable for contact until 0259 Local Time???”
No. On the last day of your Reserve block, you are liable for contact until the last scheduled roundtrip has departed (actually left) from the domicile of the Reserve obligation.
“On the last day of a block of reserve days, a Flight Attendant will be released from reserve, or Airport Standby if applicable, no later than when the last scheduled flight departs which the reserve could fly and still return to the domicile that evening. This release time will be posted via electronic means.” (Article 11.15.A.2)
You can find the last scheduled roundtrip via a report on CWA.
CWA > Reports > Last Round Trip and Departure Report
Q10: “I’ve noticed that Crew Scheduling is sometimes allowing for self-assignment of APSB! What are the procedures for self-assigning these APSB shifts?”
The contractual language allowing for Crew Scheduling to offer APSB shifts for self-assignment has been in our Contract since 2009… but has not been utilized on a consistent (or even frequent) basis. Starting on January 1, 2025, Crew Scheduling began offering this option for our Junior-designation Reserves!
“Junior Reserve Flight Attendants whose RDV is zero or greater will be allowed to self-assign designated Airport Standby beginning at 1830 Local Time the day prior.” (Article 11.19)
It’s important to remember that self-assignment times for APSB are the same as other self-assigning capabilities based on each Reserve designation.
BONUS QUESTION: “What designation of Shifted Reserve can I pick up so that I won’t get used?”
This new Shifted Reserve System was constructed to improve the work and home lives of our working Flight Attendants. While minimums (and maximums) were kept completely out of our Contract, and our unlimited TT/GA was protected, the new Shifted System does not come with a shift where a Flight Attendant is “more likely” to sit at home without assignment and still be paid.