End of Month Legalities Explained

What is an End of Month Conflict?

(From Trip Trades and Adjustments Guide)

End of Month adjustments (EOMs) are necessary when a Flight Attendant’s old month and new month schedules conflict, either because trips overlap or because they result in a legality. Note: In any month where you have a scheduled vacation you will not be subject to adjustment regardless of overlapping trips. 

End of Month Conflict Adjustment Process

The first part of the EOM (End of Month Conflict) adjustment process starts on the 18th with Mutual Trading opening at 1700 HDT. If you have an EOM conflict, please read the explanations below to make sure you understand the process that follows, and that you observe the timelines, so as not to miss the opportunity to adjust your schedule in a way that works for you.

Failure to adjust your schedule prior to 0600 Central Time on the 21st could result in Crew Scheduling making the adjustments for you, anywhere in the month.

Vacation Month Exceptions

If you have vacation in the new bid month, you are not subject to any adjustment and there is nothing you need to do. Your conflict should drop off after the 18th and your GUAR reduced accordingly. 

Vacation Relief Lines

VRLs will be adjusted by Crew Scheduling, with no option to self adjust. This is due to the timing of VRL awards. 

Resolving 1 in 7 Legality (waived if you do nothing)

For 1 in 7 Schedule Conflict: If you have a 1 in 7 legality as a result of schedule selection, it is not part of the EOM process. Therefore you must contact Scheduling prior to the first day of the new bid month to resolve it. If you do not, it will be considered waived for that instance. See below, "One in Seven (1 in 7) Limitation Explained" for more information.

When am I subject to adjustment?

If the credit time difference between the inbound trip from the old month carried into the new month, and the conflicting trip(s) is greater than 3:00 you will be subject to an adjustment. Per the JCBA, adjustments will be made in this order:

Adjustment Criteria

• The value of the replacement pairing(s) will be +/- 3:00 on the days originally scheduled to work.

• The value of the replacement pairing(s) will be +/- 3:00 on any available day(s).

• The value of the replacement pairing(s) will be no more than + 5:00 on any available day(s).

For example, if you bring 6:00 in from the old month, and it makes you illegal to fly your first trip in the new month (worth 15:00), then the credit time difference is 9:00. You will be subject to an adjustment of 9:00 +/- 3:00, making the line value adjustment range 6:00-12:00. In the future when programming is available you could be adjusted up to 14:00.

Remember: You have 2 windows of opportunity (Phase 1 and Phase 2) to manage an EOM yourself before Crew Scheduling has an opportunity to adjust for you, and then to ANY available days in the new month.

EOM Key Takeaways:

• If you do not take the opportunity during either the Mutual Trade window or Self Adjustment window (Phases 1 & 2) to resolve your EOM conflict, Crew Scheduling has a wide latitude to adjust for you during Phases 3 & 4. 

• If you have VAC in the new month, Crew Scheduling may not make any adjustments to your schedule and the conflict pairing will drop (guarantee will decrease accordingly)

• Crew Scheduling adjustments (Phase 3) can be placed anywhere in the month so it is in your best interest to try to resolve the conflict yourself during the Mutual Trade or Self Adjustment windows (Phases 1 & 2). 

• If Crew Scheduling is unable to find pairings for you during the Crew Scheduling adjustment window, AND if you have not opted out of RA Adjustments, then those RA days can be placed, contiguously, anywhere in the month and you will be subject to assignment as of 1930 the night before the first RA day.  

• Carryover into VAC: For those with VAC in the new month, if the VAC touches a carryover trip from the old month, AND that trip is either not part of your original bid line in the old month OR you have modified it in ANY way (ie. partial drop) the pairing will NOT be dropped by the VAC.

Go to  Trip Trades and Adjustments Guide for more information.

⬜️ One in Seven (1 in 7) Limitation Explained

(from unitedafa.org)

Section 6.P.3. One (1) In Seven (7) Limitation

In the case of “1 in 7” problems due to schedule selection, the Flight Attendant should contact Inflight Scheduling prior to the first day of the schedule month for rescheduling. Failure to do this will result in waiving the “1 in 7” Rule. If it is necessary for a Flight Attendant to drop a pairing because of the “1 in 7” Rule, preference as to which pairing is to be dropped will be subject to the concurrence of the Flight Attendant and Inflight Scheduling. In the event of failure to reach agreement, the pairing to be dropped will be subject to the approval of the Crew Resource Manager/designee.

Whenever a Reserve is not scheduled with at least one (1) calendar day off at the home domicile in any consecutive seven (7) day period due to the convergence of monthly schedules, Sections 6.P.3. and 8.I.2. provide the Flight Attendant with the ability to decide how the schedule conflict will be reconciled. This must be done prior to the first day of the new schedule month in one of the following ways:

Flight Attendants may move a day off from later in the month to resolve the 1-in-7 conflict. The Flight Attendant may indicate preferences as to which day off in the new month will be moved, and these preferences will be considered, if possible.

For the purpose of complying with the 1-in-7 limitation, a Reserve may be released (RLSD) from a day of availability. However, this is employed only as a last resort.

Flight Attendants who will be Lineholders in the new month will work with scheduling to adjust their schedule. If it is necessary to drop a trip to resolve the 1-in-7 conflict, the Flight Attendant’s preference as to which pairing is to be dropped will be subject to the concurrence of the Flight Attendant and Inflight Scheduling. In the event of a failure to reach agreement, the pairing to be dropped will be subject to the approval of the Crew Resource Manager/designee.

NOTE: Flight Attendants who contact crew scheduling and indicate they do not wish to waive the 1-in-7 must have the conflict resolved at that time. Flight Attendants should not be told to “wait” to resolve the conflict at a later date (such as the open trade window), that the “pool numbers” will not allow for a day off to be moved or that there are “no legal trade options.” If you find yourself faced with these explanations, contact your Local Council Reserve or Grievance Committee for assistance in resolving this matter before the first day of the schedule month

Alternatively, Flight Attendants may “self-trade” to correct the 1-in-7 by trading days off either mutually with another Reserve or with the Reserve Pool during the Open Time trade windows. There is no requirement for Flight Attendants to first attempt a self-trade prior to contacting scheduling.

Flight Attendants who would prefer to leave the scheduled days of availability as awarded may choose to waive the 1-in-7 legality by doing nothing. If the Flight Attendant does not contact crew scheduling before the first day of the new bid month, the 1-in-7 is considered automatically waived. Keep in mind that, even if the 1-in-7 Contractual legality is waived, the 24-in-7 FAR must still be satisfied with a 24-hour period free-from-duty in the consecutive seven (7) days. Unlike with the 1-in-7, the FAR can be satisfied by 24 hours free-from-duty at a layover point in both the domestic AND international operations.

IMPORTANT NOTES: Free from duty (FFD) rest is measured from actual release time following a duty period (see Release From Duty) to actual check-in time prior to the next duty period (see Commencement of Duty)

 ⬜️ Lines Projected Over 95 Hours 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Credit Time is the value of your actual (block) time + RIGs + deadhead.  

Credited Hours Over Max

• If you are assigned a line of flying that exceeds your monthly credited maximum of 95 hours, you may contact Scheduling before the start of the month to have your line adjusted below your monthly maximum after you have attempted to reduce your time via "trip trade procedures"

• NOTE: Carryover pairings from the prior month do not count toward credit max; only toward actual max. 

• Important: When following "trip trade procedures" to reduce your line value to below your credit max, be sure that you do not execute a trade that increases your time. Doing so will opt you over max and the legality will be considered resolved (waived).

• If you are unable to trade down through open or mutual trades below your monthly credit maximum (95/100) prior to beginning of the new month, contact Scheduling before the start of the new month to have them adjust your line. 

• Before Scheduling will drop a pairing for you, they will first look to see if they can "assist" you with a trade to bring your credit value down. Agreement on which pairing/s to be dropped/traded should be mutual, but if there is disagreement, the Scheduling Manager ultimately has the final say.

• The trade can be to any day/s in the month but "priority will be given to assigning Flight Attendants to pairings in the same operation and the same number of days"

• If you choose not to have your line adjusted prior to the start of the month, you will then be required to fly your line so long as you do not exceed your monthly maximum on an actual (block) basis (95:00 or 100:00 of block time.)

Actual Hours Over Max

• Important: For lines projected over actual max, (including hours from carryover pairings) if you do not contact scheduling to increase your max or trade down, your line will automatically be adjusted on the 10th of the month for International lines and the 20th of the month for Domestic lines.

• In the operation, if you are projected over your monthly actual (block) maximum hours, and dropping a pairing is necessary, your preference as to which pairing to drop will be subject to the concurrence of you and the crew scheduler. If no agreement is reached, the dropped pairing will be subject to the approval of the Crew Schedule manager. If you are scheduled over your maximum actual (block) flight time, Crew Scheduling will reassign you. 

Both Lineholders and Reserves may opt to fly over max at any time during the schedule month, at their discretion, through the Electronic Bulletin Board or by calling either FAST or Crew Scheduling. You may also opt over max on your bid screen during the bid window. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Credit Time is the value of your actual (block) time + RIGs + deadhead.

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