Understanding White Flag Pay

(from June 29, 2023 unitedafa.org)

White Flag applies to all pairings in Open Time on the date it is declared whereas Purple Flag is used to designate specific pairings to which the incentive payment will apply.

We want to clear up some confusion around how pay protection works when picking up a White or Purple Flag trip. As has been indicated in all White/Purple Flag notifications:

• White/Purple Flag pay is for all credited hours flown for the pairing.
  
  

• If a White/Purple Flag pairing operates as scheduled, Flight Attendants will be paid the incentive for the pairing.
  
  

• If the White/Purple Flag pairing is canceled and the Flight Attendant is reassigned to another pairing, White/Purple Flag pay applies based on hours actually flown.   

However, the Flight Attendant’s base rate of pay is protected based on the value of the original pairing they picked up or the reassigned pairing, whichever is greater.

 Examples (applies to both White and Purple Flag pairings):

• If you pick up a two-day White Flag pairing with a value of ten (10) hours and that pairing cancels without reassignment, you are pay protected for the ten (10) hours. White Flag pay will not apply because there have been no hours flown.

• If you pick up a two-day White Flag pairing with a value of ten (10) hours and that pairing cancels and you are reassigned to pairing with a value of seven (7) hours, you are pay protected for the ten (10) hours in your guarantee and will receive seven (7) hours of White Flag pay.

• If you pick up a two-day White Flag pairing with a value of ten (10) hours and that pairing cancels and you are reassigned to pairing with a value of twelve (12) hours, you will be paid twelve (12) hours at the White Flag pay rate for the greater value of the hours flown.

• If you were to pick up a White/Purple Flag pairing and subsequently place yourself on sick leave, to the extent you have sick leave available, you will be paid for the value of the pairing. White Flag pay will not apply.

Clarifications re White Flag

Please note that in order for White Flag pay to apply, only those trips that are picked up from open time (not trades with open) on days designated as White Flag, will be eligible for WF pay. 

You may trade or pickup into WF trips that you see in ads. 

Q&A

• Will I be paid WF pay for a White Flag trip that I traded or picked up from ads or via mutual trade?

Yes, but only if that trip was picked up from Open Time on a day designated as White Flag. It can be traded any number of times, provided it is not traded through Open Time. As long as it can be traced back to Open Time via straight pickup on the WF day, the flag icon and pay should remain with the pairing. 

• What if I acquired a WF pairing from ads that had the white flag icon, but I was not paid WF pay after flying the pairing?

There currently exists a glitch in CCS where it sometimes does not remove the white flag icon for those pairings that are no longer WF eligible. This can happen when a WF pairing is traded for another WF pairing with open time. Since this is not a straight pickup, the pairing that comes out of Open Time is not eligible for WF pay and the WF icon should not be present. That said, sometimes the flag icon stays with the pairing. If this happens to you, remember...

It is not our job to "research" the history of a pairing, nor do we have the time or tools to do so. Whenever you pick up a pairing from ads that has a white flag designator, take a screenshot. Then if you are not paid correctly, you have a starting point to advocate for the pay. File a HelpHub, call FAST and escalate to a supervisor, getting names along the way. If you are not successful, file a Local Council Worksheet to dispute this contract violation. 

• Can I trade a WF trip for another WF in Open Time?

This is a common mistake and no, that is not a straight pickup and the trip you trade into will not be paid WF pay.