There have been an incredible seven phases of initial training for new hire flight attendants completed this year and more to follow. This growth in our numbers means many members are concurrently experiencing reserve for the first time. This comes with many questions regarding life on reserve, including knowing the “how-to” of reserve and one’s contractual rights while on reserve. Your Component Reserve Committee is pleased to announce that our next Zoom Reserve seminar will be conducted on August 18, 2022 @ 10:00h Pacific Time / 13:00h Eastern Time. The initial presentation will last approximately 60-80 minutes and then there will be an open question period at the end of the presentation for everyone’s mutual benefit. All members are welcome to attend. The meeting link is as follows:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87990459889?pwd=MUhpd01ZMG1PN3p4NjdlVkpORkZhUT09
We look forward to seeing you there!
With the increase in flight assignments to reserve members this summer it is prudent to review the key rules associated with the upper limit to one’s flying, also known as the Maximum Monthly Limitation. B5.01.01 in the Collective Agreement, summarized on Page 5 of the Reserve Handbook, states the following:
Maximum Monthly Limitation: The maximum flight time limitation shall be eighty (80) hours per month on jet aircraft.
At the discretion of the Company, the maximum flight time limitation shall be increased to eighty-five (85) hours per month on jet aircraft, for a maximum of four (4) months per year.
Please note, that if you take a Leave of Absence or are unavailable for duty at any time during the block month, you will have 2:10 deducted from your MML for each day of your LOA or unavailability until your next reserve duty day (B4.05.01 in the Collective Agreement, summarized on Page 5 of the Reserve Handbook).
Release At 77 Hours (B8.11)
When you have completed 77 or more flying hours and have at least two remaining reserve duty days, you may call Crew Scheduling to request to be released for the remainder of the block month. At the time of your call, Crew Scheduling must either assign you a final pairing or release you from reserve duty for the rest of the month; they cannot ask you to call back later. If you are released, your remaining reserve duty days become RDOs instead. If you are given a final assignment, it is subject to the governance of the Return to Base Extension clause found in B5.01.05.
Return to Base Extension (B5.01.05)
It is possible in a handful of situations to legally fly beyond your MML; one of them is the Return to Base Extension. Let’s look at the contractual language for this found in B5.01.05 and summarized on Page 6 of the Reserve Handbook:
Cabin Personnel shall be legal to operate a flight sequence in excess of the maximum monthly limitation only to complete their return to Home Base in the same month provided that half (1⁄2) the projected flight time and credits for the entire flight sequence does not project them beyond the maximum monthly limitation.
Let’s look at a practical example. Say you have 10 hours available in an 85-hour block month and you are assigned an LHR pairing worth 18:30. Half of the projected flight time credit for this pairing is 18:30 / 2 = 9:15. Because 9:15 is less than or equal to 10:00, this is a legal assignment via use of the Return to Base Extension.
Please also note that the Return to Base Extension cannot be applied for an overlap pairing (B5.01.05.01).
We hope this helps to elucidate these important rules governing your final flight assignments each month. As always, we welcome your questions at reserve@accomponent.ca should you require further clarification.
Happy travels!
In Solidarity,
Jesse Matthews & Chanelle Gauthier
Co-Chairs, Reserve Committee