Topic:

Reserve Availability and

Airport Standby

April 2006

Q: I’m assigned a trip for tomorrow at 7:00 PM, do I have to remain available before that time?

A: You are only available to the company during your RAP (reserve availability period). It is possible for the company to assign you a RAP that begins at 10:00 AM. In this case you will be required to remain available to the company from 10:00 AM through 7:00 PM. Please reference Section 9, paragraph G. If no RAP is assigned or if the Company has assigned you a RAP which is one hour prior to the start of the trip (in this example 6:00 PM) then you do not need to remain available to them.

Q: I was assigned a trip sequence but when I got to the airport, it was cancelled entirely. Crew scheduling then assigned me to airport standby. Can they do this?

A: Yes, you remain available to the company during your reserve availability period (RAP).

Q: I was assigned a two-day trip sequence. Once I completed that sequence and called Scheduling to be released, they told me I had to sit standby. Is this legal?

A: No. Crew Scheduling may not involuntarily assign you to perform Airport Standby upon return to domicile at the conclusion of a trip sequence. You can however, be given an additional flight assignment or released back into Reserve for the remainder of your RAP. Please reference Section 9.C.7. & 9.G. of your contract.

Q: Crew Scheduling assigned me to Airport Standby five days in a row. Can they do this?

A. Yes. The previous contract contained a provision that prohibited Crew Scheduling from assigning Standby Reserve duty for a third time, until all other Reserves at the base who were legal and available for such assignment had been so assigned at least one time. This provision has been eliminated in the new agreement.