APA News Digest

Aug. 31, 2023

Editor’s note: Some links in this message will work best if you log in to AlliedPilots.org before clicking them.

In This Edition ...

Labor Day 2023: A Notable Occasion

This is a new message from APA President CA Ed Sicher.

On Monday, we will honor the hard-working men and women who drive America’s economy, including each of you in your capacity as a pilot for American Airlines. You shoulder a unique level of responsibility and exercise a critical leadership role in the operation of the world’s largest airline. Your skill and dedication in safely delivering millions of passengers to their destinations each year enable American Airlines to generate tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue.

Labor Day 2023 marks an opportunity for APA and its membership to commemorate a notable achievement — the first time in more than 20 years that APA has concluded a Section 6 negotiation without the overhang of financial distress. The results speak for themselves: In addition to enhancement to various benefits and work rules, our members are receiving approximately $1.1 billion in immediate, one-time payments and ratification bonuses; and annual pay rate increases for the contract’s duration; and enhancements to various benefits and work rules. In total, the new contract will provide American Airlines’ pilots with approximately $9.6 billion in additional value versus the prior agreement, with Wall Street analysts characterizing it as industry leading.

To be clear, we made that happen and by “we,” I mean you, the APA membership, the elected and appointed union leadership, and our staff. When our United peers were facing a substandard tentative agreement last year, we bettered it with our own agreement in principle. Our board then voted that deal down, clearing the way for Delta’s pilots and that carrier’s management to set a new bar. United has since followed up with a new agreement in principle. That’s called pattern bargaining, and APA played a key role. In just one contract cycle, we have gone from industry laggard to industry matching — and in numerous respects, industry leading — thanks to your fortitude. Your overwhelming strike authorization vote, your participation in our union’s biggest-ever visual display of resolve, and your 95% participation in the ratification vote signaled your resolve and engagement. In further evidence of the power of pattern bargaining, the pilots of Alaska Airlines have received an 11.2% pay raise in response to our industry-leading narrowbody rates. 

When we announced the results of the ratification vote on Aug. 21, I emphasized that we’re not finished. With your support, we will continue doing all we can to knock the rest of the tarnish off the pilot profession by building on our significant contractual gains. We look forward to having you join us in that effort.

Thank you for everything that you do.

False Mask Rumors

This is a new message from the APA Government Affairs Committee.

Rumors have been circulating recently that TSA agents would be required to wear masks beginning on Sept. 1, and that travelers would be required to wear masks beginning on Oct. 1. Your APA Government Affairs Committee, along with our counterparts with other pilot unions, have been in contact with the FAA and TSA regarding this issue. Both agencies have confirmed that there is no validity to the rumors — they are false.

Deadheading Pay; Jumpseat Etiquette

This is a new message from the APA Jumpseat Committee.

Your APA Jumpseat Committee strives to support our pilots throughout the implementation of the new CBA and with everyday issues raised through our Deadhead and Jumpseat debrief system. Please review the following information and advise if you have questions.

New CBA:

Deadheading Pay (CBA Section 19.D.1.a.)

“A pilot, who deadheads to or from any station, including for the purpose of covering any of the flights specified in paragraph A of this Section, shall be paid and credited for such deadheading at one (1) hour pay and credit for each hour of such deadhead time on the type equipment covered on the basis of the scheduled or actual flight time, whichever is greater, of the deadhead trip at Captain or First Officer rates according to the category in which the pilot is serving. When a pilot deviates pursuant to Paragraphs 19.D.3.c. or d. below, the pilot will be paid and credited only for the originally scheduled deadhead as scheduled.”

  • Implemented for DH legs actually flown (not NSHW) as a part of sequences dated August 1, 2023 or later.
  • DH as part of a sequence starting August 1, 2023 or later will be paid the greater of scheduled or actual block.
  • DH as part of a sequence starting before August 1, 2023 will be paid on the basis of scheduled flight time, even if the DH flight occurs on or after August 1, 2023
  • Pilots who deviate from the scheduled DH (NSHW) will be paid on the basis of scheduled flight time.
  • Pay for DH greater than scheduled may be a manual process and will be in accordance with LOA 23-004 – Implementation Timeline and Joint Committee, paragraph 5.

Jumpseat Etiquette:
When jumpseating, it is very important to follow proper procedures and etiquette. Please refer to the APA Jumpseat Committee page for all applicable guidelines and use the link to reciprocal jumpseat agreements to understand the rules for each participating airline.
Based on debriefs we would like to emphasize the following points:

  1. If you hold a boarding pass for a non-AA/AE flight for any seat using your reciprocal airline jumpseat privileges, you are an Additional Crew Member (ACM).
  2. If you are given a Flight Deck jumpseat OR seat in the cabin, you must request permission from the Captain and expect to show your boarding pass, certificates and ID badge. Even if the agent wants you to rush onto the plane and into your seat, a visit with the Captain is required. Be prepared to share your documents.
  3. As an ACM, even in a cabin seat, you may not consume any alcohol. Even when not in uniform, you may be required to assist on the flight deck or in the cabin. You must remain prepared to assist the flight crew, should the need arise.
  4. Appropriate attire is “Business casual attire or approved pilot uniform. Jeans (denim) are not allowed.” Not all airlines allow facial hair, so plan accordingly.
  5. The captain is, and shall always be, the final authority over matters relating to admission to the flight deck.

Note: If you hold a “W” boarding pass on an AA or AE flight, you are an ACM and must comply with 2 (show your badge and ‘W’ boarding pass) & 3 (no alcohol) above, even if told to occupy an open cabin seat.

We will provide information later this week on Jumpseat and DH-related CBA provisions effective August 31, 2023, Consideration of Fuel Burn to accommodate Flight Deck JS & A1 Travel to/from Training.

Compass TDY Guide

This is a new article from the APA Compass Project Committee.

With the ratification of the 2023 CBA, many aspects of our Temporary Assignment (TDY) agreements became effective on the date of signing, Aug. 31, 2023. TDY is covered in Section 15, letter M of the 2023 CBA.

The Compass Project, Contract Compliance, Scheduling, and Negotiating committees are revising and reviewing the Compass TDY Guide to match the new 2023 CBA language. The new version of the document will be available no later than Sept. 4, 2023, so pilots can reference it before TDY bidding opens on Sept. 5 for the contractual month of October.

The Compass TDY Guide covers subjects such as TDY bidding, A-Pass travel, hotels, transportation, pay and much more. Please visit the APA Compass Project page to access this and many other resources.

The APA Compass Project is an industry-leading pilot mentoring and support program. Compass offers one-on-one support from experienced line-pilot sponsors, as well as tutorial videos and an extensive database of stage-based documents covering a number of helpful topics that are beneficial to all pilots. Click here for more information.

Fatigue in Short-Haul Operations Study

This is a new message from the APA Flight Time/Duty Time Committee.

NASA Ames Research Center is conducting a study to evaluate sleep, sleepiness, performance, and workload that can be used to assess fatigue levels of short-haul pilots during normal operations. We are writing to ask if you would be interested in participating in this voluntary study. The information below provides a brief description about who is eligible to participate, what information we collect, how the data collection occurs, and how we analyze data.

To participate in the study, volunteers must meet the following criteria.

  1. Be an active line pilot with at least 50% of scheduled flights defined as short haul (<6 h)
  2. Identify two trips (in any order) within a schedule that meet the following criteria:
    1. Circadian Switching. At least one FDP that starts between 0000-0659h relative to home-base time, followed by at least one FDP that ends between 0000-0659h, or vice versa, within the same trip (e.g., an FDP that begins at 0500h and the next FDP ends at 0100h or vice versa).

AND

    1. Trip without Circadian Disruption: This trip must not contain any duties that are scheduled to begin or end between 0000h and 0659h) relative to home-base time.

Volunteers will be asked to collect data on sleep, sleepiness, workload, and performance using scientifically valid methods.

  • Volunteers will wear an actigraphy watch: a device that measures the wearer’s movement. The device looks and feels like a wristwatch and is equipped with light sensors and accelerometers that detect motion. Readings collected automatically from these devices are used to objectively determine quantity and quality of sleep before, during, and after the trips of interest.
  • Volunteers will perform Psychomotor Vigilance Tasks (PVTs) and the NASA Task Load Index (TLX) on a provided iPod. The PVT is a quick, simple test that measures reaction time to evaluate relative alertness levels. The TLX enables the participant to record measures of workload within the duty period.
  • Volunteers will complete subjective assessments of sleep and alertness by recording information about the quality and quantity of sleep and rating alertness across the study period through an app on the provided iPod. On duty days, volunteers will complete questions regarding schedule and operational factors.
  • The total time to complete all tasks should not exceed 30 minutes per day, with no individual session exceeding 7 minutes.
  • Participation will involve a minimum of 8 days and maximum of 26 days, depending on the length of trips.
  • Risks associated with participation include:
    • slight discomfort and inconvenience from wearing an Actiwatch, although no more than from wearing a wristwatch, and
    • inconvenience and potential distraction from taking the reaction time test several times during the study.
  • While your participation will not provide you with any direct benefit, results of this study may inform evidence-based practices for scheduling and fatigue mitigation strategies during short-haul operations.

Your data will be protected in accordance with approved Institutional Review board (IRB) standards.

  • NASA, along with study collaborators from Washington State University and Brigham & Women’s Hospital will analyze the data collected.
  • Participants will be assigned an identification code - all data will be referenced to this code and not the individual’s name or employee number, providing confidentiality for participating pilots.
  • Coded data will be stored on devices provided by each airline and/or their research partner.
  • Data access will be limited to personnel named on the IRB study protocol.
  • The results of the research will not be presented in any form that identifies individuals.

If you are interested in participating or would like to know more information, please contact Nick Bathurst (nasafatiguestudy@gmail.com). Thank you for your consideration.

Buckle Up!

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

We recently received information that the LHR Airside Operations Team is enforcing a mandatory seat belt requirement. Each crew member that is not in compliance will lead to a “point” on the driver's record. Expect that the driver will emphasize this requirement on future LHR trips. Please comply with the rule for your safety and out of respect for the driver.

APA always recommends you wear a seatbelt to and from the hotel.

LOSA Observer Applications Open

This is a new message from the APA Safety Committee.

If you saw last week’s CCI, APA Safety and AA Safety are pleased to announce the hiring of additional Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) observers. The joint APA/AA LOSA program is an industry leader, and this is your chance to give back to your fellow line pilots and contribute to safety through the Allied Pilots Association and American Airlines.

Qualifications

  1. Be a Captain or First Officer in good standing with American Airlines & the Allied Pilots Association
  2. Have your own laptop (Windows or Mac)
  3. Possess and exhibit mastery of the following soft skills:
    1. Safety-driven nature.
    2. Self-motivation and attention to detail.
    3. Ability to adapt to a myriad of situations.
    4. Professional and courteous demeanor in all interactions.
    5. Effective time management with ability to meet deadlines.

To Apply - Please email the LOSA team (LOSA@aa.com) with the following:

  1. Resume in PDF format with the following file name format:  
    1. LASTNAME_ FIRSTNAME_2023_LOSA_RESUME
  2. Answers to the following questions saved in PDF format, Times New Roman font, size 11, black, file name format:  LASTNAME_ FIRSTNAME_2023_LOSA_QUESTIONS
    1. Describe the function and purpose of a LOSA program in your own words.
    2. In a few short sentences, describe why you would like to become a LOSA observer.
    3. Describe the top qualities you think are essential to be an effective LOSA observer.
    4. Describe any relevant experiences you bring to the team and how they would apply to this position.
    5. Briefly explain a recent threat or error you encountered on a trip and how it was managed.

If selected, training will be conducted the 9th-11th of October 2023 at American Airlines’ headquarters, Skyview 8. Observers can expect to work on a month-on/month-off basis. During the month of observing, the observer will have 4-5 days of flight duty replaced with their observer duties.

For more information on LOSA at American Airlines, please reference AApilots > ASAP & Flight Safety > LOSA.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Captain Hugh Morgan
APA Safety Committee Deputy Chair-LOSA
hmorgan@alliedpilots.org

The deadline to apply is Sept. 5 at 1200 CDT. We look forward to receiving your application.

Join Our *NEW* Contract Compliance Training

This message from the APA Contract Compliance Committee was originally published in the Aug. 25 APA News Digest.

Everything you wanted to know about the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement but were too afraid to ask!

Join us at 0900 Central on Sept. 13 for a full day of training on the new CBA.

Please take a few moments before the training to familiarize yourself with the Electronic Document Index. You must be logged in to AlliedPilots.org for the links to be accessible. This Index connects you to a vast array of APA documents that we will reference. It is equally useful in the daily operation as a line pilot, so we recommend you retain the Index for future reference. During the training, it may be helpful to have two screens; one to run Zoom and one to reference these documents.

A Zoom account (it’s free!) is required to attend the training course. For those who are not familiar with Zoom, APA IT has created a Zoom Quick Reference Guide. (We plan to offer in-person training sessions soon.)

Click here to register for the Sept. 13 training course.

Help us help you! The Contract Compliance Committee’s goal is for you – the membership – to be informed, educated, and knowledgeable. Every single pilot should strive to be a contract expert or, at the very least, strive for continued learning and engagement. Knowledge is power, and it will assist you in employing and being a watchdog of your negotiated work rules.

Join Us for YOUnion 101 on Sept. 20

APA Vice President CA Chris Torres and the Compass Project’s Member Engagement Team will host a “YOUnion 101” meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, Sept. 20, beginning at 1100 Central. This meeting focuses on all aspects of APA membership. While it is geared toward our newer pilots, all are welcome and encouraged to attend.

The APA Compass Project is an industry-leading pilot mentoring and support program. Compass offers one-on-one support from experienced line-pilot sponsors for New Hires, New Captains, Return to Work Pilots, as well as tutorial videos, and an extensive database of stage-based documents covering a helpful topics that are of importance to all pilots. Click here for more information and click here to register. After registration you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Join Our September Military Affairs Town Hall

This is a new message from the APA Military Affairs Committee.

Join our town hall via Zoom at 1430 Central on Wednesday, Sept. 20, to discuss a wide range of topics that directly impact our Guard and Reserve Pilots. Click here to register now for the town hall.

A few of the topics we will discuss: Chinese visa issues, the FAA 1,000-hour rule for upgrades, VA Disability ratings and VA letters, PBS bidding ideas, and the USERRA five-year limit questions. We will have time for questions on any topic and we encourage you to submit questions in advance to militaryaffairs@alliedpilots.org.

The Military Affairs Committee is here to assist you and we look forward to hearing from you on Sept. 20.

Pigs of the Week

APA commends American Airlines’ hardworking aircraft maintenance technicians for their outstanding work. We believe they are the best in the business. When repetitive problems do arise, they’re often due to managerial decisions that fail to properly prioritize tasks and to management’s decision to outsource a significant portion of the airline’s maintenance to offshore, third-party repair stations.

  • Since mid-July, A319 aircraft 810 right engine thrust reverser has been on MEL most of the time, been written up six times, and has been out of service and MEL four times. It was last returned to service on Aug. 30.
  • In the last week, the right engine on B737 aircraft 3RY has been written up and out of service four times for not starting. It was last returned to service on Aug. 29.
  • Since Aug. 6, B737 aircraft 3AA has been written up eight times and been out of service seven times due to all lavatories being inoperative. It was last returned to service on Aug. 30 and routing is currently restricted to Class 1 maintenance stations only.

Support Airport Employees Impacted by the Maui Wildfire

The APA Government Affairs Committee has asked that we share the following message from the American Association of Airport Executives and Airports Council International — North America.

We are mobilizing a joint a relief effort alongside ACI-NA to support our airport ohana directly impacted by the recent wildfire on the island of Maui. Based on our early communication with the State of Hawaii Airport Division team, we know many airport employees have been impacted by the devastation, including the total loss of homes and other personal property.

Early estimates of the total damage and economic toll of the catastrophic wildfires in Hawaii that decimated Lahaina, a historic town on the island of Maui, is $8 to $10 billion.

While the airport team works to relocate tourists off the island, with limited resources and no electricity in the Lahaina area, we are asking for your help to provide support for our colleagues for when they are able to turn their attention to their own catastrophic losses.

Mahalo for your quick and generous support.

Your donation is tax deductible as permitted by law and 100 percent of funds contributed will be distributed to those affected.

Please contact Gwen Basaria (AAAE) at gwen.basaria@aaae.org and 703.797.2540 or Scott Elmore (ACI-NA) at selmore@airportscouncil.org or 202.861.8082 with any questions.

APA Welcomes New Pilots

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

Click the image for a closer look.

The APA Membership Committee welcomed the following pilots during a casual dinner on Aug. 29: Chad Albury, Jorge Alvarez Martinez, Kareem Bahnasawey, Frank Baranyai, Brian Bickmeyer, Timothy Boegler, Michael Bonner, Justin Brammer, Adam Caudill, Lee Crawford, Christopher Daniels, Marco Diaz Cabrera, Corbett Dixon, Jeffrey Edgington, Gary Evans, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Andrew Fletcher, Joseph Fry, Grant Gemar, George Giourgas, Chris Gough, Benjamin Gutierrez, Hamed Hamidi, James Haugen, Stephen Hunnicutt, Ankit Jariwala, Mark Kennedy, Jared Laniewski, Chaom Li, Ian Macleod, Eric Martin, Jason Newbry, Diego Ortega, Duane Palmore, Jose Perez, Dylan Perry, Joshua Piper, Sooraj Ramachandran, Samuel Rzonca, Matthew Sartori, Sterling Saul, Matthew Schnell, Adam Schreier, Gerald Scoggin III, Vadim Sharpilo, Austin Snyder, Quintin Socha, Roberto Torres Talavera, Spencer Wann, Jonathan Wilson, Ronald Wood, Hayden Young, Kody Young, and Joseph Zack..

APA Welcomes Captains’ Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

On Aug. 30, the APA Membership Committee hosted a casual dinner for the following pilots who were in Fort Worth for American Airlines’ Professionalism, Leadership, and Mentoring class: John Colquitt II, Marcelo de Melo, Martin Fedigan Jr., Chad Griffith, Rex Hopkins, Juliana Horchner, William Jester, Matthew Lipkin, Robert Meanley Jr., Michael Morse Jr., Heidi Theile, and Benjamin Thompson.

Domicile Events

Get more details about these upcoming events at AlliedPilots.org/Calendar:

  • BOS: Concourse Conversations on Sept. 21
  • CLT: Retirement Dinner on Sept. 17; Runway 5K on Oct. 21
  • DCA: Flying Circus Aerodrome on Sept. 17; Memorial Golf Tournament on Sept. 28
  • LAX: Reno Air Races on Sept. 13-17; Fleet Week lunch aboard the San Francisco Belle Sun on Oct. 8; San Diego Yacht Club party on Nov. 2; Dave & Buster’s event at LAS on Dec. 5
  • LGA: New York Mets game on Sept. 2

APA Supports the APFA

On Wednesday, APA members joined our union brothers and sisters on the picket line at airports around the system as the APFA announced the results of its strike authorization vote, with 99.4% of the flight attendants who voted casting their vote in favor of a strike.


ORD Domicile Chair CA Wes Smith (at left) and STOP Committee Deputy Chair CA Andrea Hoover (at right) in ORD on Wednesday.


BOS Domicile Chair CA Paul McFarland (second from left) and LGA Domicile Chair CA Lawrence Cutler (at right) at the Boston State House.

Domicile Elections

Election Round ballots listing the following candidates will be mailed on Sept. 7 and tallied on Sept. 28.

PHL Chair
FO Michael Drost
CA Francis Heid

PHL Vice Chair
FO Jordan Glasner
CA Brian Sweep

PHX Chair
CA Herschel Beard IV
CA Michael Saracino

PHX Vice Chair
FO Jeremy Ryder
FO Jim Varden

Candidates’ resumes were mailed to PHL and PHX pilots on Aug. 9, when they were also posted on the APA Elections webpage.

If you have any questions, call 817-302-2175.

Week in Review

The following messages were sent since last week’s News Digest was published.

Are You Willing to Serve?

Each of these national committees or subcommittees has the indicated number of vacancies:

  • Aeromedical Committee (1)
    • Critical Incident Response Program (1)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivation Study Subcommittee (3)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
    • Project Wingman Subcommittee (3)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (6)
  • Compass Project (5)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • Jumpseat/Non-Rev Committee (2)
  • Professional Standards Committee (1)
  • Retirement & Benefits Committee (2)
  • Scheduling Committee (6)
  • Training Committee (3)
    • Checkmate (1 on 777 and 1 on 320)

If you would like to serve on one or more of these committees, visit the Member Engagement Portal.

Professional Standards FAQs

What records are kept for Professional Standards?
None. There are no individual case files kept, nor are there any records in an employee’s Permanent Employment History (PEH). Only non-specific, de-identified logs are kept to maintain generic trends and reliability of the program.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

Professional Standards’ 24/7 hotline: 817-402-2181

Honoring and Supporting Veterans

100 Vets Who Give A Damn DFW is a group of like-minded veterans who want to make an impact on military charities. Technically, the group does not exist; it has no directors, officers, or treasurers. Its core group of organizers are simply volunteers generously donating their time to try and make a difference.

Three organizations are randomly chosen from a list of member-nominated charities. Representatives for those organizations are asked to make five-minute presentations about why they deserve the group’s support. After the presentations, the charity that receives the most votes from the vets in the room will be the suggested recipient. Each veteran then writes a check to the suggested charity and/or the ones that moved them the most.

The next meeting at the C.R. Smith Museum in Fort Worth is scheduled for Sept. 21, when the vets will hear from Brother’s Keeper, Hero Lab, and Project Sanctuary. Click here for more information.

If You’re 50, Join The Grey Eagles

Are you a pilot for American Airlines, at least age 50, active or retired? Please join The Grey Eagles for food, fun, and fellowship. We offer cruises, conventions, monthly luncheons, retirement dinners, professional mentoring, and assistance to surviving spouses – all for a one-time lifetime fee.

Pilot Job Fairs and Future Pilot Seminars

Future & Active Pilot Advisors’ next Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar are scheduled for Sept. 30 at TPA followed by Oct. 14 at DFW. Click here for more information.

APA Holiday Schedule

APA headquarters, including Contract Administration, will be closed on Monday in observance of Labor Day. Contract Administration will be open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 0700 to 1800 Central, and will resume normal operation on Tuesday.

As always, your APA support team remains available 24/7. When Contract Administration is closed, calls will be forwarded to a phone service operated by Contract Compliance Committee and Flight Time/Duty Time Committee volunteers. Please note that call-back times may be longer than normal due to limited staffing. If your call is not urgent, we encourage you to wait until normal business hours resume.

You may also want to consult the pilot volunteers on your domicile’s Contract Compliance Committee. Almost every domicile has one, and some of them have larger rosters than the national committee. Contact your local committee by visiting your domicile’s page on AlliedPilots.org and clicking the “Domicile Committee List” link.

To reach a contract administrator, call APA HQ at 1-800-323-1470 and press Option 3. If you prefer to e-mail your question to the contract administrators, click here. For specific FAR 117/fatigue issues requiring immediate attention, you can also call the Emergency Help Line at 682-738-6670 manned 24/7 by Flight Time/Duty Time Committee volunteers.

Industry News

For more about what’s happening in the industry, be sure to visit the Industry News page on AlliedPilots.org.

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