APA News Digest

Aug. 31, 2024

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In This Edition ...

Telephone Polling – We Need Your Input

In accordance with Section 4.07.A of the APA Policy Manual, APA will conduct telephone polling next month to continue to actively solicit your feedback. We will continue to poll the membership through a mix of methods (e.g., telephone polling and web surveys), in order to produce reliable and relevant results.

The poll will be conducted by University of New Hampshire employees, who will interview a number of randomly selected pilots across the system. Calls will occur from Tuesday, Sept. 3, through Thursday, Sept. 12.

The poll will include questions on what our members want prioritized from Letter of Agreement 23-005 (Post-Ratification Discussions). This LOA was agreed to during the end of the Section 6 bargaining process and was designed to continue discussions on topics that, because of complexity or other related reasons, were not well-suited for the negotiations at the time. Discussions with the Company pursuant to LOA 23-005 have commenced; however, APA is seeking further guidance from the membership as to the level of interest in various items. We encourage members to review LOA 23-005 in case you are called.

Your input is important! If you receive a call, please take the time to answer and respond to the questions. Responses will be anonymous.

Please look for the following information if a call comes in:

  • All calls will come from 603-397-0660.
  • Caller ID on landlines will indicate “UNH Surv Ctr.”
  • Caller ID on cell phones will indicate “NH Call.”
  • Call times will be between 0900 and 2100 (time zone appropriate).
  • If the call is missed, UNH will attempt to call you back if additional sampling is needed.

As more and more telephone carriers add “spam blocking” technology, some pilots may (dependent on carrier) see a message that says “spam likely” when the call comes through. This message may be generated based on the volume of calls UNH makes. To avoid receiving this message, you may want to consider adding 603-397-0660 to your contacts.

Thank you in advance for devoting your time and for providing candid input.

CQT Bidding Opens Sunday

This is a new message from the APA Scheduling Committee.

CQT bidding for the October contractual month opens Sept. 1

Here are some important notes to consider when bidding for classes:

  • If your bid status has equal or more classes available to the number of bidding pilots, ALL PILOTS WILL BE ASSIGNED regardless of early/base/grace status. Please keep in mind the list of eligible bidders is a snapshot and does not update as situations change.
    • Pilots eligible for CQ can be seen on AApilots.com > AA Bidding Tools > Reference Material > PBS > PBS & CQT Bid Packages > Pilots Eligible for CQT. (This list is subject to change.)
  • A pilot can add class choices after electing to “Add Avoid Training.”
  • CQT is a right-to-train model, so a junior pilot may be assigned a class that a senior pilot bid for so that all classes are allocated.
  • A pilot may not be assigned a class due to another pilot’s pre-plotted activity (i.e., military, vacation, etc.). Therefore, the Scheduling Committee strongly advises that a pilot add backup preferences to their class list.

Please reach out to the Scheduling Committee for any questions and bidding assistance: CMTE-Scheduling@alliedpilots.org or 817-302-2321.

Recorded Training Sessions on RAS and ECS

This is a new message from the APA Joint Implementation Action Committee.

With the new Reserve Assignment System (RAS) and Electronic Communication System (ECS) both being implemented on Aug. 31, we hosted a pair of training sessions via Zoom this week.

Please Join Us for YOUnion 101

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

APA Vice President CA Chris Torres and the Compass Project’s Member Engagement Team will host a “YOUnion 101” meeting via Zoom at 1100 Central on Wednesday, Sept. 11. This meeting focuses on all aspects of APA membership. While it is geared toward our newer pilots, all are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Click here to register for the Sept. 11 meeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

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.

How Many JRS Listings are Allowed?

This is a new message from the APA Jumpseat/Non-Rev Committee.

Here are a few things to keep in mind regarding Jumpseat Reservation System (JRS) listings:

  • Each pilot may make one listing per calendar day, per city pair (including co-terminals) when they hold the #1 position on the JRS list. The JRS list is accessed by selecting “Priority List” in JetNet Travel Planner “tools” for any AA Mainline flight.
  • Each pilot who holds a #2 or lower position on the original listing between city pair (including co-terminals) may make one additional listing for a different flight.
  • The maximum number of JRS listings between a city pair (including co-terminals) on a given calendar day is two.
  • A pilot may only check-in for one PNR at a time.

Note: We are working with AA to notify pilots when their JRS listing position changes. Until we have that functionality, pilots may not be aware they are holding more than one #1 listing.

If you notice a pilot has more than the allowed JRS listings, please let us know via a Jumpseat/Deadhead/Non-Rev Debrief. We police JRS listings internally when notified, and we are happy to educate pilots on proper listing behavior.

Credit Card Requirement (or Lack Thereof)

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

When you’re on a company layover, either scheduled or off-schedule, hotels cannot require that you provide your personal credit card – unless you plan to charge incidentals to your room. It is extremely rare that we see contracted hotels ask pilots for personal credit cards; however, it does happen more frequently at non-contracted hotels booked by the Hotel/Limo Desk. Please let the hotel staff know about the company’s policy. If they push back, you can reach out to the Hotel/Limo Desk to have them clarify the process with the hotel staff.

If you do choose to put a personal credit card on file, we recommend monitoring your statement for any unauthorized charges.

For more information, check out the recently updated QRH – Quick Reference Hotels document. This resource answers 99 percent of all hotel, transportation, and layover questions while providing helpful solutions. Suggestion: Download this QRH document to your AA iPad for easy access in the future.

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 June 23, the right engine cowl anti-ice on B737 aircraft 3TA has been written up and out of service eight times and been on MEL twice. It was most recently signed off on Aug. 28.
  • In the last five days, the cabin pressurization on B737 aircraft 3PD has been written up four times, been on MEL once, and been out of service twice. It was most recently signed off on Aug. 29.

APA Welcomes Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

Click the image for a closer look.

On Aug. 28, 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: Jesse Almeida, Clark Arnold, Shawn Bowden, James Bowman, Kevin Brake, Brandon Candis, Stanley Chung, David Dufreche, Charles Fuller, Gustavo Gutierrez, Robert Kramer, Trent Magyar, and Brian Swyt.

APA Medical Minute – Weight-Loss Medications

In the latest edition of the APA Medical Minute, APA Medical Advisor Cassie Bien discusses FAA regulations regarding weight-loss medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.

APA Holiday Schedule

APA headquarters will be closed on Sept. 2 in observance of Labor Day. Contract Administration will be open as normal from 0700 to 1900 Central on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, but it will close early at 1700 Central on Sept. 2

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.

Domicile Events

Click the image for a closer look.

More than 60 BOS pilots and guests gathered at Fenway Park on Aug. 23 to build unity while enjoying a Red Sox game. You can see more photos on APA’s Facebook page.

Visit AlliedPilots.org/Calendar to RSVP for any of these upcoming domicile events:

Domicile Elections

Pilots based at CLT, LGA, and MIA will elect a Chair and Vice Chair to represent each domicile for three-year terms that will begin on Nov. 1.

The following Nomination Round results were certified by Sequent this week:

CLT Vice Chair
FO Hickory Ham: 239
CA Michael Pfeifer: 98
FO Tammy Smart: 89
CA Casey Granger: 40

LGA Vice Chair
CA James Scanlan: 158
CA David Hines: 121
CA Sam Pool: 72
CA Michael Phelan: 20

MIA Vice Chair
FO James “Jamie” Funderburk: 191
CA Anne Witcher: 125
FO Steven Mann: 94
CA Scott Craig: 40
CA Ken Wells: 40

The top three candidates for each position have advanced to the Election Round.

For more information, visit the Elections page on AlliedPilots.org.

Week in Review

Here are some recent messages you may have missed.

Are You Willing to Serve?

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

  • Aeromedical Committee (0)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivation Study Subcommittee (1)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
    • Project Wingman Subcommittee (3)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (2)
  • Economic and Financial Analysis Committee (1)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • Professional Standards Committee (1)
  • Scheduling Committee (6)
  • Training Committee (4)
    • Checkmate (1 on 777)

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

Professional Standards FAQs

Will the other person know it’s me who made the call?
Our cornerstones are: confidentiality, neutrality, and transparency. We make every effort to protect the identity of the reporting party and, in most cases, anonymity is preserved. In a direct conflict between two parties, there is little need for remaining anonymous. In a case involving observed behavior, maintaining anonymity is easier.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

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

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. 20 at TPA followed by Oct. 25 at DAL. Click here for more information.

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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