In our line of work, delays are an inevitable part of our duty day. Some are anticipated, while others are unexpected and occur as "creeping delays" due to changing circumstances. As aviation's Safety Professionals, the amount of time we spend on duty is critical for our ability to swiftly identify and respond to emergency situations. It is essential for us to be well-rested and prepared to handle any challenges that may arise during extended duty periods.
To address this concern, we successfully negotiated Section 7.X. of our Contract. This section states that if a delay or cancellation is known at least two (2) hours before the scheduled departure time, Flight Attendants must be promptly notified, provided the delay is estimated to exceed thirty (30) minutes.
If you find that you haven't been notified within the outlined parameters and you end up checking in at your regular scheduled time, it is important to contact Crew Scheduling to ensure that your duty time reflects your actual check-in time. This is particularly crucial if other members of your crew were notified of the delay and their duty day may start differently from yours. Whether you are at home or at the layover point, do not hesitate to update your duty period by informing the Crew Desk. By doing so at the beginning of your duty day, the company will have accurate information regarding the legalities of each crew member assigned to a specific flight, thus avoiding any issues that may arise if further delays impact duty period legality. Remember, the length of our duty day is contractual, and our time is valuable.
As a reminder, in situations where delays occur and you have not been informed of the delay (received positive notification of having been or contacted by Crew Scheduling to adjust your check-in time), it is expected that you be in position for the operation based on your original check-in time.
Finally, it is important that you must always be provided a minimum of 10 hours of rest free from duty, whether at home or on a layover, as this is an FAA regulation, and is not waivable.
Should you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to your Local Council office. Your safety and well-being remain our top priority, and we are here to support you throughout your journey.