Who's responsibility is it to get you to work?

[Alex T]

replying to the first post "He stated NWA will oversell a flight for a commuter "

as a nwa employee at lga, i can assure everyone that we will not over sell or make any extra acomidations for commuters online or offline,

Sorry, but as a former NW Crew Scheduler I can tell it is and has been done. The policy is the unable to commute policy and it exists as a side letter to the f/a contract. Basically the f/a has to have a second back up flight that would have them in base by sign in. If they are bumped off their first one or it goes irr op then they call crew skeds and will be booked Y1 for the second flight. There have been times when the flight hd to be OB'd to make it work. Usually done when taking them off unable to comute would cause a cancellation due lack of reserves in base. I have been ordered to OB flights into DTW by my duty manager to avoid cancelling 32 a few times back in the day. As I recall each f/a get's 2 unbales per year. Personally I think it's a crock, especially when I was commuting from LGA to MSP while I was a scheduler.

Indeed, I am very surprised at that decision to do so. The argument against it is rather that F/A should have ultimate responsibility in getting to work on time regardless of anything else.

At WN most bases set up a crashpad for commuters who do not live in that city, they fly up the night before generally, and then spend the night, and do their trip.

So were you against the OB'ing for commuters or was it simply considered just a business thing to follow through with?

Alex

[Art at ISP]

There is an interesting side to this debate, as US flight attendants in PIT may be losing their right to commute on SW for free due to some recent incidents where senior FA's griped about junior FA's getting seats while they were denied.

It's amazing that US FA's have to rely on SW to get to work in the first place, but bad behavior has its consequences.

Would anyone know about the outcome of last Wednesday's meeting on the subject?

I also find it shortsighted that US realizes its workforce has to commute and still limits the number of seats between PHL and PIT--I guess there will be even further reductions into the new year.

Then again we're dealing with US......nuff said.

[Smartass Flyboy]

So were you against the OB'ing for commuters or was it simply considered just a business thing to follow through with?

Alex

I was against the OB'ing. I understood why the decision was made and agree tat it was still better than cancelling a full LGW flight, but it still didn't sit wwell with me. I am of the school that commuting is a choice and therefore a commuter has the ultimate responsibility to be there for sign in no matter what. If it means flying in days ahead, too bad. I have done the commute thing, it sucks, but I never missed a sign in. I even had to buy a few walk up tickets in my time to get to work on time.

[Smartass Flyboy]

I also find it shortsighted that US realizes its workforce has to commute

Art, no one HAS to commute. The base was downsized and is soon to be closed, if not already. The choice to commute rather than move to PHL is just that a CHOICE. Every person who has been bumped has the right to move to their new base city, it is not the companies problem they chose to stay in PIT.