A DISCUSSION OF COMPANY CONTRACTUAL ISSUES AS THEY APPLY TO AND EFFECT CREW REST WHEN DEADHEADING IS REQUIRED.

Narrative

ON SUNDAY MORNING; I WAS CONTACTED BY CREW SCHEDULING TO BE INFORMED THAT MY OUTBOUND TRIP TO GRU HAD BEEN CANCELED. I HAD NOW BEEN RESCHEDULED TO DEADHEAD ON A LATER FLT; TO SAO PAULO AND FLY THE BAL OF MY SEQUENCE. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD TRAVELED UNDER THE NEW BUSINESS TRAVEL PASS PROCS AND I LOOKED IN BOOK FOR A REF TO REVIEW HOW TO PROCEED. I COULD FIND NO SUCH INFO. I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT 4 HRS PRIOR TO DEP AND WENT TO THE TICKET COUNTER TO GET ON THE STANDBY LIST. THE AGENT HANDED ME A COACH BOARDING PASS. I ASKED IF I COULD STAND BY FOR FIRST AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD BEEN BOOKED INTO COACH BUT COULD BE PUT ON THE UPGRADE LIST. I ASKED HER TO DO SO AND HANDED BACK THE COACH BOARDING CARD THEN LEFT. I THEN WENT TO LOOK AT BOTH THE STANDBY LIST AND MY CREW RECORD TO VERIFY WHAT HAD BEEN DONE. I NOTICED THAT ONE OF MY FLT ATTENDANTS WAS ALREADY ON THE UPGRADE LIST AND THAT THE AGENT HAD ENTERED REMARKS IN MY RECORD SAYING THAT I HAD 'DEMANDED FIRST CLASS.' I NEVER DEMANDED ANYTHING AND I GOT ON THE LIST 4 HRS EARLY. HOW COULD MY FLT ATTENDANT HAVE GOTTEN ON NEARLY 8 HRS EARLY? I THEN CALLED CREW TRACKING WHO EXPLAINED TO ME THE NEW PROCS AND REFERRED ME TO THE RECORD REGARDING THESE PROCS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER BEEN PROVIDED THE DETAILED INFO ABOUT HOW ALL THIS WORKS. THE SEQUENCE I WAS NOW FLYING WAS A 10 HR; ALL-NIGHT DEADHEAD; IN COACH TO AN 11 HR LAYOVER; TO FLY ANOTHER 10 HR ALL-NIGHT RETURN TO DFW. SOUND EXHAUSTING? I PROCEEDED TO THE GATE AND UPON ARR MET MY CREW. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY; I FOUND OUT THAT THE FIRST ROW IN COACH; WHICH HAD BETTER LEG ROOM; HAD BEEN BLOCKED AND SO I WENT TO THE GATE AGENT TO TRY TO GET HER TO ALLOW MY CREW TO SIT THERE IN HOPES OF BEING MORE COMFORTABLE. I FIRST ASKED HER 'HAVE ALL BOARDING CARDS FOR FIRST AND BUSINESS BEEN ISSUED AND ARE YOU FULL?' TO WHICH SHE REPLIED 'YES.' SHE THEN ACCOMMODATED US IN THE MORE LEG ROOM ROW IN COACH. AFTER WE BOARDED AND PRIOR TO GATE DEP; ONE OF MY FLT ATTENDANTS TOLD ME THAT ONE OF MY CREW DISCOVERED THE AGENT HAD BOARDED COMPANY PLEASURE TRAVELERS IN FIRST AND BUSINESS INSTEAD OF US -- THE WORKING DEADHEADING CREW. ONE OF MY FLT ATTENDANTS WAS THEN PUT IN FIRST; 2 OF MY FLT ATTENDANTS AND I WERE THEN SEATED IN BUSINESS. THE FLT LEFT LATE; ARRIVED LATE; AND RESULTED IN EVEN A SHORTER LAYOVER DURING THE DAYLIGHT HRS FOR MY CREW TO PREPARE FOR OUR ALL-NIGHT RETURN FLT. I INFORMED MY ENTIRE CREW UPON CHKING INTO THE HOTEL THAT IF ANYONE FELT INSUFFICIENTLY RESTED FOR THE RETURN FLT THAT EVENING; THAT THEY SHOULD INFORM ME AND THAT I WOULD THEN CALL IN FATIGUED SO THAT MY ENTIRE CREW WOULD BE BETTER RESTED TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES FOR OUR RETURN FLT. I WAS ONLY ABLE TO MANAGE ABOUT 5-6 HRS SLEEP ON THE LAYOVER AND NO OTHER MEMBER OF MY CREW COMPLAINED SO WE DEPARTED AND FLEW THE TRIP. I LATER NOTICED THAT SEVERAL SPECIAL SVCS UPGRADES OCCURRED ON THAT FLT. I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT FULL FARE REVENUE PAX NATURALLY SHOULD BE SEATED IN THE CABIN TO WHICH THEY HAVE PAID. I ONLY QUESTION THE CURRENT METHODS IN PLACE FOR ACCOMMODATING DEADHEADING WORKING CREW -- ESPECIALLY IN SITS WHEN ALL-NIGHT FLYING IS BACKED UP AGAINST SHORT DAYTIME LAYOVERS BACKED UP AGAINST ANOTHER ALL-NIGHT DUTY PERIOD. I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE PROCS ARE NEW AND BEING SO ARE HOPEFULLY SUBJECT TO THE REFINEMENT. I STRONGLY URGE THAT WHERE IN A CASE SUCH AS I AND MY CREW HAVE EXPERIENCED; THAT SOME PROVISION BE MADE IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY SO THAT WORKING CREW IS GIVEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO BE FULLY RESTED. OUR CUSTOMERS DESERVE A WELL RESTED AND PREPARED CREW SO THAT THEY MAY EXPERIENCE THE SAFE AND PLEASANT JOURNEY THEY HAVE COME TO EXPECT OF US.