SECTION 2
DEFINITIONS
The following terms used in this Agreement are defined as:
A. "ACCESS System" means any automated system used by the Company to collect, store and display Flight Attendant personnel and/or human resources related information.
B. "Aircraft" means:
1. Narrow body - any aircraft with one (1) aisle.
2. Wide body - any aircraft having more than one (1) aisle.
C. "Annual Base Line Average" (ABLA) means the yearly line average for a given base as calculated in Section 5.D.4.
D. "Annual System Line Average" (ASLA) means the yearly line average for all bases as calculated in Section 5.D.1.
E. "Assignment" means for scheduling purposes: giving a Flight Attendant a pattern (including OPR duty), time available day(s), "ZZ day(s)", or Short Line Required (SLR) days that are not a result of the Flight Attendant's request.
F. "ATLAS" means any automated system that Flight Attendants can use in conjunction with their personal Internet Service Provider (ISP) to gain access to specified Northwest Airlines automated systems both from Company specified computers and from their personal computers as long as such computers meet ATLAS minimum specifications.
G. "Award" means the result of bidding during the PBS bidding process or from a request submitted through CENTRY.
H. "Base" or base station means a station where a Flight Attendant begins and terminates his/her pattern and trip hour period.
I. "Bid Analysis" means a collection of the patterns, transition patterns and/or blocks of on-duty days assigned to a base to be utilized in the monthly bidding process.
J. "Bid Award" means the line a Flight Attendant received as a result of the PBS bidding process.
K. "Bid Month" means the period beginning at midnight (0000) on the first (1st) day of the flying month and ending at midnight (2400) on the last day of the flying month (see definition of month).
L. "Bid Resolution" means the process of correcting any Company or technical errors which may have occurred during the PBS bidding process.
M. "Bidding" means the process of selecting patterns to construct a Regular line or blocks of on-duty days to build a Reserve line.
N. "Block-to-Block" means that period of time beginning when an aircraft first moves from the ramp blocks and ending when the aircraft next comes to a stop at the ramp at any station or other point of termination.
O. "Calendar Day" means a twenty-four (24) hour period commencing at 00:00 and ending at 24:00 hours local time.
P. "Cancellation" means that a flight or flight segment does not operate.
Q. "CENTRY" means any automated system used by the Company to collect Flight Attendant bids, preferences or requests, including base transfers, line adjustments, vacation bids, training bids and other requests as provided in Section 6 of this Agreement.
R. "Charter Flight" means an unpublished flight hired for the exclusive use of an individual or group over a pre-arranged route.
S. "Combined Flying" or "Combined Pattern" means a pattern consisting of a combination of domestic and international flying (see Section 5.C.5.b. for pay and credit).
T. "Common Crew" means all of the Flight Attendants sharing the same pattern number and where the complement is sufficient to make up the minimum crew required for the aircraft to be flown.
U. "Contingency-Fly" means a request made by a Reserve Flight Attendant to be assigned flying on his/her scheduled off-duty day(s) and the pattern originates during the scheduled on-duty period.
V. "Co-Terminals" are the following airports serving the bases designated below:
1. JFK, LGA and EWR are NYC base co-terminals.
2. MDW and ORD are CHI base co-terminals.
W. "Crew Management System" (CMS) means any automated system used by the Company to monitor, track and ensure contractual and regulatory compliance for any changes to a Flight Attendant's monthly schedule.
X. "Deadhead" means to be positioned to or from flying. (See Section 6.N.)
Y. "Deferred Bid" means a request from a Flight Attendant to fly with one (1) other Flight Attendant.
Z. "Domestic Base Station" means any location where Flight Attendants are based inside the contiguous forty-eight (48) states, the District of Columbia and Canada.
AA. "Domestic Flying" or "Domestic Pattern" means a pattern wherein the trip hour period involved contains one hundred percent (100%) of flying within and between the contiguous forty-eight (48) states, the District of Columbia and Canada.
BB. "Duty Period" means all of the elapsed time between the required "report time" and the "release time", either at his/her layover or base station.
1. Required report time: The required "report time" shall not be more than one hour thirty minutes (1:30) prior to scheduled or quoted departure time, whichever is later.
EXCEPTION:
a. The "required report time" for a charter shall be no more than two hours (2:00) prior to scheduled or quoted departure time, whichever is later.
b. When deadheading to or from flight duty, the "required report time" shall be thirty minutes (0:30) prior to scheduled or quoted departure, whichever is later.
NOTE: The required "report time" for deadheading set forth above has been established for pay and flight time limitations purposes only and shall not affect the report procedures set forth in Section 6.E.5.
c. For an on-duty period which begins with a surface deadhead, the on-duty period for purposes of pay, credit and per diem shall begin at the scheduled departure time of the surface transportation.
2. Release Time
a. The "release time" shall apply to all flying and deadheading and shall be fifteen minutes (0:15) after the scheduled or actual block-in time, whichever is later, (thirty minutes (0:30) when a customs/immigration clearance is required), or release from duty, whichever is later, at a point where a rest period sufficient to break an on-duty period as provided in Section 5 is given.
b. For an on-duty period that ends with a surface deadhead, the on-duty period for purposes of pay, credit and per diem shall end at the scheduled arrival time of the surface transportation. Should the surface transportation actually arrive at its destination more than thirty minutes (0:30) later than the scheduled arrival time, upon request of the Flight Attendant, the release time for the on-duty period will be changed to reflect the actual arrival time at the destination.
CC. "Established Base Line Average" (EBLA) means the projected line average to be achieved in a base in any given month by the PBS.
DD. "Extended Duty Flight" means a non-stop international flight which is scheduled to exceed thirteen hours (13:00) on duty when combined with the required report and release time.
EE. "Extra Section" means an additional flight created to accommodate passengers who cannot be accommodated on a scheduled flight.
FF. "Ferry Flight" means a flight which is positioning an aircraft to another location and which does not carry revenue passengers.
GG. "Flight" means a segment or series of segments bearing the same Company designated flight number.
HH. "Flight Attendant" means an employee who is responsible for the performing or assisting in the performance of all en route cabin service or ground service to delayed or canceled passengers, and shall include the responsibility for the welfare, comfort, assistance to and safety of the passengers as prescribed by the Company regulations and standards not in violation of any of the terms of this Agreement.
NOTE: En route cabin service or ground service to delayed or canceled passengers shall include those duties previously performed by those employees entitled "cabin attendants" in the labor agreement dated December 20, 1975.
II. "Foreign Base Station" means any location where Flight Attendants are based outside the contiguous forty-eight (48) states, the District of Columbia and Canada.
JJ. "Foreign National" as used in any provision of this Agreement means a Flight Attendant who is not covered under this Agreement and who the Company may employ under the conditions set forth in Letter of Agreement 6 (Foreign National Flight Attendants) of this Agreement.
KK. "Guaranteed Day(s) Off" (GDO) means scheduled off-duty days on a Reserve Flight Attendant's line during which he/she can refuse an assignment, provided such assignment originates or operates over the Guaranteed Day Off.
LL. "Holiday" means for scheduling purposes: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve Day.
MM. "International Flying" means all flying and deadheading outside the contiguous forty-eight (48) states of the United States, the District of Columbia and Canada from the last point of departure at which the crew flying the pattern outside the contiguous forty-eight (48) states of the United States, the District of Columbia and Canada goes aboard the airplane. "International Flying" also means all deadheading over domestic routes which occurs within a trip hour period where all other flying and deadheading is International Flying.
NN. "International Pattern" means a pattern wherein the trip hour period involved contains one hundred percent (100%) of international flying.
OO. "Known Flying" means all Flight Attendant positions covered by this Agreement that are required on a flight segment in accordance with staffing grids established and maintained by the Company, based on projected passenger loads at the time the bid analysis is developed. The projection methodology is based on current bookings, historical bookings, no-show factors and historical overstaffing statistics.
NOTE: Nothing in this definition requires the overstaffing of any flight segment on a planned basis. However, the Company shall continue to use and attempt to enhance its current pattern optimization process for single and non-common crew patterns to be made available for bid in the monthly bid analysis provided such optimization produces a cost effective method of constructing such patterns.
PP. "Language of Destination" (LOD) means a specific language qualification designator placed on a flight segment or pattern in accordance with Letter of Agreement 16 (Language of Destination) of this Agreement.
QQ. "Language of Destination (LOD) Qualified Flight Attendant" means a Language Qualified (LQ) Flight Attendant who has volunteered or been hired to participate in the LOD program in accordance with Letter of Agreement 16 (Language of Destination).
RR. "Language Qualified (LQ) Flight Attendant" means a Flight Attendant who has successfully completed a Company established and administered language qualification test and who has maintained a Company designated level of functional fluency in accordance with Section 3.R. of the Agreement.
SS. "Lead Flight Attendant" means a Flight Attendant, who in addition to the performance of his/her Flight Attendant duties, leads, directs and is in charge of the activities of the cabin crew. The Lead Flight Attendant is responsible for the conduct of service and the coordination of the inflight sales service. Further, the Lead Flight Attendant is responsible for the preparation and handling of manifests and other reports and documents as may be required by the Company.
TT. "Line" means a Flight Attendant's monthly schedule. The types of lines that may be awarded include: Regular, Priority, Short and Reserve.
UU. "Line Adjustment Period" means the period during which open flying and requested line adjustments for the next day and beyond are processed and awarded or assigned.
VV. "Main Cabin Coordinator" means a Flight Attendant who is under the direction of the Purser or Lead Flight Attendant and who coordinates the flow of service in the main cabin of a wide body aircraft.
WW. "Month" means the first (1st) day through the last day of the periods designated below:
Month Actual Days
January December 31 - January 29
February January 30 - February 28 or 29
March March 1 - March 31
April April 1 - April 30
May May 1 - May 31
June June 1 - June 30
July July 1 - July 30
August July 31 - August 29
September August 30 - September 29
October September 30 - October 30
November October 31 - November 30
December December 1 - December 30
The Company may redefine the definition of "month" on an annual basis with the following provisions:
1. All Flight Attendants shall be notified during the month of August that the definition of "month" for the following year may change.
2. The definition of each month for the following year shall be posted no later than September 30.
3. A newly defined month shall not have less than thirty (30) days or more than thirty-one (31) days.
When a Flight Attendant is scheduled to begin his/her portion of a flight during one (1) calendar month but due to delays he/she does not actually begin his/her portion of such flight until the next calendar month, the date on which he/she was scheduled to begin his/her portion of the flight shall be considered the date on which the flight was made and to which all time for pay and flight time credit purposes shall be credited.
XX."Monthly Base Line Average" (MBLA) means the actual line average achieved by PBS in any given base in any given month, as calculated in Section 5.D.3.
YY. "North America" means the geographical area that includes the fifty (50) United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean but does not include any Central American nation south of Mexico.
ZZ. "OPR Passenger Duty" means:
1. Preflight and boarding duties as part of an FAA minimum required crew, and/or
2. Performing Flight Attendant duties on board an aircraft which is at the gate with passengers as part of an FAA minimum required crew.
AAA. "Open Flying" means all flying or deadheading which becomes available for any reason after the closing of the monthly bid awards.
BBB. "Open Flying List" means an automated listing of all open flying in the Crew Management System (CMS).
CCC. "Open Flying Log" means an automated listing of all previous assignments of open flying.
DDD. "Pattern" means a predetermined series of flights comprising a trip hour period.
EEE. "Pattern Assignment Period" (PAP) means the period immediately following the secondary line adjustment period in which unassigned patterns for the following day are assigned to Reserve Flight Attendants.
FFF. "Pattern Guarantee" means the pay guarantee provided for all the patterns awarded to a Flight Attendant through the PBS award process and/or bid resolution process, on a pattern by pattern basis, subject to the provisions of Section 5.A.9.b. and 5.B.10.b. and Sections 6.G.5. and 6.H.6.
GGG. "Planned Day(s) Off" (PDO) means scheduled off-duty days on a reserve line during which a Reserve Flight Attendant may be flown, provided these days are replaced as provided in Section 7.H.5.
HHH. "Preferential Bidding System" (PBS) means an automated system used by the Company in the monthly bidding process which allows a Flight Attendant to construct his/her line based upon his/her seniority, qualifications and individual preferences in accordance with the procedures established in Section 6 of this Agreement.
III. "Premium Pay Patterns" (PPP) means a pattern on open flying that has been designated as a premium pay pattern and when awarded through an Upward Adjustment or Reserve Increase Adjustment, the Flight Attendant is paid a premium for such pattern.
JJJ. "Primary Language" means the language that is designated by a LOD Flight Attendant that is used for his/her bid award and assignment.
KKK. "Primary Line Adjustment Period" (PLAP) means the period commencing at 0001, base local time, during which CENTRY requests for line adjustments are processed.
LLL. "Priority Line" means a non-biddable line awarded during the bidding process whenever a regular line cannot be awarded due to factors as defined in Section 6.C.6.a.
MMM. "Purser" means a Flight Attendant, who in addition to the performance of his/her Flight Attendant duties, leads, directs and is in charge of the activities of the cabin crew on board flights with a designated Purser position, as provided in Section 9 of this Agreement. The Purser is responsible for the conduct of all cabin service, the coordination of inflight sales, the preparation and handling of manifests and other reports and documents, or any other duties as may be required by the Company, as provided in Section 9 of this Agreement.
NNN. "Ready Reserve Flight Attendant " means a Reserve Flight Attendant who has been awarded a Ready Reserve designation which indicates he/she desires to complete his/her month's flying as soon as possible.
OOO. "Recovery Flying" means flying awarded or assigned to offset current or future time available obligation(s).
PPP. "Red-Eye Flight" means a domestic flight segment which departs between 2100–0200 and arrives at its destination after 0200 departure station time.
QQQ. "Regular Flight Attendant" or "Regular Line Holder" means a Flight Attendant holding a Regular line.
NOTE: Once a Priority or Short line holder attains a line of at least the established monthly minimum hours, he/she becomes a Regular line holder.
RRR. "Regular Line" means a Flight Attendant's monthly schedule consisting of patterns and/or vacation, carry-in, or any absence credit which projects his/her line value at or above the established monthly minimum hours.
SSS. "Released" means to be temporarily relieved for a specified period of time from a requirement to be available for duty.
TTT. "Remove" means to take a Flight Attendant from his/her awarded or assigned flight segment, flight(s) or pattern.
UUU. "Rescheduling" means the changing of a Flight Attendant's pattern.
VVV. "Reserve Flight Attendant" means a Flight Attendant holding a line comprised of predetermined on-duty periods of availability and intervening off-duty period(s).
WWW. "Reserve Line" means a Flight Attendant's monthly schedule consisting of predetermined on-duty periods of availability and intervening scheduled off-duty periods.
XXX. "Reserve On-Duty Block" means the series of consecutive on-duty periods (days) that a Reserve Flight Attendant is available for assignment prior to his/her next off-duty period.
YYY. "Secondary Line Adjustment Period" (SLAP) means the period commencing at 1300, base local time, during which CENTRY requests for line adjustments for the following day are processed.
ZZZ. "Short Call" means a Reserve Flight Attendant who is available to report for a flight departure within a shorter time period than the required report time at his/her base station (Section 7.D.4.).
AAAA. "Short Line" means a line between fifty-two hours (52:00) and the monthly minimum hours which may be bid and awarded to a Flight Attendant in lieu of a Reserve line when he/she is unable to complete a line to at least his/her monthly minimum.
BBBB. "SILO" means the process used to assign patterns to Reserve Flight Attendants based on the number of on-duty days remaining in their blocks.
CCCC. "Single Flight Attendant Pattern" means a pattern constructed and included in the bid analysis to provide additional staffing above the FAA minimum required positions.
DDDD. "Staffing Grids" means the published formula determined by the Company that establishes the number of Flight Attendants to schedule on each flight based on such factors as number of passengers, aircraft type, type of market, level of service and duration.
EEEE. "Time Available Flight Attendant" means a Flight Attendant who holds a Regular line or Priority line and whose monthly projection is less than his/her pattern guarantee due to circumstances outside of his/her control.
FFFF. "Trip Hours" or "Trip Hour Period" means all of the elapsed time between:
1. The start of an on-duty period originating at the Flight Attendant's base, as defined in paragraph BB., above, and
2. The completion of the next on-duty period which terminates at his/her base.
GGGG. "Upward Adjustment" for purposes of Section 5.A.3.a. and 5.B.3.a. shall mean a schedule adjustment made in accordance with Section 6.K.1., 2., 3., 4., 5., 9., 10., and 14., provided such requests do not include a trade.
HHHH. "Voice Response Unit" (VRU, VRS, IVR, Voice) means any system used by the Company that allows Flight Attendants to conduct specified scheduling related business telephonically without the necessity of speaking directly with Crew Scheduling personnel.
IIII. "Will-Fly" means a request made by a Reserve Flight Attendant to be assigned flying on his/her scheduled off-duty day.
JJJJ. "ZZ day" means a twenty-four hour (24:00) period free from all duty from the Company which is assigned to a Reserve Flight Attendant in order to comply with the twenty-four in seven (24-in-7) provision required by the Flight Attendant FAR.