Source: Elines 

As we all know, it’s been a while since we’ve had the good fortune of having new hires among our ranks. With the addition of our newest Members to the line, we’ve started to receive some questions about the filling of open premium positions. These questions suggest that we might all benefit from a review of the requirements of our Contract. 

Section 9.F.7. provides the mechanism by which we cover open premium positions when the Flight Attendant originally assigned to the line of flying is unavailable for an ID.  Over the past several years since we’ve not had Flight Attendants with less than one (1) year of seniority amongst our ranks, we’ve become accustomed to having the position filled by the most junior Reserve on the flight.  With the addition of the newest Members, this is not always the case. 

As a reminder, Section 9.F.7.b. restricts the assignment of any open premium position to a Flight Attendant with less than one (1) year of seniority and does not allow our most junior Members to assume a premium pay position unless no other more senior Flight Attendant in on the flight.  Premium pay positions include all purser positions – wide body, narrow body, domestic and international as well as paid galley positions.  There exception to this rule applies when there is no Flight Attendant assigned to the flight with more than one year of seniority.  In this case, our Contract provides that the most senior Flight Attendant among those on the flight will fill the open premium position. 

Section 9.F.7. of our Contract provides the guidelines for filling an open premium position at briefing regardless of the location where briefing is conducted.  A purser qualification (qualified purser) is necessary for all widebody aircraft flown domestically or internationally and all purser positions on narrow body aircraft flying international flights and should be filled by a qualified purser, if available.  However, if no qualified purser is available on these flights, the open premium position(s) on these aircraft will be filled by a Flight Attendant who is not purser qualified. 

In general, open premium positions are filled in the following manner:

• First, by the most senior (Purser qualified) Flight Attendant who elects to fill the position; 
• If none, then by the most junior (Purser qualified) Reserve
• In none, then by the Flight Attendant who picked up the position through the Open Flying process
• If none, by the most junior (Purser qualified) Flight Attendant on board
• If none, then by the most junior Reserve (with a minimum of one year of service)* 

*NOTE: In a circumstance where there are two Lineholders and a Reserve who is senior to both lineholders, the senior Reserve will be involuntarily assigned to the open position.

Once the position is filled at briefing, it remains filled until the end of the ID or until the person filling the position leaves the crew.  This is the case even in a circumstance where the person filling the open premium position has not yet completed one year of service. This means that a Flight Attendant who might be more senior (or purser qualified) joins a crew mid-sequence, may not take the position from a non-qualified or more junior Flight Attendant who has assumed the purser duties at briefing.

Please contact your AFA Local Council if you have additional questions.