During some of the Roadshows we've discussed the need for additional rest and the requirements provided currently in our Contract, including your rights when the automatic 15 minute waiver of report time is applied when at minimum rest.  Your Union advocates for additional rest so it is especially important that when we face minimum rest we ensure every minute is counted.  Take full advantage of Contract provisions that ensure rest.  It is our responsibility to make this happen and understand all of the tools at hand to do so.

Information about the automatic 15 minute waiver of report time is included in the bid cover letter for domiciles with domestic flying.  Our Contract provides for minimum legal rest according to the transportation time to your layover hotel.  Section 7.J.1.b. & c. requires minimum rest equal "nine (9) hours free from duty at any point away from home where lodging is provided within approximately fifteen (15) minutes time (or time agreed upon by the MEC Hotel Chairperson) from the airport provided prompt transportation is available, or eleven (11) hours free from duty at any point away from home where lodging is provided more than approximately fifteen (15) minutes time from the airport."

Remember that Section 7.I.3. provides 15 minutes debriefing time at a layover point.  And, Section 7.I.1. provides 45 minutes report time for narrowbodies and 1 hour for jumbo airplanes.  When these times are added to your minimum rest it means your total block-to-block rest equals 10 hours for a layover at a hotel not more than fifteen minutes from the airport and reporting to work on a narrowbody airplane.

If the 15 minute waiver of report time is applied to make you legal in this same scenario, your block-to-block layover is 9:45 hours.  In this case, you would not report to the airplane until 30 minutes prior to departure.  It is your responsibility to ensure your legal rest is met, including the waiver of report time.  Although you will not be advised of the report time waiver, the cover letter encourages you to contact the crew desk, OPBSK, if you are unsure.

The Contractual report time waiver also provides that "where hotel van transportation cannot be rescheduled, the Flight Attendant is authorized to use cab or limousine transportation at Company expense."  Make sure that your transportation is rescheduled and you are not forfeiting any of your Contractual rest time.

When you arrive at the gate, the Flight Attendant in the purser position should advise the gate agent of the Contractual change to report time and confirm the departure time with the gate agent.  If after confirming the departure time with the gate agent and the cockpit the aircraft still departs prior to the scheduled departure time taking your rest below a scheduled 9:45 block-to-block, you are now considered to be on continuous duty from the start of the previous duty period.  This will trigger not only a series of legalities and Contractual pay provisions, it will likely violate Federal Aviation Regulations.  The company agrees that Flight Attendant minimum rest must be protected.

Rest is a critical component of our preparation as safety professionals.  While our Contract exceeds FAA minimum rest provisions, we continue to collaborate efforts with our Flight Attendant colleagues throughout the industry to improve rest protections.  We encourage you to take advantage of the protections our Contract affords us and do not be enticed to compromise these provisions.  Protect yourself, protect our passengers and protect our profession.  Every minute counts - get your rest.