Crew Lounge
Deadhead Conversions for Maximum and Enhanced Staffing
Source: SkyNet
Date: October 22, 2004
It’s good business to use opportunities to enhance our customers’ travel experience at no additional cost to United. With this in mind, crew schedulers regularly review the day’s flights for deadheading flight attendants who can be converted to work and assigned specific duties.
Because the collective bargaining agreement entitles deadheading flight attendants to the same pay as working flight attendants, schedulers will convert every deadheading flight attendant to work a flight up to Maximum Staffing levels, which is the maximum number of flight attendants needed for a particular aircraft with a certain level of service. Schedulers also will convert deadheading flight attendants to Enhanced Staffing levels on international flights. Please note that enhanced staffing levels are higher than maximum staffing levels. The conversion process is manual, so it may not be completed during irregular operations or when scheduling is understaffed.
Onboard’s policy gives pursers the flexibility to assign converted flight attendants specific cabin responsibilities. Having additional working flight attendants onboard also helps pursers assign safety, security and medical responsibilities when necessary. If you’re converted to work, you have a chance to provide more attentive service, support faster beverage and meal delivery and pick-up and increased cabin presence. By doing so, you help United positively impact customer perception and definite intent to repurchase, which helps all of us achieve our Success Sharing goal for customer satisfaction. Refer to the FAOM for more about Maximum and Enhanced Staffing.
Questions and Answers
Q: I am a lineholder not a reserve, why are you converting me?
A: Conversions are based upon seniority, and made to the most junior flight attendant assigned to the flight and legal to work at the time of conversion. Conversions are based upon seniority (offered in seniority order) and not lineholder or reserve status.
Q: Why am I being converted if the load does not require me?
A: It's a good business decision to use opportunities to enhance our customers' travel experience at no additional cost. The division's maximum and enhanced staffing policy gives the purser the ability to assign specific cabin responsibilities and provide more attentive service and increased cabin presence. This helps United positively impact customer perception and definite intent to repurchase
Q: Why can't you deadhead me, the load is light?
A: It's a good business decision to use opportunities to enhance our customers' travel experience at no additional cost. The division's maximum and enhanced staffing policy enables us to provide more attentive service and increased cabin presence. This helps us positively impact customer perception and definite intent to repurchase.
Q: I bid this ID specifically because it has a scheduled deadhead segment; you need to convert the person on the 9000 ID.
A: Conversions are based upon seniority (offered in seniority order) to the most junior flight attendant assigned to the flight and legal to work at the time of conversion. Conversions are not based upon the type of ID (scheduled ID or XSC).
Q: Scheduling is always trying to do this, why can't I just go back to deadheading with this light load?
A: This is an Onboard Service division policy, not a scheduling policy, which enables us to provide more attentive service and increased cabin presence. It's a good business decision to use opportunities to enhance our customers' travel experience at no additional cost and positively impact customer perception and definite intent to repurchase.
Q: Why wasn't my flying partner converted to work on her trip?
A: The conversion process is a manual one, so it may not be accomplished during irregular operations or while schedulers are engaged in more operationally pressing duties. Additionally, legalities must be considered before any conversion is made.
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