Unlimited trades with other Flight Attendants is a Contractual right we had to fight hard to achieve and it is a tool for schedule flexibility we often use.  Local Union offices have been addressing multiple situations in which Flight Attendants submit trades without permission from the other Flight Attendant involved in the transaction.  This has been brought to our attention as a situation that has recently escalated.  It is important for Flight Attendants to understand the harm they may be doing, as well as the possible consequences.

In order to examine the problem we’ve included a few examples to clearly identify the issue.

Example 1: Orville is seniority number 10 in his domicile and wants to trade his EWR trip for days off (RDO) and has posted the ID on the TRDBRD. Wilbur is seniority number 999. Wilbur doesn’t want the EWR trip – he wants Orville’s seniority. Wilbur submits a trip trade with open flying on Orville’s behalf, trading out of the EWR trip for a CDG trip. After Orville’s trade goes through, Wilbur then submits an RDO trade for the CDG trip. Orville has no idea this has happened.

Example 2: Amelia knows Charles won’t recover from his broken leg in time to fly his HKG trip. She submits an RDO trade to fly his HKG trip without his knowledge. He has no idea until he checks his pay file later in the month.

Example 3: Wilbur trades his all-nighter trip for Orville’s LHR trip. He then submits a trip trade with open flying on Orville’s behalf, out of his “new” all-nighter, into a HNL trip. The trip trade is awarded. Wilbur then trades the LHR trip with the HNL trip. Orville is completely unaware of any of this trade activity.

While it may be hard to imagine, these are examples of activity that has occurred surrounding unethical and improper trip trades.  We are even aware of Flight Attendants trading their entire lines with other Flight Attendants without contacting them.  For those Flight Attendants participating in this unethical activity, the harm you are inflicting on your flying partners includes, but may not be limited to, opting for a flying partner without their knowledge, the loss of holiday pay and most importantly, the possibility of your actions coming to the attention of the management.  These actions also diminish the scheduling flexibility afforded all Flight Attendants through historically hard-won Contractual gains. 

What should you do if this happens to you? Contact the Flight Attendant you believe submitted the trade(s) to find out if you are correct. If in fact you are correct, tell that person to restore your trip(s). Although it may not to be possible to restore your trip(s) for a variety reasons, it is best to attempt a one-on-one resolution with the other person before moving ahead.

If you need assistance, please feel free to contact your AFA EAP Professional Standards representative.  Our AFA EAP Professional Standards Committees are well-trained peer support groups made up of Flight Attendants who volunteer to help other Flight Attendants.  The work of this committee must be confidential in order to be effective.  Professional Standards has a long history of working effectively with Flight Attendants in conflict and working towards beneficial resolutions.

What can happen if you turn a flying partner in to management?  Unlike management, most of us believe tampering with someone’s line of flying, while very serious and in need of correction within our community, may not merit termination.  Individual members of management may not believe the aforementioned activity should merit the loss of a Flight Attendant’s job either.  However, once you bring such action to the attention of management, they may have little recourse other than to pursue the dictates of the company’s Articles of Conduct.  Should the company take that path, the result could be termination.

When you take the action of reporting a flying partner to management, you lose control of the process.  The process will include you providing a written report, investigations that include the report being provided to the Flight Attendant as well as the Union, the possible issuance of a letter of charge, local hearings and ultimately your testimony before the System Board of Adjustment.  Your goal may have been to have the offending Flight Attendant spoken to or even disciplined with the intent of changing the unethical behavior, but not separated from the company.  While the end result may not be termination, the possibility certainly exists.  Any control you may have had over the outcome is lost.