Originally Posted by
Brokenwind
If your flight departs at 4am from ANC on your first day of work you will need to be there on day one minus ten hours to be legally rested. Hence travel will arrange this with no waivers given and usually with a back up for their warm fuzzy. This is the "penalty" for living where the hell you want within reach of a gateway city (company designated and approved).
Brokenwind, there is no CBA requirement for a backup flight. Travel will almost never give in without intervention from the union, but you don't have to accept it. A backup flight is useless anyway - what if it's oversold? Say your previous flight cancels, what guarantee is there you'll be one of the lucky few to get the last seat? None. If your flight cancels, they call out a reserve - that's what they're for.