Originally Posted by
HIFLYR
You might want to check this out:
v.
If a pilot scheduled for a nonstop deadhead over 16 hours
on duty, who is not booked in first class, deviates from the
scheduled flight in order to obtain first class on another
carrier, the following shall apply:
(a)
the pilot shall include with his deviation expense report
an e-mail from corporate travel indicating that first class
was not available on the originally scheduled flight at
the time the booking was made; and
(b)
the provision of the e-mail in Section 8.C.3.a.v.(a)
(the preceding paragraph) shall entitle the pilot to be
reimbursed for his deviation ticket up to the full fare
first class cost of a direct, nonstop deviation flight on
the planned routing, regardless of his deviation bank
value.
Intent: This rule is designed to put the pilot in excellent
position to obtain first class on long deadheads. The change
in priority greatly increases the chance that the pilot will be
booked in first class at the outset. If that does not occur, and
the pilot wishes to deviate so that he can find first class on
another carrier, provision is made to allow that even if the
accepted fare for the ticket that was planned is below the
actual cost of the first class ticket he buys. This provision
is intended for use only for conventional, scheduled airline
travel, not, for example, the Concorde, Lear jet, or other
specialty air travel. This rule does not apply to emergency
replacements under Section 12.D.1.e., nor does it permit
an increase in the deviation bank beyond that necessary to
pay for the deviation ticket.
With respect to the e-mail notification from Corporate
Travel, Corporate travel will only know to send an e-mail
indicating the unavailability of first class to the pilot who
was originally awarded the trip. If a pilot receives the trip
later in the bid period (e.g., due to the original pilot going
sick, etc.,), then the pilot who flies the trip will have to
request the e-mail from Corporate Travel if, at the time
Corporate Travel is attempting to book his ticket, first class
is not available. This only applies to deadheads originally
scheduled over 16 hours under the provisions of this rule.
The pilot should not ask Corporate Travel for an e-mail in
any other situation in which first class is authorized, but
cannot be booked due to availability.
Example: A pilot is booked on United to HKG. There
is no seating for either discounted first class or full fare
first class, so Corporate Travel books the pilot in business
class with a reservation to upgrade to first class contingent
upon availability. The accepted fare for the discounted first
class was $1500, which is the amount the pilot’s deviation
Sec. 8.C.3.a. (continued)
February 28, 2011
8-10
bank is credited with per Section 8.A.4.c.v. Corporate travel
sends the pilot an e-mail indicating that first class could not
be booked on his deadhead flight over 16 hours. The pilot
deviates, using a full fare first class ticket on a direct flight
on Northwest, which costs $2300.
The pilot’s total deviation bank for the month normally
would be $2,500 ($1,000 for other tickets, and $1,500 for
the UA flight to HKG). Assume that the pilot has spent a
total of $3,000 ($2,300 for the NW flight to HKG, and $700
for other travel). When reconciling his deviation expenses,
the pilot includes a copy of the Corporate Travel e-mail
indicating that first class could not be booked on the UA
flight to HKG. This e-mail indicates to the travel auditors
to increase the deviation bank by $800 in order to pay the
NW flight to HKG. This essentially pays the NW deviation
flight as a separate transaction, and the remainder of the
pilot’s deviation expenses are reconciled against a bank
of $1,000 (the original bank less the planned UA ticket
to HKG). Consequently, if the pilot had spent a total of
$3,400 ($2,300 for the NW ticket and $1,100 for other
deviation expenses), $100 of those expenses would not be
reimbursed, and must be paid by the pilot, just like in the
normal situation.