In my discussion with various MEC members I have refined my argument on why I don't think we will be paid for DH travel to a STV. Here it is for famed arbitrator Busboy (after the political discussion) to rule on:
I am not buying it, here is the language in the LOA:
A pilot shall be entitled to one business class ticket positioning him to the STV location at the beginning of his assignment and back to his permanent base at the conclusion of his assignment. The Company shall also provide a pilot’s dependents with one round-trip coach class ticket from the pilot’s permanent residence to the FDA location during the assignment.
This language closely resembles Section 5.H.1:
The following additional provisions shall apply to a pilot holding an FDA assignment:
1. A pilot, and dependents who relocate to the FDA location, shall be provided one way air transportation to the FDA location prior to the commencement of the assignment and return transportation to the pilot's domicile at the conclusion of his assignment.
I don't think pilots relocating to/from Subic get paid DH money. Basically the LOA says Pilots on an STV are paid like Pilots at an FDA accept they get per diem when not on a trip.
Think about it this way, pilots on an STV will only be paid for individual trips. These trips will start and end in HKG. There will not be a series of pairings in the HKG Bid Pack saying "DH HKG" or "HKG DH". The cap on credit hours also plays into my paranoia. I believe HK is at least a 30 hour round trip DH. There will be no lines at HKG that will fit after you take out the 30 hours. If the company wanted to pay DH hours they would have submitted something in the LOA that raises the cap on monthly BLG.
Finally if the company intended to pay DH expenses they would not have changed the language from what is in CBA 5.G.1:
The following additional provisions apply to a pilot holding a temporary vacancy:
1.The Company shall provide a pilot holding a temporary vacancy with:
a. Deadhead transportation between his base and the domicile of his temporary vacancy at the beginning and end of the temporary vacancy;
Legally Special Temporary Vacancies are different from Temporary Vacancies, otherwise we wouldn't need the LOA.