Adlerdriver

Resurrecting this thread to bring some recent CRS shenanigans to light. Two recent hires on the 777 (less than 2 years on property) have similar events:
Both deviated, checked the box(es) in VIPS for all legs but found themselves in a position to perform their final check-in at the scheduled deadhead gate. Subsequently, they both encountered issues with the scheduled DH flight(s) they were on and were denied aid re-scheduling/revisions that would have been provided to someone who never deviated in the first place. (i.e. like it used to be on any deadhead under prior contracts)


CBA 2015 states: (8.C.1.d.iv.) Final deviation check-in may be accomplished if the deviating pilot joins the Company scheduled deadhead(s) and, as a result, he will arrive at the point of origin of the pilot’s first revenue flight or standby period as if the pilot had not deviated. Upon arrival at the departure gate of the scheduled deadhead flight, the pilot shall check-in with VIPS, or CRS if VIPS is not accessible, and indicate that he is in position for the scheduled deadhead flight. Once this check-in has been accomplished, the pilot shall no longer be considered as deviating, for the purposes of subsequent delays, revisions, and all trip services.
Example: The scheduled deadhead travel is MEM-ATL-CDG. The pilot deviates and obtains a ticket to join the scheduled ATL-CDG flight. Final deviation check-in may be accomplished upon arrival at the departure gate for the CDG flight in the ATL airport

Note that there is no reference to whether or not a pilot has checked the deviation box for a specific deadhead segment in the “Deviation and Deadheads” section of VIPS in order to use the provisions of this section of the CBA. That is not part of the criteria. In fact, the above CBA passage makes two references to the fact that a pilot performing this Final Check-in using this option HAS deviated. The only thing not checking the deviation box for the final leg of the deadhead does is avoids auto-cancellation of GT services upon arrival. However, I have successfully requested these services be reinstated when I either accidentally or intentionally checked the deviation box for the final leg but was actually on that flight and performed my Final Check-in according to the CBA.

Two potential scenarios where this could be a factor (there may be others):
1) A pilot is in domicile but plans to deviate using a company jump seat. He checks the box to deviate all deadhead legs but re-buys the scheduled deadhead ticket to use as a backup in case the jump seat is delayed or cancelled. Due to jump seat issues, he uses his back-up plan.

2) A pilot is initially unable to get a ticket joining the scheduled deadhead as desired, so he deviates using another routing. Prior to departure, he is eventually able to find a ticket using the final segment of the scheduled deadhead flight and alters his deviation schedule.

In both cases above, the CBA allows the pilot to arrive at the departure gate for the scheduled deadhead leg and perform his Final Check-in, regardless of whether he has checked the deviation box for that leg (no mention of it at all). As indicated in the above CBA excerpt, after performing that Final Check-in, “the pilot is no longer considering as deviating for the purposes of subsequent delays, revisions and all trip services”.

Bottom line: If you have joined a segment of the scheduled deadhead and performed your Final Check-in in accordance with the CBA, do not let a scheduler tell you that they are not responsible for re-booking and/or re-scheduling you because you deviated (i.e. checked the box on that leg). The contract clearly states you are no longer considered as deviating - period. dot.

Please pass the word on this and make sure our new pilots are not being mis-directed by CRS attempting interpret this section of the CBA using old methods. They're spring loaded when a deadheading pilot calls with a disruption to see if there's a "$" by his name/flight and tell him the disruption is his problem because he deviated.