That was what I was asking...thanks for the responses. I didn't realize the deviation leg would still have to meet the FC contract requirements since 1) I have control of when I schedule the deviation leg and 2) the company is only going to pay the accepted fare for the original scheduled DH anyway. Thought that if I had saved the company money earlier in the month by taking a company JS or deviating on a cheaper ticket, that I could use that money to help offset a more expensive ticket later in the month. I guess you can so long as the class of ticket matches what the deviation leg authorizes. Not sure why the company cares at this point.

Case in point: had a trip with a back end 2 leg DH where the plane was full and I was sandwiched in a middle seat on both legs. Looked on the deviation website and found a FC ticket that was less than $10 more...still 2 legs but both FC and got back to MEM earlier. Be nice if you could use bank money for something like that...good for me and the company still comes out ahead because of a positive bank balance. Oh well, those are the rules and I appreciate the help.

"Case in point: had a trip with a back end 2 leg DH where the plane was full and I was sandwiched in a middle seat on both legs. Looked on the deviation website and found a FC ticket that was less than $10 more...still 2 legs but both FC and got back to MEM earlier. Be nice if you could use bank money for something like that...good for me and the company still comes out ahead because of a positive bank balance. Oh well, those are the rules and I appreciate the help."

Unfortunately the system is to just look at one little piece of the puzzle, not the entire picture. You can save them $3K one month, but they'll still charge you the $5 you went over your parking bank. Ridiculous.

However, if first class is cheaper than coach, they will book it for you and not charge you extra. But it has to be cheaper than coach on that flight, specifically.

You are correct in saying that it would be nice if we could use bank money for this situation, however, like you said those are the rules.

However for this above situation you are not completely out of luck if it ever arises again. You can always us the "Crew Travel Upgrade Form". Located in the Forms section of PFC. It allows you to book first class when it otherwise wouldn't be authorized, but you bear the difference between the coach and first class fares. In the above situation 10 bucks is worth it in my book!

Just fill out the form before you call global travel. Specify how much more you are willing to pay, in this case no more than $10, and submit. Global travel gets a email and will book the new class of service when you call. $10 will come out of your check, but the cost of the coach ticket get billed to your bank.

Careful you will pay the difference between coach and first on the same flight. The $10 difference in his example is likely between different flights.

FDXLAG is correct, however, you will never pay more than the maximum you set in the form when filled out.

Do you guys have to buy your own tickets? What is deviation? Curiosity

Over Simple explanation: If a trip starts with a DH they will buy you a ticket from your base to the 1st operational leg. If you want to leave from elsewhere you can arrange your own travel using the money they allocated for that trip. You can use the "deviation bank" from all of your trips anyway you want that month as long as it is within 3 days of a FDX event.

It was between different flights. However, the Travel Upgrade Form allows you to select the type of ticket...Scheduled or Deviation. So, if I select "Deviation" as the ticket type, am I good to go as long as the total fare for my first class deviation ticket is within the max amount I selected?

Correct. You can also select "scheduled" vs "deviation" if you are up-grading on the flight that pairing was built with. By selecting "scheduled" you're still protected if anything goes wrong and Scheduling has to fix it rather than leave you dangling in the wind.
Cheers,
fbh

Careful here. Not necessarily good to go just because your First class fare is less than your bank.

Let's say you have a back end DH for $400 from a trip that ends in EWR. This notional $400 DH bank is for a scheduled Y fare from EWR to MEM after an overnight in EWR. Now let's say you live in PIT.

Different examples, with you living in PIT:
1) you legal rest in EWR and take a nonstop on UA express CRJ200 that takes 1 hour. Your deviation qualifies for Y fare. This Y fare costs $500. You can take it as a deviation and you owe the company $100 unless you have other bank that month to cover the excess you spent.

2) you legal rest in EWR and take a DL mainline flight that connects thru ATL and the block time is 2.5 hours total, and your day is 5 hours duty for your deviation to PIT. Your deviation qualifies for Y. If Delta's Y fare is $300 and their F fare is $350, doesn't matter that they are under your bank. You may take the Y deviation and have it fully reimbursed at $300. If you want to fly F on a deviation that as booked only qualifies for Y, that's when you fill out the travel upgrade form and you'll be debited the $50 from your pay.

3) you legal rest in EWR and you take a DL flight connecting through SLC! Your total deviation block is 5 hours and your day is 7 hours. Your deviation qualifies for F because your block is 5 hours or more. You can book either Y or F for this example and have it reimbursed up to your monthly bank.

4) you legal rest in EWR and take the DL flight in example 2, but this time DL has a YUP fare (a COACH fare that gives you a confirmed first class seat). You may book this type of coach fare and fly first and be fully reimbursed.

5) you legal rest in EWR and take a UA mainline flight from EWR to PIT. Due to a current contract we have with UA, many times first is cheaper than Y. In this case UA Y may cost $300 and UA F may cost $250. The deviation qualifies for coach, but you may book a first fare that's cheaper than coach. If you book via VIPs online route pricing under lowest cost or via a live corporate travel agent they will note the record and you may book this Cheap F fare and be fully reimbursed.

6) you legal rest in EWR and you want to take a DL flight that is sold out in coach but has First for sale. Call corporate travel, they will book F and you'll be reimbursed in FOX even though your deviation qualifies for Y. Corporate travel will note your booking record that this is the case and in the comments section of FOX make the same note when you submit and you will be reimbursed.

7) you DON'T legal rest in EWR (get into EWR at 6am and go to the airport and take an 8 AM flight). Let's say your duty period into EWR on your FedEx trip(s) inbound was 7 hours and your inbound flight time was 3.5 hours. If you take the Nonstop to PIT at 8 AM with 1 hour flight time your duty would be 10.5 and your combined block would be 4.5--neither would qualify you for F. But, if you take a DL flight through ATL that has a block of 2.5 and travel time of 5 hours, your combined block is 6 (now you're still not greater or equal to the 8 required combined trigger) but now your duty day (fedEx scheduled 7 plus 2 hour wait plus 5 hours travel plus 0.5 after DL block in) is now 14.5 hours and because if that your deviation flight now qualifies for F.