Uhhh... I have seen this 30 minute extension comment posted a couple times. It's not free. They still have to ask and you still have to accept even if it is 1 minute past your FDP. The only difference is the company can extend you numerous days in a row if under 30 minutes (AND YOU ACCEPT) vs just once before needing a rest period.

Uh huh, uh huh. That's ONE way it can go down. Ooorrrrr you get rerouted during your 3.5 hour airport sit with just a robo call as a courtesy (maybe). When you go see what's been done to your schedule you notice that your duty day is now not only beyond the contractual limit but is also into the 117 extension period. Now they've forced your hand, requiring a call to scheduling and "contact".

im 99% sure you cannot be rerouted into an extension.

logic being there is no way you can argue it is unforeseen if you know about it when they assign you the trip.

You are correct.

This is correct. You just be legal when rerouted.

Raises for everyone else sure has to help morale.

Or you just wait until your scheduled flight. Why are you checking your schedule or answering your phone?

The plane swap idea is interesting. I think that is something that should definitely be explored. As someone pointed out in a post just below yours (sic) "there's a difference between a 1 hour sit with a plane swap and without". Off the top of my head, I would think something like: With any sit less than 2 hours and a plane swap you get paid another hour. And you would have to sandwich that in with a penalty for any sit more than three hours.... or something like that.

I just had one that made my 2.5 hour sit a 3.5 hour sit for my new flight. I didn’t answer my phone when CS called. I showed up for my scheduled flight and scanned my ID. Instead of getting the green light, I got a red one forcing me to check my schedule. The reroute replaced two short legs with one long leg to a 10-hour layover. It also made my legal duty day longer since I only had two instead of three legs. So, long story to say just because you don’t answer your phone or check your schedule doesn’t mean you can’t still be rerouted.

Theres some confusion going on between the “free” 30 minutes and the “not free” 30 minutes. The “free” 30 being referenced is the 30 minutes between the PWA scheduled duty day limitation and the actual FAR 117 FDP limitation. Then you have the 30 minutes of 117 extension that is repeatable but is an actual FDP extension.