Just worked a 12:15 duty day with 8:32 block yesterday. 4 legs and the longest turn was :45. Grabbed a juice and a protein bar during our concourse change through ATL. No crew meals.

 

Not accepting the flight would be far more appropriate. They can't plan fantasy taxi times and redline to redline jetstream of the year tailwinds to very clearly try to "get around" the FAR's. And they will be the first ones to throw you under the bus if something happens as a rogue FAR violating pilot that ignored the company's safety first philosophy. ow could any pilot fall for that?

 

Even the most strict pilot pushing FAR "interpretation" can't possibly hang its hat on the concept of walking in a hotel room, face planting on the floor and getting up exactly 8 hours later in the same clothes, not getting ready, not going to the bathroom or anything, as an "uninterrupted sleep opportunity".

That is insane and indefensible. Period.

 

The same ones that fall for 8 hours behind the door being the same as an opportunity to sleep for 8 hours?

 

If planes fueled themselves they wouldn't be buying them gas either.

 

When I first came to Delta from TWA, I was surprised to find we didn't have crew meals. Then a couple of years after I got here, they started giving us crew meals. They said it was a safety issue. I guess it was a safety issue... until it wasn't.

 

Can someone tell me if I can check in and pay taxes in for an international jumpseat at the gate in DTW or must I go to the ticket counter? Thanks

 

From the FAA:

"Definition of Sleep Opportunity

APA asked the FAA to define ‘‘uninterrupted sleep opportunity.'' APA also asked whether the sleep opportunity has to take place at a specific location, such as the flightcrew member's home. Subsection 117.25(e) requires a certificate holder to provide a flightcrew member with 10 hours of rest that includes an 8-hour uninterrupted sleep opportunity immediately before the flightcrew member begins a reserve or FDP. Subsection 117.25(f) requires the flightcrew member to notify the certificate holder if he or she determines that his/her rest period will not provide an 8-hour uninterrupted sleep opportunity. A sleep opportunity generally commences once a flightcrew member is at a location where the flightcrew member can reasonably be expected to go to sleep and not have that sleep interrupted. The sleep opportunity does not need to take place at the flightcrew member's home, but it must take place at a location where the flightcrew member can reasonably expect to obtain 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. In addition, as the FAA pointed out in the preamble to final rule, specific sleep situations ‘‘are difficult to capture in a regulatory standard.'' That is why § 117.25(f) requires the flightcrew member to notify the certificate holder if the flightcrew member determines that he or she cannot get the requisite amount of uninterrupted sleep."

Seems pretty clear to me - your time in the room MUST allow an opportunity for 8 hours of SLEEP. The fact that ALPA seems to think that 8 hours behind the door meets the above requirements is sad because, clearly, the FAA does not agree. Perhaps ALPA is getting hung up on this part: "A sleep opportunity generally commences once a flightcrew member is at a location where the flightcrew member can reasonably be expected to go to sleep and not have that sleep interrupted." I suppose this might make it sound like the sleep opportunity starts once you are in your room. BUT, the FAA goes on to clarify with the following statement: "...it must take place at a location where the flightcrew member can reasonably expect to obtain 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep." Again - "8 hours of uninterrupted SLEEP." Basically, the FAA could care less about "time behind the door" - what they care about is the chance to get 8 hours of uninterrupted SLEEP. In the end, however, it's that last sentence that is key- if YOU (not Delta, not ALPA, but you) determine that your time in the room does not allow for 8 hours of uninterrupted SLEEP you MUST call scheduling and have your report time adjusted.

 

Exactly. Thank you. I don't know why anyone is having a hard time with this. The wording in the FAR and the FAA's clarification is very straightforward and not open to interpretation. What's particularly troubling is that at least one of our reps and the scheduling committee chairman can't figure this out and are giving out bad information.

 

I just spoke with them this morning on this subject...... Looks like they are planning to start processing them around the middle of February. When I questioned the delay I was told that the 2013 per diem rates haven't been published yet.