JustaNumber
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2005
- Posts
- 922
One workaround could be classifying "commute time" as a separate entity that is neither duty time nor rest time. (Similar to "on call" time: neither "duty" nor "rest"). The reg could be a simple update to the Whitlow Letter, saying that at any given moment, you must be able to look back 24 hours and find 9 hours of rest (or hopefully more) that are free from all "duty," "on call," AND "commute" time. But "commute time" could still occur on an off day. The definition of an "off day" would not change: a day free of all duty or obligation to the company (i.e. "on call" time). Hard to argue with that, since pilots are currently okay with commuting on an off day.You'll see a very large backlash from the commuters, and it may have a very nasty side-effect for the airlines.
Most contracts have a "minimum day off" stipulation. If a commuting day would now count towards duty time, it's not a day off. Remember, Duty or "on call" is not rest - Whitlow interpretation. Therefore, a day off is ONLY one on which you did not fly OR commute, if commuting is now counted as duty.
So what happens to the guy who holds a 14 day off line, 16 days on, 4 4-day trips, uncommutable on BOTH sides for this rule? He just got chopped to 6 days off. Oh,,, wait,,, contract says 12 calendar days off minimum for lineholders.
2 choices: build all trips commutable, or remove me from one of my 4-days and pay protect me to bring me back up to 12 days off minimum. HUGE increase in staffing levels required.
Remember what I said in a thread a few months ago... EVERY SINGLE TIME you change a reg, there's fallout about 3 or 4 levels deep that NO ONE thought of when creating/modifying the reg.