How To Negotiate With Flight Attendant Scheduling Like A Pro

As a reserve flight attendant, the #1 thing you can do to get the best trips is learn to negotiate with scheduling. They pretty much have your life in their hands—there's no way around it. I've only been on the job about 4 months, so by no means am I a pro, but if you're also new (or thinking about becoming a flight attendant), it might behoove you to take notes on some of what I've learned so far.

Carmen's Tips for Rocking It At Scheduling

 1.  Stay updated. I made this #1 for a reason. Get a mobile app that allows you see all open trips (ours is called Catcrew and can be found here); when they're leaving, when they're coming back, where they're going, who is flying, what type of aircraft, the layovers, the total hours you'll be paid, etc. I do this throughout the day to see where I am in the lineup to be called ("what number are you today" is a very common question among reserves)  but most specifically at around 3 PM I check and see what trips are available and watch them slowly disappear as future scheduling starts calling. That way, when it comes time for me to be called, I know exactly what trips are open, and I don't have to keep my scheduler on the phone asking all the questions that I could've found out on my own by simply staying updated.

2. Be polite. Don't think for one minute that scheduling personnel don't put notes in your account about you. If you're rude, or late, or let your temper show, you're bound to get a reputation.

3. Be in the know. Read your contract, and be aware of what is required of you, and what is required of scheduling. Example: take your 90 minutes when you get quick called. If you get asked how quickly you can get to the airport, say you need all 90 minutes, even if you are 15 minutes from the airport with packed bags. Do it.

4. Take the long trips. A 4 day trip might sound exhausting, but remember that you took this job because you wanted to travel. In addition, you'll notice a huge difference in the amount of per diem ( a specified hourly amount your airline will pay as reimbursement for various expenses during the trip) on your paychecks. Those layover hours add up, people. Usually to the tune of a couple extra hundred bucks. So, I say again, those longer trips are worth it!

5. Put yourself on international quick call if you have a yearning desire to go overseas. This way, as soon as a trip comes up and they need a reserve to fill it, you'll be in the first line of duty. However, this could mean getting called in the middle of the night for a 10 hour trip to London. This can suck. But I have a good friend who has gone to Dublin, London and Barcelona right after getting hired, just by putting herself on the international quick call list. Another way to up your odds of getting the international trips is to sit OPR a lot. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.

6. Give them a list on your days off of places you'd like to go. Note that you can only do this on your days off, not when you're already on-call. This way, if something comes up, they'll put you in the queue to get that awesome long overnight in Seattle, or Paris, or Tel Aviv, etc, etc

7. Ask to be released the afternoon before your off days start. I usually call around 7 PM, and ask to be released, so I can leave Charlotte and get an early start flying back to Chattanooga to see Darcy and friends. Or, go on a birthday vacation. It saves you from spending valuable down time commuting to the place you want to be. Also, its a way to cover your butt. If you just skip town while you're on reserve and they catch you off base, you can get fired. Spare yourself the worry and risk and just ask to be released.

8. Never answer the phone on your OFF days. Unless of course, it's the last day of a set of your off days and there giving you a courtesy call about trips that will be available once you go back on call the next day. I usually just let it go voicemail and then playback their intent. Consider your options here; if you answer on an off day, they can give you a trip! So don't answer unless you need the money more than the leisure.

9. With that said, a courtesy call on your last day off around 3 PM is a wonderful opportunity to see what trips are available and get one you'll actually enjoy. Keep your eyes on the open trips screen and when they call, see if you can get one with a late check in. If they call on a Sunday at 3 pm and you get a trip with a check in on Monday at 7 pm, you just basically bartered yourself another day off!

10. Remember they're human, trying to do a job just like you. It's easy to try and villify the person who wakes you up at 3 AM to take a trip across the country, but they have a prime directive just like you do. They have to wrangle flight attendants and pilots and make sure trips are covered. Even if they aren't particularly perky or helpful, remember they are a means to an end and that end is your job. It's not hard to get along. I've seen so many flight attendants get their britches in a wad over scheduling dilemmas, but you should always keep your cool. Once you understand the system, and master the little nuances, you'll be well on your way to getting the trips—and time off—you so want and deserve.

I'm still far from being a pro at this, but I'm learning more and more each day and I want to share that knowledge with people who are even more green at this than me.

With that said, if I forgot anything, or you have some good advice to add, please comment!

Hurry Up and Wait (aka my first couple weeks on the job!)

I've started keeping a moleskine notebook by my side at all times, because no matter how much I try to make a mental note of all the things I've done and seen, I can't possibly keep up with the adventures I'm going on. I've met so many new people and done an endless list of things which are firsts of their kind in the past few weeks alone. It's a good problem to have!

Before I took this job I was worried I'd end up in a life where every day was basically a repeat of the last, give or take a few tedious details. Working as a flight attendant is the exact opposite. Every trip is different, and while certain things are the same (uniform, aircraft fleet, supplies, etc), everything else is fascinatingly varied. I still sit in awe of the fact that I'm getting paid to be a world traveler extraordinaire.

I remember well that first day when my class got our phone calls from scheduling. They went in order of seniority, so we literally watched as one person's phone went off after the next. We all were just so excited and ready to see what they'd say; hoping for something exotic and far away.

When I got called, I had to steady my voice from sounding over-enthusiastic. This was difficult to do when the guy offered me a trip to Aruba.

Would I like to go to Aruba and have a night all-expense-paid night at a beach resort? Gee, let me check my calendar. I might have a dentist's appointment that night.

OF COURSE I WANT TO GO TO FREAKING ARUBA!!

In Charlotte it was a cold 35 degrees, and the thought of lounging by the waves was almost too good to be true. One of the nice things about being at the bottom of the seniority totem pole as new hires is we get all kinds of trips. As soon as a senior mamas drop a trip or someone calls in sick, we are the first line of response to take their place.

On one of my first assignments, I got to sit OPR (on premesis reserve) with two of my lovely roommates. We got called in order of seniority, so we picked the same time slot. Basically, OPR is where you sit at the airport for 4 hours, waiting for someone to call you for a trip that has to be filled immediately. This usually happens when a flight attendant is late to check in or calls in sick, or is delayed at a different airport and can't make it to the next flight. OPR has a reputation for being boring, but I love it. The mystery of where you could go if you get called, and the camaraderie of hanging out with other flight attendants is awesome. I get a lot of reading done and/or blogging, paying bills etc.

That first OPR with Jasmine and Belle was awesome. The three of us are already inseparable and we kept each other entertained with 4 hours of YouTube videos, pictures, and advice from senior flight attendants who came over to see who these new kids were. That's another thing I love about this job; everybody is so happy to see us. They say it's inspiring to see our fresh enthusiasm, and it reminds them how much they enjoy their jobs. We learned so much, and when it was time to go, we were a little sad. Still, we strutted our stuff through that airport and giggled about how we were finally legit flight attendants.

[caption id="attachment_58" align="alignnone" width="300"] Belle, Jasmine and I on our first night waiting OPR[/caption]

The next week, Jasmine and I got a trip together. I forget where we went, but we were having such a good time. After we had served our passengers (flashbacks to training where she  and I practiced serving, we could hardly believe we were doing it for real!) we stood in the front galley, out of sight of the passengers and kept making each other laugh. She would do some crazy dance and I would do something silly, and we both just couldn't believe we were getting paid to do this. Then, being the crazy kid she is, she got the idea to climb into the overhead bins after the passengers had deplaned. I was sure she wouldn't fit, or even be able to haul herself up there, but sure enough—she made it happen!

[caption id="attachment_60" align="alignnone" width="300"] she is so crazy! But I love her![/caption]

The next week, I got a 4 day trip to NewYork, Philly, Orlando and Punta Cana DR. It was a big deal for me, because nobody knew me on this trip and I wanted to make a very good first impression. Of course, being me, I assume I'm going to mess everything up under pressure, and I obsessed over studying the aircraft and the position I would be working before the trip. But, it turned out to be great. I met a cool guy named Patrick, who had been working for the company for over 30 years. He was from the same town in Ohio as Darcy, which I thought was incredibly cool, and had a girlfriend from college who he never married because she hated his job. I've heard this a lot among flight attendants. Their spouses want them to be able to spend Christmas or birthdays at home, but we just aren't able to guarantee that.

I guess its hard for me to understand why the day of the month is so important. I wouldn't mind celebrating my birthday the week before, or remembering an anniversary the week after. The important thing is the quality time spent together, not necessarily the date, right?  The lack of precise freedom over schedule and planning ability is perhaps one of the drawbacks to the job, but to me it's not that big of a deal. I have a good friend who is getting married at the end of June and if I am unable to make it to the wedding itself, I will be there to see her beforehand and show my support. Plus, I got her and her husband free tickets to Europe, so I don't think they're complaining too much. ;) Flexibility is key, and I knew what I was getting myself into. Still, I felt kind of bad for Patrick and wondered how it felt to be in a relationship where one partner constantly wasn't happy with your lifestyle.

Our New York leg of the trip was spectacular. The flight was at 8 am, and we got in at around 9:30 and the rest of the day was ours to spend in the city. Our hotel accommodations were right in the middle of downtown Manhattan, and I called my good friend Andy to hang out with me. As it turned out, we spent the entire day together exploring the city and enjoying ourselves. We went to Central Park, the Garment District, Strawberry Fields and all over the metro. It was truly a perfect day.

[caption id="attachment_63" align="alignnone" width="300"] My sweet New Yorker friend Andy and I[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_64" align="alignnone" width="300"] walking around downtown Manhattan always takes my breath away.[/caption]

For more pictures on my trip to New York, as well as many other pictures from other trips, check out my instagram account at www.instagram.com/wingedwayfarer!

Well, that's all I have time for now, but I'll be updating again soon!