Frequently Asked Question
Schedule Adjustment Period (SAP)
Last Updated 7 years ago
What is SAP?
The Schedule Adjustment Period (SAP) refers to the period after lines are awarded during which schedule conflicts are resolved. The trips that had conflicts are put into a pot, and Flight Attendants are given the chance to add them to their schedule, with priority given to those who lost hours.
What kinds of conflicts exist?
There are many types. The most common ones are lead-in, 24/7, 33/7, vacation, recurrent, and minimum required rest.
What is a lead-in conflict?
If you have a trip that begins at the end of a bid period and carries over into the next bid period, and you are subsequently awarded a line with a trip that begins during that trip, you have a lead-in conflict. (e.g. You have a 4-day that begins April 30th. Then, you are awarded a line with a 2-day that begins May 2nd. You cannot be in two places at once, so you are removed from the 2-day.)
What are 24-in-7 and 33-in-7 conflict?
Per FARs, you must have 24 consecutive hours of rest during a period of 7 consecutive calendar days.
Per the CBA, you are entitled to a calendar day (midnight to midnight) of rest, in base, during a period of 7 consecutive calendar days. If you do not have a calendar day off in base in a 7 consecutive day period, you will be removed from a trip. You may waive your contractual 24/7 when you bid, however you may not waive the FAR 24/7.
Per the CBA, you are entitled to not be scheduled to work more than 33 block hours during a period of 7 consecutive calendar days. If you have more than 33 block hours during a 7 consecutive day period, you will be removed from a trip. You may waive your contractual 33/7 when you bid.
Note: A 33/7 is the most misunderstood SAP reason. A lot of Flight Attendants are removed from trips because they did not waive their 33/7. If you have a trip that you are removed from, but do not know why, it is likely because of a 33/7 conflict that you did not waive.
What are vacation and recurrent conflicts?
If you have a trip that operates during any time you have a scheduled vacation period or recurrent, you will be removed from that trip.
Note: In order to be pay protected for trips that fall within vacation, the entire trip must fall within the vacation period. If you have trips that are worth more than 28 hours, and fall within your entire vacation period, you will be pay protected for the greater of the trip or 28 hours.
What is a minimum required rest conflict?
Per FARs, Flight Attendants may not be scheduled less than 10 consecutive ours of rest between pairings. If the rest period between a trip end and a trip beginning are less than 10 consecutive hours, you will be removed from the trip.
Any trip removals will always be done to the new bid period, not the preceding. (e.g. If there is a conflict between a trip in January and a trip in February, you will be removed from the trip in February.)
When a Flight Attendant has trips removed from their line during SAP, they are said to have been "SAPed". They are allowed to restore their hours lost during bidding rounds.
What are the SAP rounds?
There are currently three (3) rounds for SAP: Round #1, Round #2, and Round #4. With the previous Contract, there were 4 rounds, but Round #3 was eliminated from the new one. Round #4 continues to be called "Round #4".
Round #1 is for deficits below guarantee. In other words, if you now have less than 72 credit hours after schedule adjustment, you may pick up trips during Round #1 of SAP.
Round #2 is for deficits above guarantee, but below your line's original awarded credit. For example, if a Flight Attendant is awarded a line with 80 credit hours, and after schedule adjustment only has 75 credit hours, that Flight Attendant may pick up trips during Round #2 of SAP.
Flight Attendants are not required to pick up during SAP. They may also not have a trip added to their line involuntarily. However, during Round #1 and Round #2, Flight Attendants may not pick up trips that exceed 4:00 credit hours above their line's original awarded credit. (e.g. If a Flight Attendant was awarded a line with 80 credit hours, during Round #1 and Round #2, she may not pick up trips that make her credit hours greater than 84. Any requests higher than that will go towards Round #4.)
Round #4 is line improvement. In this round, all flight attendants may pick up hours. However, credit hours may not exceed 100 for that bid period.
Within each round, trips are awarded in seniority order.
The Schedule Adjustment Period (SAP) refers to the period after lines are awarded during which schedule conflicts are resolved. The trips that had conflicts are put into a pot, and Flight Attendants are given the chance to add them to their schedule, with priority given to those who lost hours.
What kinds of conflicts exist?
There are many types. The most common ones are lead-in, 24/7, 33/7, vacation, recurrent, and minimum required rest.
What is a lead-in conflict?
If you have a trip that begins at the end of a bid period and carries over into the next bid period, and you are subsequently awarded a line with a trip that begins during that trip, you have a lead-in conflict. (e.g. You have a 4-day that begins April 30th. Then, you are awarded a line with a 2-day that begins May 2nd. You cannot be in two places at once, so you are removed from the 2-day.)
What are 24-in-7 and 33-in-7 conflict?
Per FARs, you must have 24 consecutive hours of rest during a period of 7 consecutive calendar days.
Per the CBA, you are entitled to a calendar day (midnight to midnight) of rest, in base, during a period of 7 consecutive calendar days. If you do not have a calendar day off in base in a 7 consecutive day period, you will be removed from a trip. You may waive your contractual 24/7 when you bid, however you may not waive the FAR 24/7.
Per the CBA, you are entitled to not be scheduled to work more than 33 block hours during a period of 7 consecutive calendar days. If you have more than 33 block hours during a 7 consecutive day period, you will be removed from a trip. You may waive your contractual 33/7 when you bid.
Note: A 33/7 is the most misunderstood SAP reason. A lot of Flight Attendants are removed from trips because they did not waive their 33/7. If you have a trip that you are removed from, but do not know why, it is likely because of a 33/7 conflict that you did not waive.
What are vacation and recurrent conflicts?
If you have a trip that operates during any time you have a scheduled vacation period or recurrent, you will be removed from that trip.
Note: In order to be pay protected for trips that fall within vacation, the entire trip must fall within the vacation period. If you have trips that are worth more than 28 hours, and fall within your entire vacation period, you will be pay protected for the greater of the trip or 28 hours.
What is a minimum required rest conflict?
Per FARs, Flight Attendants may not be scheduled less than 10 consecutive ours of rest between pairings. If the rest period between a trip end and a trip beginning are less than 10 consecutive hours, you will be removed from the trip.
Any trip removals will always be done to the new bid period, not the preceding. (e.g. If there is a conflict between a trip in January and a trip in February, you will be removed from the trip in February.)
When a Flight Attendant has trips removed from their line during SAP, they are said to have been "SAPed". They are allowed to restore their hours lost during bidding rounds.
What are the SAP rounds?
There are currently three (3) rounds for SAP: Round #1, Round #2, and Round #4. With the previous Contract, there were 4 rounds, but Round #3 was eliminated from the new one. Round #4 continues to be called "Round #4".
Round #1 is for deficits below guarantee. In other words, if you now have less than 72 credit hours after schedule adjustment, you may pick up trips during Round #1 of SAP.
Round #2 is for deficits above guarantee, but below your line's original awarded credit. For example, if a Flight Attendant is awarded a line with 80 credit hours, and after schedule adjustment only has 75 credit hours, that Flight Attendant may pick up trips during Round #2 of SAP.
Flight Attendants are not required to pick up during SAP. They may also not have a trip added to their line involuntarily. However, during Round #1 and Round #2, Flight Attendants may not pick up trips that exceed 4:00 credit hours above their line's original awarded credit. (e.g. If a Flight Attendant was awarded a line with 80 credit hours, during Round #1 and Round #2, she may not pick up trips that make her credit hours greater than 84. Any requests higher than that will go towards Round #4.)
Round #4 is line improvement. In this round, all flight attendants may pick up hours. However, credit hours may not exceed 100 for that bid period.
Within each round, trips are awarded in seniority order.