NRT, HKG and FRA FA Bases Closing (Oct 2020), re-assignment issues
Oct 5, 2020, 1:51 pm
#121
formerly 1984SW
Join Date: Aug 2008
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I was based in one of those domiciles and have *many* friends who would love to be told their employment was extended to 10/30/2020. They have all been quite actively involved in dealing with separation or retirement as of the end of September. They have heard nothing of this extension, nor have I. I also get the almost-daily union e-mails, and not a single one of them has referenced an extension to the end of October.
Nov 14, 2020, 12:31 am
#123
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
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Looks like there may be a first incident somewhat related to NRT base closure. Wed 11/11 871 77W SFO-TPE had medical diversion to GUM instead of NRT. It was flying the filed route over 24N150E roughly halfway between both. No more crew at NRT capable to take over the continuation, esp with COVID flight reductions.
Not that they utilized any GUM crew who probably can’t operate the 77W. The SFO crew timed out and along with pax rested 18 hours in GovGuam designated quarantine hotel. Fri 11/13 they apparently operated 871/872 GUM-TPE-HNL (immediate turn) with TPE-SFO pax stay onboard during a 70-min crew change and arrived SFO 6 hours late.
Not that they utilized any GUM crew who probably can’t operate the 77W. The SFO crew timed out and along with pax rested 18 hours in GovGuam designated quarantine hotel. Fri 11/13 they apparently operated 871/872 GUM-TPE-HNL (immediate turn) with TPE-SFO pax stay onboard during a 70-min crew change and arrived SFO 6 hours late.
Nov 14, 2020, 1:48 am
#124
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Looks like there may be a first incident somewhat related to NRT base closure. Wed 11/11 871 77W SFO-TPE had medical diversion to GUM instead of NRT. It was flying the filed route over 24N150E roughly halfway between both. No more crew at NRT capable to take over the continuation, esp with COVID flight reductions.
Not that they utilized any GUM crew who probably can’t operate the 77W. The SFO crew timed out and along with pax rested 18 hours in GovGuam designated quarantine hotel. Fri 11/13 they apparently operated 871/872 GUM-TPE-HNL (immediate turn) with TPE-SFO pax stay onboard during a 70-min crew change and arrived SFO 6 hours late.
Not that they utilized any GUM crew who probably can’t operate the 77W. The SFO crew timed out and along with pax rested 18 hours in GovGuam designated quarantine hotel. Fri 11/13 they apparently operated 871/872 GUM-TPE-HNL (immediate turn) with TPE-SFO pax stay onboard during a 70-min crew change and arrived SFO 6 hours late.
First - seriously, picking an airport for medical diversion?
Second, I know it is not exactly maths. But based on the coordinates, GUM is indeed a closer airport than NRT. GUM is about 10S6W from 24N150E. But NRT is about 11N10W from 24N150E.
Final but not the least - if a choice can be made, a diversion to GUM is better than NRT. At the minimum, there is no visa concern.
Apr 23, 2021, 7:55 pm
#125
Join Date: Oct 2015
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https://mainichi.jp/english/articles...0m/0na/032000c
TOKYO -- Eighty-three former flight attendants of United Airlines Inc. have filed a class action lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court against the major American airline company seeking confirmation of their employment status and payment of wages, arguing that they were unfairly dismissed due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Sep 17, 2021, 2:17 am
#126
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: united
Posts: 1,636
up to 535 international flight attendants charge UA with discrimination
Apparently this arises out of the complexities of COVID furloughs. They are claiming international FA's were left out in the cold by UA's contractions in its work force.
https://qz.com/2059537/former-flight-attendants-accuse-united-airlines-of-discrimination/?utm_source=YPL
https://qz.com/2059537/former-flight-attendants-accuse-united-airlines-of-discrimination/?utm_source=YPL
Sep 17, 2021, 6:44 am
#127
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Apparently this arises out of the complexities of COVID furloughs. They are claiming international FA's were left out in the cold by UA's contractions in its work force.
https://qz.com/2059537/former-flight...utm_source=YPL
https://qz.com/2059537/former-flight...utm_source=YPL
"535 other flight attendants [were fired] who were not US citizens but were on US contracts in United’s international bases in Tokyo, Frankfurt, and Hong Kong."
* * *
"They claim they’ve been subjected to discrimination on the grounds of their nationality. Her dismissal, one flight attendant wrote in her EEOC complaint, was 'in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,' which addresses employment discrimination on the grounds of 'race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.'"
Id.
Sep 17, 2021, 2:26 pm
#128
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SBA
Programs: UA & AA 1 million miler
Posts: 1,134
Apparently this arises out of the complexities of COVID furloughs. They are claiming international FA's were left out in the cold by UA's contractions in its work force.
https://qz.com/2059537/former-flight...utm_source=YPL
https://qz.com/2059537/former-flight...utm_source=YPL
Sep 19, 2021, 11:01 am
#129
formerly 1984SW
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
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Posts: 1,058
Oct 30, 2021, 7:30 am
#130
formerly 1984SW
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
Off topic, but yet UA decided to terminate non-U.S. F/As from NRT/HKG/FRA when they closed those domiciles rather than permit them to be able to transfer (or retain rights to be able to transfer in the future) to LHR. SMH
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 30, 2021 at 10:06 am Reason: moved to existing discussion
Oct 30, 2021, 9:45 am
#131
Join Date: May 2006
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And there were HK natives (probably majority but not all of non-US citizens in the HKG base) suddenly found themselves eligible for employment in the UK as a result of the BNO visa as of Aug 2020. Had LHR been accepting transfers they would have been eligible.
Aug 18, 2022, 6:18 am
#134
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: LAX
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,534
So I read through the second link and it seems like what's happening is that:
1. International crew bases in HKG, NRT, and FRA were closed because of covid
2. A lot of them couldn't just move to the US because of visa things
3. There was an agreement to rehire them if they could get the necessary documentation or if the London base was hiring
4. The agreement expires March 31, 2023
5. United is hiring a lot right now
6. The union believes that United should rehire (help with visa stuff? unclear) the staff formerly located at the international crew bases
1. International crew bases in HKG, NRT, and FRA were closed because of covid
2. A lot of them couldn't just move to the US because of visa things
3. There was an agreement to rehire them if they could get the necessary documentation or if the London base was hiring
4. The agreement expires March 31, 2023
5. United is hiring a lot right now
6. The union believes that United should rehire (help with visa stuff? unclear) the staff formerly located at the international crew bases
Aug 18, 2022, 6:51 pm
#135
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 814
UA is desperate to hire fa’s since newbies are quitting left & right for a myriad of reasons (low starting pay, crappy trips & reserve rules etc etc). All the airlines have lowered their standards but so many applicants cant pass the drug test, so UA is offering fa’s who took the last Voluntary $eperation a chance to come back but without their old seniority at all. No one I know thinks anyone will bite on that but it shows UA might not be as smart as they thought they were when they pushed seasoned fa’s(& others) out the door during covid.