Dispatch Commuter Clauses

[MountainsOrBeach]

Questions about commuter clauses have come up recently for a few different airlines. Since multiple airlines are currently negotiating new contracts and have interest in this topic, I thought I would post info I have gotten from fellow dispatchers from the airlines below. **Thank you for those who sent messages with helpful information. If anything is incorrect, please feel free to update. If there’s more info that could be added, feel free to do so. If there’s another airline with a commuter clause or pass that’s missing, feel free to add. One reason this forum is here is for us to lean on each other to get useful advice or information if possible… use that DRM! ; )

AS - When coming into work, commuters go to the top of the standby list and bump other nonrevs to get a seat. If there is a day of IROPs, delays, full flights etc and you can not get on a flight into your HDQs, you must prove you tried to get on at least 2 flights. If you can not, you are not penalized. I’m sure pilots take priority over the dispatchers for a seat, and it goes in seniority if there’s more than one commuting dispatcher. But otherwise you go to the top of the standby list and bump other nonrevs. Not sure if this applies to get home as well or just going into work.

DL - Dispatchers can reserve the flight deck jumpseat. Coming to work, you can reserve the jumpseat 5 days out. Going home, you can reserve it 3 days out. Traveling for leisure you can reserve it 1 day out. Once reserved, no one can bump you out besides an FAA or working pilot. You have to prove that you attempted to get on at least 3 flights. If you can not, you are not penalized.

WN - Southwest you must prove you tried to get on at least 3 flights. If you cannot get on and into work, you must make up the day for the company down the road.

 

[CrashesDrones]

This is something I think a fair bit about. I don't really like the city I'm based in. I don't think I want to live here the rest of my life. But I know commuting is a choice, that this career has very limited options in where to work. And I know the company isn't going to give anything for free in negotiations. Should we give something else up in order to get a commuter clause? Would I give up higher pay for it? Should my coworkers give up something because I chose to come here but want to commute? I don't think so.


When I was at AS (not in dispatch), commuter status applied to and from work, and did not change jumpseat priority (only cabin seat).

 

[Bobber]

You nailed it. I would guess 5-10% commute so why would the majority of the group give up something to benefit the small group. I know tons in this group that work an 8-7 or month on month off to make the best of commuting and it works for them.

 

[MountainsOrBeach]

Updating a couple things I was corrected on:

WN - You only need to prove you attempted to get on 2 flights not 3. If the flight arrives within an hour then it’s just 1.

AS - The commuter clause goes to and from work and home, and the pilots do not have priority over dispatch. The jumpseat just goes by seniority.


It would be interesting to know for sure what percentage of people commute at each airline. But you’d also have to factor in those who would commute if we actually had a commuter clause and protections, that currently do not. There’s been numerous conversations with people that do not like living in the HDQs city and have said if we had a commuter clause they would not only live out of that city, but out of the state. So I would also love to know the true percent of commuters there would be if we had full protections and people felt less pressured not to commute.

It’s good to see what other airlines are offering. I can’t say what would have to be given up or negotiated in order to get a commuter clause. But we could discuss that with the other airlines that do have a commuter clause in place. They are still making excellent money that rivals or excels even AA or UA pay. They have great schedules, hours and benefits as well. Minus AS, they also have about the same number of dispatchers. It is not affecting the rest of their groups in a negative way. I understand people asking why the larger group should care what a smaller portion of the group wants. These questions should be asked. I would argue the same thing for a few other topics in negotiations as well. Especially topics that benefit mostly international or senior people. They are also a small percent of the group compared to the larger, more junior, domestic groups. Often times many topics that people want negotiated affect only certain people or a smaller group in general. As long as any of the topics don’t hurt the rest of the group negatively, hurt the schedules or the pay etc, then I don’t see issues with supporting them. Like the saying goes that we’ve all heard here “Rising tides raise all ships”.

Again this is just info for everyone as the topic has been brought up a few times, and we have multiple negotiations going on. Do with the information what you like.