Unions: Late schedule changes wear out pilots

Sudden changes to flight schedules are driving up fatigue reports and damaging morale for pilots at the nation’s largest airlines, say aviator unions, which plan to make the issue a top priority in new contract talks next year.

Pilots at American Airlines Group Inc. had about a 33 percent chance of being switched to a new or longer flight schedule during the summer’s peak travel season, the highest rate ever, according to Allied Pilots Association calculations based on company data. Aviators at Delta Air Lines Inc. say their rate is about the same, although the carrier disputed that.

The ability to change crew schedules, which is part of existing labor agreements, gives airlines an extra tool to shorten delays and keep more planes in the air. That reliability can help win customers and boost fares, though it comes with a price. Unexpected changes can squash morale and force pilots to turn down some flying because of fatigue.

“It drives up your costs, it wears out your people and consumes contractual and regulatory crew time you can never get back,” said aviation consultant Robert Mann. “It’s widespread throughout the industry.”

All airlines already pay pilots to remain on call to pick up trips when they need to plug holes because of illness, weather or personal emergencies. The number on call can range from below 15 percent of an airline’s pilots to more than 30 percent. Those whose schedules are changed can receive extra pay depending on the circumstances, such as flying on a day off.

Carriers can alter a pilot’s expected schedule, reroute them to different flights at any point in their day, or add and remove flights. They can be reassigned duty on days they were scheduled to have off. In other cases, a schedule may be shortened and the pilot will still be paid for the dropped flight.