Narrative:

Flight #1; 10 hours 17 mins flight time; zero min of crew rest between deplaning and boarding. Flight #2; 9 hours 49 mins flight time; 28 mins of crew rest between deplaning and boarding. Flight #3; 10 hours 2 mins flight time; zero min of crew rest between deplaning and boarding. Something must be done to change or eliminate the hawaiian island turns; especially the all night turns. My concerns are not regarding violations or legalities; but rather the ill effects of fatigue; how it relates to safety; and the possibility of life threatening consequences in the event of an emergency or crisis. Although the flight schedules are within the parameters outlined in the union agreement; I emphatically consider them unsafe. These assignments should either require a layover or; at the very least; 90 mins of scheduled rest between or during the flts. Air carrier continues to proclaim that 'safety is our #1 priority' but these types of flight schedules reflect otherwise. The passenger trust their lives with the crews; and the crews depend on each other; but the fact is that fatigue is affecting alertness; response; situational awareness; and good health. Considering that the security threat level has also been elevated in the past few days; flight attendants must be even more alert; aware; and vigilant; difficult when fatigued. On 1 schedule; I was on evening stand-by when assigned the all night flight schedule. I worked as the purser on the flight with intentions to create a positive work environment under less than ideal conditions. I was fortunate to be staffed with an amazing crew dedicated to teamwork; professionalism; and customer satisfaction; however we were all exhausted beyond fatigue; especially apparent during our return flight. We were less alert; slower to respond; and I was concerned about our safety; not only on the aircraft but; off duty; traveling home. It is disturbing to think that the company will not even consider a change until an actual incident occurs. I pray that it will not be at the expense of a life. It is common knowledge that the senior line holders desire these island turns because of the ratio between the number of flight schedule and days off; but the fact is that they seldom fly the entire line for the month. On any given day; 'open flying' reflects a number of their island turns. The remaining island turns are therefore assigned to the reserves; those who fly all month long with stand-by assignments; international assignments; and multiple domestic assignments containing short layover periods. In comparison; the reserve does not have the same amount of rest as these senior line holders. They are not prepared physically or mentally; especially when on stand-by; for an all night assignment consisting of a 12-14 hour duty period; 10 hours of flight time; layover time consisting of only deplaning and boarding; and no crew rest. The company has found an international loophole in the union agreement that allows for long duty periods with no crew rest while keeping within the legal parameters for these flight schedules. These flight schedules may not technically qualify as a 'non-stop international segment;' but as with my last 3 ZZZ1 turns; the flight times are comparable to a 'non-stop international segment;' when one considers that there was no layover or rest time between flts. Supplemental information from acn 714721: this is a scheduled flight schedule that is unsafe in that the flight attendants are on duty for too many hours and into the night. Checking in at XA00 to get back at XM00 is too tiring for the crew. I felt that the crew; including myself; was too tired when arriving to ensure all doors were disarmed. I believe this flight schedule is unsafe and should be evaluated as to whether it should continue as scheduled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANTS DESCRIBE SCHEDULING PRACTICES THAT ARE LEGAL BUT MAY BE CAUSING UNDUE FATIGUE AMONG THE CREWS.

Narrative: FLT #1; 10 HRS 17 MINS FLT TIME; ZERO MIN OF CREW REST BTWN DEPLANING AND BOARDING. FLT #2; 9 HRS 49 MINS FLT TIME; 28 MINS OF CREW REST BTWN DEPLANING AND BOARDING. FLT #3; 10 HRS 2 MINS FLT TIME; ZERO MIN OF CREW REST BTWN DEPLANING AND BOARDING. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO CHANGE OR ELIMINATE THE HAWAIIAN ISLAND TURNS; ESPECIALLY THE ALL NIGHT TURNS. MY CONCERNS ARE NOT REGARDING VIOLATIONS OR LEGALITIES; BUT RATHER THE ILL EFFECTS OF FATIGUE; HOW IT RELATES TO SAFETY; AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LIFE THREATENING CONSEQUENCES IN THE EVENT OF AN EMER OR CRISIS. ALTHOUGH THE FLT SCHEDULES ARE WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OUTLINED IN THE UNION AGREEMENT; I EMPHATICALLY CONSIDER THEM UNSAFE. THESE ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD EITHER REQUIRE A LAYOVER OR; AT THE VERY LEAST; 90 MINS OF SCHEDULED REST BTWN OR DURING THE FLTS. ACR CONTINUES TO PROCLAIM THAT 'SAFETY IS OUR #1 PRIORITY' BUT THESE TYPES OF FLT SCHEDULES REFLECT OTHERWISE. THE PAX TRUST THEIR LIVES WITH THE CREWS; AND THE CREWS DEPEND ON EACH OTHER; BUT THE FACT IS THAT FATIGUE IS AFFECTING ALERTNESS; RESPONSE; SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; AND GOOD HEALTH. CONSIDERING THAT THE SECURITY THREAT LEVEL HAS ALSO BEEN ELEVATED IN THE PAST FEW DAYS; FLT ATTENDANTS MUST BE EVEN MORE ALERT; AWARE; AND VIGILANT; DIFFICULT WHEN FATIGUED. ON 1 SCHEDULE; I WAS ON EVENING STAND-BY WHEN ASSIGNED THE ALL NIGHT FLT SCHEDULE. I WORKED AS THE PURSER ON THE FLT WITH INTENTIONS TO CREATE A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT UNDER LESS THAN IDEAL CONDITIONS. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE STAFFED WITH AN AMAZING CREW DEDICATED TO TEAMWORK; PROFESSIONALISM; AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION; HOWEVER WE WERE ALL EXHAUSTED BEYOND FATIGUE; ESPECIALLY APPARENT DURING OUR RETURN FLT. WE WERE LESS ALERT; SLOWER TO RESPOND; AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SAFETY; NOT ONLY ON THE ACFT BUT; OFF DUTY; TRAVELING HOME. IT IS DISTURBING TO THINK THAT THE COMPANY WILL NOT EVEN CONSIDER A CHANGE UNTIL AN ACTUAL INCIDENT OCCURS. I PRAY THAT IT WILL NOT BE AT THE EXPENSE OF A LIFE. IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THE SENIOR LINE HOLDERS DESIRE THESE ISLAND TURNS BECAUSE OF THE RATIO BTWN THE NUMBER OF FLT SCHEDULE AND DAYS OFF; BUT THE FACT IS THAT THEY SELDOM FLY THE ENTIRE LINE FOR THE MONTH. ON ANY GIVEN DAY; 'OPEN FLYING' REFLECTS A NUMBER OF THEIR ISLAND TURNS. THE REMAINING ISLAND TURNS ARE THEREFORE ASSIGNED TO THE RESERVES; THOSE WHO FLY ALL MONTH LONG WITH STAND-BY ASSIGNMENTS; INTL ASSIGNMENTS; AND MULTIPLE DOMESTIC ASSIGNMENTS CONTAINING SHORT LAYOVER PERIODS. IN COMPARISON; THE RESERVE DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF REST AS THESE SENIOR LINE HOLDERS. THEY ARE NOT PREPARED PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY; ESPECIALLY WHEN ON STAND-BY; FOR AN ALL NIGHT ASSIGNMENT CONSISTING OF A 12-14 HR DUTY PERIOD; 10 HRS OF FLT TIME; LAYOVER TIME CONSISTING OF ONLY DEPLANING AND BOARDING; AND NO CREW REST. THE COMPANY HAS FOUND AN INTL LOOPHOLE IN THE UNION AGREEMENT THAT ALLOWS FOR LONG DUTY PERIODS WITH NO CREW REST WHILE KEEPING WITHIN THE LEGAL PARAMETERS FOR THESE FLT SCHEDULES. THESE FLT SCHEDULES MAY NOT TECHNICALLY QUALIFY AS A 'NON-STOP INTL SEGMENT;' BUT AS WITH MY LAST 3 ZZZ1 TURNS; THE FLT TIMES ARE COMPARABLE TO A 'NON-STOP INTL SEGMENT;' WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THAT THERE WAS NO LAYOVER OR REST TIME BTWN FLTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 714721: THIS IS A SCHEDULED FLT SCHEDULE THAT IS UNSAFE IN THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS ARE ON DUTY FOR TOO MANY HRS AND INTO THE NIGHT. CHKING IN AT XA00 TO GET BACK AT XM00 IS TOO TIRING FOR THE CREW. I FELT THAT THE CREW; INCLUDING MYSELF; WAS TOO TIRED WHEN ARRIVING TO ENSURE ALL DOORS WERE DISARMED. I BELIEVE THIS FLT SCHEDULE IS UNSAFE AND SHOULD BE EVALUATED AS TO WHETHER IT SHOULD CONTINUE AS SCHEDULED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.