B767-300 and 300 ER
Flight Attendant Current
Physiological - Other; Training / Qualification; Workload; Fatigue
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Company Policy; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Flight departed after dark local time with a 9:20 hour duty day and 8:02 flying time (originally scheduled for 7:50 flying time). This aircraft had no crew rest seats for the crew or proper seating areas for working crew to sit during down time in-flight. Flight is a true 'all-nighter'; but crew was not given the opportunity for any rest. If crewmembers do not take a break (thus sitting in crew rest seats); then the available jumpseats to use during the flight is one short in both cabins (four flight attendants in Business Class; but only three jumpseats and five flight attendants in Coach with only four available jumpseats - two jumpseats are located mid-cabin in the middle of the aisle in darkness; which makes them not usable during downtime in flight). Upon arrival in Europe; crew was physically exhausted. My concern is over the lack of crew rest and the effect on the crew's ability to evacuate should it become necessary at the destination. Flying time should not be the factor to when crew rest is given; but rather duty day duration and time of duty (day or over-night flight). In this situation; there was only a ten minute difference between whether or not crew rest was scheduled. The time of the flight was not taken into account; which is what made the situation as difficult as it was. Our current agreement for crew rest only looks at flying time. Over eight hours; crew seats are given. Under eight hours; crew seats are sold. Crew rest should be given on flights over seven hours especially if the flight is an over-night flight and duty day should also be taken into account (flights under eight hours; but which have a maintenance issue which extends the duty day).
A B767-300 Flight Attendant reported that on a night flight to Europe with over eight flight hours; the flight attendants were not given adequate cabin seating to rest and may be unprepared for an unplanned evacuation.