B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 211; Flight Crew Total 11038; Flight Crew Type 10234
Confusion; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Human Factors
In ZZZZ; I joined the Captain for one leg; returning to ZZZ1 (I had deadheaded into ZZZZ). We had not previously met each other before this flight. Ride to the airport and flight planning were uneventful.Aircraft arrived an hour late in ZZZZ. During my initial preflight set up; I noticed a STATUS message for a valve in the Lower Lobe Crew Rest. The STATUS message was not on the MEL document I had downloaded and reviewed on my iPad. With Captain's concurrence; I called ZZZZ Maintenance to the airplane. Maintenance technicians arrived and said the valve was deferred (at that point I noticed a deferral sticker adjacent to the lower screen). We still did not have a Maintenance Release available (which would have shown the deferral number and the corresponding instructions/impact on the flight). I continued my duties and the Maintenance technicians went to the cabin. I was not privy to the discussion that ensued between Maintenance; the Captain; the relief pilots; and the purser.Focused on getting the jet ready as quickly and safely as possible; I was on the flight deck alone when the Captain stuck his head in and told me the Lower Lobe Crew Rest was inoperative due to the deferral. And then he asked if I was okay with the flight attendants sharing our bunk with us. As it violated SOP; I emphatically shook my head and mouthed the word 'no'; (so it would not be heard in the cabin). Quite frankly; I was very surprised the Captain asked the question and did so in such a public manner. A few minutes later; I was shocked to hear my fellow pilots helping our purser make up the lower bunk (as they discussed her inability to climb into the upper bunk while wearing a skirt). Having my input completely disregarded by the Captain was very upsetting and made concentrating on my procedures challenging. It had a significant negative impact on CRM for the remainder of the flight.Since the Captain had apparently volunteered to share the bunk with the flight attendants despite my input not to do so; I assumed the Captain would be using the upper bunk and I would be using the rest seat in the cabin for our break. I was wrong. Just before pushback; the Captain announced he would take his break in the rest seat. I was dumbfounded. Not wanting to negatively impact the already delayed full flight; I decided not to discuss the bunk issue at that time. Instead; I tried my best to focus on my Pilot Not Flying duties.Once established at cruise with the relief pilots on first break; I opened a discussion with the Captain by asking him what the plan was for second break. He said he is going in the seat. I asked the Captain if the bunk without flight attendants would be available for my rest; and he said he didn't know. I told him I did not agree with his decision to allow the flight attendants to use the pilot bunk. He said he knew I didn't and that I had made my position 'quite clear' when he asked me during preflight. I informed him I was using the rest seat or getting in the bunk alone. He said he prefers the seat; so that is where he is going. He then said he doesn't know the flight attendant rest schedule. I told him I was not involved in any discussion of flight attendants using the bunk; he was. I was amazed that the Captain was refusing to share the bunk room with the flight attendants himself; while at the same time trying to force me to do so. We sat in silence for a bit; until finally he told me I would have the bunk to myself. We then took a bathroom break. After the Captain returned to the flight deck; the Purser called me. She was very upset so I offered to put the Captain on the phone; but she refused my offer. She said she had already talked to the Captain when he came out. She stated she had to redo her break schedule as; without the pilot bunk; they have to do three breaks instead of two (because they only have four rest seats with ten flight attendants). Apparently; the Captain had made me the bad guy for trying to follow SOP. I told the Purser I was willing to take my rest in the seat to solve the problem; but the Captain refused to give me that option. After I hung up with the Purser; the Captain said he didn't realize how 'peculiar' some folks are about the rest seat/bunks. I did not respond. A short while later; the Captain answered a flight attendant call from the very back of the airplane. That flight attendant also complained to him about the change to their breaks.When it was time for my break; the bunk was empty; but both bunks still had dirty linens on the beds. I cleaned up the lower bunk and took my rest. The whole situation was very upsetting and made falling asleep difficult; but I did finally manage to get some rest.Crew relations were strained between the flight deck and the cabin as a result of this episode. CRM on the flight deck was significantly negatively impacted as well. Dealing with this issue was an unnecessary distraction to the safe operation of our flight. The rest of the flight was uneventful and there was no further discussion of rest seats/bunks.
The Flight Attendant crew rest facility was deferred and was not to be occupied. The Purser asked if the FAs could use the pilot crew rest bunk room during the flight. The Flight Deck Crew consisted of 3 male pilots and one female pilot. In an attempt to try to accommodate the request I asked the other pilots 1. If they were going to use the bunk and 2. If they would be willing to accommodate the flight attendants provided that no pilot would be in the bunk room. The three male pilots agreed to take a business class seat if they were available. The Female pilot insisted that no one be in the bunk with her. So this immediately made the request not possible; also no business class seats other than 1A was available. No Flight Attendant used the bunk room during the flight. And the female pilot was in the bunk room by herself as she stipulated during her break. To my knowledge 'NO' violation of bunk SOP took place.
B777 flight crew reported the flight attendant bunk area was under a maintenance deferral and could not be used for breaks. The crew discussed and negotiated how the remaining flight crew rest areas would be reallocated to flight crew and flight attendants.