This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants
Thank you to everyone who joined our latest pre-merger Alaska Reserve Webinar! We created this interactive session to share practical contract tips and help you feel more confident about reserve life. You can now watch the recording on our YouTube channel using the link below. Please note that the video is unlisted, so you’ll need this direct link to view it.
Save the Date for Our Next Webinar
Be sure to save the date for our next pre-merger Alaska Reserve Webinar, titled “What’s On Your Mind?” Plan now to join us on Friday, January 22, at 10 AM Pacific Time. More information about registration and how to submit questions in advance will be shared at the beginning of December.
Webinar Q&A
The following Q&A section from the webinar provides a streamlined overview of the questions asked and responses from our AFA Representative panel. Please refer to the recording for the full details. If you have additional questions or need clarification on anything discussed, please don’t hesitate to contact your Local Reserve Committee.
1. Is it legal to have a scheduled duty day over 10.5 hours off of Airport Standby (APSB)?
Answer: Yes, provided the initial assignment is scheduled for 10.5 hours or less. If a Flight Attendant is assigned airport standby as their initial duty and later assigned flying that extends the total duty period, or if delays occur after assignment, it remains legal as long as the initial scheduled assignment was compliant at the time it was given.
2. If awarded a base transfer with overlapping reserve days at the end of the month in the old base and the beginning of the month in the new base, are relocation days provided?
Answer: Yes. Flight Attendants in this situation should contact Crew Scheduling to adjust or drop reserve days without pay to facilitate travel between bases. Contractually, management cannot unreasonably withhold requested relocation days off when transitioning between bases.
3. Is Sit Pay due if a surface deadhead (limo) occurs between two flights?
Answer: Yes. If ground time between flight legs or between a flight leg and surface transportation exceeds two hours, Sit Pay applies. If a pay claim for this scenario is denied, an AFA Alaska Online Support Center ticket should be submitted to ensure proper payment. Additionally, pre-boarding during a sit period does not invalidate entitlement to Sit Pay.
4. Can a Flight Attendant receive double (2.0x) or triple (3.0x) premium pay for Airport Standby (APSB) at the end of a reserve block?
Answer: Yes. 2.0x premium pay applies to APSB assigned on the last day of a reserve block after the daily last flight departs, or if assigned APSB off Extended Reserve (ER). If a Flight Attendant is converted to ER and assigned APSB on the last day of their block after the daily last flight departs, the premiums stack to 3.0x pay. Pay entries should be double-checked in Rainmaker, as this requires manual processing.
5. Can Crew Scheduling “tag” a Reserve Flight Attendant while they are working a lineholder trip picked up on days off?
Answer: No. When working a picked-up trip, Flight Attendants are treated as lineholders regardless of their reserve status for the month. Crew Scheduling can reassign but cannot tag or append extra sequence legs that connect into a reserve block. Flight Attendants should notify Crew Scheduling immediately if this occurs.
6. Does the “bubble” in Crew Access accurately reflect Reserve TFP earnings?
Answer: No. The Crew Access bubble does not capture all reserve pay components, such as unused reserve day credits or certain standby pay, and should not be relied upon to track total reserve compensation. Flight Attendants should check the Reserve Availability List (RAL) to review assigned TFP and Rainmaker to confirm actual paid TFP.
7. Is Crew Scheduling permitted to give less than a 2-hour callout notice?
Answer: Yes, in operational necessity scenarios. While 2 hours remains the contractual minimum report time, a short call notice is legal. Flight Attendants are only required to report 2 hours from the time of the call. Under current contractual provisions, callouts given with less than 3 hours’ notice entitle the Flight Attendant to expense a ride share or airport parking garage fees.
8. Do Reserve Flight Attendants receive additional compensation for flying a “go-around”?
Answer: No. CBA section 11.G.6 guarantees that reserves receive TFP application no less favorable than lineholders for the same flight segment; because lineholders do not receive extra pay for go-arounds, reserves do not receive additional pay either.
9. Is assigning APSB out-of-order legal if lower seniority reserves have shorter availability blocks on the RAL?
Answer: Yes. APSB is assigned based on the RAL within the same classification (AM, PM, ER) and length of availability. Crew Scheduling has the discretion to assign APSB to a 4-day reserve even if 1-, 2-, or 3-day reserves are higher on the list, provided the assigned reserve is next up within their specific availability block.
10. Can a reserve Flight Attendant swap into a 4-day Open Time trip when assigned APSB?
Answer: Yes, provided the trip report time falls within the Flight Attendant’s assigned reserve report window (AM/PM).
11. If a Reserve Flight Attendant checks in at the airport and is reassigned to a later-departing trip, do they receive extra compensation?
Answer: No. Reserves are subject to reassignment upon reporting to the airport for duty without extra premium pay, unless working a lineholder trip picked up on days off.
12. Why do Open Time trips display the “Ineligible for Self-Assignment” (ISA) code without showing premium pay, and can Crew Scheduling modify this?
Answer: A known system issue in Crew Access causes the ISA designation to remain on a trip after a lineholder trades it back into open time, even after the premium drops off. If a reserve calls to trade or self-assign a trip showing ISA without premium, Crew Scheduling can manually remove the ISA code or re-add the premium. System transactions and timestamps are tracked down to the millisecond and can be audited by union representatives.
13. Can a reserve request to have their final reserve day dropped once they reach or exceed 118.2 TFP?
Answer: No, not prior to actually exceeding the threshold through worked assignments. The 118.2 TFP threshold applies strictly to actual worked or credited TFP (such as flown legs or APSB), not unworked reserve days paid at 5 TFP. Reserves must actually fly over 118.2 TFP before requesting the release or removal of remaining reserve days.
14. Can Crew Scheduling require a Reserve Flight Attendant to pre-board a flight that departs after their APSB shift ends?
Answer: If the pre-boarding assignment is given during the APSB shift window, the reserve is required to perform the pre-boarding. If Crew Scheduling asks a Flight Attendant to stay past the scheduled end of their APSB shift to pre-board, it is voluntary and can be declined. If a delay occurs while already on board pre-boarding, the Flight Attendant must remain on board until relieved, after which Crew Scheduling will adjust duty time accordingly.
15. What happens if a Flight Attendant changes their RAL status from “Yes to Fly” (Y) to “No to Fly” (N) at 11 PM and is called first at midnight anyway?
Answer: RAL preference status changes are permitted at any time except during the system lock window between 2 PM and 6 PM daily. A change made at 11 PM should be honored. If called out-of-order in violation of the updated preference, the Flight Attendant should accept the assignment under the principle of “fly now, grieve later” and file an AFA Alaska Online Support Center ticket for audit.
16. Can Crew Scheduling remove a self-assigned open time trip from a Reserve Flight Attendant’s schedule?
Answer: Under CBA section 11.E.1.e, Crew Scheduling may only remove a reserve assignment or self-assignment under four specific conditions:
- The flight or position is canceled.
- No other legal reserve is available to cover an open sequence in Open Time, making that reserve the only legal option.
- An aircraft downgrade occurs (e.g., downsizing crew requirements).
- A lineholder calls in well to reclaim their trip.
If none of these conditions are met, the removal is improper and should be reported for union review.
17. What recourse is available if Crew Scheduling acknowledges an out-of-order assignment but refuses to remove the trip?
Answer: Crew Scheduling is not required to remove an out-of-order assignment once given, as doing so could trigger cascading scheduling errors. However, the assigned Flight Attendant is entitled to 1.5x premium pay for all TFP flown or credited on that out-of-order assignment.
18. Can a Reserve Flight Attendant move a reserve day out of a “closed” day on the schedule?
Answer: While automated self-service schedule adjustments out of closed days are generally restricted, reserves can move into a closed day if staffing is below the minimum threshold, or out of a closed day if the day is overstaffed above maximum limits. Direct manual requests to reposition days out of closed days via Crew Scheduling are subject to operational approval.
19. Why is there limited schedule flexibility and trip trading for reserves currently?
Answer: High operational trip volumes and staffing shortages have led Crew Scheduling to apply premium pay and ISA designations frequently to Open Time trips, restricting reserve self-assignments and trades. Furthermore, requests to be released from contactability are rarely granted due to coverage needs. System flexibility is expected to improve as upcoming new hire classes enter the operational system.
20. How frequently is Crew Scheduling approving release from contactability?
Answer: According to recent company tracking data, Crew Scheduling is currently not approving requests for release from contactability. Our Reserve Committee continues to request comprehensive data regarding submission and denial rates.
21. Can a Reserve Flight Attendant be released from APSB early if their duty day limit prevents them from working any remaining departing flights?
Answer: Flight Attendants can call Crew Scheduling to request release. However, Crew Scheduling may deny the request and retain the Flight Attendant on duty for pre-boarding assignments through the end of their scheduled APSB period.
22. What is a “go-around”?
Answer: A go-around is an aborted landing approach where the aircraft climbs back up to make another landing attempt.
23. Do Flight Attendants receive double boarding pay if a flight returns to the gate after taxiing out and re-boards later?
Answer: No. Under the contract, boarding pay is credited per flight segment resulting in a takeoff, or for flights that experience an actual tail swap or complete cancellation after boarding. Deplaning and re-boarding the same aircraft does not generate duplicate boarding pay.
24. What should Flight Attendants do to ensure Block-to-Block messages are properly received and avoid false no-shows?
Answer: Flight Attendants should disable airplane mode immediately after completing safety-sensitive post-block in duties, verify cellular connectivity, refresh Block-to-Block messaging, and take a timestamped screenshot showing service bars as proof of checking. While reserves are no longer required to monitor company email, checking Crew Access notifications adds protection if cell service is weak. An upcoming bulletin will detail Block-to-Block compliance standards.
25. Will Rainmaker be replaced soon?
Answer: There are no active plans to replace Rainmaker at this time. Our Grievance Committee Payroll Representative is collaborating with our Communications Committee to provide updated educational guides on navigating and reading Rainmaker pay records.
