This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Tuesday, July 21, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met in person at Alaska Global Training Center to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Rebekah Olds (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Kanako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, PBS Committee member —Krystal Kehrli, MEC Grievance Committee Payroll Representative Julie Thornton, and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones were also present.

The Committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Performance & Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling Terrance Chariandy, Manager of Inflight Crew Scheduling Goose Hlaingmyint, Managing Director of Ops Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette, Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Crew Planning Colin Beard, ITS Technical Product Owner Nathan McFerren, Manager of Crew Pay Debbie Bakke and other management representatives from Crew Planning, Crew Scheduling, information technology (ITS), and payroll.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, August 25.

Topics of Discussion

The Committee reviewed several topics during internal AFA-only conversations and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

Upcoming Meetings

• Meeting Schedule: Regular meetings set for August 25, September 29, October 27, November 24, and December 29.
• Scheduling Review Board (SRB) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) meetings scheduled through December 2026.
• JCTE updates are expected in Q3 2026.
• AI Crew Solutions: Meeting on November 4, 2025, to discuss vacation awards and slot processing. We are moving forward with the implementation process, hopefully this fall in the 4th quarter. 
• Monitoring: Active monitoring of Flight Attendant OT every 16th of the month at designated times.

MEC Committee Chairperson Report

• Crew Backlog: Review pending. Need to set up additional dates to review the items that require change requests and bug fixes. The list is short, as most of the items from the prior negotiations have been implemented. 
• Fatigue Review Board: Scheduled meetings throughout the rest of 2026. This is a bi-weekly meeting. 
• Pay Disputes: Ongoing discussions regarding pyramiding pay and specific grievances filed by AFA. We recently resolved a dispute with Section 8.F and 8.G and posted the MOU. 

Local Committee Chairperson Reports

• PDX: Issues with ITS visibility and scheduling blocks for trips.
• SAN: Concerns about redeye flights and parking fees; requests for a pay chart.
• ANC: Issues with downgrades, reassignment processes, and hotel room rates.
• LAX: Reliability of B2B contact and quality of trips under review.
• SFO: Requests for presentations on open base flying and pay regulations regarding overpayments. .
• SEA: Various pay and scheduling issues highlighted, including double out crew rest, reassignments and conversions from DHD to working and vice versa. 

PBS Subcommittee Update

• Bidding Engagement: Good engagement noted for August. 
• Bid Awards: Processed as expected; higher minimum windows needed to meet management’s desire for higher reserve percentages. 

Alaska ITS Update

• NAVLBUE Testing: Completed testing of recent updates; ongoing issues with trip visibility.
• Trading Volume: Notable increase in Open Time trades; stability in trading noted.
• Jeppesen and Alaska management continue to monitor Flight Attendant trip postings that were reported to have an issue with being visible immediately in the system. 

Alaska Payroll Update

• Query Counts: Increase in pay queries, with a focus on timely closure before payroll processing.
• Audit Processes: Weekly audits are in place, but some issues remain unresolved. All inquiries must be closed prior to payroll being processed.  Please wait a week before filing your inquiries on trips, as most of the contractual items are resolved in the audit process. If you have inquiries after payroll processes, the pay analyst will review those as well. 

Alaska Crew Planning Update

• Staffing Challenges: Anticipated higher absenteeism leading to a need for additional reserves.
• Operational Changes: Ongoing discussions about schedule changes affecting Flight Attendants’ quality of life.
• Trip Distribution: Reductions in red-eye duty for September; extensive review of trip pairings planned.
• The Committee asked management about the 717/737 changes to Hawaii neighbor island flying, and we should see what those pairings will look like in the near future. Crew planning will work with the AFA Scheduling Committee Pairing Construction Subcommittee to determine how the pairings will appear in the system. 
• Irregular Operations (IRROP) mitigation:
  • SAN start of duty JFK/BOS/IAD/MCO/DCA
  • EWR layovers 12 hours ATC
  • End of duty AM departures EWR to PDX/SEA
  • Increased crew connect times
  • Layover increase to 11 hours PHX/LAS
  • Rest before PHX 11:30 AM departures  – crew rest delays
  • Rest before GEG to PDX start flight increased to 12 hours – crew rest delays
  • End-of-duty DLG and AKN to ANC; summer TSA mitigation.
  • Flight Attendant teaming still in effect.

Alaska Crew Scheduling Update

• Sick Leave Statistics: Increased sick leave noted; reserve utilization remains high on mainline Alaska.  Sick leave and fatigue are much lower on the Hawaiian operational side. 
• Premium Compensation: Adjustments to premium compensation based on significant events and operational demands. We are seeing some premium posted a week in advance to help allow Flight Attendants to pick up earlier to assist with operational needs. 
• New Leadership: Recent changes in management structure to enhance scheduling operations. Tiara Taulolo started as a temporary supervisor on June 20, and Jacob Fordham started as a new manager on July 20. Alaska crew scheduling plans to have approximately 48 crew schedulers in the department by the end of the year. A few new crew scheduler classes are planned in September (14 new hires) and October (5 new hires)
• Statistics July MTD: There have been no personal drops or TSN adjustments. 10.R.4 reassignments for the system are at 553.  Deadhead conversions under 10.X.7 are at 287 system wide. Fatigue Reports are shown 24, with 18 of those reserves. Alaska reserve utilization for the system is 93.6%, while Hawaiian is 50.6%. Sick leave for Alaska, both lineholders and reserves, is at 12.4%, with some days having over 400 sick calls.

What The Committee Is Working On

1. Resolving Pyramiding Pay Disputes: Discussions are ongoing through the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) process to clarify payment rules for over-duty pay and day-off violations. Our Grievance Committee is filing grievances regarding several concerns with pyramid pay. These discussions are still ongoing with Labor Relations management. AFA has filed several grievances and still has not received a pyramiding pay chart from payroll or labor relations and our requests go unanswered. 
2. Vacation Bidding: Representatives from the Committee met with management to discuss the new vendor, AI Crew Solutions. It was determined that when a Flight Attendant either doesn’t hold a bid or forgets to bid, they will be allowed to bid in the 2nd round of vacation. The current process assigns slot 1 and slot 2. We will provide educational material and information when bidding begins next year on the new platforms. We have additional meetings to discuss implementation and buddy bidding. We are currently testing and reviewing the User Acceptance Testing (UAT) environment. This is scheduled for implementation in the 4th quarter of 2026. 
3. Flow Charts: These are posted on the AFA website to help guide you through contractual understanding and irregular ops here: 2025-2028 AFA Alaska CBA Reference Documents 01.26.2026
4. Block2Block (B2B) Contactability: Implemented on February 1, 2026. Please familiarize yourself with the contractual language and bulletin bundle. Every Flight Attendant must check B2B at the end of every duty period (not trip) and make positive contact if a message is sent prior to block-in of the last flight of the duty period per §8.Q.2.e. We are actively working with management to post an updated bulletin. 
5. Compensation: Follow up on crew pay issues and reassignment policies. Please give Flight Attendant Crew Pay a minimum of a week to update compensation for irregular operations. 
6. Pairings: Continue to address pairing and scheduling concerns with management.
7. Software: Monitor upcoming software implementations and their impacts on operations. We will have another JCTE update in August 2026. 
8. Sick Leave Tracking: Continue monitoring sick leave trends and review strategies to mitigate operational impacts. 
9. Notifications: Addressing communication issues regarding flight changes and notifications. 
10. AFA Alaska Online Support Center Tickets: Local AFA Representatives do not have access to your schedules, Rainmaker, or pay stubs. When filing a ticket, please screenshot as much information as possible, such as trip details, reports, and Rainmaker buckets, to assist them in their research into your concerns. 

We Want to Hear From You!

Whether you have feedback for the Committee, concerns to share, or items you’d like brought up with management – don’t hesitate to let us know. Your Local Scheduling Committee is here to be your voice to management. You can easily open a support ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or directly contact us using the information provided on the Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian website.

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Tuesday, June 23, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met virtually to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Rebekah Olds (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Kanako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS Virginia Fritz, MEC Grievance Committee Payroll Representative Julie Thornton, and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones were also present.

The Committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Performance & Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling Terrance Chariandy, Manager of Inflight Crew Scheduling Goose Hlaingmyint, Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Crew Planning Colin Beard, ITS Technical Product Owner Nathan McFerren, and other management representatives from Crew Planning, Crew Scheduling, information technology (ITS), and payroll.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, July 21.

Topics of Discussion

The Committee reviewed several topics during internal AFA-only conversations and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

Local Committee Chairperson Reports

• PDX (Portland)
  • Delay Reporting: Flight Attendants requested later reports for delays. Questions arose about cut-off times for delays when Flight Attendants were close to reporting for duty. If a delay is posted for more than an hour, Crew Scheduling will attempt to mitigate the impact of a later report. 
  • Deadhead Seating Issues: Flight Attendants expressed dissatisfaction with deadhead seating on recent flights, questioning automation accuracy and practices. We are researching automation for contractual compliance. 
• SAN (San Diego)
  • Pairing Review: Flight Attendants have questions about legalities and compensation. AFA Grievance Committee Payroll Representative to assist with review of reassignments and stranded pairings. Typically, it takes payroll a week or two to update compensation and pull reports. 
  • Vacation Scheduling: Questions were raised about flying into days off surrounding vacations and compensation. Specifically, how to obtain pay or additional vacation. If you are flown into a vacation day, please contact Flight Attendant Crew Pay. 
• ANC (Anchorage)
  • Flight Delays: Initial flights were delayed, leading to subsequent flight delays. Reassignment protocols were questioned if flight numbers change. Refer to Section 10.R.4 for applicable compensation. 
  • Mid-Flight Reassignments: Crew was reassigned mid-flight from a SEA turn to later flights and wanted more information about the process Crew Scheduling uses to reassign.
  • Van Delay: A delay for van transportation occurred, with pilots notified but Flight Attendants left uninformed. The Committee asked for a review to determine how management can better communicate about delays. 
• LAX (Los Angeles)
  • Extended Layover Issues: JNU unscheduled layover resulted in no hotel accommodation for 18 hours, with Flight Attendants on duty paid hotel rates. Crew Planning management is reviewing the situation with API and ensuring we have exhausted all options, as crews were stranded at the airport. 
  • Pre-Boarding Processes: Pre-boarding is not currently offered based on seniority, with no contractual requirements, and suggestions for improved scheduler processes were made. Crew Scheduling management said they would try to make a best effort to offer in seniority order. If you are the senior Flight Attendant and don’t want the pre-board, you can give it to the next junior Flight Attendant, if applicable. 
  • Notification Timeliness: Delays in notifying crews about trip changes were noted, with notifications sometimes occurring at odd hours. Crew Scheduling does its best not to interrupt crew rest and will attempt to notify affected crews typically after 10 hours of consecutive rest. 
  • Crew Pay Notations: Crew pay issues regarding reassignments versus diversions were resolved after initially being classified incorrectly.
• SFO (San Francisco)
  • Crew Reassignment Confusion: Issues with multiple crew reassignments led to confusion about payment eligibility.
  • Hotel Accommodation Problems: Non-contracted hotel issues reported, with a crew care report filed for follow-up.
  • Trip Structure Changes: Three-day trips are being restructured as two-day trips with premium pay, necessitating a review of efficiency. Crew Scheduling is pulling apart multiday trips around 10 AM based on reserve coverage and availability, so you may see trips that are pulled apart and desirable. 
  • Safety Concerns: Instances of hot airplanes in locations without APUs raised safety questions regarding aircraft readiness for boarding. It is a good idea to file Flight Attendant Incident reports and contact your Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) if there are concerns.
• SEA (Seattle)
  • Monitoring Open Time: Seattle Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson attended the monthly meeting with the ability to track Open Time with Jeppesen and ITS. Most of the open days closed their TSN thresholds within 60 seconds or less
  • Block2Block (B2B) Issues: Ongoing problems with Flight Attendant no-shows. B2B messaging is not considered positive contact. However, all Flight Attendants are required to review their B2B messaging at the end of duty for notifications from Crew Scheduling. 

PBS Subcommittee Update

• July Bidding Overview: High activity noted with efforts to understand and plan for coverage amidst holiday schedules.
• Bid Awards: The bid awards process was smooth, although higher lows were necessary to ensure adequate reserve coverage, with a forecast of 30% coverage awards coming to fruition.
• Bid Protests: Protests were manageable this month, primarily centered around coverage understanding. Technical issues with the inflight website led to workarounds.
• Meetings Conducted: Regular meetings held throughout June, including monthly updates and bid award training.
• Other Updates:
  • Inflight Website Publishing Action Plan: Collaborations with Crew Planning to create a plan for future publishing issues, ensuring access to awards and reports during outages.
  • Software Releases: Ongoing testing of recent updates with positive results expected for a go/no-go decision soon.

Pairing Construction and Crew Planning

• Pairing Selection: Recent pairing selections have been received, with an emphasis on soft locks. The average line value will be 80 TFP.
• ITS Update: NAVBLUE testing is progressing well, with improvements noted in automation updates.
• Crew Planning Analysis: Block hours for August are projected over 350K, reflecting a decrease from July. Reserve ratios are at 22.15%, with no scheduled staffing adjustment leaves (SALs).
• Redeye Flying Trends: Breakdown of redeye flying percentages across various bases, with notable figures for ANC (34%) and SAN (29%).
• IRROPS (Irregular Operations)
  • Updates on duty starts and layover durations for various routes specific to San Diego and Newark departures, with increased crew connections in all domiciles noted.
  • Requirements for specific flight starts and rest periods were discussed, with attention to crew teaming (keeping Flight Attendants on the same pairing) and TSA mitigation (DLG-ANC/AKN/ANC).

Crew Scheduling Insights

• Sick Leave Trends: Sick leave rates reached 13.2%, the highest of the year, with a significant number of daily calls noted.
• Sick Online Issues: Notable sick online issues affecting operations, particularly in commuter cities, warrant tracking and management attention. There were 96 sick online calls in June.
• Reserve Utilization: Reserve utilization is trending upwards due to increased absences, with PDX and SEA reporting higher utilization to cover operational needs.
• Premium Pay Statistics: Premium pay is trending high month-to-date for June. 
• Reassignments and Fatigue Reports: Total reassignments noted at 538, with deadhead conversions at 386. Fatigue incidents reported at 30 for June, with a notable split between reserves and lineholders.
• Crew Scheduler Staffing: Anticipation of a new staffing class in two weeks with a new supervisor, aiming to improve scheduling operations.

What The Committee Is Working On

1. Resolving Pyramiding Pay Disputes: Discussions are ongoing through the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) process to clarify payment rules for over-duty pay and day-off violations. Our Grievance Committee is filing grievances regarding several concerns with pyramid pay. These discussions are still ongoing with Labor Relations management. 
2. Vacation Bidding: Representatives from the Committee met with management to discuss the new vendor, AI Crew Solutions. It was determined that when a Flight Attendant either doesn’t hold a bid or forgets to bid, they will be allowed to bid in the 2nd round of vacation. The current process assigns slot 1 and slot 2. We will provide educational material and information when bidding begins next year on the new platforms. We have additional meetings to discuss implementation and buddy bidding. We are currently testing and reviewing the User Acceptance Testing (UAT) environment. 
3. Flow Charts: These are posted on the AFA website to help guide you through contractual understanding and irregular ops here: 2025-2028 AFA Alaska CBA Reference Documents 01.26.2026
4. Block2Block (B2B) Contactability: Implemented on February 1, 2026. Please familiarize yourself with the contractual language and bulletin bundle. Every Flight Attendant must check B2B at the end of every duty period (not trip) and make positive contact if a message is sent prior to block-in of the last flight of the duty period per §8.Q.2.e.
5. Compensation: Follow up on crew pay issues and reassignment policies. Please give FA Crew pay at minimum a week to update compensation on irregular operations. 
6. Pairings: Continue to address pairing and scheduling concerns with management.
7. Software: Monitor upcoming software implementations and their impacts on operations. We will have another JCTE update in August 2026. 
8. Sick Leave Tracking: Continue monitoring sick leave trends and review strategies to mitigate operational impacts.
9. Notifications: Address communication issues regarding flight changes and notifications.

We Want to Hear From You!

Whether you have feedback for the Committee, concerns to share, or items you’d like brought up with management – don’t hesitate to let us know. Your Local Scheduling Committee is here to be your voice to management. You can easily open a support ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or directly contact us using the information provided on the Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian website.

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Tuesday, March 24, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met virtually to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Rebekah Olds (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Kanako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, MEC Scheduling Committee—PBS Subcommittee Member Adam Clarey, and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones were also present.

The Committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Performance & Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Flight Crew System Support Sue Rawlings, Manager of Crew Pay Debbie Bakke, and other management representatives from Crew Planning, Crew Scheduling, information technology (ITS), payroll, and inflight performance.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, April 28.

Topics of Discussion

The Committee reviewed several topics during internal AFA-only conversations and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

Announcements

• Next Meetings: Scheduled for April 21 (in person), followed by monthly meetings through December.
• Scheduling Review Board (SRB) Updates: Series of updates needed for various dates throughout 2026.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Meetings: Upcoming meetings from late March to October 2026.
• JCTE Updates: New updates anticipated in May.
• Pairing Selection Meetings: Regular meetings scheduled from April to December 2026.
• AI Crew Solutions: First meeting held in November 2025 to discuss vacation awards and processing of unbid slots, with follow-up in March 2026. Meetings will be ongoing for implementation requirements. 

MEC Committee Chairperson Report

• Crew Backlog Review: Scheduled for April 14, 2026.
• Crew Bi-Monthly Review: Met on March 4, 2026.
• Known Crew Access Issues: Review scheduled for May.
• Rainmaker Crew Pay System: Meetings scheduled for May, August, and November.
• Fatigue Review Board: Regular meetings throughout 2026 to address crew fatigue.
• NAVBLUE Monthly Calls: Ongoing discussions to address system updates.
• JCTE Open Time Performance: Quarterly review meetings set for 2026-2027.
• Personal Drop Report Process: Integrating updates into JCTE.
• Pyramiding Pay Dispute: Ongoing discussions regarding reassignment pay.
• 4K Dispute: AFA has filed a grievance regarding redeye and night rule compensation.
• Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs): Discussions ongoing about Night Rule with Charters, 8.G & 8.F pyramid, 34.D self-help, and certification flights. 

Local Committee Chairperson Reports

• PDX: Inquiry about transfer allowances.
• SAN: Updates on pyramid charts and premium pay conversion.
• ANC: Pay inquiries resolved, but issues with waiving the 4K rule remain for charters.
• LAX: Technical issues with Crew Access and messaging systems in-flight, such as B2B and Teams.
• SFO: Concerns regarding SAL postings and premium OT trades.
• SEA: Snowstorm impacts and pay questions; some concerns addressed through flowcharts.

PBS Subcommittee

• Bid Awards: Pairing line runs met reserve targets, with higher averages. Reserve line tuns were more challenging, especially in PDX, LAX, and SAN, requiring less-than-ideal solutions to meet staffing needs.
• Bid Protest: 4K Rule Configurations: Configuration based on duty day, impacting charter awards. Management Actions: Temporarily holding off on building certain charters to avoid issues.
• SSO Transition: Log-off testing impacting the transition to SSO; fix is pending.
• Next release is currently undergoing testing

ITS Update

• Testing Automation: Ongoing processes to enhance efficiency.
• JCTE Release: Next release in progress with consistent updates expected in May 2026

Flight Attendant Crew Pay Update

• February 2026 Trends: 2,371 total submissions, with 446 not applicable. 550 submissions are typically caught in the auditing process.
• Analysts: Currently 6; more needed to handle combined operations.

Crew Planning Update

• Block Hours: Increased to 335k hours for April.
• TFP Average Lines: 80 TFP average lines reported with 19% reserves.
• Staffing Adjustments: 336 staffing adjustment leaves projected.
• Redeye Flying: High in ANC, SEA, and SAN, with minimums of 10% across bases.
• Pairing Solutions: Focus on minimizing long trips and improving commutability, particularly in SAN, SEA, and ANC.
• Irregular Operations Mitigation: Adjustments were made for delays, including increased layover times for crew rest.

Crew Scheduling Update

• Sick Leave: Increased to 11.7% in March.
• Reserve Utilization: 94.5% utilization noted across the system.
• Reassignments: 849 total reassignments, mostly due to weather events.
• Deadhead Conversions: 227 deadhead conversions recorded.
• Fatigue Reports: Highest month for fatigue, with 26 reports submitted.
• Crew Scheduler Staffing: Ongoing training for new schedulers; updates on staffing vacancies expected by June 1.

What The Committee Is Working On

1. Resolving Pyramiding Pay Disputes: Discussions are ongoing through the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) process to clarify payment rules for over-duty pay and day-off violations. Our Grievance Committee is filing grievances regarding several concerns with pyramid pay. 
2. Vacation Bidding: Representatives from the Committee met with management to discuss the new vendor, AI Crew Solutions. It was determined that when a Flight Attendant either doesn’t hold a bid or forgets to bid, they will be allowed to bid in the 2nd round of vacation. The current process assigns slot 1 and slot 2.  We will provide educational material and information when bidding begins next year on the new platforms. Our next meeting is scheduled for March 12, 2026. We have additional meetings to discuss implementation and buddy bidding. 
3. Ground Commuting: The Committee wants to remind Flight Attendants that contractual provisions are available for review under Section 37.B.  
4. Flow Charts: The Committee is internally reviewing flow charts with management and will update once the parties agree. Stay tuned for an update soon. 
5. Block2Block (B2B) Contactability: Implemented on February 1, 2026. Please familiarize yourself with the contractual language and bulletin bundle. We are reviewing B2B sustainability and ask that users report any issues.
6. Chime (Microsoft Teams): Implemented on February 9, 2026. This will allow Flight Attendants to contact Crew Scheduling for additional resources. Please refer to the letter of agreement and bulletin bundle.

We Want to Hear From You!

Whether you have feedback for the Committee, concerns to share, or items you’d like brought up with management – don’t hesitate to let us know. Your Local Scheduling Committee is here to be your voice to management. You can easily open a support ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or directly contact us using the information provided on the Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.