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Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2025

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This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

  • Our AFA Reserve Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, March 13, to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent and advocate for our Reserve Flight Attendants.
  • The Committee also met with management to review specific concerns that Flight Attendants brought forward.
  • Your Local Reserve Committee is available to answer questions, clarify contractual language, or help resolve reserve-related issues. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

On Thursday, March 13, representatives from our AFA Local Reserve Committees met to discuss their ongoing work to advocate for Reserve Flight Attendants. Representing you at the meeting were Brandi Urban (ANC), Conner Gallagher (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Meghan Casey (SFO), Kanako Yamada (LAX), and Rebecca Garcia (SAN). Also present was MEC Reserve Committee Chairperson Julie Thornton and MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation Jarod McNeill.

The committee met with the Interim Managing Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling & Inflight Operations (South) Sara Cook and Manager of Inflight Crew Scheduling Goose Hlaingmyint.

The committee is next scheduled to meet on Thursday, June 19

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed several items during both internal AFA-only discussions and meetings with management. Some of the topics discussed include:

  • Plans for the initial training classes for the remainder of the year. Management has canceled Class 6 this year; however, they still plan to hire more Flight Attendants. The number of classes and the specific number of students in each class will depend on the delivery of new aircraft. Class 2 is scheduled to be online on April 1, and Class 3 will be online on May 1.
  • Staffing within Crew Scheduling: six new schedulers have been hired and are currently in training, bringing the total number of crew schedulers to 49.
  • A review of reserve utilization statistics shows approximately 87.1% utilization across all bases. Reserve coverage is expected to be around 18% in all bases, except for Seattle, where it is anticipated to be about 20% for Q2.
  • A discussion about new contractual provisions and their implications for reserve Flight Attendants.
  • Ongoing concerns regarding no-shows due to issues with cell phone providers and cell service. Please report these issues through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center so AFA representatives can follow up with management.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Developing Additional Tools & Resources for Reserve Flight Attendants. Working to update Reserve 101 & the Reserve survival guide with new CBA provisions.
  2. Assisting Probationary Flight Attendants Through the Reserve Buddy Program. Answering questions from and providing support to probationary Flight Attendants through an expanded AFA Reserve Buddy program. Also, developing a checklist of common topics that new hire Flight Attendants need assistance with within the first 30 days after graduation.
  3. Addressing Reserve Contractual Concerns. Researching and investigating reports from Reserve Flight Attendants and actively ensuring that management complies with our contract.

We Want to Hear From You!

Do you have feedback for the committee, concerns you’d like to share, or items you’d like brought up with management? Please let us know! Your Local Reserve Committee is your voice to management. You can open a support request on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or contact us directly using the information on the Reserve Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Upcoming AFA Alaska Phone and Email Outages

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This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

As we move forward with merging the Alaska and Hawaiian Master Executive Councils (MECs), we want to inform you about some changes happening this week that may affect your ability to contact AFA Representatives. Some of the communication systems we use at AFA Alaska, including our email and phone systems, will be combined with those used by AFA Hawaiian. During this transition, you may need to use alternative methods to reach an AFA Representative.

Phone System Outage

Starting tonight, March 18, at 5 PM PT, AFA phone lines—such as the main AFA Alaska number, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) line, and the Air Quality hotline—will be temporarily unavailable. We expect these services to be offline until early next week. In the meantime, if you need to reach someone, here are some alternatives:

  • You can contact Local Executive Council (LEC) Officers using their direct phone numbers on our website.
  • For EAP or Professional Standards assistance, please refer to the Committee Member or Chairperson phone numbers on your Local Committee page or call AFA International EAP at (800) 424-2406 to be routed to an on-call EAP Representative.
  • The Air Quality Reporting Hotline will be available at (503) 358-3436.

Email System Outage

Additionally, starting at 5 PM PT on Friday, March 21, our AFA Alaska email systems will also be offline until Monday morning, March 24. During this time, AFA Representatives won’t be reachable via their AFA Alaska email addresses and won’t be able to view or respond to tickets submitted through the AFA Online Support Center. However, you can still contact AFA Representatives directly by phone using the numbers listed on your Local Committee page.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we navigate this transition. Merging our AFA systems is an important step towards better communication and efficiency, which will help us serve our combined group of Flight Attendants more effectively.

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – March 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Monday, March 10, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met for our first in-person meeting of the year to receive an update about current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Chris Cardenas (LAX), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), with MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson James Bozanich chairing the meeting.

The committee met with Crew Hotels & Administration Manager Nichole Turner, Crew Hotels Support Specialist LaFay Williams, Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, and Managing Director of Operations Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette from management.   

The next scheduled Hotel Committee meeting is Monday, April 14.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed several items during the meeting with management, most of which focused on hotel decisions and challenges in our layover markets. Some items discussed include:

  • Van Times: Van times remain a significant topic of discussion. In February, a 10-minute discrepancy between Flight Attendants and Pilots’ van times was identified due to an API processing error, which has since been corrected. The Hotel Committee is currently concerned about early arrivals at the airport. Except for ATL, DEN, and SLC, vans should not arrive at the airport earlier than 15 minutes before your scheduled report time. We have observed a considerable number of early arrivals on weekend trips, as van times have not been adjusted for the reduced weekend traffic. Please report any van time discrepancies in MyCrewCare for documentation, research, and resolution.
  • Hotel Contractual Requirements: There is some confusion regarding our crew hotels’ requirements. There are two layers of hotel requirements: those outlined in section 34.A.2 of our collective bargaining agreement, which are contractual requirements, and those imposed by the company on the hotel, available on the front page of the Hotel Hotline under Crew Hotel Room Blocks. These are the only requirements for crew accommodations. If you notice any discrepancies regarding these requirements, please submit a report via MyCrewCare for documentation and resolution.
  • Hotel Information Timelines: The company provided a timeline for when hotel information is imported into NavBlue and CrewAccess. Recognizing that Flight Attendants bid or trade trips specifically for layovers, our Hotel Committee has advocated for both timely and accurate hotel information in these systems. We have successfully expedited the CrewAccess importation dates, allowing hotel information to be available at the start of trip trading. Previously, this migration began on the 19th of the month, days after trading began. Here are the hotel migration timelines for the applicable bid month: 
    • By the 21st: The final pairings sent to API for hotel assignments.
    • By the 26th: Hotel assignments sent to Crew Planning and uploaded into NAVBLUE for bidding.
    • On the 5th: Bidding opens.
    • Final hotel assignments are available in Crew Access on staggered dates throughout the month:
      • On the 12th: Overnights imported for the 1st through the 10th
      • On the 13th: Overnights imported for the 11th through the 20th
      • On the 17th: Overnights imported for the 21st through the end of the month

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Conducting Hotel Site Visits: The Hotel Committee visits hotels under consideration by management to advocate for selections that provide the safest and most comfortable layover experience for Flight Attendants. The committee recently conducted site visits in AUS, SAT and LIR and are submitting their reports for company review.  Currently, we have site visits scheduled in MCO (March), STL (March), MKE (April), IAD (May), FLL (May), LAS (May), RSW (June), and SEA (June). Contract expirations, crew complaints, and cost-saving opportunities are the primary factors that trigger a market review. Depending on the outcome of this review, a site visit may be scheduled in that city. 
  2. Hotel Gainshare Program: The recently ratified 2025-2028 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) includes a Commitment to Negotiate a Hotel Gain-Share Program Letter of Agreement (LOA). This LOA specifies that within four months of the ratification of the CBA, the parties will schedule and engage in negotiation sessions to discuss the Hotel Gain-Share Program. The goal of these negotiations is to implement the program, if feasible, within six months of the CBA ratification. The parties may mutually agree to extend these time limits. Conversations about this should begin shortly.

We Want to Hear From You!

Don’t let any unacceptable experience with a layover hotel or ground transportation provider go unnoticed! Please report the issue via CrewCare so that it can be addressed. CrewCare is the only official way to report issues, as the Hotel Committee does not monitor social media channels.

Each CrewCare submission is forwarded to your AFA Hotel Committee, Crew Hotels (Alaska management), API and the hotel or ground transportation provider. This ensures quick action can be taken to correct the issue or fix it for the next crewmember. It also allows us to monitor hotel and transportation trends. You can quickly file a CrewCare report using the web app on your IMD home screen or by clicking here.

Do you have any other feedback you would like to share with the committee or any specific items you want us to bring up with management? Please let us know! The Local Hotel Committee is here to represent you and ensure management hears your voice. You can find our contact information on the Hotel Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2025

Inflight Service Committee

  • Our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met on February 20 to represent Flight Attendants’ interests related to catering and onboard service/sales.
  • The Committee met with management to discuss and receive updates on issues and problems faced by Flight Attendants onboard.
  • The Committee continues to work with management to address catering concerns and improve processes in the future. Please report catering issues through Block2Block and safety-related issues through ReportIt!

On Thursday, February 20, our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Naomi Parcell (ANC), Ross DeJong (SEA), Kelly Kochanek (PDX), Raymond Ramirez (SFO), and Chase Vandergrift (SAN). MEC Inflight Service Committee Chairperson Stephanie Garnett, MEC Vice President-elect Brice McGee, and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer were also in attendance.

The committee met with Senior Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder, Principal Cabin Product and Experience Manager Chris Dela Rosa, Director of Food and Beverage Products Mita Padhi, Manager of Food and Beverage Planning and Programs David Rodriguez, Senior Food and Beverage Product Manager Jessica Johnston, Food and Beverage Planning Systems Manager Gayatri Watwe, F&B Planning Systems Manager Andrea Carns, Director of Catering Operations Andrew Moyer, Service Strategy Product Manager Jesse Starmer, and Marketing/Sales, IT Contractors Chris Pettigrew and Chris Daniels, and Ann McCurties. Management guests from Hawaiian Airlines included Senior Manager of Inflight Service & Mobile Technology Wendy Kong and Food & Beverage Planning System Manager Kanoe Yama, who are both a part of the Alaska Air Group Product and Planning Team. 

The next committee meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 15.

Topics of Discussion

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

  • Redesigned Coffee Brew Baskets: Several members of the Inflight Service Committee tested the redesigned coffee brew baskets during regularly scheduled flights. There were no issues with the new brew baskets during the testing process. A Safety Risk Assessment (SRA) has been completed, and the new brew baskets will be installed on Classic and Endura coffee makers starting in late April 2025.
  • Morning Beverage Snack for First Class: Based on Flight Attendant feedback, the Committee requested that management implement a morning beverage snack for First Class passengers. Management will add a warm pastry on premium long-haul flights (including Hawaii). Passengers will receive a Biscoff cookie with their first beverage on long-haul and medium-haul flights.
  • Improvement of Galley Loading: The Committee will continue to work with management to improve galley loading opportunities. Catering has already implemented a request for a change in the loading of pre-departure beverage items, and they are receiving favorable feedback from Flight Attendants. Additionally, a design change for wine cans, featuring a different-colored can top as recommended by the Committee, will be adopted to facilitate easier loading by catering and use by Flight Attendants.
  • Introduction of Thermal Ice Bags: Thermal ice bags have been designed and manufactured to address concerns related to improving ice quality throughout the network. They have been tested and found to adequately insulate ice for return flight segments. Loading at downline stations will continue throughout the rollout of the new bags. Information regarding catering and clarification on using the bags will be communicated to all Flight Attendants. Management intends to use the new bags on all main cabin 5-cart galley configurations.
  • Increase in Pre-Departure Beverage Orange Juice: Management inquired about the use of the pre-departure beverage orange juice product. The Committee responded that supplies need to be increased for pre-departure use.
  • Service Levels Review: Management will soon conduct a comprehensive system-wide review of current service levels.
  • POG Brand Change: The POG brand is changing to Aloha Maid, which is currently served on Hawaiian Airlines.
  • Catering Operations Team Coordination: The Catering Operations Teams from Alaska and Hawaiian are coordinating to work as a unified team.
  • Catering Operations Focus Areas: Alaska Catering Operations currently has three focus areas: kitchen audits, engaging Flight Attendants through the Block2Block (B2B) Flight Attendant comment system, and implementing an ice plan for the warmer months. Kitchen audits are now underway. Catering Operations encourages Flight Attendants to use the B2B Flight Attendant comments to report issues, which will help find solutions. An ice plan is in place for almost all stations during the summer months.
  • Flight Attendant Comments Tool Upgrade: The Flight Attendant Comments reporting tool is being upgraded, and the Committee has requested to be included in the Flight Attendant-facing portion of this project.
  • Standard Process for Aircraft Swaps: The Committee is advocating for a standardized process for aircraft swaps system-wide.
  • Fleet Refresh Project: The Fleet Refresh Project is ongoing and aims to standardize the first-class cabin to 16 seats on all Boeing 737-800, -900, MAX-8, and MAX-9 aircraft. Placarding for the MAX lavatory trash bins should be installed soon.
  • MAX 10 Galley Options: New galley options may be available for the MAX 10, and work on galley planning will soon commence.
  • Tech Updates: The Committee initiated a discussion about the status of updates for B2B and resolving issues related to flight information becoming unavailable when a tech stop occurs. Management shared a prototype of the next version of B2B, which is currently in development. The Committee believes the proposed B2B updates will be intuitive. The issue of information loss during tech stops is recognized and is being addressed. A joint platform for Alaska and Hawaiian is being developed to provide easily updated service flow information, eliminating the need to rely on the onboard service handbook (OSH) for some service flow data.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Enhanced Packaging for Onboard Products: The Committee looks forward to working with management on new onboard products. It’s essential for the Committee that discussions include considerations of safety, packaging, sustainability, ease of use, and acceptance by both Flight Attendants and passengers.
  2. Improved Beverage Cart Loading: The Committee is actively seeking creative solutions for effective space utilization and will prioritize safety when recommending additional products, loading strategies, and service changes.
  3. Addressing Flight Attendant Concerns with Management: The primary goal of the Inflight Service Committee is to enhance the service tools available to all Flight Attendants.

We Want to Hear from You!

Please continue to report any catering issues or problems with onboard service using the catering feedback function in Block2Block. If you’ve experienced a safety-related issue, please submit a report through ReportIt! Your reports provide the Committee with the data needed to continue pushing management for meaningful improvements in our workplace.

Do you have other feedback for the Committee or items you’d like brought up with management? Please let us know! Your Local Inflight Service Committee is your voice to management. You can find our contact information on the Inflight Service Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Uniform Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2025

Uniform Committee

  • Our AFA Uniform Committee Chairpersons met on February 13, to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to uniforms.
  • The Committee met with management to discuss uniform issues reported by Flight Attendants, including quality, wearability, and availability.
  • If you encounter issues with uniform quality or construction, please report them to Unisync as soon as possible and include your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson to help track any trends.

On Thursday, February 13, the AFA Local Uniform Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent Flight Attendants and push for improvements in the workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Kim Mazzolini (ANC), Dena Heath (SEA), David Jelinek (PDX), Lisa Mueller (SFO), Heather Holmes (LAX), JP Perina (SAN). MEC Vice President-elect Brice McGee and MEC Uniform Committee Chairperson Kiara Jenkins were also present.

The committee also met with Director of Procurement and Logistics Eric Phillipson, Interim Senior Product Manager Marketing Ann McCurties, Supply Chain Program Manager Lizzie Revard, PDX Inflight Base Manager Kristie Stafford, and SFO Inflight Base Manager Cierra Lewis.

The next Quarterly Uniform Committee Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

Topics of Discussion 

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

  • The wear test for the transition jacket began on February 14 and will run until March 14.
  • The Committee is collaborating with the Benefits Committee to find an alternative solution for non-medical grade compression nylons (previously supplied by OccuFit). Flight Attendants can continue to obtain medical-grade compression nylons through their insurance.
  • An issue regarding uniform exchanges and reimbursements for alterations has been escalated to the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) process. Our MEC is strongly opposed to denials based on Flight Attendants not having an order history for a specific piece. There is no contractual language stating that Flight Attendants must only wear pieces obtained through the uniform subsite or their Unisync account. All alterations and exchanges should be approved by management, regardless of how the pieces were acquired. The Committee has suggested an update to the reimbursement form, requiring Flight Attendants to include the batch number of the piece they are altering to verify it is a uniform item. Management responded that they will continue to deny requests, stating that they believe this is not in line with the spirit of the intended language.
  • The Uniform Policy Guide will be updated to reflect additional combinations for the ¼ zip cardigan.
  • Management has released new “Uniform Care” videos to provide guidance on extending the longevity of uniform pieces.
  • Name tags are now individually wrapped in bubble wrap to prevent damage during shipping, which should reduce the incidence of wings arriving broken.
  • The results of the sweater shell and cardigan wear test did not yield sufficient feedback regarding durability to justify a change in production.
  • Management has received reports of non-compliant uniform wear from social media sites, including yoga pants and lug-style shoes. Purchasing these items is highly discouraged, as you will be out the money and may also face progressive disciplinary action during uniform checks. Management has initiated a uniform coalition, and uniform checks will be increasing across all workgroups in the near future. For the most up-to-date policies, please refer to the Uniform Policy Guide in your IMD or TeamAAG and contact your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson.
  • The tote exchange program remains effective for qualifying classes.
  • Open requests include:
    • A stuff sack for the puffer parka.
    • Photos of models and their sizes next to each clothing piece to give Flight Attendants an idea of what size would work best for their body, similar to those on the Uniqlo, Gap, and Madewell websites (e.g., Model Ailani is 5’7″, wearing size D).
    • Coordination with HR and a pantyhose company to offer items on PerkSpot (or a similar platform) so that Flight Attendants are not paying full price out of pocket.
    • Addition of a Uniform Quality Report on IMD or a related link on the Flight Attendant website.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Better Sizing Guides. Requesting pictures that illustrate sizes to help Flight Attendants order pieces more accurately.
  2. Wear Testing. Wear testing for a more versatile transition jacket will run from February 14 to March 14.
  3. Tote Exchange Program. Specific to the post-COVID classes who were not given the normal selection process for totes due to supply chain issues. Please see your supervisor if you would like to exchange your bags.

We Want to Hear From You!

Please fill out the Quality Concern Form on the Uniform subsite on TeamAAG with any quality issues. Additionally, you may email your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson. Please consider opening a ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center so the Uniform Committee can track these issues.

Would you like to join the wear test pool? Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management? Please let us know!  Your Local Uniform Committee is your voice to management. You can find contact information on the Uniform Committee page of the AFA Alaska website. 

Joint Contract Negotiations Begin

Our Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) has completed the first week of negotiations for our Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA).  Normally, this update would have been published sooner; however, a lot has been happening at both Alaska and Hawaiian: With the MECs of both carriers merged, we were now able to begin JCBA negotiations. This JCBA bargaining is […]

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, March 13, representatives from our AFA Local Reserve Committees met to discuss their ongoing work to advocate for Reserve Flight Attendants. Representing you at the meeting were Brandi Urban (ANC), Conner Gallagher (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Meghan Casey (SFO), Kanako Yamada (LAX), and Rebecca Garcia […]

Upcoming AFA Alaska Phone and Email Outages

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants As we move forward with merging the Alaska and Hawaiian Master Executive Councils (MECs), we want to inform you about some changes happening this week that may affect your ability to contact AFA Representatives. Some of the communication systems we use at AFA Alaska, including our email […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – March 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Monday, March 10, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met for our first in-person meeting of the year to receive an update about current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA), […]

Negotiations Support Representative Interviews

Background The Negotiations Support Representative plays a vital role in assisting the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC). Key responsibilities include serving as the primary note-taker during negotiation sessions, developing and managing a communication plan, creating engaging informational content for Members, coordinating social media activities, and gathering and reviewing Member feedback. This position requires strong organizational skills, […]

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