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480 Provisions, Insurance and TFP Calculator

Insurance Eligibility

 

AFA would like to clear up any confusion regarding insurance eligibility. CBA Section 23.B. [Eligibility For Insurance] states,

 

“1. Flight Attendants must fly or be credited four-hundred eighty (480.0) TFP in a calendar year to be eligible for Company-paid medical, dental and vision insurance inclusive of the following:

 

  1. Worked TFP;
  2. Sick leave TFP; and
  3. Maximum vacation TFP (based on years of service, no pay or flying requirement.

 

Years of Service                                                                       Maximum Days of Vacation

< 1year                                                                                            1.167 days per month employed

1-4                                                                                                      14 days

5-9                                                                                                     21 days

10-17                                                                                                 28 days

18+                                                                                                    35 days”

 

Vacation credit towards insurance based on years of service

 

Worked TFP and sick leave count toward insurance eligibility. The TFP value of your vacation based on years of service also counts toward the 480 threshold for insurance—even if you do not fly enough to accrue your vacation.

 

This means that if you have two years of service, you have 14 days of vacation @ 4 TFP/day, resulting in 56 TFP credited toward your insurance. If you’ve been a flight attendant for 18 years, you have 35 days of vacation @ 4 TFP/day, resulting in 140 TFP credited toward your insurance. This is an improvement over the prior contract, in which there was a flying requirement (i.e. you had to be eligible for vacation) in order to have it count towards the 480 for insurance.

 

Important: Look up your current year-to-date TFP so you can plan accordingly

 

It is important that you look up your current TFP for the year-to-date, so you can plan accordingly for the remainder of the year and make sure that you are on track for the appropriate 480 provisions. Log onto the Inflight page –> ”My Schedule” –> “Calculators” –> “All-in-one calculator.” The TFP calendar has been corrected, and you now have the ability to look up your accurate year-to-date TFP calculation to determine your insurance, uniform, vacation and Longevity PTO eligibility.

 

When you select the “Insurance Calculator” you will see a chart depicting your year-to-date totals. Under the “My Results” section it will list your Worked TFP to date, your sick leave and your maximum vacation TFP based on your years of service. It will then list the total amount credited toward the insurance benefits. It will also indicate how much TFP you need to earn your insurance benefits for 2016.

 

Leaves with Coordination Look-Back Provision

 

For those Flight Attendants who have been on a leave and coordinated with sick leave or vacation there is a look-back provision. Section 15.M [Leaves with Coordination…]:

 

“There is a 12-month look-back not including any month with an applicable leave. If you have been on a medical, maternity, FMLA, Workers’ Compensation or parental leave of absence WITH coordination of sick leave (or vacation with short-term disability or workers’ compensation) in any bid month then that month will not count toward the look-back threshold calculation for purposes of applicable provisions in Section 13 [Uniforms], 14 [Vacations], 23 [Insurance Benefits] and 32 [Attendance Policy].”

 

Therefore in order to determine your eligibility, you will need to count back 12 months that do not include applicable leaves. The look-back will be based on a calendar year but may extend into the prior year(s) to include additional bid month(s) equal to the number of excluded bid month(s), such that 12 full bid months are included in determining if either threshold (480 TFP/240 TFP) has been met.

 

Unpaid Leave Credit of 1.333 TFP per day

 

If you are on any type of unpaid leave and are NOT coordinating sick leave (or vacation with short term disability or Worker’s Compensation), you will receive an unpaid credit of 1.333 TFP for each day on which you are on such leave for the purposes of applicable provisions.

 

When to contact a Pay Analyst

 

If your look-back goes back prior to 2014, or if you find any errors in the calculation of your year-to-date TFP, you will need to contact a Pay Analyst. In order to find your Pay Analyst, logon to the Inflight page –> “Links” –> “Inflight Resource Directory,” then scroll down to “Inflight Administration” on page 6 and find the applicable Pay Analyst.

 

* * *

 

Questions? Contact a Local Executive Council officer or your local Benefits Committee representative.

 

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Grievance Committee chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl and Grievance Committee member Stephanie Adams; and MEC Benefits Committee chairperson Terry Taylor

AFA Alaska Logo No Tag

Personal Strategies for Approaching the Fourteenth Anniversary of September 11th

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Personal Strategies for Approaching the Fourteenth Anniversary of September 11th

From Your AFA EAP

 

 

Here we are, fourteen years after. We don’t need to ask ’after what?’ We all remember. Like life in general, fourteen years can seem like an eternity and, at the same time, like the blink of an eye.

 

Looking back, how many of us would have predicted the resiliency that our profession has shown since September 11, 2001? Resiliency, the positive capacity to cope with and adapt to stress and adversity, sometimes means returning to a previous state of functioning. But for Flight Attendants, returning to the familiar was not an option. As we watched the events of that day unfold, we knew that our industry and our profession had changed forever. But where and how did our profession find a new way to cope?

 

As our numbness cleared in the months that followed, we reached inward to our own professionalism and outward to our flying partners to begin shaping our new norm. From the scars of September 11th, our profession found its voice.

 

Resilient populations believe that they have the power to take action that will positively affect their situation and their future—that they have an “internal locus of control.” The power of resiliency isn’t a trait; it is the result of taking action. Fighting for enhanced security training, certification, and safer working conditions are examples of our resiliency. Our ability to pick up the pieces and take control, however, relies on our ability to heal. Anniversaries offer an opportunity for healing—a time for acknowledging our memories and experiences; for connecting with others who share in them, and for paying tribute to our individual and collective journeys.

 

Whether you mark this September 11th with private personal gestures such as observing a moment of silence, spending quiet time reflecting, dedicating your flying to our profession, or with collective activities such as ceremonies and memorial services, know that there is no right or better way to recognize the anniversary. The following are some suggestions that may prove helpful as we approach the anniversary of September 11th:

 

  • Observe the anniversary in a way that’s comfortable for you. Say “no” to events or activities that you sense may flood you with too many feelings.
  • Don’t compare yourself to how others around you appear to be dealing with the September 11th
  • Acknowledge that we all heal at different rates, in different ways, and with different outcomes.
  • Give yourself permission and time to be affected. Though uncomfortable, anticipate and plan for having a stress reaction as the anniversary approaches. Trust that if you have moments of difficulty, you’ll be able to pull yourself back together.
  • Try not to isolate. Isolation can often amplify difficult feelings. Pre-plan now to be with family or friends if you know you have this tendency.
  • Think through in advance how much and the type of anniversary media coverage you can comfortably absorb. Actively monitor and control what news coverage enters your personal space.
  • If you are interested in attending scheduled anniversary events, check local community websites . You can plan your own commemorative good deed for the day or volunteer with others at activities listed at 911day.org
  • Ask for help, support, and opportunities to talk. Your AFA EAP is here to listen. Telephone numbers of your local EAP committee members are listed at afacwa.org under the EAP Section or at afaalaska.org/eap. You can also call the AFA Alaska EAP at 1-949-470-0493 or AFA International EAP at 1-800-424-2406.

Whether you choose to fly on this anniversary or to recognize the day in another way, know that you are part of a Flight Attendant population that celebrates resiliency.

 

Your AFA EAP is here to support you. We are Members helping Members.

 

In tribute to all first responders,

 

Your AFA EAP

AFA Alaska

New Open Time User Guide

Some big changes are coming with our new Open Time system. To help with the transition we’d like to point out some highlights and give helpful hints.

 

Open Time Video

 

For a full review of the new Open Time, check out the video that was produced during the TA-2 Roadshows:

Correction: Trading for any newly established domicile(s) would begin at 9am, not 3pm as stated in the video.

 

Fundamentals

 

  • Flight Attendant to Flight Attendant and the new Open Time trading will begin simultaneously on the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the flying will occur. Trading remains unlimited. Access to trading will begin as follows: SAN at 9:00am PT, PDX at 10:00am PT, ANC at 11:00am PT, LAX at 12:00pm PT and SEA at 2:00pm PT.

 

  • Flight Attendants may post trips at 8:00pm PT on the 14th of the month.

 

  • Every sequence in the new Open Time is coded with a reason code: e.g., TO (trades with Open Time), CP (Coupon Drops), SL (Sick Leave), UB (Union Business) and CB (Company Business). There could be other reason codes, but these are the most common. The CP code will likely be very rare since drop coupons haven’t been issued in years.

 

  • The “Threshold Sequence Number” is based on domicile population (see Section 12.F.3 [Open Time Trial]) and is currently calculated as 10 in Seattle and 3 in Anchorage, Portland, Los Angeles and San Diego. This means that when the total number of sequences coded as TO/CP in Open Time on that day meets or exceeds the Threshold Sequence Number, the day will be “limited.” Remember, only the first day of TO/CP sequences counts towards the Threshold Sequence Number and therefore the limiting of Open Time. The Threshold Sequence Number can change based on the number of Flight Attendants in a base; however, there will always be a minimum of 3. Any other type of sequence: SL, UB, CB, etc., does not count toward the Threshold Sequence Number.

 

  • A Flight Attendant is able to reduce his/her schedule by a net 40 TFP as a result of dropping to or trading with Open Time each bid month. There is no cap on how much TFP can be dropped as a result of dropping to or trading with another Flight Attendant.

 

Open Days

 

  • On any calendar day that is “open” and not “limited” (closed under the old contract), all sequences with that day of report may be picked up, traded or dropped into Open Time without respect to the number of flights, the number of days and/or duty periods, TFP credit or any other parameters.

 

  • If you wish to trade a sequence with a sequence on a different calendar day, the only day that needs to be open is the day in which you report for your sequence. For example, you have a 3-day trip beginning on October 4th and you want to trade for a 2-day trip beginning on October 17th, as long as October 4th is open, regardless of the reason code, you can make this trade.

 

Limited Days

 

  • Once a day is limited because the Threshold Sequence Number has been met, all trips coded other than TO/CP will be converted to a reason code of TX.

 

  • If a day is limited it can be reopened if a Flight Attendant picks up a TO/CP sequence from that day.

 

  • Any sequence reporting on a calendar day that is limited and is coded other than TO/CP may only be traded for a sequence (with the same date of report) of the same or greater number of days. For example, if a sequence is coded TX, SL, UB, CB, etc., and you wish to trade with that sequence and the day of report is limited, you could only trade your 2-day trip reporting on October 4th for a 2, 3 or 4 day trip reporting October 4th, and you could not trade for a turn.

 

  • Any sequence reporting on a calendar day that is limited and is coded TO/CP then that sequence may be traded for another sequence with the same day of report regardless of the length of trip. For example, if you wish to trade your 4-day trip reporting on October 4th with 1-day trip reporting on October 4th, it would be approved provided the Open Time trip is coded TO/CP.

 

Miscellaneous

 

  • All things being equal, it is to your fellow co-workers’ benefit if you are going to pick up a trip you do so out of the Flight Attendant to Flight Attendant trade box, or if you pick up out of Open Time, that you pick up a trip that is coded TO or CP. This will open the day if it is limited, allowing another flight attendants to drop a trip into Open Time.

 

  • All of this information can be found in the Collective Bargaining Agreement in Section 12.F. [Open Time Trial].

 

* * *

 

Questions? Contact your Local Executive Council (LEC) officers or your local Scheduling Committee members.

 

In solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Grievance Committee chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl and MEC Grievance Committee member Stephanie Adams

Your Contract Committee – MEC President Jeffrey Peterson, Kristy Stratton, Lisa Pinkston, Jake Jones, Christina Frees and AFA Senior Staff Negotiator Paula Mastrangelo

AFA Alaska

AFA Alaska MEC Grievance Update August 2015

 

The Master Executive Council (MEC) has recently filed numerous grievances on your behalf.

 

Grievances Settlements

 

First and foremost, we filed and settled two very important grievances:

 

Grievance No. 36-99-2-17-15: Assigning a Failure to Report after Successful Check In.

 

This grievance was filed due to the Company’s violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Section 32 [Attendance Policy], when it assigned failure to report occurrences after a Flight Attendant’s successful check in.

 

In certain circumstances management had been assigning a “Late Report” when a Flight Attendant arrived late to the gate or arrived late to the gate at RON, this was after a successful scan in at the beginning of her/his sequence. AFA’s long-standing position has been that “Late Report” occurrences only applied when a Flight Attendant failed to scan in at domicile. All other situations, which might result in a Flight Attendant arriving late to the aircraft, were handled as general performance issues; these will now be referred to as “Late Arrival to Aircraft”. Please note this does not change a Flight Attendant’s requirement to be at the aircraft 45 minutes prior to departure.

 

Management agreed and a settlement was reached with the following clarifications:

 

1) A Flight Attendant may only be assessed a Late Report (formerly Failure to Report) when s/he checks in after the scheduled check in time and has not been assessed a No-Show for the same event;

 

2) When a Flight Attendant is late to the aircraft at any time during a scheduled sequence, s/he will not be assessed any attendance points, these occurrences will be considered a performance issue and will be handled under the Company’s progressive discipline policy; and

 

3) The Company agrees to remove attendance points from any Flight Attendant who received them for being late to the aircraft during a scheduled sequence, provided the points were assigned in the 18 months preceding May 19, 2015.

 

If you believe that you may have been assessed a Failure to Report incorrectly and it occurred after November 19, 2013, please reach out to a local grievance representative for assistance.

 

A copy of the settlement language can be found by clicking here.

 

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-26-15: Quarterly Productivity Premium.

 

The second grievance settlement involved Section 21.R [QPP]. It was filed due to Management’s position that Flight Attendants who had not received a PBS bid award for one or more months of the quarter were excluded from the Quarterly Productivity Premium. A copy of the settlement language can be found in its entirety here.

Grievances Upheld

 

Management granted the following two grievances:

 

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-11-15: Violation of Section 27.N [New Hire Initial Training Presentation].

The Company’s violation of Section 27.N, when it failed to provide the Association one hour for the purpose of new hire orientation during a regularly scheduled training day.

Resolution: Management has agreed to ensure that a full hour is provided.

 

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-13-15-Failing to Provide Automated Trading of 4K Pairings.

The Company’s violation of Section 10.DD.6 [Long Stage Length (“4K”) Duty Period] and 12.C.1 [Trading Procedures], when it failed to automate trading of Long Stage Length Duty Period (“4K”) Pairings. In addition when it violated the Contract Implementation Schedule Letter of Agreement paragraph numbers six* (“One-hundred and twenty days after DOS-but no later than May 1, 2015,…”) and nine* (“The Company agrees to make a good faith effort to meet the above implementation time frames…”), when it failed to notify the Association of the delay and discuss the circumstances and necessary adjustments to the implementation schedule.

Resolution: Manual trading is in effect until the next emaestro release scheduled for September 15, 2015. Bulletin 2015-0182 issued on July 16, 2015, addresses how to manually trade “4K” pairings.

 

Grievances Pending

 

The following grievances have been filed and are still pending:

 

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-15-15-Limiting Access to the SAN Domicile.

The Company’s violation of Section 28.I [Company Provided Computers and Printers at Domiciles], when it limited access to the SAN Domicile including contractually required resources to only those Flight Attendants based in SAN.

 

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-19-15-Failing to Pay Flight Attendants for Reasonable Suspicion Drug/Alcohol Testing.

The Company’s violation of Addendum to Section 21 [Compensation], when it failed to pay Flight Attendants for reasonable suspicion drug & alcohol testing.

 

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-20-15-Converting a Line Holding Flight Attendant to ER Reserve Outside of her/his Contactable Period.

The Company’s violation of Section 11.C.3.b.6 [Conversion of Reserves to ER] and 11.C.3.c [ER Contactibility], when it converted a line holding Flight Attendant to ER Reserve outside of her/his contactable period.

 

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-21-15-Section 21.M Compensation.

The Company’s violation of Section 21.M [Pay Protection Due to Weather, Mechanical or to Suit Company Convenience], when it removed a Flight Attendant from a trip and failed to pay protect her.

 

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-22-15-Violation of Past Practice Regarding Manual Revision/Emergency Interim Bulletin (EIB) Insertion Timelines.

The Company’s violation of past practice regarding manual revision/emergency interim bulletin (EIB) insertion timelines, which fails to provide Flight Attendants sufficient time to thoroughly read and insert their revisions and/or EIB’s. Long standing past practice is articulated in the Flight Attendant Manual 6.500 page 1, dated July 6, 2012, which states: “Insert, post and record manual revisions within 14 days of receipt, no later than 30 days after distribution.” A new EIB 14-40 effective November 25, 2014, now states: “The holder of the FAM shall insert revisions/EIBs on or before the effective date or prior to the first assignment following the effective date, whichever comes first.”

 

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-23-15-Beyond Service Training Exceeding Contractual Training Hours.

The Company’s violation of Section 30.A.2 [Recurrent Training and Other Company-Required (Non-Computer-Based) Training; Hours], by conducting Beyond Service Training after 5:00PM local time, failing to provide a clear break between required training and the optional “Happy Hour” and failing to provide transportation information to Flight Attendants who choose to depart promptly at 5:00PM.

 

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-24-15-Ground Floor Lodging While on Company Business.

The Company’s violation of Section 34 [Hotels], when it failed to avoid ground floor lodging for Flight Attendants attending company required Beyond Service training.

 

Grievance No.: 36-99-2-29-15-Section 28.G.6 Commuter Boarding Priority. The Company’s violation of Section 28.G.6 [Commuter Policy], when it allowed Company employees (and their dependents) on pleasure travel to be given higher boarding priority than commuting Flight Attendants.

 

* * *

 

The next step is to move forward to arbitration on any grievances that cannot be resolved appropriately. In addition, we continue to file disciplinary grievances, which occur on a near daily basis.   Many of these will move forward to arbitration as well.   All Flight Attendants system wide are impacted when AFA cannot resolve issues with management prior to arbitration.   AFA is committed to resolving these issues and will soon be scheduling new arbitration dates for the year 2016. Periodic grievance updates will follow; however should you have questions on specific grievances, please reach out to your local grievance representative.

 

In Solidarity,

Your MEC – Jeffrey Peterson, Brian Palmer, Yvette Gesch, Lisa Pinkston, Laura Masserant, Cathy Gwynn, Sandra Morrow and Stephen Couckuyt; MEC Grievance Committee chairperson Jennifer Wise MacColl, MEC Grievance Committee member Stephanie Adams and AFA Senior Staff Attorney Kimberley Chaput

AFA Grievance No. 36-99-2-17-15 Failure to Report or Late Report Settlement

AFA Alaska

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – February 2026

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Important Update: Irregular Operations Due to Civil Unrest In Mexico

In response to the significant operational disruptions caused by the civil unrest affecting cities throughout Mexico, particularly Puerto Vallarta (PVR), Guadalajara (GDL), and Manzanillo (ZLO), management continues to operate under an Irregular Operations (IROPS) situation. Our MEC and Committees are actively monitoring the situation and working with management to support our Flight Attendants. Management has […]

Invitation to Training: What To Do if a Union Member is Detained

The California Federation of Labor Unions is offering a series of Union Rapid Response Trainings. The next session, “What To Do if a Union Member is Detained,” will offer practical information and guidance on how to respond if this happens. Details of the training are as follows: Date: Thursday, February 19Time: 11:30 AM to 1 PM PTLocation: Zoom Please register […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – February 2026

On Monday, February 9, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met virtually 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), Brian Sherill (LAX-pmAS), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), with MEC […]

SEA Domicile Negotiations Update – February 2026

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants SEA Domicile May Vacancy Posting The company has posted vacancies for the SEA domicile. There are 121 permanent vacancies available, effective May 1, 2026 for the May bid month. Bids will close at 11:59 PM HT on Monday, February 16. Awards will be posted by 12:00 PM […]

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