AFA Alaska

Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

Click here to report an issue to AFA
You are here: Home / Archives for Committees

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2023

Reserve Committee

  • Our AFA Reserve Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, December 7 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent and advocate for our Reserve Flight Attendants.
  • The Committee also met with management to review a number of specific concerns that were brought forward by Flight Attendants.
  • Your Local Reserve Committee is available to answer questions, provide clarification, or help to resolve any reserve related issues. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

On Thursday, December 7, 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.

The committee met with the Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Manager of Inflight Crew Scheduling Goose Hlaingmyint and Supervisor of Inflight Crew Scheduling Derrick Bernard.

The committee is next scheduled to meet on Thursday, March 14, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

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

  • Plans for Initial Training classes for 2024. Management has pushed the class 1 start date to the end of Q1 or the beginning of Q2, but they still intend to hire more Flight Attendants in 2024. However, the number of classes and the specific number of students in each class will depend on the delivery of new aircraft.
  • Issues and glitches with Crew Access that are affecting Reserve Flight Attendants. Review of where known issues are documented and newly added/ fixed issues. 
  • Review of upcoming updates to Crew Access software and associated fixes to current issues and other improvements prioritization for programming fixes.
  • Support for probationary Flight Attendants through the Probationary Buddy Program. We have had three classes complete probation, and the remaining four classes will all be off probation by mid-April 2024. Reminder to refer Probationary Flight Attendants to their Buddy for answers to contract and work rules questions.
  • Increase in Lineholders picking up reserve days, which has resulted in increased flexibility for Reserve Flight Attendants.
  • Review of reserve utilization statistics for November, where approximately 85.3% of Reserves were used in all bases.
  • Review of personal drops: for November, they have been able to award 931 Flight Attendant personal drops.
  • Review of reserve-related scheduling issues that have occurred recently.
  • Review of reserve-related issues that have been escalated to the Scheduling Review Board (SRB) and Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes.
  • Reminder to new hire Flight Attendants about the AFA Alaska Online Support Center to report issues, raise concerns, or ask questions.

What the Committee is Working On

  1. Assisting Probationary Flight Attendants Through the Probationary Buddy Program. Answering questions from and providing support to probationary Flight Attendants through an expanded AFA Probationary Buddy program. Growing support in all bases with more buddies & new useful tools. 
  2. Addressing Reserve Contractual Concerns. Researching and investigating reports from Reserve Flight Attendants and actively ensuring management is complying with our contract. If not compliant taking issues through the SRB & ADR process to ensure compliance.

We Want to Hear From You!

Do you have feedback for the committee, concerns you’d like to share, or items that 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.

Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2023

Inflight Service Committee

  • Our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met on November 29 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 Wednesday, November 29, 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), Todd Horn (PDX), Raymond Ramirez (SFO), Johanna Thomas (LAX), and Chase Vandergrift (SAN). MEC Inflight Committee Chairperson Stephanie Garnett was also present. 

The committee met with Senior Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder, Inflight Product and Experience Director David Scotland, Principal Cabin Product and Experience Manager Chris Dela Rosa, Director of Onboard Food and Beverage Services Dean Courtelis, Senior Food and Beverage Product Manager Jessica Johnston, Manager of Food and Beverage Planning and Programs David Rodriguez, Senior Onboard Food and Beverage Specialist Andrea Lockett, Principal Product Manager ITS Apps Ranjita Prasad, Director of Catering Operations Andrew Moyer, and other management representatives from the food & beverage and catering operations. 

The next scheduled Inflight Service Committee meeting is Tuesday, February 27, 2024.

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 Discussion. During the AFA-only session, some items discussed were the snacks, brewing the new coffee, testing the Apple tap-to-pay process, catering loading, and service flow.
  • MAX 8 Galleys. The diagrams for the MAX 8 galleys were reviewed. Galley 4 will have an expanded trash bin on aircraft right, and catering loading will need to be modified. Discussions included the ability to have completely separate supplies for legs 1 and 2.
  • Aircraft Interiors. Management is continuing to work on refreshing interiors across the fleet.
  • Onboard Service Procedures. Management noted that the completion rate of the pre-departure beverage service has improved. However, the service flow was identified as difficult to complete. Premium Class has many service components that contribute to delivering a positive experience for passengers, which will continue to be discussed. There will be an emphasis on enhancing the Premium Experience for 2024.
  • Catering Products. The catering team has successfully transitioned to Stumptown Coffee and is working on improving the brewing process. Feedback from passengers suggests that those traveling in first class are enjoying the “greatest hits” menu, which has been received positively. Additionally, new products have been introduced, including changes to the flavors of Stellar Snacks, Freemont Brewing’s Cloud Cruiser IPA, non-alcoholic beer, Polar cranberry-lime seltzer, and oat-milk creamers.
  • Catering Operations. The management team has recently made some improvements to the glassware cleaning process. They have also introduced some logistical changes to make catering supplies more readily available on the aircraft. The Committee was introduced to the new Director of Catering Operations, Andrew Moyer. Going forward, the Committee will work closely with him to address any catering-related issues or concerns.
  • IMD Updates. Management is in the process of introducing software-based payment options through a Tap-to-Pay feature. This option eliminates the need to swipe credit cards physically and simplifies transactions. On December 20, a Block2Block update will be released with a fix for current bugs and functionality to provide timely flight delay information to crewmembers and passengers. Additional updates, including the release of version 3.0 of Block2Block, will be available in April.

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.

Housing & Food Assistance Resources

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

  • Starting a career as a Flight Attendant is more challenging than ever due to low pay rates that haven’t kept up with the cost of living.
  • Many new Flight Attendants face difficulties securing housing and food in expensive cities where they are based.
  • Our EAP Committee has created a new website page with comprehensive information on resources to help Flight Attendants overcome these obstacles.

Starting a career as a Flight Attendant is a significant and challenging life change, especially in today’s industry. The ever-increasing pace of inflation and lagging pay rates that haven’t kept up with the cost of living makes it difficult for many new hires to make ends meet. Finding affordable housing and healthy food options in newly assigned bases, located in some of the most expensive cities in the country, can be overwhelming and stressful for many new Flight Attendants. 

Our Negotiating Committee recognized the need for immediate financial improvements to help Flight Attendants address these challenges, and they approached management for an interim pay increase when negotiations first got underway in late 2022. Unfortunately, management declined even to discuss the request. This is highly disappointing, considering that Flight Attendants are falling further and further behind every day.

We want you to know that if you are struggling, you are not alone, and our EAP Committee is here to help. To assist those currently facing housing and food challenges, we’ve created a new website page with comprehensive information on resources to help Flight Attendants overcome these obstacles. You can find the page by clicking here or through the links section of the EAP Committee page on afaalaska.org. The page provides useful information on affordable housing options, food banks, and other resources to help ease your worries and offer much-needed relief.

We realize that the need for housing and food assistance can be sensitive, and we want to ensure you have a safe, supportive, and confidential environment to access these resources. Our new website page will provide tools and resources to help you overcome these challenges and find comfort and security. If you have any questions or are looking for support, please get in touch with our AFA EAP Committee. Call (949) 470-0493 or find your Local EAP Committee at afaalaska.org/eap.

Housing & Food Assistance Resources

Air Quality Quick Reminders

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Fume events can occur on flights for various reasons, such as oil leaks or mechanical issues.
  • Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of air quality, fume, and hypoxic events, so you know what to do if you suspect one is happening.
  • More resources are available on the Air Quality Subcommittee page of the AFA Alaska website.

As Flight Attendants, our top priority is ensuring everyone onboard the aircraft has a safe and comfortable experience. However, despite our best efforts, unexpected situations can still arise. One such situation is a fume event, which can be caused by smoke, fumes, or a strong odor in the cabin. Fume events can occur for various reasons, such as oil leaks, hydraulic fluid leaks, or other mechanical issues. It’s essential to learn how to identify a fume event and what to do if one takes place to ensure the safety and well-being of yourself, fellow crewmembers, and passengers. To that end, we’d like to offer some reminders about what to do if you suspect a fume event is happening.

How To Identify A Fume Event

  • Pay attention to unpleasant/unusual odors coming from the air supply system. 
  • Use the FOUR S’s
    • Identify the SOURCE. Is this coming from the air supply vents or a cabin item?  
    • Explain the SMELL. Description including strength, duration, and when it started/the phase of flight. 
    • Describe the SITE. Where is observed in the cabin: forward, aft, galley, etc.?
    • What are the SYMPTOMS? See the list of possible symptoms below. Does anyone need medical attention?

What To Do If Involved In An Air Quality/Fume Event

  • On The Ground
    • Notify Pilots, if present
    • Deplane, if possible
    • If you have symptoms (see below), call MedAire Crew Support at (800) 350-4390; have the CSA call paramedics, if needed.  
    • DO NOT return to the aircraft until it has been cleared Maintenance. You are not a sniff tester.
  • In the Air
    • If you have symptoms of hypoxia (see below), immediately don oxygen.
    • Notify Pilots 
    • Contact MedLink
    • If you can, fill out the Cabin Air Quality Reporting Form in the stationary kit and give it to Pilots.
  • Call the AFA Air Quality Reporting Hotline as soon as possible at (206) 457-2010, option 3
  • Notify Inflight management by calling scheduling and asking for the Manager on Duty (MOD)
  • It’s essential to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of both quality/fume/hypoxic events. 

What Are The Possible Symptoms Of An Air Quality/Fume/Hypoxia Event? 

  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue or weakness
  • Nauseous 
  • Slowed thinking/delayed reactions
  • Tingling fingers/lips/toes/numbness
  • Irritated eyes/throat/nose
  • Abnormal taste
  • Trouble breathing
  • Multiple other physiological/neurological symptoms (some may have delayed onset)

Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) has developed resources to assist you if you have been in a suspected fume event. You can access this information by clicking here.

Other Things To Keep In Mind

  • If multiple Flight Attendants and/or passengers are experiencing symptoms (see above), you may be experiencing an air quality/hypoxia event. 
  • When experiencing the above symptoms, communicate the possibility of an air quality event with the crew, including the pilots.
  • It is essential to communicate with the pilots. If they don’t document an air quality/fume event in the logbook, Maintenance will not inspect the aircraft.
  • Different people may experience varying symptoms and severities. 
  • Symptoms of exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in engine oil and hydraulic fluid are similar to carbon monoxide exposure. It’s possible to mistake symptoms of VOC exposure for carbon monoxide exposure.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please visit the ASHSC Air Quality Subcommittee page on the AFA Alaska website or email us at airquality@afaalaska.org.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – November 2023

Scheduling Committee

  • Our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met on Tuesday, November 28 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to lineholder scheduling.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are experiencing with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.
  • Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to answer questions, provide clarification, or help to resolve any lineholder scheduling-related issues. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

On Tuesday, November 28, our AFA Scheduling 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 Heather Reier (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Kamako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also present were MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS Virginia Fritz.

The committee met with Managing Director Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Managing Director Inflight Operations & Crew Scheduling Allen Thieman, Managing Director Ops Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette, Director Inflight Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Manager Inflight Crew Scheduling Goose Hlaingmyint, Director of Crew Planning Mike Ostler, Manager of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, and other management representatives from Crew Planning.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on December 26, 2023.

Topics of Discussion

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

  • Regular presentation with some interactive elements focused on Reserve utilization and working over 90%. Some relief seen in October/November. The PowerPoint presentation showed data on flexibility.
  • Breakdown of Reserves used: decrease month over month, with 11.4% covering other sick calls and 49% covering line holder trips. Detailed Reserve breakdown provided.
  • Year-over-year absence rates are slightly higher but trending down. Flexibility with Threshold Sequence Number (TSN) and Personal Drops (PDs) helping. 
  • Premium numbers being worked on, holiday calendar impacting data. October 2023 showed premium isolation to Sundays with a drastic decrease in the number of trips.
  • Personal drops increased, with 7302 compared to 9206 last year at this time. TSN adjustments and more trips allowed into OT. November saw a significant increase in TSN trips, offering more flexibility.
  • Reviewed sick leave days compared to TSN and PDs. Interesting data on leaves and collective attendance.
  • Discussed reassignments and their impact. Reassignments tracking is manual. November reassignments drastically down. Last-minute issues can lead to reassignments for operational reasons.
  • Review of rotation and pairings to address high reassignments. Closer-in sick calls during summer months affected options and peers. Leveraging reserves affects utilization.
  • Highlights of winter operations progress: training new crew schedulers, deadhead reservation support, NOC risk management, IROPs support and resources, teaming/pairings, inflight hotline, and Crew Scheduling Mobile Comm.
  • Testing UAT for Inflight for Teams, encouraging real-time feedback. Go-live expected in mid-December.
  • Discussed January 2024 planning challenges. Seeking 651 Staffing Adjustment Leaves, considering additional solicitation. Reserve staffing anticipated at 20% with 75.4 line averages for the system.
  • Reviewed trip length distribution and ANC commutability. ANC commutability to be tracked separately.
  • Block hour comparison for Dec 2023/Jan 2024, down 12.5% due to the booking environment. Industry fare and cost structure analysis provided. Imbalance in departures and arrivals, optimization challenges.
  • Hotel improvements and teaming to improve recovery, encourage following each other. Focus on SEA, optimizing routes, aircraft, and profits. Open to discussions and potential changes.
  • Overall, the discussion covered various topics related to reserve utilization, absence rates, premium numbers, personal drops, reassignments, winter operations progress, planning challenges, and optimization strategies.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. NavBlue. The PBS Committee seeks feedback on how they can better assist flight crews with bid awards and understanding results. In-person and virtual meetings were available for this purpose.
  2. Pairings Survey. A survey on pairing construction is being discussed, along with the possibility of a virtual session or town hall. Meeting with management occurred June 5, 2023, with a follow-up meeting to be scheduled. No update or ETA yet.
  3. Teaming. Crew Planning is reviewing pairing construction and optimizing teaming to keep costs low and ensure crews (pilots/Flight Attendants) stay together for multiple segments. Currently, the system teams around 10-15%, but enhancements aim to increase it to 20-35% for winter operations. December pairings will reflect this change. Management will communicate about teaming. In December 2023, approximately 23% of sequences will be teamed together, while 52% of duty periods will be teamed.
  4. In and Backs. Network/Crew Planning is reviewing initiatives to restart operations when crews are stranded and flights are canceled. The 2023/2024 IROPs plan was reviewed by Alaska management in September/October, creating opportunities to clear flight schedules on the day of operations.
  5. Chime Communications. Flight Attendants may chat with crew scheduling via app/Microsoft Teams to reduce phone calls. Flight Attendant-initiated contact. Early stages of development, to be discussed with AS Labor Relations and AFA. Testing and implementation to occur in the next few weeks. We are working on a letter of agreement for implementation. 
  6. Crew Scheduling. Monthly review of PowerPoint presentations covering reserve utilization, detailed breakdowns, sick leave (week by week and YoY), premium, personal drops, and other relevant agenda items.
  7. Crew Planning. Monthly review of PowerPoint presentations covering subsequent month staffing, trip length distribution, Flight Attendant block hours, special initiatives (e.g., IROPs), commutability, and other relevant agenda items.
  8. ITS. ITS representatives join scheduling meetings to provide updates on NavBlue, Crew Access, internal systems, and Block2Block. Includes performance updates, data review, and future release information. 

We Want to Hear From You!

Do you have feedback for the committee, concerns you’d like to share, or items that you’d like brought up with management? Please let us know! Your Local Scheduling 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 Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Refreshed Inflight Mobile Device (IMD) Distribution

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Management has recently informed our Master Executive Council (MEC) that they are distributing new Inflight Mobile Devices (IMDs) to Flight Attendants with devices nearing the end of their lifecycle. The specific schedule for this distribution will be communicated by management separately. Flight Attendants with the oldest devices […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – September 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, September 23, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met in person at Alaska Airlines Corporate Headquarters to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), […]

Meet Our Pre-Merger Alaska Committee Chairperson & Representatives

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants We’re excited to introduce the first group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairpersons and Representatives for the upcoming MEC Officer term. They’ll begin transitioning into their roles over the next few months and officially start their terms on January 1, 2026. Below, you’ll find brief biographies that […]

Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2025

On Thursday, September 18, our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing efforts to represent our Flight Attendants and advocate for improvements in our workplace. Although our Inflight Service Committee has now merged, meetings with management continue to focus primarily on the Alaska or Hawaiian brands individually. This particular meeting was centered […]

Vacation Survey Closing Soon

There’s just 1 DAY LEFT to complete the crucial vacation survey that will help shape future provisions—your insights are essential for advocating the best outcomes for all Flight Attendants. The survey is currently open and will remain available until Wednesday, September 24 at 12 PM PT.

Recent Posts

News By Month

News By Category

AFA News Now Air Quality Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) AS/HA Merger AS/VX Merger Benefits Committee Committees Communications Committee Contract Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Council 15 SAN Council 18 LAX Council 19 SEA Council 30 ANC Council 35 SFO Council 39 PDX EAP/Professional Standards Committee Extension 2021 Blog Featured Government Affairs Committee Grievance Committee Hotel Committee Human Rights & Equity Committee Industry News Inflight Service Committee Inflight Training Committee JNC Blog Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Latest News Local Councils Master Executive Council (MEC) Membership Committee Membership Engagement Committee Message from the MEC President Mobilization Committee Negotiations Pairing Construction Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Press Releases Reserve Committee Retirement Committee Scheduling Committee Uniform Committee

Want To Stay In The Loop?

Stay up-to-date on AFA Alaska news and information by signing up for our email and text message updates. Click a button below to get started or update your preferences if you're already a subscriber.
Sign Up for Emails
Sign Up for Text Updates