Scheduling Committee

• On May 21, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work representing Flight Attendants’ interests in lineholder scheduling.
• The Committee met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems Flight Attendants face with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.
• Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to assist with any lineholder scheduling-related issues. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help!

On Tuesday, May 21, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons/Representatives 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), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO),Melinda Jorge (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Kamako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also present were MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, and MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS Virginia Fritz. 

The committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Managing Director of Inflight Operations & Crew Scheduling Allen Thieman, Managing Director of Operations Staffing & Resource Management Brittany Audette, Director of Crew Staffing Nicholas Giles, Manager of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Senior Manager of Product Management Rick Mitchell, Director of Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Manager of Inflight Crew Scheduling Goose Hlaingmyint, Manager of Crew Pay Debbie Bakke, and other management representatives from Crew Planning and Crew Scheduling.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

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

• There are concerns about the decrease in Hawaii flying.
• PDX/SAN are facing challenges with Hawaii flying, including red-eye flights. There is also limited parking for planes in Seattle.
• Questions were raised about the July increase in Flight Attendants and the decision to grant domicile transfers, which caused SAN to increase and SFO to decrease.
• LAX is providing examples of issues with sit pay when Flight Attendants are assigned to pre-board, causing concerns about timely handling and violation of order of assignment. The parties are investigating. 
• There needs to be clarity regarding text notifications for trips before Open Time and discrepancies in Crew Access. This sometimes occurs when the next month is loaded into the system. 
• Some individual Flight Attendants are unsatisfied with the calendar view issue workaround. The calendar should actively work with the latest update and show the updated days under 90 seconds. 
• SFO lost 40 Flight Attendants in July, raising concerns about the base’s future. Management said there’s no plan to reduce the number of gates at this time, and they are hopeful business travel will pick up in the near future.
• There are concerns about Open Time issues from the April 16, 2024 system technical issue event.
• There are concerns about Open Time issues from the May 15, 2024 system technical issue event.
• Hotel wait times have improved compared to the previous month.
• Seattle had a shortage of one TSN in June. This issue has been referred to the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) process, and the TSN is updated to show 17 correctly.
• The PBS Subcommittee discussed bidding, bid awards, bid protests, and future releases. There are upcoming base sits in June.
• There are plans to increase the number of pairings and improve commutability.
• There are discussions about payroll issues, ITS updates, JCTE, and tap-to-pay adoption in Block2Block.
• There will be no more requirement to file for sit time and release adjustments in the next JCTE update when pilots manually adjust the block in times.
• Crew Planning discussed the increase in block hours for July, the reduction in SFO base block hours, and the impact of MAX delay on aircraft availability.
• Pairing selection for July focused on keeping flight crews together and adding soft locks.
• Commutability for July is best for SEA/ANC and most challenging for SFO/PDX.
• There are ongoing challenges with sick leave and absences for lineholders and reserves.
• Feedback from Flight Attendants includes the need for more productive trips, better scheduling, and increased TSN.
• Flight Attendants desire contractual language protections and an improved work environment to address challenges.
• Reserves are being highly utilized, and Crew Scheduling is covering flights saved by premium pay. However, we are seeing a reduction in lineholders picking up reserve days.
• There are discussions about premium trips, reassignments, personal drops, and fatigue.
• Hawaii flying has changed, shifting towards more transcon and Mexico flights.
• Crew Pay is conducting base sits and aims to attend all bases this year.

What The Committee Is Working On

1. NavBlue. The PBS Subcommittee is seeking feedback on how they can improve their assistance to flight crews regarding bid awards and understanding results. They provided both in-person and virtual meetings for this purpose. The next in-person PBS Training is planned for June 
2. Pairings Survey. There is a discussion of reviewing bidding data from NavBlue to see what kind of pairings Flight Attendants are interested in flying instead of sending out a survey. We will continue to review options. 
3. Chime Communications. To reduce phone call volumes, Flight Attendants may soon be able to chat with Crew Scheduling via app/Microsoft Teams. The chat will be for Flight Attendant-initiated contact only. The function is currently in the early stages of development and still needs to be discussed with Labor Relations management and our MEC. Testing and implementation are continuing over the next few weeks. We are working on a letter of agreement for implementation, which is still pending review. 
4. Crew Scheduling. A monthly review of PowerPoint presentations covered various aspects such as reserve utilization, detailed breakdowns, sick leave (week by week and year over year), premium, personal drops, and other relevant agenda items.
5. Crew Planning. Like Crew Scheduling, there was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that covered subsequent month staffing, trip length distribution, Flight Attendant block hours, special initiatives (e.g., IROPs), commutability, and other relevant agenda items. Statistics around teaming continue to be reviewed. Crew Planning continues to maximize pairing construction and optimizing teaming strategies to minimize costs and ensure that crews (Flight Attendants) can stay together for multiple segments.
6. ITS. Representatives from ITS joined the scheduling meeting to provide updates on NavBlue, Crew Access, internal systems, and Block2Block. These updates include performance reviews, data analysis, and information about future releases.

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.

Scheduling Committee

• On April 23, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work representing Flight Attendants’ interests in lineholder scheduling.
• The Committee met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems Flight Attendants face with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.
• Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to assist with any lineholder scheduling-related issues. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help!

On Tuesday, April 23, 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), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Kamako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also present were MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, and MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS Virginia Fritz.

The committee met with Managing Director Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Managing Director Ops Staffing & Resource Mgt Brittany Audette, Director of Crew Staffing Nicholas Giles, Manager of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Sr Mgr Product Management Rick Mitchell, Manager Inflight Crew Scheduling Goose Hlaingmyint, Manager of Crew Pay Debbie Bakke, and other management representatives from Crew Planning/Crew Scheduling.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on May 21, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

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

• Reassignments/Delays
  • FA’s seeing increase in Reassignments over past two months
  • Reassignments happening in base or after check-in with little notice
  • Delays on overnights reported close to report time
• Rest Concerns
  • Flight attendants who did not waive rest are frustrated that their check in is delayed to allow rest rather than the Flight Attendant being removed from trip due to short staffing
• Pay Issues
  • Trend in seeing delays in confirmation that corrected pay has been applied
• Trading Issues
  • All bases discussed the open tickets regarding the JCTE trading issues and calendar display
• Hotel Issues
  • Crews had incorrect information on pairings regarding their hotels creating lengthly waits for hotel rooms and short rest periods. All Local Scheduling Committee Chairs continue to fight for additional pay when applicable
  • Crews having non-contractual rooms
  • See Hotel Hotline for each hotel’s contract language as well as file an API report when issues arise
• PBS Bidding
  • Request that PBS in-person bidding continue especially with new classes arriving

What the Committee is Working on

1. NavBlue. The PBS Committee is seeking feedback on how they can improve their assistance to flight crews regarding bid awards and understanding results. They provided both in-person and virtual meetings for this purpose.
2. Pairings Survey. There is a discussion about conducting a survey on pairing construction, and there is a possibility of organizing a virtual session or town hall. A meeting with management occurred June 5, 2023, with a follow-up meeting to be arranged. However, there is no update or estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the moment.
3. 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. This is still pending review. 
4. Crew Scheduling. There was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that covered various aspects such as reserve utilization, detailed breakdowns, sick leave (week by week and year over year), premium, personal drops, and other relevant agenda items.
5. Crew Planning. Similar to Crew Scheduling, there was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that cover subsequent month staffing, trip length distribution, Flight Attendant block hours, special initiatives (e.g., IROPs), commutability, and other relevant agenda items.
6. ITS. Representatives from ITS joined the scheduling meeting to provide updates on NavBlue, Crew Access, internal systems, and Block 2 Block. These updates include performance reviews, data analysis, and information about future releases. 

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.

Scheduling Committee

• On March 26, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work representing Flight Attendants’ interests in lineholder scheduling.
• The Committee met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems Flight Attendants face with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.
• Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to assist with any lineholder scheduling-related issues. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help!

On Tuesday, March 26, 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), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Kanako Yamada (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, and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones.

The committee met with Managing Director Inflight Operations & Crew Scheduling Allen Thieman, Managing Director Inflight Operations Michaela Littman, Managing Director Ops Staffing & Resource Mgt Brittany Audette, Director of Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Director of Crew Planning Mike Ostler, Director of Crew Staffing Nicholas Giles, Manager of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Crew Pay Debbie Bakke, and other management representatives from Crew Planning/Crew Scheduling.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on April 23, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

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

• The popularity of 2-day DCAs and their new integration into 3-day trips.
• Advocacy for fewer red eye flights from certain locations and more 2-day non-red-eye flights.
• Questions about the efficiency of splitting certain flight legs into separate operations.
• The desire for an increase in co-terminal turns and more productive 2-3 day trips.
• Requests to reduce the number of 4-day trips and specific connections.
• Issues with Crew Scheduling and open segments related to pre-cancellations for like assignments. Open legs are reviewed in all domiciles.
• Concerns about the process of resolving issues with pay analysts.
• Flight Attendant confusion regarding accrued sick leave and its availability for use.
• Questions about the transportation of sick family/sick child calls on overnight stays.
• Challenges with internal AFA OS tickets and restrictions on advertising.
• Clarification needed on how screenshots work for combining and breaking apart trips. See labor memos related to screenshots on AFA website.
• Request for CSA to meet the plane instead of other company employees (Flight Attendants/Pilots).
• Increase in reassignments for line holders at report, impacting planned layovers.
• April Bid awards were quick and had no issues, published the following morning.
• Light April bid protest, one violation of junior line bidder seniority honored.
• NavBlue discussions about meetings, including weekly pilot calls and management calls.
• NavBlue future updates discussed, including transition to Red Hat 8 and AWS transition.
• NavBlue UAT testing and install of version 23.7.10 to PROD contingent upon bug fixes.
• NavBlue planning for password reset changes and removing IT from NavBlue logins.
• Mention of NavBlue future releases 23.8, 24.1, and 24.3.
• Discussions about pairing selection, analytics, and collaboration with crew planning monthly.
• Challenges with pairing construction and optimizing for quality of life.
• Request for improvements and review of Jeppesen’s optimization capabilities.
• Navblue released an update, no problems reported from users at this moment.
• JCTE release March 26, 2024, with Buddy Roster, screenshots to be published after implementation.
• Trade analysis shows increased trades in March, performance remaining steady for Crew Access.
• Database reindex scheduled for April 9, 2024 to improve trade analysis.
• June JCTE release will include historical data of processed transactions and ability to advertise for work.
• B2B tap to pay implementation coming soon, training sandbox in progress.
• Outage message to be sent regarding JCTE update and for future updates at the request of Flight Attendants.
• Christopher joined Inflight Crew Planning from Flight Ops, brings experience in aviation and used to work for JetBlue. Some management employees have expressed interest in retirement over the next year and assisting with integrating new members on the team.
• Block hours are increasing significantly in May, with LAX showing a reduction.
• Targeting 79.69TFP line average and 20.1% reserves for reserve staffing, we expect peak month in July for staffing.
• Trip length distribution remains consistent, some more commutable trips.
• SEA/ANC have best commutability for Flight Attendants, SFO/PDX most challenging.
• 5 MAXs mitigated in latter part of Spring, potential risk to reduce schedule.
• May bid month frequency to destination changes reviewed, Mexico flights shifting to Alaska and Transcon.
• E-175 stage length reduced, Mainline overnights added to park aircraft in outstations due to limitations in some of our domiciles.
• Remote parking/hard stand issues in Seattle, coordinating with wheelchairs and special services.
• Concerns with pre-cancellations, PBS bidding, and FCR when trips release into subsequent day.
• Absence rates increasing, Crew Scheduling goal to clean out Open Time daily utilizing reserves.
• Waived pay causing a burden on the rest of the Flight Attendant population, reassignments increasing. Crew Scheduling reports that Flight Attendants are waiving pay for alternative assignments but not picking up and this sometimes causes a ripple effect on the operation to cover the remaining open segments. 
• Reserve utilization at 82.2-92.9% January to March, month over month increases.
• Fatigue reports in March increased. Total of 42 fatigue calls with several days remaining till month end.
• Attrition seeing 5 ½ – 8 years of service, 50/50 commuter versus in domicile.
• Payroll to attend scheduling meetings, communication and response clarity needed on processes and inquiries.
• Quick reference guide requested for Inflight webpage information filtering for rainmaker and timelines to complete pay and query responses. There is a lot of information available but we don’t believe Flight Attendants are accessing the documents.

What the Committee is Working on

1. NavBlue. The PBS Committee is seeking feedback on how they can improve their assistance to flight crews regarding bid awards and understanding results. They provided both in-person and virtual meetings for this purpose.
2. Pairings Survey. There is a discussion about conducting a survey on pairing construction, and there is a possibility of organizing a virtual session or town hall. A meeting with management occurred June 5, 2023, with a follow-up meeting to be arranged. However, there is no update or estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the moment.
3. 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. This is still pending review. 
4. Crew Scheduling. There was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that covered various aspects such as reserve utilization, detailed breakdowns, sick leave (week by week and year over year), premium, personal drops, and other relevant agenda items.
5. Crew Planning. Similar to Crew Scheduling, there was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that cover subsequent month staffing, trip length distribution, Flight Attendant block hours, special initiatives (e.g., IROPs), commutability, and other relevant agenda items.
6. ITS. Representatives from ITS joined the scheduling meeting to provide updates on NavBlue, Crew Access, internal systems, and Block 2 Block. These updates include performance reviews, data analysis, and information about future releases. 

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.

Scheduling Committee

• On February 20, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work representing Flight Attendants’ interests in lineholder scheduling.
• The Committee met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems Flight Attendants face with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.
• Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to assist with any lineholder scheduling-related issues. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help!

On Tuesday, February 20, 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), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), 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, and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones.

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

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on March 26, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

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

• SWGCO – Completed communication about making up days in PDX domicile.
• Request for blocked seats for DH crews.
• Researching options for creating names for blocked seats.
• Concerns about nighttime flying and fatigue.
• Request from AFA for balance in Redeye flying.
• Confusion about commuter policy and handling of retimed charter.
• Discussions about ground commuting vs severe weather policies.
• Issues with pairing cancellations and pay adjustments.
• Requests for more consistency in pairings.
• Questions about crew pay adjustments and confusion.
• Safety concerns raised about long sit times on aircraft.
• PBS Bidding in February: Release 23.7.8 loaded, Bid Awards fast, Bid Protest normal/light.
• PBS Meetings: Updates on pilot calls, focus on prioritizing FA’s after pilot, new release installed with fixes.
• PBS Future Releases: Estimated in April, Base Sits completed with form to fill out.
• Pairing selection challenges and frustrations with changing targets monthly.
• Updates on SRB issues, night rule discussions, and new contract discussions.
• Updates on upcoming classes, probation completion, and graduation plans.
• Crew Planning for April: Staffing adjustments, commutability stats, and dealing with 737 Max delays.
• IROP recovery planning initiatives: Teaming with pilots, In and Backs strategy, and Ice Event post mortem details.
• Network planning updates: Redeye flying breakdown, route structure changes, and hotel arrangements.
• AFA seeks discussion on assisting Crew Schedulers in commuting training for Flight Attendants inquiring about air, ground commuting, and severe weather.
• Crew Scheduling management addresses challenges in scheduling, including high sick leave, reserve utilization, and flexibility levers. Notable points include premium low for February TFP, personal drops, and bulletin drops.
• Agenda items cover email format concerns with pre-cancels, debrief inconsistencies, and the need for improved communication with CSAs.
• Commuting issues are highlighted, emphasizing the importance of continued learning for schedulers and proper handling of commuter queries.
• Discussions on MBL processes, ground commuting delays, and the need for training to address disconnects in communication.
• Efforts to track and address commuter issues effectively are emphasized by Crew Scheduling and other team members.

What the Committee is Working on

1. NavBlue. The PBS Committee is seeking feedback on how they can improve their assistance to flight crews regarding bid awards and understanding results. They provided both in-person and virtual meetings for this purpose.
2. Pairings Survey. There is a discussion about conducting a survey on pairing construction, and there is a possibility of organizing a virtual session or town hall. A meeting with management occurred June 5, 2023, with a follow-up meeting to be arranged. However, there is no update or estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the moment.
3. 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. This is still pending review. 
4. Crew Scheduling. There was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that covered various aspects such as reserve utilization, detailed breakdowns, sick leave (week by week and year over year), premium, personal drops, and other relevant agenda items.
5. Crew Planning. Similar to Crew Scheduling, there was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that cover subsequent month staffing, trip length distribution, Flight Attendant block hours, special initiatives (e.g., IROPs), commutability, and other relevant agenda items.
6. ITS. Representatives from ITS joined the scheduling meeting to provide updates on NavBlue, Crew Access, internal systems, and Block 2 Block. These updates include performance reviews, data analysis, and information about future releases.

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.

Scheduling Committee

• On January 23, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work representing Flight Attendants’ interests in lineholder scheduling.
• The Committee met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems Flight Attendants face with scheduling, pairings, and bidding.
• Your Local Scheduling Committee is available to assist with any lineholder scheduling-related issues. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help!

On Tuesday, January 23, 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), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), 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, and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones.

The committee met with Managing Director Inflight Operations & Crew Scheduling Allen Thieman, Director of Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Manager of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, and other management representatives from Crew Planning/Crew Scheduling.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on February 20, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

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

JCTE Update

• Release 23.5 was released in prod, 23.7 is in UAT.
• Trades: 92.1% of 57,580 trades had a response time of less than 10 seconds.
• JCTE release coming in February.

Block2Block (B2B)

• Version 2.5 is in progress.
• Tap to pay feature.

Crew Planning Update

• March block hours increased by almost 19k compared to February.
• Staffing adjustment leaves offered for March: 173.
• Reserve staffing: Bases around 17% except Seattle around 20%.
• Review of trip length distribution, consistent with previous months.
• Commutability in March: SEA/ANC have the best commutability, LAX and PDX are the most challenging.

Teaming And IROP Mitigation

• Teaming FAs together and with pilots helped minimize cancellations.
• In and backs strategically scheduled to assist with recovery of cancellations.
• Teaming is not being used in spring/summer as the cost is too great. 

MAX Cancellations And Advanced Bookings

• MAX cancellations ongoing, no adjustments made for March pairing selection. 

Updates From Crew Scheduling Management

• Reserve utilization in January around 77%.
• Breakdown of reserve usage: 48% covering line holder sick trips, 15.9% reserve absences, 22% unused.
• Inflight YOY absence rate trending up, LAX/SAN trending down by domicile.
• Premium not issued since MAX fleet grounded, FAs picking up trips to cover operation.
• Flexibility impacted by unknown factors, no increases in TSN.
• Personal drops: 90 in January, 7 Bulletin board drops.

PDX SWGCO And Crew Scheduling

• 26 FAs couldn’t get to work and have FNS, each case will be reviewed.
• Efforts made for process improvement, high hold times during pre-cancellations.

Layover And Transportation Issues

• LAX crew had issues getting back to the hotel, will review and try to accommodate crews closer.
• Issues with single transportation and long wait times in CUN/GDL, to be reviewed by Crew Planning.
• Confusion about layovers at domicile vs hotels being provided prior to trips, clarification needed.

Withholding Trips, Pre-Cancellations, And FNS

• Trips withheld from OT, efforts to address the issue and ensure compliance.
• Discussion on pre-cancellation processes and FCR footprint, modifications planned.
• We are seeing an Increased number of FNS, clarification needed on contactability and communication procedures.

CHS-RDU Limo Times

• Request to review extensively long limo times in all locations. 

What the Committee is Working on

1. NavBlue. The PBS Committee is seeking feedback on how they can improve their assistance to flight crews regarding bid awards and understanding results. They provided both in-person and virtual meetings for this purpose. There are dates and times scheduled February 2024 for in person and virtual meetings to assist with bidding. 
2. Pairings Survey. There is a discussion about conducting a survey on pairing construction, and there is a possibility of organizing a virtual session or town hall. A meeting with management occurred June 5, 2023, with a follow-up meeting to be arranged. However, there is no update or estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the moment.
3. Teaming. Crew Planning is currently reviewing pairing construction and optimizing teaming strategies to minimize costs and ensure that crews (pilots and Flight Attendants) can stay together for multiple segments. Currently, the system teams around 10-15% of crews, but enhancements were made to increase this to 20-35% for winter operations. The changes were reflected in December pairings. Management provided communication regarding teaming. In December 2023, approximately 23% of sequences were teamed together, while 52% of duty periods were teamed. We didn’t receive any teaming information for January during the meeting today. For March 2024 pairing selection we did not utilize teaming.  
4. 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. This is still pending review. 
5. Crew Scheduling. There was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that covered various aspects such as reserve utilization, detailed breakdowns, sick leave (week by week and year over year), premium, personal drops, and other relevant agenda items.
6. Crew Planning. Similar to Crew Scheduling, there was a monthly review of PowerPoint presentations that cover subsequent month staffing, trip length distribution, Flight Attendant block hours, special initiatives (e.g., IROPs), commutability, and other relevant agenda items.
7. ITS. Representatives from ITS joined the scheduling meeting to provide updates on NavBlue, Crew Access, internal systems, and Block 2 Block. These updates include performance reviews, data analysis, and information about future releases. 

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.