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Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2022

Reserve Committee

  • Our AFA Reserve Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, September 8 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, September 8, 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 Haley Hirsch (ANC), Conner Gallagher (SEA), Megan Zablan (PDX), Camile Caldwell (SFO), Kanako Yamada (LAX), and Rebecca Garcia (SAN).  Also present were MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation Jarod McNeill and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer.  The committee also met with Inflight Crew Scheduling Duty Manager Kiana Shaw from management.

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 the remainder of the year and next year.  Management has indicated intent to hire more Flight Attendants but specific numbers will be dependent on other company growth factors.
  • Anticipated return of service flights to Initial Training.  Management is still working out details.
  • Top causes of occurrences for probationary Flight Attendants.  Recent increase in issues with forgetting to check in for trips and APSB on Block2Block and requirement to physically be in base while on call during Reserve Availability Periods (RAP).
  • Support for probationary Flight Attendants through the Reserve Buddy Program.
  • Increase in requests for assistance with PBS and bidding.  The committee is seeking ways to provide additional training and support in this area.
  • Reminder to new hire F/As about AFA Alaska Online Support Center to report issues, raise concerns, or ask questions.
  • Increase in lineholders picking up reserve days which has resulted in some increased flexibility for Reserve Flight Attendants.
  • Review of the Master Executive Council (MEC) letter to management regarding proportional domicile staffing. 
  • Management staffing within Crew Scheduling.  Four new Crew Scheduling Supervisors will be hired to help support operations. 
  • Review of reserve utilization statistics.  Reserve coverage is anticipated to be at approximately 21-22% for the remainder of the year.
  • Request that management provide additional flexibility for reserve day shifting by decreasing the ARC maximum.  Management agreed to review possible changes.
  • Ongoing concerns with hotel information not being loaded into Crew Access by the time a Flight Attendant arrive in a layover city, despite management having several hours to arrange for the hotel.  Please report these issues through the AFA Alaska Online Support Center so that AFA representatives can follow up with management. 
  • Review of reserve-related scheduling issues that have occurred recently.

The committee is next scheduled to meet on Thursday, December 1.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. 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.
  2. Addressing Reserve Contractual Concerns.  Researching and investigating reports from Reserve Flight Attendants and actively ensuring that management is compliant with our contract. 
  3. Developing Additional Tools & Resources for New Flight Attendants.  Working to create a plan to provide more user friendly, easy-to-access resources about the CBA and other job-related information for new Flight Attendants.

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 find our contact information on the Reserve Committee page of the AFA Alaska website. 

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 2nd Quarter 2022

Reserve Committee

  • Our AFA Reserve Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, June 9 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, June 9, 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 Haley Hirsch (ANC), Conner Gallagher (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Camile Caldwell (SFO), Meg Casey (SFO), Kanako Yamada (LAX), and Joe Coneglio (SAN).  Also present were MEC Reserve Committee Chairperson Julie Thornton, MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation Jarod McNeill, and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer.  The committee also met with Inflight Crew Scheduling Duty Manager Nyxalyse Paul from management. 

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:

  • Ongoing concerns about low morale within our work group.
  • Review of upcoming update to Crew Access software and associated fixes to current issues and other improvements.
  • Update on topics of interest that were reviewed at the monthly Scheduling Committee meeting.
  • Review of reserve-related issues that have been escalated to the Scheduling Review Board (SRB) and Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes.
  • Update on probationary and new hire Flight Attendant concerns.  MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation Jarod McNeill has been in regular contact with Inflight Probationary Support Supervisor Kaliko Howell to review issues.  Most frequent issues causing probationary occurrences are late to plane and forgetting to check-in on Block2Block.
  • Review of contractual issues and requests to be referred to the Negotiating Committee for consideration.
  • Possible project to create new easier-to-follow and more concise resources for new hire Flight Attendants to use to better understand the CBA and other job-related information.
  • Review of reserve utilization statistics.  Reserve coverage is anticipated to remain at approximately 24-26% for the remainder of summer and lineholder line averages will likely stay near the contractual minimum of 75 TFP.
  • Ongoing concerns about the need for relief for reserve Flight Attendants.  Many Flight Attendants who are on reserve outside of SEA have been on reserve for many years with no end in sight.  Management indicates that their plan is to adjust ARC numbers to allow for increased flexibility.  The Committee would like management to offer additional ways to provide relief.
  • Review of management’s planned upgraded telephone system in Crew Scheduling, currently planned for implementation later this year.
  • Review of reserve-related scheduling issues that have occurred recently.

The committee is next scheduled to meet on Thursday, September 8.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. 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.
  2. Addressing Reserve Contractual Concerns.  Researching and investigating reports from Reserve Flight Attendants and actively ensuring that management is compliant with our contract. 
  3. Developing Additional Tools & Resources for New Flight Attendants.  Working to create a plan to provide more user friendly, easy-to-access resources about the CBA and other job-related information for new Flight Attendants.

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 find our contact information on the Reserve Committee page of the AFA Alaska website. 

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2022

Reserve Committee

  • Our AFA Reserve Committee Chairpersons met on Thursday, March 10 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, March 10, 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 Haley Hirsch (ANC), Conner Gallagher (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Camile Caldwell (SFO), Kanako Yamada (LAX), and Joe Coneglio (SAN).  Also present were MEC Reserve Committee Chairperson Julie Thornton, MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation Jarod McNeill, and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer.  The committee also met with Inflight Crew Scheduling Duty Manager Nyxalyse Paul from management. 

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:

  • Issues and glitches with Crew Access that are affecting Reserve Flight Attendants.  Review of where known issues are documented and prioritization for programming fixes.
  • Update on planned Flight Attendant hiring and initial training classes for 2022.  Starting with class 2022-03, class sizes have nearly doubled to 90 students each.  Larger class sizes will continue.
  • Review of contractual language related to new hire and probationary Flight Attendants (section 7)
  • Update on AFA Reserve Buddy program.  Reserve Buddies are very busy supporting new Flight Attendants.  Reminder to refer Probationary Flight Attendants to their Reserve Buddy for answers to questions about contract and work rules.
  • Review of reserve utilization statistics.  Reserve coverage will remain at approximately 20-21% during the 2nd quarter.
  • Review of reserve-related scheduling issues that have occurred recently.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Providing Support to New Flight Attendants in Initial Training.  Facilitating the new hire AFA presentation, Crew Access training, and PBS training as part of Initial Training and participating in base orientation after graduation.
  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.
  3. Addressing Reserve Contractual Concerns.  Researching and investigating reports from Reserve Flight Attendants and actively ensuring that management is compliant with our contract. 

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 find our contact information on the Reserve Committee page of the AFA Alaska website. 

Welcoming Our Newest Flight Attendants

Reserve Committee

  • We are excited to welcome our newest Flight Attendants to the line!  Operating experience (OE) flights for the first class of 2022 are finishing up, and some of our new Flight Attendants will start flying the line as early as this week.
  • With new Flight Attendants joining us, now is a good opportunity to brush up on some new hire related programs that haven’t been active for a while, such as Operating Experience (OE) and job familiarization flights.
  • Ensuring that our newest Flight Attendants have accurate and correct information about our contract and work rules is critical to their success while on probation.  If questions come up, please refer them to an official AFA resource or their Local Reserve Committee for assistance. 

We are very excited to welcome our newest Flight Attendants from class 2022-01, who will begin their flying careers at our Seattle base. The first day of their first bid month will be April 1, 2022, though some may begin flying as soon as this week through trip pick-ups or the New Hire Reserve program (see below).  Given that it has been several years since we have welcomed new Flight Attendants, we wanted to provide some information and reminders about how all of us can help our new Flight Attendants to succeed throughout the probationary process and their new careers.  

Operating Experience (OE) Flights and Check Flight Attendants

As a result of ongoing growth, AFA and management recently agreed to expand the pool of who is eligible to conduct Operating Experience (OE) flights (formerly referred to as Initial Operating Experience [IOE]).  In addition to Inflight instructors, the newly expanded pool of “Check Flight Attendants” also includes Flight Attendants who are members of the company’s Special Projects Pool.  Check Flight Attendants observe the new hire Flight Attendants, assume responsibility for ensuring that they are performing job functions correctly, and determine if they are proficient in essential safety duties.

The OE program has also undergone some changes that may be different than you experienced during your own OE/IOE or have seen in the past.  Among these changes are a requirement that the new hire Flight Attendants need to be observed performing certain duties and will take over the responsibilities of a designated working Flight Attendant position.  Check Flight Attendants will provide guidance to the new hire Flight Attendants on which position they’ll be assigned to work.

It is important to note that Check Flight Attendants are line Flight Attendants and not supervisors.  Their presence onboard is to facilitate the OE flight for the new hire Flight Attendants, but they are not considered part of the working Flight Attendant crew and will conduct themselves accordingly.  For more information about the OE program, please refer to the February 21, 2022 Weekly Bulletin Bundle (AAG sign-on required).   

New Hire Reserve & Trip Pick Ups

With most new hire classes, there is a significant gap between graduation and base orientation and the beginning of the first bid period when they begin sitting reserve.  During this period, new hire Flight Attendants who would like to begin working may do so by picking up a maximum of two sequences per section 7.J of our contract.  AFA and management have also agreed to a temporary contractual modification through August 2022 that allows new hire Flight Attendants to opt into a reserve schedule following base orientation through the day prior to their first bid month.

New hire Flight Attendants who opt to participate in the New Hire Reserve program may start sitting reserve as soon as the day after base orientation.  In addition, all new hire Flight Attendants may pick up a maximum of two sequences as provided for in our contract regardless of whether they choose to opt into the New Hire Reserve program or not.  More information about the program can be found in the New Hire Reserve Letter of Agreement (LOA).

Job Familiarization Flights

New Flight Attendants who are on Reserve will be assigned “job familiarization” flights as their first four sequences following Base Orientation.  The flights are intended to allow our new flying partners to gain practical experience and become more acquainted with their duties onboard the aircraft.  Specific information can be found in section 7.F of our contract. 

This contractual provision allows Crew Scheduling to assign job familiarization flights from Open Time up to three days prior to departure, sequences constructed by Crew Scheduling, Flight Attendant-to-Flight Attendant trades removed from the trip pool, or positions added as an additional Flight Attendant (“E” position).  The language also requires that Crew Scheduling avoid assigning new Flight Attendants to the “A” position.  As a result, you may see new Flight Attendants who are completing job familiarization flights assigned outside of the normal Reserve Assignment List (LTFA) process in order for Crew Scheduling to meet this contractual obligation.

Questions About Our Contract and Work Rules

Our newest Flight Attendants are sure to have questions about our contract and work rules that will inevitably come up in conversation. As they are on probation, it’s essential that they receive the most accurate and up-to-date information possible.  Though well intentioned, offering advice based on previous reserve experience or past contracts may cause issues for new Flight Attendants and result in unintended consequences.

When these questions come up, please refer our new Flight Attendants to an official AFA resource, such as the AFA Reserve Survival Guide, for more information.  The AFA Reserve Survival Guide is easily accessible on the IMD in the GoodReader app.  If there are questions that aren’t answered in the guide, please direct them to their AFA Reserve Buddy or Local Reserve Committee for assistance.   

Service Flights Removed from Initial Training

Our current new hire Flight Attendants are facing the additional challenge of having had service flights removed from the initial training curriculum by management.  This failure to provide new hire Flight Attendants with hands-on service training in our actual working environment potentially increases the workload and stress for all Flight Attendants, and AFA has voiced our objections to management over this change.  Some Flight Attendants have reached out to inquire about the possibility of additional compensation for providing on-the-job training to new hire Flight Attendants.  This topic will be referred to our Negotiating Committee for review and consideration in advance of our upcoming contract negotiations.

Patience, Understanding, and Kindness

Though classroom training can provide a firm foundation for the multitude of situations that we face as safety professionals, nothing compares to stepping onboard an aircraft and performing the duties of a working Flight Attendant for the first time.  Each of us was in this position at one point and relied upon our more experienced flying partners to “show us the ropes.”  Our newest Flight Attendants are looking to each of us to be patient with them as they learn, understanding when they make mistakes, and supportive as they navigate a career which is completely new to many.  Please join us in welcoming our newest flying partners and showing them the kindness for which we are known.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your Local Reserve Committee.  You can find contact information on the Reserve Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.

Before It Becomes a Grievance: Understanding ADR and SRB

Grievance Committee

  • When AFA and management disagree on a contractual issue, it doesn’t necessarily become a grievance right away.  Most times, there is an intermediate step taken to try to resolve the issue.
  • Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) brings together decision makers from AFA leadership, inflight management, and labor relations management to try to work the issue out.  Scheduling Review Board (SRB) is a similar process that involves AFA Representatives and Crew Scheduling management.  
  • If everyone can’t agree on a resolution, our AFA Grievance Committee can still file a formal grievance and address the issue through the contractual grievance process.

As we know, our collective bargaining agreement provides many protections related to our working conditions, pay, and benefits.  Our AFA Grievance Committee and other AFA Representatives work constantly to ensure that management is doing right by our Flight Attendants according to the language in the contract.  Sometimes, however, disagreements arise between AFA and management about how a particular provision in the contract should be applied or whether or not a contractual violation occurred in the first place.

Our contract provides an established process for handling disagreements such as these.  Section 19 [Grievance Procedures] and section 20 [Board of Adjustment] of our CBA, often referred to collectively as the contractual grievance process, outline the procedures for how disputes about contractual language and interpretation are handled.  But before a matter is referred to the grievance process, there is often an intermediate step taken to try to work the issue out with management.

Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process is intended to give AFA Representatives and management the opportunity to resolve issues more quickly and with more flexibility while saving on the expenses related to processing a grievance.  ADR meetings are held every two weeks and include the AFA MEC Grievance Committee and management counterparts in Inflight management and the Labor Relations department.  During these meetings, the group reviews each case and attempts to work through issues that would otherwise be forced to the grievance process directly.

Scheduling Review Board (SRB)

Alongside ADR is a parallel process that specifically addresses scheduling-related issues.  The Scheduling Review Board (SRB) meets once per month and includes representatives from our AFA MEC Grievance, Scheduling, and Reserve Committees along with Crew Scheduling management.  The goal of SRB is the same—work to resolve issues more quickly than the grievance process would allow while achieving the best possible outcome for Flight Attendants.

How Do I Know If My Issue Has Been Referred to ADR/SRB?

If you’ve reported a concern to AFA and the issue has been referred to ADR or SRB, the status of your ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center will show as “escalated to ADR” or “escalated to SRB” accordingly.  The AFA Representative assigned to your case will continue to be your point of contact and provide you with updates following ADR/SRB meetings.  Our MEC Grievance Committee also maintains a log of current and past ADR items that can be viewed on the Grievance Committee page of the AFA Alaska website (click the “view the ADR log” button under the ADR process heading).   

What If We Can’t Work it Out?

While an issue is being addressed through ADR or SRB, the time limitations outlined in the contract for when a grievance must be filed are placed on hold.  This ensures that the Flight Attendant and our contractual rights are protected as we try to resolve the issue.  If we aren’t able to reach an agreement with management that is acceptable to everyone involved, our AFA Grievance Committee maintains the right to address the issue by filing a formal grievance.

Questions?

If you have questions about the ADR process, don’t hesitate to contact your Local Grievance Committee Chairperson.  For any questions about the SRB process, contact your Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson or Local Reserve Committee Chairperson.

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – December 2025

On Monday, December 1, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in person in Seattle 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), and Kanani Vallot […]

MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation Interviews – January 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Do you want to help new Flight Attendants as they go through initial training and probation? Our MEC is seeking a dedicated and organized Member in good standing to serve as the MEC Reserve Committee Vice Chairperson—New Hire & Probation. In this role, you’ll be the primary […]

Pre-Merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairperson Election Results

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for the next group of pre-merger Alaska MEC Committee Chairperson positions to be elected for the upcoming MEC Officer term. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After […]

Merged MEC Committee Chairperson Election Results

During this week’s MEC Meeting, our MEC held interviews for our next merged MEC Committee Chairperson and Representative positions. We want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the available positions and their willingness to serve. After careful consideration and deliberation, the following candidates have been elected: MEC Inflight Training Committee Chairperson: Megan BrownMEC Inflight Training […]

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