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Pairing Construction 101

Scheduling Committee

  • Pairing Construction Process: The AFA Pairing Analyst and Company Crew Planners use metrics like hotel costs, layover times, and duty limits to build pairings each month, but the optimizer often prioritizes crew utilization over pairing quality or Flight Attendant preferences.
  • Challenges and Evolution: Changes in flight schedules, new routes, and the optimizer’s focus on maximizing duty days have led to less desirable pairings, though efforts are being made to reduce four-day pairings and balance costs with quality.
  • Selection and Reporting: Both the AFA Analyst and crew planners submit pairing solutions for review, with management making the final selection. The chosen solution is analyzed, and a detailed report is shared with flight attendants.

Introduction to the Pairing Process

Pairing construction is a complex process that occurs every month to create the work schedules, or “pairings,” that Flight Attendants will operate. A team consisting of four individuals—three Company Crew Planners and one AFA Pairing Analyst—work together to build these pairings. Karen Ferrell, our AFA Pairing Analyst and the Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson-Pairing Construction, is an Anchorage-based Flight Attendant who flies between 50 to 70 TFP per month, ensuring a deep understanding of the challenges and frustrations Flight Attendants face regarding pairing quality.

Several factors impact the construction of pairings each month, some of which are outside the planners’ control. Factors such as red-eye flying, additional destinations, or changes to flight schedules contribute to variations in pairing structures. One of the most significant influences is the optimizer, a software program that builds pairings with the goal of maximizing Flight Attendant utilization. Unfortunately, this often results in multiple-leg days and minimal layover times, provided the pairings remain contractually legal.

Role of the Optimizer

The optimizer plays a key role in how pairings are constructed. Its primary function is to maximize efficiency, often with little regard for factors such as layover time, pairing value, or quality of life for Flight Attendants. For instance, if the optimizer can create a legal pairing that includes multiple long workdays with short layovers, it will do so to maximize crew utilization. While planners can implement certain “locks” and “penalties” to influence the optimizer’s output, these adjustments often come with increased costs. Moreover, the undesirable pairings still need to be assigned to someone.

Evolution of Flying at Alaska Airlines

Many Flight Attendants express concerns about losing the type of flying they were accustomed to holding. However, the flying at Alaska Airlines has changed significantly over the years and continues to evolve. Changes to flight schedules, new destinations, and route planning decisions can drastically alter pairing structures. Small shifts, such as a flight’s departure time being adjusted by a few minutes, can lead to new connections and different pairing configurations.

The optimizer frequently utilizes these changes to build multi-day, multi-leg pairings, maximizing duty days for Flight Attendants without considering the quality or desirability of the pairings. Additionally, while total hotel costs are included in cost analysis, the optimizer doesn’t focus on creating high-value pairings or accommodating Flight Attendants who prefer “high time, more efficient” pairings. The focus remains on maximizing crew usage, even if it leads to more undesirable pairings.

Balancing Costs and Desirability

To address the issue of undesirable pairings, planners have started placing penalties on four-day pairings to minimize their occurrence. This shift represents a small victory in improving pairing quality. While cost savings are important, the company has recognized that pairing configurations designed to maximize utilization can result in greater long-term costs when undesirable pairings remain open, requiring additional resources to cover them.

In July 2024 alone, there were 47,120 individual flights, resulting in approximately 8,900 pairings across the system. With over 6,900 Flight Attendants spread across six bases, each with unique preferences for “desirable pairings,” it’s impossible to eliminate all undesirable pairings or cater to every individual’s preference. Desirability varies significantly, with some Flight Attendants preferring turns, while others prioritize long layovers, single-leg days, or commutability.

Role of the AFA Pairing Analyst

The AFA Pairing Analyst works closely with the Master Executive Council (MEC) to guide the pairing-building process. Each month, the analyst collects input from Local Executive Council Presidents (LECPs) and Scheduling Chairs on what constitutes “desirable pairings” for their bases. This input, often based on seasonal flying, helps to ensure that the greatest number of Flight Attendants benefit from the pairings. While this information is shared with company crew planners, only the top three requests from each base are typically considered.

When building solutions, the AFA Pairing Analyst analyzes whether the optimizer has naturally built any of these requested pairings. If not, the analyst may manually adjust the solutions, keeping cost constraints in mind. However, if the analyst’s solution is significantly more expensive than the company’s, it is unlikely to be selected.

Metrics Used in Pairing Construction

Both the crew planners and the AFA Pairing Analyst input various metrics into the optimizer to build pairing solutions. These metrics include:

  • Hotel costs and per diem
  • Aircraft swaps
  • Minimum and maximum layover times
  • Maximum duty day
  • Sit Pay
  • Soft time (e.g., minimum pay rules like Multi-day Sequence Minimum, Duty Period Minimum, etc.)
  • Penalties for trip length
  • Red-eye flights with End of Duty (no additional flying after all-nighter flights until after legal rest.)
  • Hard and soft locks for specific pairing configurations
  • Deadheads and other contractual or Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) requirements

These metrics are essential in shaping the final pairing solutions, with each party adjusting parameters to influence the results.

How Is a Pairing Solution Chosen?

Each month, the AFA Pairing Analyst and Crew Planners submit their pairing solutions for consideration. The Crew Planning department creates a cost comparison document that outlines the financial implications of each solution. While the AFA Pairing Analyst has input in the selection process, management has final authority over which solution is chosen.

For transparency, the cost comparison document is also shared with MEC officers, although it is confidential and requires the AFA Pairing Analyst to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to view it.

Post-Solution Review and Reporting

Once management confirms the selected solution, the AFA Pairing Analyst reviews the pairings for each domicile and writes a monthly pairing report. This detailed review typically takes two to three hours and includes a thorough examination of the final pairing configurations. After completing the report, the analyst forwards it to Crew Planning, which adds statistical information such as average TFP per duty period, average sit time, and other key metrics.

The finalized “Pairing Report and Statistics” is then distributed to Flight Attendants via Outlook, ensuring transparency and communication regarding the monthly pairing process.

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – September 2024

Scheduling Committee

  • On September 24, 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, September 24, 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), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes & Russel Rivinius (PDX), Kanako 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 Inflight Operations & Crew Scheduling Allen Thieman, Director Inflight Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Director Crew Staffing Nicholas Giles, Manager of Crew Planning Jeffery Hunt, Senior Manager Product Management Rick Mitchell, Manager Inflight Crew Scheduling Goose Hlaingmyint, Inflight Crew Scheduling Supervisor Matthew Trujillo, 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, October 29, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

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

  • Local Chairperson Reports
    • 3-hour sits at SNA with limited options for crew to break rooms.
    • Questions regarding Flight Attendant crew pay base sits and scheduling. Flight Attendant crew pay is visiting LAX and will attend other domiciles in the future.
    • Positive feedback on Uber codes for hotel accommodations linked to sits in excess of 4 hours.
  • Flight Operations
    • Ongoing issues with redeye flights to Texas, EWR, and Hawaii; numbers are decreasing. There is a lot of late night flying provided in the network.
    • Post-summer evaluation of 2-day HA flights.
  • Charter Operations
    • Issues with pre-cancelled charters and lack of operation.
    • Concerns about lack of transparency regarding ferry flights in bid postings. Flight Attendants should open up the bid to see the actual pairings. Only the live charter legs are listed in the charter bid header.
  • PBS and Bidding
    • October bidding observed as challenging for Reserves; protests noted.
    • Upcoming Navblue conference and software updates discussed.
  • Payroll and Compensation
    • Technical issues noted in payroll processing; specific concerns about Flight Attendants waiving pay under rest regulations.
    • Ongoing requests for clarity on reassignment policies and compensation structures.
  • Crew Planning Report
    • November Staffing Plan. Line averages projected at 76.5, similar to October but fewer Reserves.
    • Pairing Analysis. Review of pairing positions and trip distribution, with a focus on commuting challenges. SEA/ANC/LAX are the easiest commuting bases while SFO/PDX are the most challenging. 
    • Upcoming Changes. Potential schedule cuts due to the Boeing strike and a reassessment of leaves for January and February. There are no leaves planned for November or December.
    • Teaming Strategy. Flight Attendant/pilot teaming reintroduced for winter months, with ongoing analysis of historical metrics and trends.
  • Crew Scheduling Report
    • Absence Trends. Notable improvement in absence rates for lineholders; however, sick calls are increasing among lineholders. Lineholder absent rates over 14% on average.
    • Reserve Utilization. Reserve utilization at approximately 92.5% for August/September. Reserve absent rates are over 10% on average.
    • Scheduling Challenges. Issues with legal start times for early morning flights and the need for aircraft resting (RON). High Reserve utilization affects operational optimization.
    • Contractual Premium and Scheduling Flexibility. Discussion on the need for flexibility in pairing construction and scheduling, particularly regarding commutable trips and the impacts of sickness. There is a new slide where we review contractual premium and posted premium. This carves out a better picture of the operation and cost structure.
    • Fatigue Monitoring. Increased fatigue risk observed for Reserves converted to ER trips; discussions on better communication regarding fitness to fly.
    • Scheduler Updates. 14 new schedulers onboard, with several in training and others passing probation.
  • Hotel and Grievance Updates
    • Changes in JFK layovers discussed; Alaska covering redeye hotel costs that require payment twice for the rooms. There will be a possible hotel change and relocation in the near future. 
    • Arbitration for 8.M scheduled for the end of October.
  • Additional Reports
    • Crew Pay report highlighted a high volume of queries, with calls for better categorization and communication about pay issues. There are several inquiries that are submitted and not required. This backlogs the system. Please only file inquiries for the items listed in the drop down boxes or if your pay has not been appropriately reconciled by the 10th of the subsequent month.
    • Suggestions for a FAQ document and potential use of AI for payroll inquiries. 

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 PBS Subcommittee is working with management on PBS base sit budgets.  Management has the committee keep track of how money is being spent to assist flight crews with their bidding. We appreciate your participation in virtual and in person base sits. 
  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 Meeting Recap – August 2024

Scheduling Committee

  • On August 27, 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, August 27, 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), Rita Tillou (SEA), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Kanako 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 Operations Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette, Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Managing Director of Inflight Operations & Crew Scheduling Allen Thieman, Senior Manager Product Management RIck Mitchell, Supervisor of Inflight Crew Scheduling Matthew Trujillo, 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, September 24, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

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

  • Flights facing heat restrictions, blocked seats, and short runways have caused passenger revenue reduction and issues with commuting in multiple locations.  
  • Night rule violations where crews were exceeding 10:30 duty limits. A reminder that the night rule supersedes irregular operations. 
  • Overview of staffing leaves for October. Currently, there is no plan to offer leaves; the company plans to lower line averages instead. 
  • There are issues with Crew Access notifications showing blank schedules. This sometimes occurs when Crew scheduling is working to confirm a hotel on your layover. 
  • Concerns over pairing options due to reduced seasonal flying.
  • Demand for more commutable and longer trips from LAX instead of co-terminals.
  • We resolved some issues regarding trip removals due to jury duty and discussed the need to remind crew schedulers of the process.
  • Hotels in the bid packet.  In some cases, the hotels will relocate the crew due to unforeseen circumstances. In most cases, the hotel in the bid packet will be the location to which you are assigned. 
  • Reminder to review fatigue management protocols. For information, refer to the Letter of Agreement at afaalaska.org. We are seeing an increase in fatigue reports among reserves and line holders.
  • There is a need for improved communication regarding the Flight Attendant website and SharePoint updates. We ask Flight Attendants to report missing or broken links to AAG information technology services (ITS) or AFA.
  • There is a noticeable decline in block hours for October, with a 13% reduction.
  • Year-over-year analysis indicating a mix of sick leave trends across different bases.
  • Crew Scheduling has approximately five (5) new crew schedulers assisting with the operation.
  • Crew Planning is hiring for a few available positions, while pilot crew planning assists until those roles are filled. 
  • Base Sits. We are anticipating a new budget for 2025. The PBS Subcommittee will not do base sits in October, November, or December. If you need assistance with bidding, please get in touch with them directly or reach out to your Local Scheduling or Reserve Committee. 

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 PBS Subcommittee is working with management on PBS base sit budgets.  Management has the committee keep track of how money is being spent to assist flight crews with their bidding.  We appreciate your participation in virtual and in person base sits. 
  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 Meeting Recap – July 2024

Scheduling Committee

  • On July 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, July 23, 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), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Kanako 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 Operations Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette, Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Flight Crew Systems Support Sue Rawlings, Supervisor of Inflight Crew Scheduling Matthew Trujillo , 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, August 27, 2024.

Topics of Discussion

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

  • VO is view only. This code does not allow Flight Attendants to pick up the trip while scheduling works to resolve trip issues.
  • PO is pick-up only. This code is used on Sick leave make-up days. It should not be placed on trips.
  • AFA encourages crews to report safety concerns on any redeye flight where they feel fatigued or unsafe to drive home after flying. There are reports that some of these flights are delayed several hours into the early morning, and Flight Attendants are concerned about operating the flights. 
  • Flight Attendants continue to have issues with Crew Access and OpenTime. Management continues to investigate and question whether Flight Attendants use BOT programming. Using a third-party program or application is against company policy. 
  • If you are releasing from Deadheads, please request release before positioning. Flight Attendants are receiving points when they are not showing up as scheduled and performance is hesitant to remove points that are applied. 
  • Bidding for August was busy, with virtual drop-ins for PBS bidding assistance. Bid awards for August were smooth, with high coverage.
  • NAVBLUE expects another release for PBS bidding in the near future. 
  • September schedules: Management expects to decrease the block hours and have high vacation usage in the month. Budget talks for 2025 are underway. There will be no leaves in September. Flight Attendant pairing breakdown and statistics are being reviewed by management on their dashboards.
  • July sick leave tends to increase on weekends by around 14%, while during the week is 11%. Reserve utilization is still high every month. More premium pay on weekends and tend to see 2.0x rate of pay being applied. Management tracks year-over-year (YOY) and month-over-month (MOM) trends. 
  • Personal drops low. 
  • When Flight Attendants call in fatigued, their reports are reviewed, and the issues/concerns are addressed.  
  • JCTE update is expected on July 30, 2024. Communication from management on changes and improvements will be distributed.

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 PBS Subcommittee is working with management on PBS base sit budgets.  Management has the committee keep track of how money is being spent to assist flight crews with their bidding.  We appreciate your participation in virtual and in person base sits. 
  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 Meeting Recap – June 2024

Scheduling Committee

  • On June 25, 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, June 25, 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),Rita Tillou (SEA), Russel Rivinius (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, 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 Crew Pay Debbie Bakke, and other management representatives from Crew Planning and Crew Scheduling.

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

Topics of Discussion

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

  • In Portland, there is concern over the HNL layover construction for June extended to 3 days instead of 2. Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson plans reviewing July/August pairing construction to see if trips changed.
  • It was reported that there are Reserve issues with iPhones and privacy settings, specifically AT&T. Collaboration with MEC Reserve Committee and MEC Grievance Committee. As a line holder if you are experiencing issues, please open an AFA Online Support Center ticket.
  • Many of the bases said they don’t want to fly from domicile to Seattle and then work a Redeye flight. During pairing construction, AFA will review flights for duty start in Seattle to avoid other domiciles having to connect and fly these types of pairings.  The duty start would allow the redeye pairing to originate from the domicile it departs.  This could potentially impact the cost of the pairing solution. 
  • Potential missed calls for those with Wi-Fi calling turned on.
  • New Flight Attendants from the new hire classes are coming in and out of the ANC and there’s an increase in summer seasonal flying.
  • Unhappiness with trips and inconsistent redeye connections in Seattle.
  • Tickets being reassigned due to Flight Attendants not updating their profiles in the AFA Online Support Center.
  • The SFO base reports that they are seeing a high percentage of unproductive redeyes that are commutable. Would prefer to have more efficient flying or commutable on one end of the pairing.
  • Open Time failure and active grievance.
  • Revised vs reassignment language preference.
  • API failures with Flight Attendants and pilots causing hotel wait time issues.
  • The SEA base has several requests for nonstop PVR 2-day flights. The base is seeing reduction of 4k flying for the fall as management reduces the flying schedule. 
  • Busy July for PBS bidding with IT issues.
  • Bid awards for July using extra combinations to reduce seniority violations.
  • Bid protest for July considered normal.
  • Frustration with lack of updates from NavBlue and request for separation from pilots in meetings.
  • Future releases and installations for NavBlue, including fixes for pilots and Redhat 8 postponed. Both AFA and ALPA are tied to the program and this reduces our ability to install program updates for Flight Attendants. 
  • IT issues with password reset and plans to redirect their help.
  • There were several successful in person base sits around the system, including virtual sits and a new class virtual hour.
  • Bid awards viewing invitation and committee overview.
  • Selection of more expensive D run with the best soft lock ratio.
  • Advocacy for more productive trips and reduction in commutability.
  • Review and improvement of pairings in conjunction with sick calls.
  • Testing completed for JCTE 24.1.6 and trade analysis review.
  • Reduction in block hours for August, line average and reserve percentages.
  • Discussion on August pairings, trip distribution, and upcoming schedules.
  • We reviewed a PowerPoint with management tracking sick leave for lineholders and reserves, it shows year-over-year and month-over-month increases in absence rate.
  • Reserve utilization and sick call percentages per base.
  • Use of premium to reduce reserve utilization.
  • Thoughts on posting premium OT trips in advance and personal drops.
  • Increase in sick leave due to COVID in the Pacific Northwest. 
  • Ditching drills going into JCTE and being audited.

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.

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Celebrating Black History Month

February 1 marks the start of Black History Month in the United States—a vibrant celebration with roots dating back to 1925, when acclaimed historian Carter G. Woodson first introduced “Negro History Week” to highlight the remarkable achievements of Black individuals. In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford expanded it to Black History Month, calling on all […]

Never Forget: Honoring Alaska Airlines Flight 261—January 31, 2000 

On this day, we pause to remember and honor the anniversary of the tragic loss of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, which occurred on January 31, 2000. This heartbreaking event claimed the lives of all 88 passengers and crew on board, leaving an enduring impact on all of us. As we reflect on this tragic day, […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 11 – January 2026

The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) continues to make steady progress in collective bargaining sessions with management. Recent meetings have focused on refining contract Section 15 (Leaves of Absence). The JNC continues to incorporate the strongest language from both Alaska and Hawaiian agreements.

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