This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants
On Thursday, October 2, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) 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 Deb Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin Lackey (PDX), Brad Young (SFO), Carin Merritt (LAX), and Eva Gatus (SAN). Also present were MEC Vice President Brice McGee, Hawaiian MEC ASHSC Chairperson Kerri Ruiz, and Alaska MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple.
The Committee met with the Director Inflight Safety and Compliance Geri Jerritt, Director of Cabin Safety Angela Jones, Cabin Safety Manager Heidi Styley, Senior Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder, Manager of Inflight Safety Nicky Sagum, Maniging Director of Inflight Services Training Randy Katz, Manager of Inflight Policy and Procedure Kaliko Howell, and Director of Inflight Training & Standards Jesse Sexton
The next scheduled Committee meeting is tentatively scheduled to take place in San Francisco on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
Topics of Discussion
The Committee reviewed several items when meeting with management. Some items discussed include (items which are Security Sensitive Information are not included):
- Paper Clips Hard to Find and Use in a Decompression: Flight Attendants have difficulty quickly locating paper clips in the Flight Attendant Kits. Management is looking for solutions, including installing a Manual Release Tool (MRT) under each jumpseat.
- Do Lap Children Get a COB? The Carry-On Bag (COB) allotment is for each “ticketed passenger.” However, our contract of carriage says a diaper bag for a lap child is exempt from the limit. This does not align with the FAM, which says it counts toward the parent’s carry-on limit. Management will align the FAM with the Contract of Carriage.
- Unattended Passengers Waiting on Jet Bridge for Gate-Checked Baggage/Items: Passengers cannot be left unattended on the jet bridge while waiting for gate-checked items after deplaning. Unfortunately, Customer Service Agents have not always returned to the aircraft when Flight Attendants are ready to deplane. Management has been asked to audit to determine if Agents are able to comply with the requirement to return to the aircraft 10 minutes after the door opens.
- Two-Way Voice Communication: Passengers are violating the rules against using apps like Zoom and Teams for two-way communication during flights. Management will review and determine if more explicit instruction in the FAM and/or an announcement to passengers is needed. Note that listening only to meetings, etc., is permitted.
- Many Pet Carriers That Don’t Fit Under the Main Cabin Aisle Seats: Pet carriers weren’t fitting under the Main Cabin aisle seats (C and D), causing seating delays. Management updated the carrier size during the single operating certificate (COB) integration process. When this is followed and the requirement for carriers to be soft-sided is met, they should fit under aisle seats in the main cabin.
- Inflatable Item Restrictions: Passengers think they can use these items on board the aircraft. Management will ensure reservations agents know about the restrictions and will work to get the public-facing website to provide information on these prohibited items.
- Flight “Closed” with Passengers in Jet Bridge: Flights are being marked “closed” in Block2Block (B2B) while passengers are still lined up in the jet bridge. Inflight management will discuss this practice with Airport Operations & Customer Service (AOCS) to see if they can wait until the last passenger boards to close flights.
- Passenger Seating Position for Takeoff and Landing: The FAM lacks clear verbiage about the required passenger seating position for taxi, takeoff, and landing. Management will look at clarifying the policy to specify that passengers need to be seated upright and cannot be lying down during these phases of flight.
- Commingling Demo Kits with COBs in Overhead Bins: Forward demo kits on some aircraft are located in overhead bins without dividers, causing them to become buried behind passengers’ carry-on bags. Management will look at the possibility of adding dividers or moving the location of the demo kits to address this issue.
- Boarding Without Pilots: An aircraft must have power and lights to board without pilots. However, this is not well defined in the FAM. Can we board using ground service power, which does not provide power to interphones, etc.? Management will seek to align on a definition with Airport Operations & Customer Service (AOCS) and update manuals to reflect the shared understanding.
- Minimum Amount of Potable Water for Safety: There is no clear, standardized policy on the minimum amount of potable water required onboard for safety purposes. The Committee would like there to be a minimum required for dispatch.
- Add Absorbent Material to UPK: The Universal Precaution Kit (UPK) needs an absorbent material (powder or similar) to handle liquid biohazards effectively. A small broom and dustpan would also be helpful. Management will investigate what other carriers, including Hawaiian Airlines, use as absorbent material.
- Cleaners and Pilots’ Bags at the R1 Door: Bags left in front of the L1 door during deplaning can create a tripping hazard, interfere with the girt bar, and make it difficult to verify that the door is disarmed. Inflight management will coordinate with Flight Operations and Fleet Service to find alternative locations for trash bags and Pilots’ luggage.
- Seatbelt Extension in Exit Row: There is no procedure to verify a passenger’s seat location when a seatbelt extension is requested to ensure they are not in an exit row. Inflight Policy and Procedure will look at adding this to the FAM.
- CRS Booster VS. Medical Device: The FAM lacks clear guidance on the difference between Child Restraint System (CRS) booster seats and medical devices that function as boosters. Management will work to provide more explicit guidance about assistive devices (FAM Section 12.100, pgs. 107 & 108).
- CSA’s Pushing to Close the L1 Door When the L2 Door Is Opened and Being Catered: Customer Service Agents (CSAs) are pressuring to close the L1 door while the L2 door is open for catering, disrupting Flight Attendant door arming and creating safety procedure errors. Management will look at adding language to the FAM clarifying that “ready to close” also means catering is complete and all aircraft doors, other than one boarding door, are closed.
- Lack of Information in the FAM about Care Attendants: The “care attendant” section needs to be returned to the FAM.
- Megaphone Preflight Check: Megaphones are frequently found with dead batteries because a preflight check is not required. Inflight Safety and Compliance is working on adding testing of the megaphone by pressing the button and listening for an audible click.
- MAX 8 Headrests: The policy states that headrests should be lowered, but we wouldn’t want them lowered as low as they will go on the new Recaro seats, as the exposed headrest track could cause injury if the headrest ended up lower than the passenger’s head. The Committee has requested that the FAM make it clear that the headrest only needs to be lowered to be flush with the top of the seatback.
- Safety Announcement Updates (Crossbody Bags and Tablets with Keyboards): Safety announcements need to be updated to include specific instructions for stowing fanny packs and crossbody bags and clearer wording for tablets with detachable keyboards. Management is receptive to making these changes and will work to add language with the next announcement update.
Things The Committee Is Working On
- Working on integrating safety programs (ASAP, FRB, and LOSA) and Committee meetings and management.
- Reviewing and providing feedback on Recurrent Training (RT) content for 2026.
- Offering ongoing feedback on the MAX 10 galleys and various other cabin interior projects.
We Want to Hear From You!
If you’ve encountered any safety-related issues at work, you can help the Committee advocate for improvement and change by submitting a report. You can use ReportIt! to submit Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) reports, and fatigue reports. If you need clarification or assistance on what type of report to file, please get in touch with a member of your Local ASHSC.
Your Local ASHSC is always ready to represent your voice to management. Please don’t hesitate to let us know about any issues or concerns you want us to bring forward. We would also love to hear any other feedback you may have for the Committee. You can find our contact information on the ASHSC page of the AFA Alaska website.
