Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – February 2025

Hotel Committee

• On February 10, our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to protect and improve the quality of hotel accommodations and ground transportation providers for Flight Attendants.
• The Committee met with management to discuss current trends and concerns regarding layover hotels and transportation.
• If you encounter problems or have positive feedback about hotels or transportation, please report it through the feedback function in the MyCrewCare app. Your feedback is crucial as it provides the Committee with essential data to support keeping high-quality hotels and push for change when conditions are unacceptable.

On Monday, February 10, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met for our first meeting of the year 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), Chris Cardenas (LAX), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), with MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson James Bozanich chairing the meeting. MEC Vice President Brian Palmer and MEC Vice President-elect Brice McGee also joined the meeting.

The committee met with Crew Hotels & Administration Manager Nichole Turner and Crew Hotels Support Specialist LaFay Williams from management.   

The next scheduled Hotel Committee meeting is Monday, March 10.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed several items during the meeting with management, most of which focused on hotel decisions and challenges in our layover markets. Some items discussed include:

• Van Times: It’s been reported that the van times for Flight Attendants and pilots have differed (by an average of 10 minutes) in certain layover cities, even though both workgroups use the same transportation. This discrepancy has caused Flight Attendants to arrive in the lobby earlier than necessary. We believe this issue may stem from an API processing error, as Flight Attendants and pilots have different report times. The Hotel Committee has submitted a list of affected layover cities to the company for correction. The only layover cities that should have separate van times for Flight Attendants and pilots are SLC, DEN, and ATL. If you notice any incorrect van times outside of these locations, please file a CrewCare report so that it can be addressed.
• Hotel Charges: Recently, there was an incident in LAS where a Flight Attendant accidentally spilled coffee on the bed sheets. Although this was obviously an accident, housekeeping erroneously reported it as damage, leading the hotel to charge the Flight Attendant a cleaning fee. The Hotel Committee successfully advocated for the reversal of this charge. Additionally, management has reported an increase in unpaid hotel bills for personal charges. Flight Attendants are responsible for paying any incidental charges incurred during a layover, including meals, beverages, and upgraded internet access. When personal charges are not paid to the hotel upon departure, the hotel contacts management for payment, which is then forwarded to the crew member. As a courtesy, API negotiates contracts that do not require crew members to provide a credit card for incidentals at check-in. Failing to pay your bill jeopardizes this courtesy for everyone and can impact our relationship with the hotel. This is a friendly reminder to please settle any outstanding personal charges before checking out.
• Document Depository: Management has presented a preview of a future cloud storage site for use by Crew Hotels and the Hotel Committee containing all information related to our layover hotels, organized by city. While AFA keeps records of many documents in our own systems (such as hotel bids, destination presentations, and inspection reports), the new hosting platform will allow the Hotel Committee to access company documents relevant to our layover hotels. Additional information will include financial analyses, hotel contracts, and ALPA’s hotel reports. This enhancement will provide a more comprehensive view of our layover hotels and better insight into how final hotel decisions were made.

What The Committee Is Working On

1. Conducting Hotel Site Visits: The Hotel Committee visits hotels that are being considered by management, advocating for selections that offer the safest and most comfortable layover experience for Flight Attendants. Currently, we have site visits scheduled in the following locations for 2025: AUS (February), SAT (February), LIR (February), MCO (March), STL (March), MKE (April), IAD (May), FLL (May), RSW (June), and SEA (June). Contract expirations, crew complaints, and cost-saving opportunities are the primary factors that trigger a market review. Depending on the outcome of this review, a site visit may be scheduled in that city. LAS has also been added to the sourcing list.
2. Ad Hoc List Review: The Committee’s review of the ad hoc list is ongoing, with a planned completion date at the end of February. Our crew hotels have been inspected, endorsed, and contracted. Occasionally, crews must be relocated for various reasons, such as known hotel blackout dates, planned property maintenance, fire alarm testing, or irregular operations. When our contracted properties are unable to accommodate crew usage, Crew Hotels and API refer to the ad hoc list for alternative accommodations. The Hotel Committee is reviewing this list to ensure that the listed properties continue to meet our standards.
3. Investigating MyCrewCare Reports: We are reviewing crewmember feedback and working to hold hotel and transportation providers accountable through management and API. Your direct feedback helps resolve issues and provides the documentation needed to support decisions on whether to continue with current accommodations or advocate for a hotel or ground transportation change.

We Want to Hear From You!

Don’t let any unacceptable experience with a layover hotel or ground transportation provider go unnoticed! Please report the issue via CrewCare so that it can be addressed. CrewCare is the only official way to report issues, as the Hotel Committee does not monitor social media channels.

Each CrewCare submission is forwarded to your AFA Hotel Committee, Crew Hotels (Alaska management), API and the hotel or ground transportation provider. This ensures quick action can be taken to correct the issue or fix it for the next crewmember. It also allows us to monitor hotel and transportation trends. You can quickly file a CrewCare report using the web app on your IMD home screen or by clicking here.

Do you have any other feedback you would like to share with the committee or any specific items you want us to bring up with management? Please let us know! The Local Hotel Committee is here to represent you and ensure management hears your voice. You can find our contact information on the Hotel Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.