Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – February 2026

On Monday, February 9, our AFA Local Hotel Committee Chairpersons met virtually 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-pmAS), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), with MEC Hotel Committee Chairperson James Bozanich facilitating the meeting.

The Committee met with Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Crew Hotel and Administration Diane Szubert, Senior Crew Hotels Support Specialist Nichole Turner and Crew Hotels Support Specialist LaFay Williams. 

Our next monthly meeting with management is scheduled for Monday, March 9.

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:

Hotel and Ground Transportation Specific Issues (pmAS):

• BOS- One of our BOS hotels is charging $25 per microwave request. This charge was not conveyed during the site inspection, and Crew Hotels will follow up with the hotel for resolution. 
• KOA- There were a few reports of white, spider-like bugs in crew rooms in Kona. Although these are not bed bugs, the hotel has enacted hotel bed bug measures to ensure that these rooms are properly treated.  
• CMH- A crew was relocated to an airport hotel that is not a contracted property, which means that direct billing was not used. The Flight Attendant has since been contacted by the hotel for room payment for their crew’s stay. This was escalated to corporate accounts payable to rectify. 
• EWR (Transportation)- During the recent winter ice storms on the East Coast, ground transportation was adjusted in a few markets as a precaution to ensure crews arrived on time. In EWR, one crew arrived forty-five minutes earlier than necessary. We have asked that Crew Scheduling be more realistic with their transit predictions so as not to infringe on a Flight Attendant’s layover time.  Furthermore, the Hotel Committee was not notified of transit time adjustments.  

Group Booking Awareness (pmAS):

• Crew Hotels was asked to be more proactive in relocating crews when there are known group bookings at our layover properties that will result in a significant decrease in crew amenities.  

Self-Help Clarification (pmAS CBA §34.D):

• To better clarify both Flight Attendant and Company responsibilities when electing hotel self-help, a process plan is being developed for Flight Attendant reference. Additionally, training is being requested so that Crew Scheduling and Base Management feel empowered to authorize self-help when requested. 

What The Committee Is Working On

• Conducting Hotel Site Visits: The Hotel Committee conducts site visits on hotels under consideration by management to ensure that the selected options provide the safest and most comfortable layover experience for Flight Attendants. Market reviews are triggered by factors such as contract expirations, crew complaints, and cost-saving opportunities.  
  • Pre-Merger Alaska: We have been provided the site visit schedule for 2026, and it’s quite extensive. Additional site visits may be added due to the conditions listed above. The scheduled site visits through June 2026 are:
    • February: CVG, PHL, KEF
    • March: PSP, MKE, FAI, MIA
    • April: LIR, DFW, KOA, JFK
    • May: BOS, PHX, ATL
  • Pre-Merger Hawaiian: The following site visits are confirmed for 2026 so far: 
    • February:  FCO, SMF
    • March: LHR, SJC
• Hotel Gainshare Update: There is no new update at this time. We are still awaiting further information from our AFA International legal department regarding the tax implications raised by management. We will provide additional details as soon as they are available.

We Want to Hear From You!

Our Hotel Committee relies on your feedback, whether positive or negative. Please report via CrewCare (pmAS) or the FA Crew Accommodations Feedback form (pmHA), which ensures your experience with a layover hotel or ground transportation is addressed. These are the only official way to report issues, as the Committee does not monitor social media channels.

Each CrewCare and feedback form submission is forwarded to our AFA Hotel Committee, Crew Hotels (Alaska/Hawaiian management), API, and the hotel or ground transportation provider. This ensures quick action can be taken to correct or fix the issue for the next crew member. It also allows us to monitor hotel and transportation trends. Pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants 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! Your 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 + Hawaiian website.