Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

On Monday, July 13, our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in-person 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 pmAS), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Le’a Tupola (LAX/SEA pmHA), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and Kanani Vallot (SAN), and Matt Mitchell (HNL), 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 Hotel Support Specialist LaFay Williams.

Our next monthly meeting with management is scheduled for Monday, August 10.

Topics of Discussion

• Guests in Ground Transportation (pmHA): The Hotel Committee advocated for alignment on guest policies in ground transportation. Previously, pmHA Flight Attendants could not have guests accompany them in crew transportation, whereas pmAS Flight Attendants could. Effective immediately, guests of pmHA Flight Attendants are allowed to ride in crew shuttles, except in locations where only crew are permitted on the shuttles. Working crew remains the priority, and there must be room for them and their bags. Guests must never cause delay, inconvenience, or displace crew during transport. If there is insufficient room for your guest, please be prepared to make other transportation arrangements.
• Ad Hoc List Update (pmAS): Management uses a list of Hotel Committee-approved properties for relocations from our contracted crew hotels when necessary. Maintaining the list is no small task. The list is constantly evolving as properties are added (after site visits) and deleted (labor disputes, crew feedback, etc.). Previously, a single list was shared by both AFA and ALPA, but it has now been separated so that each union can elect the order of hotels they prefer. The Committee will update the list to incorporate the markets that were visited this year, then have the list posted to the Flight Attendant Website, as called for in CBA §34.A.6.b  
• Hotel Contractual Terms (pmAS): We continue to notice that items discussed with hotel management during on-site visits are not being incorporated into final hotel contracts. There are a variety of reasons why this has happened: the hotel overpromised during a site visit and didn’t follow through, API negotiated away offered amenities (free breakfast, F&B discount, etc.) to secure a lower rate for the company, etc. The Hotel Committee has been actively monitoring these discrepancies, as our final hotel decisions are based on what was presented as a complete package during the site visit. To put this into context, we recently conducted a JFK site visit to find a new short-stay hotel. A hotel was selected on the premise that the hotel-provided shuttle would run on demand for crew, instead of the published 30-minute schedule. The hotel backtracked on the on-demand shuttle, which caused us to break with that property and utilize an on-airport property instead. If you notice any discrepancy in a crew amenity that is published in MyCrewCare or the Hotel Hotline, please ensure you write a CrewCare report and contact your Local Hotel Committee if necessary.  
• City-Specific Issues/Updates:
  • RDU: There have been several recent write-ups regarding HVAC, noise, and the property’s condition. This market is up for renewal next year, but the Committee has asked that sourcing be expedited to find a suitable replacement.
  • BOS: There have been numerous reports of rooms not being ready for redeye arrivals, resulting in excessive wait times. This is unacceptable, as rooms should be taken out of service the night prior.  This has been escalated to Crew Hotels for follow-up.
  • SJO: We are still waiting for a final hotel decision in SJO. We have been told an update will be coming soon.
  • LIR: We are still investigating viable solutions to cut down on the transit time. We conducted another site visit to the market in June, but our top choice withdrew their bid shortly after the visit.  
• Ground Transportation Live Tracking (pmAS): Instructions for tracking ground transportation with participating providers have been posted in the July Informational Bulletin on TeamAAG. Additionally, it has been requested that this information be displayed in Crew Access and posted to Comply365 on the IMD. This should help Flight Attendants track their ride.    

What The Committee Is Working On

1. Conducting Hotel Site Visits: Our 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: The Committee is evaluating the need for additional site visits in 2026 and is getting a jump-start on the plan for 2027. The scheduled site visits through September 2026 are:
  • July: BZE, LGB (New Layover), BWI (Short), DEN (Short)
  • Aug: MCI (Short), CHS (Long)
  • Sept: YYC (New Layover), YEG (New Layover)
  • Oct: TUS (Short), OAK (Short/Long)
  • TBD: OGG
• Pre-Merger Hawaiian: The scheduled site visits through June 2026 are:
  • Aug: HNL, OGG
  • Sept: SMF

2. Hotel Gainshare Update (pmAS): There continues to be no update on the Hotel Gainshare program, same as last month. Negotiations remain stalled due to management’s concerns about federal tax implications. AFA International has provided a legal counterargument, and we are still waiting for coordination between AFA International and Alaska Airlines Labor Relations management. Our goal remains to reach a consensus and finalize program negotiations. We know many Members are interested in this program and will continue to keep you informed.

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.