Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 1st Quarter 2022

Inflight Service Committee

• Our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met on Wednesday, February 23 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to catering and onboard service/sales.
• The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft.
• Management continues to experience challenges in some locations that are affecting the correct loading on onboard catering supplies and retail products.  Please continue to report catering issues through Block2Block and safety-related issues through ReportIt!  

On Wednesday, February 23, our AFA Local Inflight Service Committee 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 Naomi Parcell (ANC), Ross DeJong (SEA), Todd Horn (PDX), Matt Voges (SFO), Johanna Thomas (LAX), and Chase Vandergrift (SAN).  Also present were MEC Inflight Committee Chairperson Stephanie Garnett and MEC Vice President Brian Palmer.  The committee met with Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder, Director of Product Development & Delivery Amber Simonsen, Managing Director of Guest Products Todd Traynor-Corey, and other management representatives from the food & beverage, catering operations, and inflight mobile teams. 

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed a number of items both during internal AFA-only conversation and when meeting with management.  Some items discussed include:

• Ongoing issues with coffee carafes and missing lids.
• New serving tools under consideration for testing.
• Current galley packing concerns and upcoming changes.  Recommendations put forward by the Committee on where garbage and recycling bags are being boarded and possible changes to allow for better access.
• Update on first class product changes for summer 2022.
• Discussion about inadequate trash stowage space on many flights given how full galleys and carts are loaded, expected service levels, and trash being brought onboard by passengers.  Management has made changes to free up some cart space based on Committee feedback, but issue is still ongoing. 
• Concerns about repeated main cabin beverage snack shortages and upcoming changes to how snacks are packed by catering that will help resolve the issue.
• Concerns with meal pre-ordering functionality on flights with “round robin” flight numbering.
• Discussion about management’s desire to restore pre-pandemic service levels.
• Review of recent changes to onboard streaming entertainment options and plans for 2Ku satellite internet installation on newly delivered aircraft.
• Review of March 2^nd catering changes, new products, and changes to service flow (beverage snacks with each service on LH and PLH flights).
• Update on catering operations and kitchens that are currently being utilized to load meals and supplies.  Request from the Committee to have extra supplies provisioned on catering trucks so that missing items can be corrected on-the-spot.
• Review of Inflight Mobile Device (IMD) issues and concerns, including cellular service connectivity issues.  Any issues with cellular service connectivity should be reported to management so that the vendor can identify and fix the issue.  Inflight management will communicate the process for reporting connectivity issues in an upcoming bulletin bundle.
• Update on upcoming Block2Block software fixes and improvements.

What The Committee Is Working On

1. Advocating for Adequate Trash Stowage.  Pushing management to make much needed changes to resolve onboard trash stowage problems through solutions such as dedicated trash carts in every galley on every flight and eliminating double catering.
2. Addressing Catering Errors and Shortages.  Escalating catering issues reported through Block2Block and other reporting channels, voicing Flight Attendant frustration with ongoing errors in catering provisioning and loading, and working to hold management accountable to fix the problems that make our job more difficult.
3. Reviewing Block2Block (B2B) Updates. Working to provide feedback to management on changes and improvements to the B2B app, focusing on ensuring that any changes are functional and that the app remains easy for Flight Attendants to use.

We Want to Hear From You!

Please continue to report any catering issues or problems with onboard service using the catering feedback function in Block2Block.  If you’ve experienced a safety-related issue, please submit a report through ReportIt!  Your reports provide the Committee with the data needed to continue pushing management for meaningful improvements in our workplace.

Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management?  Please let us know!  Your Local Inflight Service Committee is your voice to management.  You can find our contact information on the Inflight Service Committee page of the AFA Alaska website.