Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2025

On Thursday, September 18, our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing efforts to represent our Flight Attendants and advocate for improvements in our workplace. Although our Inflight Service Committee has now merged, meetings with management continue to focus primarily on the Alaska or Hawaiian brands individually. This particular meeting was centered on the Alaska brand. We’ll update you with a recap of the latest discussions regarding Hawaiian brand service soon. As we move forward, the Committee is dedicated to providing updates on both Alaska and Hawaiian brand services in a manner that reflects the context of each meeting, whether addressing each brand individually or together.

Representing you at the meeting were Naomi Parcell (ANC), Ross DeJong (SEA), Todd Horn (PDX), Raymond Ramirez (SFO), Johanna Thomas (pmAS LAX), and Andrew Malone (SAN). MEC Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons Chase Vandergrift (Alaska Brand), and Bianca McKee (Hawaiian Brand) were also present.

The Committee met with Senior Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder, Cabin Product Director Chris Dela Rosa, Cabin Product Director Evan Nomura, Director of Cabin Experience David Scotland, Director of Food and Beverage Products Mita Padhi, Manager of Food and Beverage Planning and Programs David Rodriguez, Principal Food and Beverage Programs Gracie Truex, Senior Food and Beverage Product Manager Jessica Johnston, Food and Beverage Planning Systems Managers Gayatri Watwe and Andrea Carns, Senior Product Manager Megan Low, Director of Catering Operations Andrew Moyer, Catering Safety Compliance Manager Raena Alonzo, Regional Catering Performance Manager Jayson Yang, IT Contractors Chris Pettigrew and Chris Daniels, and Managing Director of Products & Experience Mark Krolick.

The next committee meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 4.

Topics of Discussion

The Committee discussed several topics during internal AFA-only conversations and when meeting with management. Some of the items included:

Food and Beverage Product

• Premium Class Snack Basket Launch: The Premium Class snack basket is scheduled to launch on December 30. The Committee raised concerns about the launch date being between Christmas and New Year’s, a busy travel period during which key management may be unavailable should issues arise. The Committee also raised concerns about the basket being offered in Premium Class but not in First Class on short-haul flights. 
• Product Changes/Juice Provisioning: The Committee suggested swapping the extra cranberry juice in the main cabin beverage cart for extra apple juice. This change will be implemented on November 13, along with the introduction of new First Class wine, cranberry lime seltzer water, and blood orange hoppy water. Orange juice will transition from the current blend to 100% OJ beginning in mid-October.
• Specialty Cocktails: The Committee asked that any non-pre-mixed specialty cocktail or “secret menu” recommendations posted by the Company on social media include instructions for passengers to ask for the specific ingredients to avoid confusion for Flight Attendants. 
• New Product Launches: The base sits coordinated for the new serveware launch were very successful. These types of roadshows will hopefully be continued for future product launches, including the new Premium Class snack basket. 

Catering Operations

• Ice Quality in Seattle: Discussion involved the ongoing issues with ice quality and availability in Seattle, including melted ice, leaking bags, and the functionality and durability of the new ice cooler bags. While efforts have been made to improve the situation, management acknowledged that further progress is still needed.
• First Class Snack Basket Loading: Concerns have been raised regarding the improper loading of first-class snack baskets, especially on downline segments where the basket is not served on the initial leg. Management will explore the option of wrapping and labeling snack baskets or loading them into the meal carts to ensure that snacks are not missed.
• Single-Door Catering in Seattle: During single-door catering, only one cart should be positioned in the L1 door area. This cart should be moved to the side to allow crew access to the aircraft. Additionally, catering staff should have priority access to the row 1 area during pre-flight for positioning carts.

Cabin Product and Aircraft Interiors

• 737 Fleet Upgrades: Three 737-800 aircraft are currently flying with a new 161-seat configuration, featuring new exit rows, seats with tablet and cup holders, and USB-C ports. The retrofit program will continue through summer 2026. MAX 9 aircraft are being modified to add another row of Premium Class, with completion expected by Thanksgiving.
• Lavatory Placards: New placards clearly depicting trash placement have been installed in 737 lavatories. The “trash below” placard should be located on the mirror, and “no trash stowage” should be above the seat cover opening in the hygiene cabinet. If you notice any incorrect placement of these placards, please notify your Local Inflight Service Committee with photos and the tail number.
• Overhead Bin Placards: Row 2 overhead bin bag orientation placards are being removed from new MAX 8 deliveries and will not be installed on MAX 10 aircraft. Removal from the current fleet is backlogged due to M&E constraints.
• 800 Fleet Condition: Older 800s will be prioritized for cabin refurbishment, but please continue to report cabin cleanliness or carpet issues to the flight deck for maintenance so those issues can be addressed with deep cleaning programs.
• Lavatory Diffusers: A stronger diffuser for Salt & Stone soap (batch 2 arriving mid-October) will help with lavatory odors. Management is also exploring the reintroduction of deodorizing pucks, which are present on Hawaiian Airlines aircraft.
• Wi-Fi/Starlink Updates: Starlink will be installed across the entire Alaska and Hawaiian (excluding 717) fleets. Passengers will sign into their Atmos account for free Wi-Fi access. There will be no paid option, aiming to grow Atmos membership. Hawaiian fleet Wi-Fi will also require Atmos sign-in, with a Hawaiian-branded portal.
  • Deployment Timeline: E175s will begin in fall 2025, the mainline fleet will begin in spring 2026, and then ramp up significantly in fall 2026. New MAX 8 deliveries will be first, followed by 700s, and then the rest of the fleet.
  • Entertainment Shift: Free movies and TV shows will be phased out with free Wi-Fi, as testing showed passengers prefer using their own streaming accounts. Aircraft with existing IFE screens (A330, 787) will continue to offer stored content for longer-haul flights.
  • 787 Wi-Fi: 787s currently lack Wi-Fi. Boeing is working with Qatar Airways as the launch customer for Starlink on the 787-8 and 787-9. Alaska hopes to be the third airline, with a potential introduction before European service launch in 2026, though this is contingent on Boeing’s timeline.
• A330 Refresh: Ten of 24 A330 aircraft will undergo a “like-for-like refresh ” (new covers, cushions, and carpets) in 2026 to maintain freshness. A full cabin retrofit is planned for 2028, introducing new seats across business, premium economy, and economy classes. Seat selection is ongoing, with reviews in Honolulu and a decision expected next month. A330s will remain Hawaiian-branded.
• 787 Transition to Alaska Branding: 787s will be repainted with Alaska branding over winter 2025/spring 2026 for European service. New Alaska-branded duvets, mattress pads, slippers, amenity kits for First Class, and a small amenity kit with a rebranded pillow and blanket set for the main cabin will be introduced. Quality will be similar to current Hawaiian offerings but from Alaska-centered vendors.
• 737 First Class Calf Rests: Recaro has adapted a wide-body premium economy seat design for Alaska’s first-class seating, but unexpected engineering issues have led to problems with the deployment and stowage of the calf rests. A permanent solution requires a part modification and is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2026. In the meantime, management will monitor the situation and decide whether the calf rests need to be locked out until the permanent fix is implemented. A card for passengers with instructions on using the calf rest will be introduced. If Flight Attendants encounter stowage issues, they should apply firm pressure near the actuating arm while pressing the button to resolve the problem.

IMD and Block2Block

• iPhone 16 IMD Refresh: The refresh is underway with ANC completed and SFO, SAN, PDX, LAX, and SEA next. Devices targeted for replacement include iPhone 12s and 2000 iPhone 13s for Alaska (those held longest). Flight Attendants are encouraged to sign up for a time slot at their base if they are contacted regarding device replacement.
• Block2Block 2.0 HA Integration: Due to limited screen space, significant work has been done to display the wide-body seat map (A330 and 787) on the device. The display allows you to see the rows on both sides of each aisle and toggle between the left and right aisle views, with the center seats showing in both views. Special meals on the seat map on Hawaiian flights will be indicated with an “S” icon.

What The Committee Is Working On

1. Reykjavik (KEF) 737 Service: Reykjavik flights will introduce a new and unique international service level in both the forward cabin and premium/main cabin. This service will be offered from the limited 737 galleys, so it needs to be thoughtfully designed. The Committee will work with management to design and test this service before its launch.
2. Incheon (ICN) 787 Service: The Committee will continue to monitor the 787 service flow on the Seattle-Incheon route for areas of improvement. We will also work closely with management on developing the Alaska-branded long-haul service scheduled for launch next spring to Rome and London.
3. Galley Drawers and Top Drawers Revamping: A project to redesign and revamp the galley and top beverage cart drawers for Alaska-branded flights has been identified as a future priority.

We Want to Hear from You!

Do you have other feedback for the Committee or items 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 + Hawaiian website.