Inflight Service Committee Meeting Recap – 4th Quarter 2024

Inflight Service Committee

• Our AFA Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons met on November 12 to represent Flight Attendants’ interests related to catering and onboard service/sales.
• The Committee met with management to discuss and receive updates on issues and problems faced by Flight Attendants onboard.
• The Committee continues to work with management to address catering concerns and improve processes in the future. Please report catering issues through Block2Block and safety-related issues through ReportIt!

On Tuesday, November 12, our AFA 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), Raymond Ramirez (SFO), Johanna Thomas (LAX), and Chase Vandergrift (SAN). MEC Inflight Service Committee Chairperson Stephanie Garnett was also present.

The committee met with Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder, Principal Cabin Product and Experience Manager Chris Dela Rosa, Director of Food and Beverage Mita Padhi, Manager of Food and Beverage Planning and Programs David Rodriguez, Senior Food and Beverage Product Manager Jessica Johnston, Food and Beverage Planning Manager Gayatri Watwe, Director of Catering Operations Andrew Moyer, Senior Product Manager of Guest Products Megan Low, and Vice President of Guest Products & Experience Todd Traynor-Corey.

The next committee meeting is scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2025, with the specific date yet to be determined.

Topics of Discussion

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

• Management shared new amenities with the Committee, including Salt & Stone, a natural body care products company based in Los Angeles, and First Class blankets by Filson, a Seattle-based company.
• New beverages will soon be introduced, featuring an updated selection of wines and Hoppy Refresher, a non-alcoholic carbonated beverage made with hops and other flavorings from Lagunitas Brewery in California.
• Management is continuing to search for the ideal coffee carafe for serving.
• Management continues to actively seek out an improved coffee carafe for service.
• Reports indicate that passengers appreciate the specially designed First Class menu items created by San Francisco Chef Jew for the SFO-JFK-SFO route.
• The menu cycle has recently changed, and passengers are now being served new meal options.
• With the holidays approaching, we can expect to see holiday-themed cups and napkins on our flights soon.

What The Committee Is Working On

1. Onboard Service Handbook (OSH) Revisions. Necessary revisions to our Onboard Service Handbook in particular appendices A and B  for clarity of information.
2. Morning Beverage Snack For First Class. The committee formulated a request for an improved First Class service opportunity of a morning beverage snack. 
3. Testing New Coffee Maker Brew Basket. Inflight Service Committee Chairpersons will be testing a newly designed brew basket for our coffee makers on their regularly scheduled flights.
4. Working On Galley Loading Improvements. The Inflight Service Committee and management will jointly work on galley loading to accommodate new service initiatives.
5. Addressing Flight Attendant Comments and Concerns. The Inflight Service Committee Members continue to bring concerns from their peers to management. IT concerns are particularly important. 
6. Discussing Service Needs On Long Stage Length Flights. As we continue to add longer flights, discussions are taking place to make sure we will meet passenger needs

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 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.