Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – April 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Tuesday, April 21, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met in person at the Alaska Airlines Global Training Center in Renton, WA to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Rebekah Olds (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Kanako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, MEC Scheduling Committee—PBS Subcommittee Member Adam Clarey, and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones were also present.

The Committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Performance & Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Manager of Inflight Crew Scheduling Goose Hlaingmyint, Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Crew Planning Colin Beard, Senior Manager Product Management Rick Mitchell, ITS Technical Product Owner Nathan McFerren, Manager of Crew Pay Debbie Bakke, and other management representatives from Crew Planning, Crew Scheduling, information technology (ITS), payroll, and inflight performance.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, May 26.

Topics of Discussion

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

Announcements

• Upcoming Scheduling Meetings: May 26, June 23, July 21 (in-person), August 25, September 29, October 27, November 24, and December 29.
• Scheduling Review Board (SRB): The SRB will meet on the first of each month from May through December 2026.
• Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR): Scheduled out through October 8, 2026. Dates are on the MEC events calendar.
• JCTE Update: A new update is anticipated in May 2026.
• Pairing Selection Meetings: Scheduled monthly through December 2026 to discuss pairing selections.
• Flight Attendant Open Time Monitoring: Active monitoring will occur on the 16th of each month, with specific times set for each base.

MEC Committee Chairperson Report

• Crew Backlog Review: The status of the crew backlog is still pending. Need to schedule upcoming dates. 
• Crew Bi-Monthly Review: A review with ALPA is scheduled for May 21, 2026.
• Known Crew Access Issues: A review meeting is set for May 27, 2026.
• Rainmaker Crew Pay System: Meetings are scheduled for May, August, and November to address ongoing concerns.
• Fatigue Review Board (FRB): A series of meetings throughout 2026 will monitor fatigue-related issues.
• NAVBLUE Monthly Call: Regular calls scheduled through December 2026 will address operational updates.
• Personal Drop Report Process: Updates are being integrated into JCTE, with specific attention to the Alaska system.
• Pyramiding Pay Dispute: Discussions continue regarding issues related to over-duty and pay disputes.
• 4K Dispute: A grievance has been filed by AFA concerning compensation for redeye flights and the night rule.
• Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs): Ongoing discussions focus on various operational issues and self-help arrangements.

Local Committee Chairperson Reports

• PDX: Significant feedback regarding leaves with an emphasis on awarding low bids. Expressed concerns over what appears to be micromanagement in Block2Block (B2B) chat.
• SAN: An issue involving a pay premium for a reassigned Flight Attendant was highlighted, and Wi-Fi code errors were noted but did not require follow-up. If you experience errors with deadhead Wi-Fi codes, please contact Crew Scheduling. 
• ANC: Concerns about disappearing Flight Attendant schedules and pay errors were raised. This is a known issue, and Flight Attendants should contact Crew Scheduling if this occurs.
• LAX: Issues with four-day trips in Burbank and pay analyst errors were reported.
• SFO: Discussions centered on reassignment and compensation issues.
• SEA: Concerns about PVR cancellations and the need for improved communication were emphasized, along with reassignments and changing flying patterns.

PBS Subcommittee Updates

• Bidding Process: Increased bidding volume was noted in May, with challenges with some runs during SEA awards.
• Bid Awards and Protests: Workarounds for website issues were implemented, allowing bid protest submissions via email.
• Meetings: Various meetings were conducted, focusing on new initiatives and error messaging; the PBS system is now branded as “Skywise.”
• Other Updates: Ongoing testing for PBS systems is in progress, with notable issues addressed.

Pairing Construction

• Staffing Policy Changes: Effective for June 2026, management is reviewing the possibility of offering staffing leave for that month. It is the Committee’s recommendation that management not offer leaves at this time to provide relief to Flight Attendants. 
• June Pairing Selection: Agreement has been reached on utilizing the more cost-effective solution over other options for June. This includes considerations for hotel and transportation expenses, allowing for better financial management.
• Review of Trip Length and Distribution: There is ongoing scrutiny of the length of flying and trip distribution. The focus is on optimizing routes to reduce costs, particularly during the summer months when demand is higher.
• Processing 4 Position Pairings: The Committee is exploring the feasibility of processing 4-position pairings rather than the traditional 1- and 3-position pairings. This adjustment aims to enhance flexibility and improve crew efficiency.
• Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: A detailed analysis of the cost implications of different pairing structures is underway. The goal is to establish a more efficient pairing system that balances crew needs with operational demands.
• Historical Data Review: Historical data indicates a significant decrease in the viability of four-day trips. The Committee is analyzing how to increase the value of these trips to provide more flexibility for crew members.

Crew Pay and Planning Updates

• Crew Pay: An increase in inquiry counts in April was observed, along with a review of payroll trend data.
• Crew Planning: Upcoming June block hours total 347k, with significant discussions on trip distribution and staffing leaves. Line averages will remain around 80 TFP, while reserve coverage should be 20% system wide. 
• IROPS Mitigation: Various construction delays and adjustments to layover/connection times were discussed. The layover/connection restraints affect our pairings and what is available to bid. 

Crew Scheduling Update

• Sick Leave Trends: A decrease in sick leave usage was observed, with ongoing monitoring.
• Reserve Utilization: High utilization rates across all bases were highlighted. Seattle has the highest utilization rates. 
• Fatigue Reports: Reports are trending downward, underscoring the importance of successful fatigue management strategies. If Flight Attendants are fatigued, they should file detailed reports on the causes of the fatigue so the review board can make the most effective decisions and recommendations. 
• Feedback Mechanisms: Improved communication and issue reporting processes were discussed to enhance operational efficiency.

What The Committee Is Working On

1. Resolving Pyramiding Pay Disputes: Discussions are ongoing through the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) process to clarify payment rules for over-duty pay and day-off violations. Our Grievance Committee is filing grievances regarding several concerns with pyramid pay. These discussions are still ongoing with Labor Relations management. 
2. Vacation Bidding: Representatives from the Committee met with management to discuss the new vendor, AI Crew Solutions. It was determined that when a Flight Attendant either doesn’t hold a bid or forgets to bid, they will be allowed to bid in the 2nd round of vacation. The current process assigns slot 1 and slot 2.  We will provide educational material and information when bidding begins next year on the new platforms. Our next meeting is scheduled for March 12, 2026. We have additional meetings to discuss implementation and buddy bidding. We are currently testing and reviewing the User Acceptance Testing (UAT) environment. 
3. Flow Charts: These are posted on the AFA website to help guide you through contractual understanding and irregular ops here: 2025-2028 AFA Alaska CBA Reference Documents 01.26.2026
4. Block2Block (B2B) Contactability: Implemented on February 1, 2026. Please familiarize yourself with the contractual language and bulletin bundle. Every Flight Attendant must check B2B at the end of every duty period (not trip) and make positive contact if a message is sent prior to block-in of the last flight of the duty period per §8.Q.2.e.
5. Chime (Microsoft Teams): Implemented on February 9, 2026. This will allow Flight Attendants to contact Crew Scheduling for additional resources. Please refer to the letter of agreement and bulletin bundle.

We Want to Hear From You!

Whether you have feedback for the Committee, concerns to share, or items you’d like brought up with management – don’t hesitate to let us know. Your Local Scheduling Committee is here to be your voice to management. You can easily open a support ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or directly contact us using the information provided on the Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian website.