Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – May 2025

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Tuesday, May 27, our AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons/Representatives met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Heather Reier (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Kanako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). Also present were Council 15 (SAN) Local Hotel Committee Chairperson Kanani Vallot, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—PBS Virginia Fritz, and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones.

The committee met with Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Managing Director of Inflight Operations and Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Inflight Crew Scheduling Supervisor Matthew Trujillo, Manager of Crew Pay Debbie Bakke, Crew Hotels Specialist Nichole Turner, Manager of Flight Crew Systems Support Sue Rawlings and other management representatives from Crew Planning and Crew Scheduling.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet in person on Tuesday, June 24.

Topics of Discussion

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

PBS June Bid Period

• Bidding Trends: There was a noticeable repetition of “Prefer off” lines during the bidding process, where a single mention would have sufficed in most instances. Additionally, many questions were raised regarding new lineholder bidding.
• Bid Award: The June bid awards revealed relatively high lows at the ANC, SAN, and SFO bases, ensuring sufficient reserves were available.
• Bid Protests: Ongoing issues with incorrectly assigned reserve trip assignments have impacted bid awards. These issues were addressed and resolved during the bid protests.

PBS Base Sits

• The Subcommittee hosted PBS Base Sits in ANC in May, which assisted many new hires.
• Upcoming PBS Base Sits:
  • June 5-6: SEA
  • June 9: PDX
  • July 7 SAN
  • July 8: SFO
  • July 9 LAX
  • August 7-9: SEA
  • September 5 PDX
  • September 8-9: ANC
  • October 5-6: SEA
  • October 7 PDX
  • November 8-9: ANC
  • December 5: SAN
  • December 6: SFO
  • December 7: LAX

Pairing Construction

• Training and Development: Attended an advanced Crew Optimization class in Sweden, which provided insights into effective run analysis. 
• Attended the Crew Operations and Development Partners Forum in Sweden focused on upcoming sales and program advancements for products we can utilize or enhance.

Contract Implementation Update

• Holiday Pay: Challenges are anticipated regarding holiday pay for July 4. Flight Attendants should monitor holiday RON (Remains Overnight) and EOR (Extended Overnight Rule) statuses, as data pulls will be necessary. However, this process is not yet automated.

Information Technology (ITS) Update

• NAVBLUE Testing: Testing for version 25.1 is complete. Crew calendars are still under evaluation for requirements needed by the start of next year.
• Data Processing: There has been an increase in JCTE/Open Time trade volume, with 98.6% of requests processed in under 10 seconds.
• Release Cycle: The upcoming release cycle includes testing for reserve holiday and surface transport, with 4K and boarding pay planned for the following release. The default filter has been fixed, but the premium filter still needs adjustments.

Crew Pay Update

• Rainmaker Inquiries: In April, 1,514 out of 2,930 inquiries submitted were resolved, indicating some stabilization in inquiry volume.
• Categorical Adjustments: Unnecessary categories have been identified; a bulletin outlining what needs to be submitted has been issued, and plans are to streamline these categories in June.
• Sick Leave Issues: Two discrepancies regarding state sick leave bank management were noted. Affected individuals should contact pay analysts regarding conversion accuracy. The Committee recommends checking your state bank transfer to ensure no more than 40 TFP was transferred on May 1, 2025.

Crew Planning Update

• July Block Hours: Block hours are expected to increase by about 15,000 in July. Reserve staffing is 20.7%, with a projected adjustment of 107 leaves.
• Pairing Breakdown: Only 10 single 1-position pairings are currently being flown solo, ensuring crews fly together more than separately. There is a significant percentage of redeye flights across bases, ranging from 12% to 30%.
• Commutability Analysis: SEA, ANC, and SAN show favorable commutability for 3-day pairings, while SFO faces the most challenges.

Crew Scheduling Update

• Sick Leave Usage: Overall sick leave usage for May was at 10.3%, with notable increases over weekends. SEA and SAN reported the highest usage.
• Fatigue Management: There were 10 calls regarding fatigue issues from reserves and six from lineholders in May. The team is actively reviewing these concerns and working on mitigation strategies.
• Operational Adjustments: In May, 571 reassignments were noted, primarily due to recrewing in EWR. Adjustments are being made to taxi times and layover durations to reduce fatigue-related delays.

Additional Notes

• Transportation Adjustments: To align with CBA language, transit times will be adjusted based on the day of the week, varying on weekends. For more details, refer to the May 2025 Hotel Committee Meeting Recap.
• Drug Testing Reporting: Any concerns regarding drug testing should be reported through the ReportIt! system using a FAIR, which will be forwarded to the drug abatement team for resolution.
• JFK Operations: Adjustments to operations at JFK have been implemented. Ride shares are only allowed to pick up at Terminals 1 and 8 for after-hours drug testing, necessitating the use of the AirTrain for other terminals. Please coordinate with Crew Scheduling if you are being tested and need transportation.

What The Committee Is Working On

1. NAVBLUE. The PBS Subcommittee preparing for a new release of NAVBLUE. Once received they will test before the release is implemented. The Committee is also continuing to provide in person and virtual base sits so that all Flight Attendants may attend and get answers to all PBS bidding related questions.
2. Crew Scheduling. A monthly review of PowerPoint presentations covered various aspects such as reserve utilization, detailed breakdowns, sick leave (week by week and year over year), premium, personal drops, and other relevant agenda items.
3. Crew Planning. Crew Planning shared a monthly presentation about Pairing Statistics. Crew Planning is focused on anticipating increased block hours as the summer season approaches, with specific strategies to optimize trip lengths and identify commutability for flight crews. The team is also collaborating with operational analytics to develop dashboards that facilitate better decision-making and efficiency in scheduling.
4. Crew Pay. Crew pay is working on additional communications aimed at improving clarity and addressing the high volume of queries surrounding pay discrepancies. The payroll team is committed to resolving ongoing issues quickly to ensure crew members receive their compensation accurately and on time.
5. AFA Payroll Representative. The Committee has been advocating for a streamlined process to resolve outstanding pay issues for crew members efficiently. The focus is on ensuring timely compensation and improved communication.

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 website.