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Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

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Pairing Construction Subcommittee

What Does This Subcommittee Do?
The Pairing Construction Subcommittee works with the company and the Inflight Crew Planning Department to build Flight Attendant pairings.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities
  • Regularly communicate with and provide updates to the MEC Scheduling Chairperson on the activities of the subcommittee
  • Meet on a monthly basis with the company and the Inflight Crew Planning Department to review problems and suggested resolutions regarding construction of Flight Attendant pairings and monthly lines of flying.
  • Maintain a permanent file for all local schedules for the use of the MEC Scheduling Committee.
  • Keep the MEC informed on all activities relating to the pairing construction process. When meetings or communications are due to unusual scheduling activities, a written report will be made.
  • Keep the membership informed of the results of the pairing construction process on a monthly basis throught the MEC Communications Committee Chairperson.
  • Solicit feedback from the membership regarding desired pairings, trip lengths, and types of flying through Local Scheduling Committees and advocate for such during the pairing construction process.
  • Discuss any problems occurring within the pairing construction process with the Local Scheduling Committee Chairpersons on a monthly basis and will provide any suggestions for remedy of problems to the MEC.
Why Would I Contact This Committee?

The Pairing Construction Subcommittee is available to help you with:

  • Questions about how pairings are built
  • Feedback about specific types of pairings

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Who Do I Contact?

For assistance, contact MEC Scheduling Vice Chairperson–Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell at karen.ferrell@afaalaska.org or your Local Scheduling Committee Chairperson.

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Subcommittee News

View the Pairing Construction Subcommittee news archives

Pairing Construction 101

Posted: October 25, 2024

Scheduling Committee Introduction to the Pairing Process Pairing construction is a complex process that occurs every month to create the work schedules, or “pairings,” that Flight Attendants will operate. A team consisting of four individuals—three Company Crew Planners and one AFA Pairing Analyst—work together to build these pairings. Karen Ferrell, our AFA Pairing Analyst and […]

[L-AS] November 2018 PBS Bid Awards

Posted: October 15, 2018

This message is for Legacy Alaska Airlines (L-AS) Flight Attendants Trouble with the November 2018 PBS bid award The Master Executive Council (MEC) was informed on Friday, October 12, 2018, that the wrong one-position (“D”) pairing file was loaded into NAVBLUE PBS.  That file did not contain all the one-position flights—in excess of 1000—requiring staffing […]

Pairing Construction 101

Posted: August 26, 2016

What is involved with pairing construction? Approximately one month prior to the bid month, Network Planning provides a Standard Schedules Information Manual (SIMM), which includes all of the scheduled legs in the system on a daily basis for FA 1-Position, FA Combi and FA 3-Position. Each of the legs are formatted as a single line […]

Introducing AFA Pairing Analyst Karen Ferrell

Posted: January 27, 2016

At the January meeting of the Master Executive Council (MEC) earlier this week, your MEC interviewed candidates for the position of MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson for Pairing Construction, commonly referred to as the AFA Pairing Analyst.  In total, four candidates interviewed for the position (one Anchorage-based flight attendant, two Seattle-based flight attendants and one […]

AFA Alaska MEC Pairing Analyst Interviews

Posted: November 24, 2015

Your Alaska Master Executive Council (MEC) would like to take this opportunity to thank Sherrijon Gaspard for stepping up to the plate as MEC Pairing Analyst for the last six months. Regretfully, she recently stepped down from her position due to unforeseen family circumstances. The MEC is now in search of qualified individuals interested in […]

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Tuesday, July 21, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met in person at Alaska Global Training Center 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), […]

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 17 – July 2026

This session, the JNC focused on refining the Reserve survey to ensure a comprehensive representation of member concerns. Significant progress was also made on Section 23 (Insurance Benefits), with proposals aimed at enhancing Flight Attendant protections and securing tailored insurance provisions. Additionally, productive discussions continued on Section 30 (Training). Further improvements are anticipated pending management’s response to our latest proposal.

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

On Wednesday, July 15, our Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) representatives met virtually to discuss ongoing safety concerns, operational challenges, policy updates, and workplace improvements impacting Flight Attendants across the operation. Representing you at the meeting were Deb Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), Kalin Lackey (PDX), Bradley Young (SFO and MEC ASHSC Vice […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

On Monday, July 13, our AFA Hotel Committee Chairpersons met in-person to receive an update about current layover hotels and transportation providers and discuss concerns with management. Representing you at the meeting were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA pmAS), Kelly Hepworth (PDX), Hilary Streem (SFO), Le’a Tupola (LAX/SEA pmHA), Brian Sherill (LAX pmAS), and […]

Alaska Management Announces Plan To Operate Boeing 737 Aircraft on Neighbor Island Flights

Earlier today, Alaska Airlines management announced plans to transition the neighbor island 717 fleet to Hawaiian-branded 737 aircraft by 2028. However, buried within that same announcement is a more immediate and concerning development: Alaska Airlines management intends to introduce Alaska-branded 737 aircraft, operated by Alaska Airlines crews, on neighbor island routes, with plans to operate […]

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