This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants
On Tuesday, May 5, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Uniform Committee Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent Flight Attendants and push for improvements in the workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Kim Mazzolini (ANC), Dena Heath (SEA), Bob Moore (PDX), Slater Areno (SFO), Heather Holmes (LAX), and JP Perina (SAN). MEC Uniform Committee Chairperson David Jelinek was also present.
The committee also met with SFO Inflight Base Manager Cierra Lewis, SEA Fit Center Supervisor Ashley Sentner, Senior Director of Sourcing & Procurement Christine Wakayama, Alaska Principal Product Manager of Service Strategy Megan Low, and Brand Partnerships & Uniform Manager Janelle Bayne.
The next Quarterly Uniform Committee Meeting will be held on Thursday, August 13.
Topics of Discussion
The committee reviewed several topics both during internal AFA-only conversation and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:
- Discounted Hosiery on Zappos: Unfortunately, management’s contact at Zappos is no longer working there. They are trying to find a new contact. More to come.
- Compression Socks and Tights: Two companies that provide compression tights and socks (Discount Surgical and Compression Sale) have been added to the Perkspot website. For links to these companies and to see their product lines, check out Perkspot on Team AAG (Team AAG > HR/Pay/Total Rewards > Perks & Discounts > Employee Discounts – Perkspot).
- Patriotic Tie: is now permitted to be worn when working an Honor Flight. The uniform policy guide will be updated soon.
- Uniform Quality Concerns:
- The Committee raised concerns about how the fabric quality appears to have changed between pieces purchased at the uniform launch and those purchased in the last year or two. The fabric content is the same, yet they feel different, and the sizes run differently.
- Management has collected samples and is comparing those to pieces in the fit center. At this point, there will be no changes in manufacturing; however, they are trying to pinpoint the cause of the discrepancy.
- Uniform Compliance Checks:
- We are all aware of the ongoing uniform compliance checks. Management is focused on increasing compliance with the existing uniform policy among Flight Attendants in preparation for the upcoming new uniform launch. The Committee does not want any Flight Attendants to be issued Records of Discussion (RODs) or any other steps of discipline.
- If you are flying with a Uniform Committee Member, feel free to ask questions. If we see something that is not compliant and point it out, we are only trying to help you avoid a ROD. Feedback from a Uniform Committee Member is meant to help you avoid having a potentially negative interaction with a supervisor.
- The Committee believes there are some vague policies that lead to Flight Attendants’ own interpretation and conflicting responses from management. Prime examples are nails and hair. The Committee asked for a visual reference for nails and hair. Management states that one was published in a monthly newsletter a while back, and that examples are included in the uniform policy guide.
- Management states they have tried various approaches to get the workgroup on board with compliance standards, yet continue to see the same violations. Some of the most common violations they are seeing are:
- Transition jacket worn with dresses or during boarding. The transition jacket is not allowed with any of the dresses or during boarding.
- Noncompliant shoes and boots with Aura dress. Please refer to the shoe standards in the uniform policy guide and reach out to a supervisor or an AFA Uniform Committee Member with any questions before a compliance check.
- Hoop nose rings. Only a single nose stud, no larger than 2 mm, is allowed.
- Incorrect pin placement or too many pins. Please see the uniform policy guide for correct pin placement.
- Quarter-zip, atlas, and aura cardigans, without a shirt or shell under. Aura and atlas cardigans are considered layering pieces and must be worn over the shell or a blue button-up shirt. A quarter zip cardigan can only be worn over a button-up shirt.
- Management is starting crew check-ins with a focus on premium long-haul, Hawaii, and international flying. Check-ins will focus on multiple job aspects, including uniform compliance. Flight Attendants will be issued three RODs before moving to performance steps. If a uniform violation is not “fixable,” the Flight Attendant may be removed from their trip without pay.
- Management will be sending monthly reminders in base newsletters, with varying focuses.
- Wings:
- There is a trend of wings breaking and even arriving broken. Please inspect your wings upon receipt and let your supervisor know if any are broken.
- Flight Attendants are allowed to order four sets of wings each year, each style. Example: you can order four sets of standard wings and four sets of “Committed to Kindness” wings for a total of eight. Wings take a while to be produced and shipped, so order wings as soon as you believe you need them.
- Not having wings on your outer garment may result in a ROD during a uniform check. If you have wings on order and are waiting for them, let the supervisor know during the check. It will be verified, and a ROD will not be issued.
- Ordering wings after a ROD is issued, following a uniform check, will not remove the ROD.
- Wearing the children’s wings from the Flight Attendant Kit is not an allowable substitute, and management will issue a ROD.
- Wearing the gold wings from previous uniforms will also result in a ROD.
- Update on Inventory:
- What items are currently backordered?
- Pants: Tall modern pants in size 00 tall and 2 are low in stock. Pants ordered with a specific inseam are hemmed at the factory. There is low stock on some inseam lengths; however, unhemmed pants are available in all sizes. If an item says “no stock” on a specific inseam, order the size you need anyway, and Unisync will have an unhemmed pair of pants hemmed to your requested size.
- There are also some inventory challenges with short-sleeve Atlas blue shirts.
- What items are currently backordered?
What The Committee Is Working On
1. Easier Reporting of Quality Concerns: Management is working to add the ability to report quality concerns directly from your IMD in Comply365. We were getting closer; however, with the ongoing merger-related changes, it was pushed down the queue. An update will be provided when the tool is available.
To ensure issues are addressed until the new IMD feature is available, please submit quality concerns using the Quality Concern Form on Team AAG > Other Resources > Uniforms > Safety & Quality > Quality > Here [AAG SSO required]. This will enable Unisync and the AFA Uniform Committee to track recurring issues. Changes can only be made if the vendor is provided with sufficient data and evidence of quality concerns.
2. Policy and Standards Expectations of the New Uniform: The Committee and management are aware of the challenges ahead as we move forward with the new uniform and a global look. The Committee raised concerns about the expectation that a single workgroup will represent two brands. It was suggested that the design team for the new uniform meet with Crew Planning to discuss how our pairings are currently built and how Reserves are used for last-minute flights.
3. AFA Alaska Uniform Committee Page: The Committee is working to update the AFA Alaska Uniform Committee page with resources to help Flight Attendants, such as the maternity process, sensitivity uniform options, and links to other sites and policies.
4. New Uniform Wear Testing: The new uniform is still on schedule to launch in Q4 of 2028. The vendor is expected to be selected this month, and the process of developing the first wear test pieces will take place over the summer. The first wear test is expected to start in Q4 2026. The first wear test will focus on multiple fabrics and general fit and design. The following wear tests will narrow down the fabrics and designs and address any issues that come up.
Management has not yet provided information on how many wear testers will be needed. The Committee appreciates the enthusiasm of the Flight Attendants who have reached out asking to be wear testers. Until we have the details, we cannot anticipate the number of volunteers we will be able to use. Unfortunately, we cannot use everyone who has contacted us, but we will be reaching out in the coming months.
We Want to Hear From You!
Please fill out the Quality Concern Form on the Uniform subsite on TeamAAG with any quality issues. Additionally, you may email your Local Uniform Committee Chairperson.
Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management? Please let us know! Your Local Uniform Committee is your voice to management. You can find contact information on the Uniform Committee page of the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian website.
