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Council 47 Update – September 11: We Will Never Forget

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

September 11: We Will Never Forget

This week, we pause to remember the events of September 11, 2001, and the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day.

Twenty-five years later, the impact of September 11 remains deeply felt across our country and especially within the aviation community.

For Flight Attendants, that morning holds a particularly personal significance. Thirty-three of our fellow crewmembers went to work aboard American Airlines Flights 11 and 77 and United Airlines Flights 93 and 175, never knowing how profoundly that day would change our profession, our industry, and our world.

Their courage and sacrifice are part of our history as aviation workers, and we have a responsibility to continue telling their stories.

As we mark the 25th anniversary of September 11, Council 47 invites you to watch a special video interview with Council 47 LAX-based Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant Patika Berg, a former United Airlines Flight Attendant who shares her firsthand experience of September 11 and reflects on what that day meant for Flight Attendants and our profession.

Viewer Advisory: The video contains discussion and images from September 11 that some viewers may find difficult, triggering, or traumatic. Please consider your own well-being before watching.

We also recognize that this anniversary can bring back difficult memories and emotions. AFA EAP is available to provide confidential peer support to any Flight Attendant who may need it.

Today and everyday, we remember those who went to work and never came home, the passengers and families whose lives were forever changed, the first responders who answered the call, and especially our fellow crewmembers aboard those four flights.

Twenty-five years later, we continue to honor their lives, share their stories, and remember their sacrifice.

In Solidarity,

Josh, Paul, Beth and the Council 47 Leadership Team
47@afahawaiian.org

SEA Pulse Form (anonymous)
LAX Pulse Form (anonymous)
Council 47 SEA Committee Contact Roster

Council 43 Update – September 7, 2026

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Message from the LEC President

Aloha nui kākou,

I hope everyone is having a safe Labor Day weekend with your ‘ohana, and for those of you who are flying, wishing you and your crew safe flights throughout your workday.

For those of you from the island of Kaua‘i: We are working with the Company to monitor the effects and impacts of Hurricane Lowell to the island.

Please keep yourselves and your ‘ohana safe during this time and tune in to your Civil County Weather Alerts for more information. Should you need support, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us in the leadership as well as our AFA Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

With the Summer Season now ended and we are getting into Fall, I wanted to provide everyone with some updates on what we have been working on since taking office back in July.

Alaska 737-800 Interisland Flying

Since the announcement by the Company of the fleet replacement for our 717s and the supplemental flying by the Alaska Crews for interisland service next month, I have been engaged in many meetings with the Company to discuss this situation on behalf of our Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants.

My message to the Company has been simple, pointed, and stern to the fact that interisland flying belongs to us at Hawaiian Airlines.

As many of you may have heard in my advocacy for our jobs at the All Employee Town Hall, my stance on this issue is not denying the facts of the situation that we are in with the aging 717 fleet, but more so on the impact to our local jobs and the bid lines for our HNL base.

In an effort to approach this issue on multiple fronts, I have decided to activate our Local Government Affairs Committee that is led by Chairperson, Wilisoni Fatafehi and supported by Maria Kahele in meeting with Hawai‘i Legislators both in the State and County levels for support and attention in holding Alaska Air Group accountable for their commitments to both the employees and to the people of Hawai‘i.

Our Secretary, Soon Kim who has just returned from Baltimore from her Advanced Leadership Training was also active during her time in Washington DC in meeting with Senator Hirono’s Staff in bringing these issues to light as well.

On that same note, I too had a meeting with Senator Brian Schatz in person in Honolulu in a collective effort to ensure that the Company remains committed to maintaining our jobs and bid lines here in Hawai‘i, and the commitments to the communities in Hawai‘i.

These of course are efforts that require more discussions and meetings as this situation develops. We will continue to assess this situation as it progresses these next few months when the Alaska crews and its 737s begin doing a limited amount of interisland flying to help supplement our overall network in the islands.

The Alaska 737s will be scheduled primarily in the midday hours operating only three (3) roundtrip flights between Kahului (OGG) as well as Honolulu (HNL). Our 717 fleet and crews will still be operating normal schedules to the other islands including to Maui around the three (3) roundtrip flights that Alaska 737s and its crews will be doing beginning next month in October.

It is important for everyone to know that the 737s will be in the Alaska livery and will not be painted in the Pualani livery until such time we have a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) and our crews have completed transitional training on the Boeing 737s.

We double checked the bid lines to ensure no loss of flying will occur in October for our HNL base and that the Alaska 737s operating the three (3) roundtrip flights are supplementing the existing flight schedule. This means, that the Company is adding more flights to the existing interisland network by utilizing the Alaska 737s to do limited flying between Kahului (OGG) as well as Honolulu (HNL). This will allow the Company to focus the 717 utilization on the other segments and increase the flight frequencies between the islands and pull back the need to utilize the A321s for interisland flying and use them for North America flights where they are meant to be.

I want to assure everyone again, that we will be monitoring this situation closely to ensure that the limited flying remains limited, with no impact or loss to our bid lines in Honolulu. Should this change for whatever reason, I will be ready to direct our Grievance Committees both at the Local and MEC level to enforce our Contract to the fullest extent and protect our bid lines.

Pay Check Auditing

Since we’ve migrated over to a new payroll system back in January, I have been working closely with the Crew Payroll team, who are all legacy HA payroll employees to provide a breakdown chart on how to read your new pay checks and balance them to your hours flown.

I am happy to report that we have made that possible thanks to the efforts and willingness of the HA Crew Payroll team in putting it together.

This Pay Guide is now available via the Inflight Sharepoint Website under the ‘Crew Scheduling, Payroll & Planning’ tab.

Please see the images boxed in ‘yellow’ to access these documents to better help you read, understand and perform a self-check/balance of what you are being paid.

For any questions or concerns, HA Crew Payroll encourages you to reach out to them.

Please contact HA Crew Payroll: HA.crewpayroll@alaskaair.com

For those of you who have reached out to payroll before via email, please double check that you are emailing the correct email address. Since the Alaska system migration, like our Company emails, the HA Crew Payroll email has migrated over to the @alaskaair.com domain.

If your previous emails still has the @hawaiianair.com domain in the address, please discontinue emailing that address and use the one mentioned above.

Social Media Investigations

As many of you have been hearing, the Company is very strict on employees posting on social media while on Company Time, on Company Property and in Company Uniform.

It is important for everyone to know that while you are on-duty your priority is to your job as a Flight Attendant. Recording videos or making content onboard flights or on Company property and time puts you at the risk of being investigated and possibly disciplined for what you are posting.

My recommendation to everyone is to please be careful and aware of what you post and the content you choose to create, especially at work, on-duty and in uniform.

To be specific, when it comes to taking selfies and pictures of yourself and the crew in a professional manner, the Company has not had issues with that. But when it comes to recording video content or reels during the flight, even on break or simply going to work, the Company may have an issue with that as you are representing the Company by being in uniform or on Company property.

Doing social media is completely fine, but when you are at work, or in uniform representing the company, please use your upmost discretion when doing so and avoid having to go through a disciplinary investigation.

HNL Base Council Meeting + Meet the AFA Joint Negotiations Committee

We are happy to announce that we will be holding a HNL Base Council Meeting with updates from the Local Leadership and Committees with time for Q&A as well as hearing from the AFA Negotiations Committee for our JCBA with time for Q&A.

This meeting will be held in Honolulu on Friday, November 6th at the Airport Conference Center located on the 7th floor of the parking structure above Terminal 1.

There will be two (2), two (2) hour meeting sessions on that day.

1st Session – 0900HST – 1100HST


0900 – 1000HST – Local Council Meeting
Updates from the Leadership & Committees as well as Q&A

1000 – 1100HST – AFA Joint Negotiations Committee  

Meet and engage with the AFA Negotiations Committee:

Tim Green – JNC Chairperson, Martin Gusman – HA JNC Member, Jeff Fuke – HA JNC Member, Virginia Fitz – AS JNC Member, Heather Reier – AS JNC Member, Paula Mastrangelo – AFA Senior Staff Negotiator, Lea Franzoi –  JNC Support Representative

Break – 1100 – 1200HST (1-Hour)

2nd Session – 1200HST – 1300HST

1200 – 1300HST – Local Council Meeting 
Updates from the Leadership & Committees as well as Q&A

1300 – 1400HST – AFA Joint Negotiations Committee  

Meet and engage with the AFA Negotiations Committee:

Tim Green – JNC Chairperson, Martin Gusman – HA JNC Member, Jeff Fuke – HA JNC Member, Virginia Fitz – AS JNC Member, Heather Reier – AS JNC Member, Paula Mastrangelo – AFA Senior Staff Negotiator, Lea Franzoi –  JNC Support Representative

For those of you who have questions and are wondering about the state of the Joint Negotiations and its progress, I encourage you to come and attend in-person. Meet and engage in dialogue to get your information and updates directly from the Negotiating Committee.

As many of you know because the Alaska Air Group Headquarters are in Seattle, the Negotiations and the Committee are always there and are rarely in Hawai‘i as a whole.

I encourage everyone once again, to come and meet the entire AFA Negotiations Committee as well as your Local Leaders and Committee Chairs and stay up to date with everything going on in our Union! Don’t leave important information about our futures to gossip and rumor. This is the best way to get your questions answered and get your information from the source!

We will be sending out communications later this week and throughout the next two months leading up to Friday, November 6th.

We will be serving HEAVY PŪPŪ as we all know food is what brings us together especially in Hawai‘i.

I want to Mahalo everyone for keeping strong throughout this year and being steadfast in maintaining who we are as Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants. I know it’s been hard and enduring the struggles of navigating through the losses we are experiencing from the change of our service to our guests as well as the diverse flying that connected Hawai‘i to the world.

While things are constantly changing and may be inevitable, we will always remain who we are as Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants.

I will continue to push and advocate for our rights in our contract enforcement and ensure that our identity and culture at Hawaiian Airlines remains present.

The life of Hawaiian Airlines brand does not belong to Alaska Air Group or its shareholders. It belongs to us, the people of Hawai‘i. No matter what people say, Hawaiian Airlines will always be us and we to it. You can’t have one without the other.

I am proud to be a part of this legacy and will continue to be proud – as we all are – in being Hawaiian Airlines.

Continue to stay informed, and reach out to any one of us in the leadership or on the Committees.

Fly safe, keep each other safe!

Me ka ha‘aha‘a,

Kela Chong
LEC President
hnl.lecp@afahawaiian.org
Hawaiian Airlines Local Executive Council 43 – HNL
Association of Flight Attendants – CWA, AFL-CIO

Grievance Update – Delays: When Do We Drop

This message is for pre-merger LAX and SEA based Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Delays: When Do We Drop

Flight crews dealing with lengthy delays often ask the question: “When do we drop?”

For Flight Attendants, this generally means: At what point does the delay make us contractually unable to take the flight?

Delays and irregular operations can be layered and complex, and there are many different contractual provisions that may trigger removal from a trip depending on the circumstances.

This communication is focused specifically on one scenario: you have reported for your trip, your flight is delayed, and the delay may cause you to time out.

Other circumstances may involve different contractual protections or removal provisions.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All examples in this communication use a 16:00-hour maximum duty period because all current LAX and SEA flying is staffed with standard crews [Section 7.C.2.b.].

For flights staffed with an augmented crew [Section 7.C.2.d.], the applicable maximum duty period increases. Be sure to use the maximum duty period that applies to your specific crew staffing when calculating your Drop Time.

In Solidarity,

Council 47 Grievance Committee
47.grievance@afahawaiian.org

SEA Pulse Form (anonymous)
LAX Pulse Form (anonymous)
Council 47 SEA Committee Contact Roster

Drop Time

The “Drop Time” is the time at which the crew is projected to exceed its applicable maximum duty period and will no longer be legal to take the flight (also known as timing out).

During delays and while the “Drop Time” approaches, the First Flight Attendant and Crew Scheduling should remain in constant communication to ensure everyone is aware of the timeline and proper planning can take place.

If the boarding door is closed prior to your “Drop Time”, you are legal to take the flight.

Please also remember that reaching your “Drop Time” does not mean you have reached your maximum duty hours. If you are no longer legal to take the flight, you may still remain on duty and be used for duties such as boarding until you reach your applicable maximum duty hours. You are not released from duty until Crew Scheduling has released you.

🌴Los Angeles

For LAX Flight Attendants, there are two different calculations depending on the scheduled duty period of your pairing: duty periods scheduled at 14 hours or less, and duty periods scheduled over 14 hours. [Section 7.C.2.b and LAX LOA 1]

If your scheduled duty period is 14 hours or less, the basic calculation is:

Original Report Time + Max Duty (16:00) − Checkout (:15) − Bid Packet Block Time + :01 = Drop Time

14 hours or less Example:
07:00 Report + 16:00 Maximum Duty − :15 Checkout − 5:11 Bid Packet Block Time + :01 = 17:35 Drop Time
*be sure to convert time zones as necessary*

If your scheduled duty period is over 14 hours, the LAX Domicile Side Letter applies and the calculation is different. Your maximum duty is based on the duty period published in the bid packet plus two hours.

For these pairings, there is a much simpler way to determine your Drop Time:

Take the scheduled departure time of your return flight out of Hawaii and add 2:01.

Over 14 Example:
Scheduled LIH Departure: 12:00 + 2:01 = 14:01 Drop Time
*be sure to convert time zones as necessary*

🏔️ Seattle

For SEA Flight Attendants, the calculation is the same, with one key variable: checkout time.

  • Use a :15-minute checkout if your arrival does not require the crew to clear customs.
  • Use a :30-minute checkout if your arrival requires the crew to clear customs.

For a STANDARD CREW [Section 7.C.2.b], your basic calculation is:

Original Report Time + Max Duty (16:00) − Checkout (:15 or :30) − Bid Packet Block Time + :01 = Drop Time

Without Customs Example:

For flights without customs, the applicable checkout time is 15 minutes.
15:00 Report + 16:00 Maximum Duty − Checkout (:15) − 6hr11min Bid Packet Block Time + :01 = Drop Time: 00:35 AM (next day)

With Customs Example:
For a flight requiring customs clearance, the checkout time is 30 minutes.
16:15 Report + 16:00 Maximum Duty − Checkout (:30) − 10h45m Bid Packet Block Time + :01 = Drop Time: 21:01

***An extra Flight Attendant added for crew-to-load does not make the crew augmented. The crew is still considered a Standard Crew***

Overview Reminders

When experiencing a lengthy delay, make sure you know your:

  • Original report time
  • Max Duty [Section 7.C.2. Standard Crew]
  • Originally scheduled departure time [Bid Packet]
  • Scheduled bid packet block time [Bid Packet]
  • Current rescheduled departure time

Knowing these numbers will help you understand when your crew reaches its contractual limit and answer that familiar question: “When do we drop?”

These calculations determine the point at which you would be projected to exceed your applicable maximum duty period.

If the boarding door is closed prior to your Drop Time, you are legal to take the flight.

An extra Flight Attendant added for crew-to-load does not make the crew augmented. The crew is still considered a Standard Crew

FAQ

What is the “Drop Time”?

The “Drop Time” is the time at which the crew is projected to time out and be illegal to take their scheduled flight.

Where do I find the information needed to calculate it?

Your report time, scheduled duty period, and scheduled block time can be found in the current month’s bid packet. You Max Duty time is found in Section 7.C.2. for a Standard Crew.

Is everyone’s Drop Time calculated the same way?

No. Your applicable maximum duty, check out time and calculation can vary based on your domicile, scheduled duty period, type of flying, and crew staffing. LAX also has additional provisions under the LAX Domicile Side Letter.

Should I use the estimated delayed flight time for the Drop Time?

No. The calculation uses the scheduled flight time published in the bid packet, not the current estimated or anticipated flight time.

What happens if we reach our Drop Time?

If the boarding door has not closed by the Drop Time, the crew is projected to exceed its applicable maximum duty period and is no longer legal to take the flight.

Does reaching the Drop Time mean I am off duty?

No. You may still remain on duty and be used for duties such as boarding until you reach your applicable maximum duty hours.

Who should be monitoring this?

Flight Attendants should know their applicable limitations. As the Drop time approaches, the First Flight Attendant and Crew Scheduling should remain in communication to ensure proper planning.

Air Safety, Health and Security: Layover Safety – August 2026

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants

Layover Safety

Due to the unfortunate circumstances that’s befallen a Southwest Flight Attendant in our own backyard, we’d like to remind us all to maintain our situational awareness even when we’re on our layover.

Here’s a link from the recent AFA News in Review with some great suggestions and practices to ensure we’re all safe while
away from domicile.

Continue to watch out for each other .. and ourselves. Trust your inner voice – your intuition – and if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

Let’s all be SAFE .. at home and on our layovers.

In Solidarity,

Baron Lee
baron.lee@afahawaiian.org
HNL Council 43 Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Chair

Joint Contract Negotiations Session 18 – August 2026

This message is for both pre-merger Alaska and Hawaiian Flight Attendants

  • Our JNC met with management last week on August 24 to August 27 in Seattle; our next negotiation session is scheduled for September 8 to September 10
  • This session focused on Section 30 (Training) and its association to Section 19 (Grievance)

Negotiations Update

Our AFA Alaska + Hawaiian Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) met this week for four days of collective bargaining with management. The JNC met with management from August 24 to August 27 in Seattle, WA. At the negotiating table for this session were:

Representing AFA and our Flight Attendants  Representing Management
Tim Green, Joint Negotiating Committee ChairpersonAllen Thieman, Vice President of Inflight, Alaska
Martin Gusman, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberRyan St. John, Vice President, Finance, Planning and Investor Relations, Alaska
Jeffrey Fuke, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberJoe Wonderly, Vice President, Labor Relations, Alaska
Virginia Fritz, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberCarmen Williams, Managing Director, Labor Relations, Alaska
Heather Reier, Joint Negotiating Committee MemberKalani Sloat, Senior Director, Labor Relations, Hawaiian
Paula Mastrangelo, AFA Senior Staff NegotiatorMike Link, Labor Relations Program Manager, Alaska
 Karen Themelis, Senior Labor Relations Business Partner, Alaska

Your JNC met last Saturday and Sunday to resume our comprehensive review of the Reserve sections of both contracts as we continue to prepare for upcoming discussions.

On Monday, the company responded to our last Section 30 (Training) proposal. The Negotiating Committee evaluated past proposals that had been tabled to look for ways to settle any remaining issues. Both sides agreed to package Section 30 (Training) and Section 19 (Grievance), which had previously been tabled, in an effort to move negotiations forward. The JNC worked on both sections together in an attempt to resolve these matters.

Your JNC spent a significant amount of time working through those proposals, making changes, and working toward an agreement that would address the remaining concerns. The JNC completed multiple rounds of discussions to reach an agreement. While we made progress on a number of items, we were ultimately unable to reach an agreement with the company to close out these sections. Both Section 30 (Training) and Section 19 (Grievance) are still open for discussion.

Section by Section Progress

The Alaska CBA is being used as the basis of the joint contract for language purposes. Each section and provision from both contracts will be reviewed individually to incorporate and amend the strongest elements from each agreement.

Sections discussed in this session:

  • Grievance Procedures (AS CBA Section 19 and HA CBA Section 23)
  • Training (AS CBA Section 30 and HA CBA Section 26)

Sections in ongoing discussion:

  • Vacations (AS CBA Section 14 and HA CBA Section 18)
  • Sick Leave (AS CBA Section 16 and HA CBA Section 19)
  • Leaves of Absence (AS CBA Section 15 and HA CBA Section 17)
  • Insurance Benefits (AS CBA Section 23 and HA CBA Section 32)
  • General and Miscellaneous (AS CBA Section 24 and HA CBA Section 27)
  • Domiciles (AS CBA Section 28 and HA CBA Section 5, 14, and 27)
  • Commuter Policy (AS CBA Section 36 and HA CBA Section 34-28)

Sections listed below are on hold until discussions regarding future sections, which affect specific provisions, take place.

  • Seniority (AS CBA Section 6 and HA CBA Section 9)
  • Charters (AS CBA Section 33 and HA CBA Section 12)

JCBA Negotiations

As a reminder, here’s how JCBA bargaining differs from regular negotiations:

  • Not Section 6 Negotiations: Because our contracts are not amendable, we fall outside the regular Section 6 process.
  • Creating One Contract from Two: Instead of improving a single contract, JCBA talks are about building an entirely new agreement from two existing contracts.
  • Different Survey Process: The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) will send targeted “subject matter” surveys on specific contract sections.

For more information about the process please see Understanding JCBA Negotiations

What’s Upcoming

Our next session with management is scheduled for August 24 to August 26.

Why Vote?

As we continue our Government Affairs Focus Month, our attention turns to civic engagement and the critical role voting plays in shaping our day-to-day work environment. While many of us associate workplace protections primarily with contract negotiations, the laws and regulations that govern our aviation career extend far beyond the bargaining table. Watch: Why Vote? […]

Reminder: Don’t Miss Next Week’s MEC Town Hall!

Mark your calendar: Wednesday, September 23, is almost here! There’s still time to register for our Alaska + Hawaiian Town Hall and hear directly from your MEC Officers: MEC President Tim Green, MEC Vice President Brice McGee, and MEC Secretary-Treasurer Paul Ikioka. Join us for the latest updates and get answers to your questions. The […]

Reserve Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Thursday, September 3, representatives from our pre-merger Alaska AFA Reserve Committee met to discuss ongoing work advocating for Reserve Flight Attendants. Attending on your behalf were Ella Embree (ANC), Conner Gallager (SEA), Anthony Eskander (PDX), Meghan Casey (SFO), Kanako Yamada (LAX), and Rebecca Garcia (SAN). MEC […]

MEC Statement Regarding Management’s New California Timekeeping Policy

Management announced a major policy shift last night that, starting October 1, 2026, California-based pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants in SFO, LAX, and SAN will be required to take an additional and redundant step to record their time worked by punching in and out using a timekeeping system. According to management, this new procedure applies to […]

Celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month

Each year, from September 15 to October 15, the United States observes Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month, a vibrant and meaningful tribute to the remarkable contributions, history, and cultures of Hispanic-Latinx Americans. This celebration began as Hispanic Heritage Week, established in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson to recognize the impact and influence of Hispanic-Latinx communities across the […]

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