4.21.06 – (LAA) – Eleminating Open Replacement

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA Hotline for Friday, April 21, 2006. There are 3,975 American Airlines Flight Attendants on furlough and 10 members serving our country overseas. Please keep them in your thoughts.

APFA News:  APFA is in the final stages of working out details with the Company on a solution for their recent announcement to increase reserves for the summer by eliminating Open Replacement. We realize the importance this issue is to our members and we believe we are close to a resolution. We will continue to keep you posted.

As previously announced, Crew Resources is testing a change to the MU/II/L2/SM lists. As of April 3rd, Flight Attendants may add themselves to these lists only for the current day and the following four days. With this change, we anticipate a more realistic list of Flight Attendants wishing to fly on specific days, allowing flying to be proffered more quickly and reserve assignments awarded earlier. Please feel free to forward any comments about this test to [email protected].

Flight Attendants do not need to be on the list for each day they plan to fly. For example, if you are planning to accept an Option II trip that begins on the 4th, you only need to be on the Option II list for the 4th, regardless of the length of the trip. If it is a three-day trip, you do NOT need to be on the list for the 4th, 5th and 6th.

Beginning next week, APFA representatives will be contacting members who have flown sequences most impacted by the expansion of Simplification into and out of the following cities: AUS, ATL, Dallas Love Field (DAL), MCI, STL, PHL, PHX, and four Chicago and Dallas gates serving the aforementioned cities. APFA’s primary concern is the ability for FAs to obtain food during these duty periods and the impact Simplification has on cabin cleaning. Thanks in advance for providing your union with feedback in the event you do receive a call. With the recent WARN letters issued by AA for some groundsworkers and fewer employees to complete the tasks, Fleet Service workers are doing a great job of spinning plates to keep up with the demands of servicing all aircraft on the ground. Please cooperate with them and allow them to do their job.

The APFA National Ballot Committee (NBC) mailed out Willingness-to Serve Notifications for Vice-Chairperson to Flight Attendants based at BOS-I and LGA on April 18, 2006. Questions regarding the elections should be directed to the NBC at (817) 540-0108, ext.8311. If you would like to email them, the address is [email protected].

APFA Retirement Specialist Jill Frank Smoak continues her seminars next month. This week, Jill conducted three seminars – two in Dallas and one in San Francisco – and there were a total of 226 F/As in attendance. These Retirement Seminars are specific to Flight Attendants and are open to all F/As regardless of base. Please make reservations as outlined below if you plan to attend.

On May 8, the retirement seminar will be held at DCA Airport from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Ramp Managers Conference Room. Reserve with the DCA Manager On Duty at 703-419-6523.

On May 17, Jill will be in STL from noon to 2:00 p.m. In order to accommodate all STL FAs who are eligible for retirement, this session will be held in the Joann Wayne Room located outside of security. Again, due to the room size we are requiring reservations – please leave a VM for APFA STL Chair Greg Bertolini at 817-540-0108, ext. 8445 to reserve your spot.

On May 23, Jill will be in BOS. The seminar is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. in the Flight Service Conference Room. Please contact the BOS MOD at 617-634-5351.

If you plan to attend a retirement seminar please go to JETNET, and follow this path: BENEFITS, RETIREMENT PLANNING, MY PENSION, REQUEST/VIEW ESTIMATES and create then print an estimate. On the estimate page, there is a highlighted link called PLAN CALCULATION FORMULAS. Open the link, print out the information and bring both documents with you to the seminar. If you are eligible to retire and unable to access JETNET please call HR at 800-447-2000 extension 5 and request a pension estimate be sent to your home.

Recently, primarily due to fiscal restraints, the field offices of both the ORD/IOR and LAX/LAX-I were closed. In accordance with APFA policy, the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas Ft. Worth have the right to maintain  field offices. Currently, only DFW has an active operating APFA field office.

Each day, the cyclists involved in the Airline Ride Across America honor one of the 33 crewmembers who lost their lives on the four flights that crashed on September 11, 2001. The ride began on April 2nd in Los Angeles, and will conclude on May 9th at the Pentagon.

Please visit airlineride.org for more information on how you can participate or donate to this cause. Proceeds will go to the three flight crew memorials being constructed in honor of the crewmembers that died.

Rumor Control: Last week we addressed the issue of “givebacks” to workgroups on the property. One Flight Attendant wrote, “Why aren’t the Flight Attendants getting givebacks since I hear the pilots are getting everything they gave up from ’03 in pay?” The facts are that all of the workgroups on this property are getting 1.5% on May 1st of this year, next year and the year after as negotiated in each of the three Contracts. Last year, all three unions received exactly 1.5% in pay increases as negotiated in all of our contracts. Hope this clears any rumors up that another workgroup is getting something back and we are not.

Industry News: It’s earnings season for the airlines – This week AA was the first airline to report its first quarter financial results with a $92M net loss; $70M less than the loss from the same quarter last year. American posted a $115M operating profit for its first quarter, up $23M from last year in the same quarter. Furthermore, AA met the requirement for federal funding of employee pensions before April 15th of this year. Continental reported a loss of $66M, $120M less than last year’s loss in the same quarter; Alaska Airlines posted a $79M loss, $1M less than last year; and Southwest reported earnings of $61M compared with $59M in the same quarter last year. Southwest’s fuel hedges are wearing off gradually; however, they still had a fuel bill that was 63% higher during the quarter.

Bankruptcy News: Delta’s pilots and the airline reached a Tentative Agreement last week just before a ruling was scheduled by a three-person neutral panel on whether or not to abrogate the contract. The T/A is awaiting approval from ALPA’s Master Executive Council before it goes to the membership for a ratification vote.

Fuel Watch: As of Wednesday, April 19th, a barrel of crude oil cost $72.17 up $3.19 from last Tuesday’s price. The crack spread price was $18.76, up $1.74 from last week’s price. This brings the cost of one barrel of jet fuel to $90.93 – up $4.93 from the price of jet fuel last week. One year ago, the price of a barrel of crude was $53.22, and the crack spread price was $12.82. The total for one barrel of jet fuel a year ago was $66.03, almost $25 less per barrel than today’s price.

That’s it for this week. Thank you for calling the APFA Hotline.