10.07.11 – (LAA) – Message from APFA President, Flight 191 Memorial, 2012 Benefit Enrollment, Golden Wings, PLOA, S80 QUAL Drop, BOD Fall Meeting, Sky Ball, ORD Retirement Briefing

Weekly Hotline

For the week ending Friday October 7, 2011

MESSAGE FROM APFA PRESIDENT LAURA GLADING

Earlier this week, APFA President Laura Glading issued a hotline message stating in part, “Wall Street, the press, everyone is hypersensitive to rumors and even subtle activity within our company right now. We will not speculate but continue to monitor the situation. I want to assure you that APFA is prepared to face any challenge and protect the best interest of our membership.”

The full text can be read here.

FLIGHT 191 MEMORIAL

Next week on October 15 a dedication ceremony will take place in Des Plaines, IL for the memorial commemorating the lives of the victims of American Airlines Flight 191.

Flight 191 crashed shortly after takeoff from ORD on May 25, 1979 killing all 258 passengers, 13 crewmembers and two on the ground making it the deadliest aviation accident in the United States to date.

Itís taken over 30 years for this memorial.† The students from Chicago’s Decatur Classical School made it their goal two years ago to see to it that a monument be built.† The then sixth-grade class saw their assistant principal interviewed on TV about her parents being killed in the crash. They contacted U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Sen. Dan Kotowski who helped find funding and a location for the memorial.

An invitation to the dedication has been extended to all APFA Flight Attendants and has been posted on the ‘In Memory Of‘ section of APFA.org along with a Fact Sheet about the day’s events.

2012 BENEFIT ENROLLMENT

Open enrollment for 2012 benefits is available on JetNet through midnight central time on October 31, 2011. Please carefully read the Enrollment Guide ñ which is available in the Benefits section of JetNet – in order to make the best decisions for you and you family.

This year American will not mail paper copies of the Enrollment Guide to each employee’s home. The Enrollment Guide will only be available online through JetNet’s Benefits Page or www.AAHealthBenefits.com.

Deadline for open enrollment is midnight central time on Monday, October 31, 2011.

GOLDEN WINGS

Golden Wings, which is an independent company that sells supplemental insurance to retired airline employees, has announced they will no longer write coverage for retirees not receiving Medicare. Apparently the new healthcare rules would require them to provide unlimited coverage, and the premiums would be very high. By limiting the coverage to retirees that also have Medicare, the premiums can be smaller. For further information, please see the Retirement Page (log-in required) at APFA.org.

PLOA

We continue to receive questions regarding the six-month LOA.† Some Flight Attendants thought the leave offered was for 180 days. The November 2011 – April 2012 is actually a 182-day leave. 182 consecutive days of leave will result in a two-day adjustment to your Occupational (bidding) Seniority.

If you held the NOV-APR leave and are concerned about the loss of seniority, there is a way to avoid the two-day adjustment. Bidding and flying a trip that flies two days into your 182-day leave will reduce your leave to 180 days.

You’ll be good to go unless the company should offer and you are awarded a leave for May 2012 and it runs consecutively with this NOV-APR leave, which would increase the 180-day leave by the number of days awarded in any consecutive leave.

S80 QUAL DROP

Last week American posted a S80 Qual-Drop Proffer

Flight Attendants meeting the following requirements may request a S80 Qualification Drop:

• Must be an International Flight Attendant with 30+ years seniority as of 01NOV11
• Must not have served Reserve in 2010-2011
• Must not have flown the S80 in 2010-2011

The S80 Qual-Drop Proffer is available on the Flight Service Website and will close at 1000 Central Time on Friday October 14, 2011.

APFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS FALL MEETING

The APFA Board of Directors will hold their fall board meeting in the DFW area at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Grapevine, TX. The meeting will begin on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 0900 CT. All members in good standing are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Embassy Suites
2401 Bass Pro Drive
Grapevine, TX, 76051
(972) 724-2600

SKY BALL

It’s that time of year again when we roll up our sleeves and open our hearts to help our brave men and women in uniform.†Sky Ball is just around the corner and preparations are in full swing.† This will mark the 9th annual event and this year is shaping up to be the best ever as we celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Medal of Honor and the 100th Anniversary of Marine & Naval Aviation.

For those that are not familiar with Sky Ball, it’s an annual fundraiser to support a number of military/veterans organizations.

Over the past four years Sky Ball has raised more than $1.5 million dollars. This has allowed the Fort Worth Airpower Foundation (FWAPF) to contribute to projects that directly support members of all branches of U.S. military and their families through various contingency funds at the Naval Air Station, Fort Worth, Joint Reserve Base and other programs.

Sky Ball IX proceeds also go to:

• Heroes on the Water, helping veterans heal through fellowship and fishing
• Freedom Flight, taking heroes of the Greatest Generation, our WWII Veterans, to visit their Memorial in Washington D.C.
• Wounded Warriors Veteran’s Day Weekend in Las Vegas
• Snowball Express, helping children of our fallen military heal and make new memories.
• Many other programs and causes in direct support of military families

For more information on the event, please visit the website at:†skyballinfo.com†

If you or someone you know is, interested in volunteering for this worthwhile event, there are many volunteer opportunities available from Wednesday, 10/19/11 through Sunday 10/23/11, so please keep these dates open on your calendar and sign up at: skyballvolunteer.com – family and friends are welcome to participate too!

Regardless of the time you have available, there is a place where you can help make a difference.

ORD RETIREMENT BRIEFING

APFA Retirement Specialist Patrick Hancock will be hosting two retirement briefing in ORD on Wednesday October 26 from 1000-1200 and again from 1300-1500 in the Flight Service Conference room at K19.

The seminars are open and useful to all Flight Attendants from all bases, but particularly important to Flight Attendants planning to retire in the next 10 years.

To make the most of these briefings, print and bring your personal pension estimate and plan calculation formulas from JetNet.

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Please remember there are currently 218 members on the furlough and awaiting recall.
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