11.27.01 – (LAA) – Supplemental Medical Coverage, Open Replacement Flight Attendants, AA Lifted D-3 Travel Embargo, Flight 587 Crewmember Memorials

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA HotLine for Tuesday, November 27, 2001.

On Friday, we informed you that the company has agreed to extend the deadline for electing Supplemental Medical Coverage through today, November 27. For those of you who wish to sign up for Supplemental Medical Coverage but did not indicate this option in your Benefits Request due earlier this month, in most cases this will be your one and only opportunity to take advantage of the Supplemental coverage. Please contact PeopleLink at (800) 447-2000, option 2, or go to peoplelink.aa.com to enroll.

On November 21, the FAA issued a new Federal Aviation Regulation allowing crewmembers to retain their cockpit keys if the (quote) “Katy Bar (the cockpit door bar on all AA aircraft) is installed, operative, and in use”. The katy bar, when in use, prohibits the cockpit door from being opened, even if a key is used. Check your HI6 messages from the Company for this security procedure change.

There are no further updates relating to the crash of American flight 587. The NTSB is still investigating the accident and APFA is involved in this process.

Members of the APFA Negotiating Committee are meeting with Management today and tomorrow to discuss the implementation schedule for those few provisions of the new Agreement for which effective dates had not yet been determined.

A couple of important reminders regarding changes that will be effective in December are as follows:

The reduction in the mileage threshold for cabin cleaning from 1500 to 1100 miles will go into effect on December 1, thereby eliminating flight attendant cabin preparation duties on most West and East Coast to DFW trips and many others.

Open Replacement Flight Attendants should be aware that the Company has elected to implement changes to Availability effective with the December month. Open Replacement Flight Attendants – that is a Flight Attendant holding 3000 / 4000 Open Replacement – will be required to have the designated number of hours in your GTD (Greater Time to Date) column on your HI1 prior to being released from any remaining AVBL days on your schedule. Please remember, this restriction for release of AVBL days does not apply to vacation or part time replacement, or low bid lines with AVBL days added to the line. Please call the APFA Scheduling Department at Headquarters, Ext. 8161 with any questions.

Please continue to call this Hotline and visit the APFA website for updated information.

As a reminder, American has lifted the D-3 travel embargo, though it is restricted to family members only including adult children, brothers and sisters, in-laws, grandparents, and grandchildren. Family members must meal list eight days or more in advance in order to travel. American has suspended the use of D-3 travel beyond family members, indefinitely.

The APFA Board of Directors will be meeting in New York this week at the Hilton Hotel on 6th Avenue, November 28, 2001. All members in good standing are welcome to attend the open portions of the meeting.

The following are details for the remaining memorial services in honor of the crew from flight 587.

Barbara Giannasca’s funeral service will be held on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Rectory, 75 Parkside Drive, Point Lookout, NY. Contact number is 516 431-2772.

A Memorial Service for Joe Lopes will be held on Saturday, December 1 at noon at St. Paul’s Chapel. This is located at Columbia University Campus in Manhattan. Enter the main campus gate at 116th St. and Broadway or Amsterdam and follow the map. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bide-A-Wee Foundation, attention: Darlene Larsen at 410 E. 28th. Street, NY, NY 10016. Donations should reference Joseph Lopes. If you would like to donate by credit card, please call 212.532.6395.

There will be a Mass for Wilmer Gonzalez on December 8 at 7:00 p.m. at Iglesia St. Bernardita, Campo Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico. The address is Calle Espioncel Country Club, Rio Piedras. Contact number is 787.769.9081.

We are still awaiting information on the JFK service in honor of the crewmembers from flight 587. We will advise you as soon as we have the details.

Uniforms are requested at all of the services. As soon as we receive details for the remaining memorials, we will post them on this HotLine and on the website.

Thank you for calling the APFA HotLine.