6.02.05

Hello, this is Denise Pointer, DFW InfoRep with a hotline message for Wednesday, June 2, 2005.

The response to the current membership survey online at www.www.apfa.org has been tremendous. The survey deals with fatigue/layover issues – a subject near and dear to all of our hearts. If you haven’t had a chance to log in and take this survey, please try to do so as it will remain active through this week. The confidential data that will be compiled will be an integral part of our continued fight on the topic of fatigue. To all of you who have taken the survey – thanks!

If you want to participate in the company wide Fly-In, which will be held on June 22nd in Washington, D.C., there is a sign up link at www.www.apfa.org. You can sign up to participate in the lobby day or you can volunteer to crew one of the charter flights – or both! If you have never participated in a lobby day, I would urge everyone to do so. It’s a great experience to represent APFA in the halls where our laws are made. It’s an experience I will never forget.

Also, on the subject of laws, I would encourage all of you to go to www.dothewrightthing.com and complete the on-line letter to be sent to our lawmakers regarding our opposition to the repealing of the Wright Amendment. For those of you who would like a brief summary of the issues surrounding the Wright Amendment, go to www.www.apfa.org and follow the link to the web page.

The outcome of Southwest’s campaign to repeal this law could have far-reaching effects on our company, our jobs, and our lives. Activism has never been more important in our careers.

A suggestion from one of our members has lead to the creation of The APFA Vacation Trade Reference Board . This is only a reference board; in other words, all flight attendants who wish to trade their vacations must do so through the proper channels within the Company. The only way you can submit and receive a vacation trade is via HISEND to Crew Resources. Also, if you have been successful in trading your vacation, please email APFA’s webmaster at: [email protected] to request your name be removed from the board

Retirement Seminars are continuing at various bases throughout the system. Jill Frank, APFA’s Retirement Specialist along with an AA Representative will be in the following locations:

• June 15th at 2:00 p.m. * JFK Passenger Service Group Room, 2nd floor, behind the terminal information counter.
• June 16th at 2:00 p.m. * LGA Flight Service Conference Room, hangar 3, 3rd floor
• June 27th * TBA at SFO
• June 30th at 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. * DFW Conference Room behind Terminal C’s MOD Office
• August 9th at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. * BOS Virgin Atlantic Room

If you’ve never attended one of these seminars, you are missing out. Jill Frank does a terrific job for APFA members and is a walking encyclopedia on AA/APFA retirement. Take advantage of her knowledge! Retirement may seem like a distant mirage for many, but even if you can’t imagine retirement, the information Jill provides you is essential in planning for your future.

I’ve received lots and lots of emails this week asking for clarification regarding a possible change to the number of language-of-destination speaker flight attendants on dual-aisle aircraft. An official announcement and detailed explanation of an upcoming six-month test relating to trip selections in foreign language markets should be made this week.

During the test period, flight attendant feedback will be monitored very closely. There will be a link on www.www.apfa.org to submit feedback regarding this issue.

Bid denials, improved trip trading options and an improved pure seniority reserve list are just a few reasons this is being looked at. The full text of this announcement will be available shortly on the APFA website.

The hotel department has asked that I forward some information on to all of you to carry out on the line. From time to time, you are going to experience an "issue" at a layover hotel. When you do, first and foremost, advise APFA via either a phone call, the pink debrief form or on-line via the hotel department’s web page at www.apfa.org. Additionally, please advise the hotel of the situation and, if applicable, request they try to resolve the problem right away, i.e., the air conditioner doesn’t work, etc. Be certain to make note of the person’s name you spoke with and include that name on your debrief to APFA. Knowing who you contacted at the hotel regarding a problem is very helpful in resolving issues.

All upcoming hotel reviews are posted on the hotel department’s web page at www.www.apfa.org, Go to Department, Hotel, then Hotel Survey. There you will see a list of hotels that will be reviewed in the near future. Click on the hotel and provide APFA with your opinion of that layover. These surveys, along with the hotel debriefs, are considered very carefully when a review is done. Your input, good or bad, is critical.

I have one small bit of housekeeping. Don’t forget, if you haven’t already done so, please contact me at [email protected] to renew your commitment to the InfoRep program. Please include your name, base, employee number, updated address if applicable and email address. For those who do not use email, there will be a tear-out card, which can be completed and mailed to APFA in the upcoming edition of SkyWord. If we have not heard from you by July 15th, we will assume you are no longer interested and your name will be purged from the program.

We are doing this so that we have an accurate, up-to-date list of those flight attendants who want to be an active participant in this very important communication program.

Please help us spread the word that we are actively recruiting new InfoReps. If any of your colleagues want to participate, please have them contact their base chairs.

That’s it for this week. Again, thank you for your participation in the InfoRep program.

Denise Pointer, DFW InfoRep
InfoRep Program
1004 W. Euless Boulevard
Euless, TX 76040
817-540-0108 Ext. 8743
[email protected]