7.23.10 – (LAA) – Treasurer Run Off Election, MIA Vice Chairperson Election, Financial Results Not Due to Labor Costs, US DOT Approves Antittust Immunity to AA, BA, and IB, AA and JetBlue Partnership, Missed Trips on Rise, PickIt, Retirement Briefings

This is DFW Flight Attendant, Brenda McKenzie, with the Weekly Hotline Update for Friday, July 23, 2010.

APFA NATIONAL TREASURER RUN-OFF ELECTION

Ballots for APFA National Treasurer were mailed on Saturday July 3, 2010. Polls for this election will close and ballots are due on Monday, August 2, 2010. You must be dues current by the close of business on July 28th in order to vote in this election.

Candidates for APFA National Treasurer are Steven Baumert and Michael Parker. Information for these candidates is included in the voter packet and is available on the www.apfa.org website. (click here for the direct link)

MIA VICE CHAIRPERSON ELECTION

Ballots for the MIA Vice Chairperson election were mailed to all MIA based Flight Attendants on Tuesday, June 29, 2010. Ballots are due and polls will close at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 29, 2010. You must be dues current by the close of business on July 23rd in order to vote in this election.

Candidates for MIA Vice Chairperson are Michelle Bernstein and Terrence Kelly Williams. Information for both candidates is included in the voter packet and available on the www.apfa.org website. (click here for the direct link)

Everyone is reminded that only active members in good standing are eligible to vote. “Any active member in bad standing must arrange to become a member in good standing not later than the close of business on the 5th day prior to the time limit for the return of ballots” (APFA Constitution Article VI, Sec. 4,D). If you have questions about your dues status, please contact the APFA Dues Department. Email: [email protected] or call 817.540.0108 ext. 8154.

FINANCIAL RESULTS NOT DUE TO LABOR COSTS

On Wednesday AMR reported a net loss of $10.7 million during the second quarter. It simultaneously announced a significant reorganization of its senior management team and the purchase of 35 additional Boeing 737-800s to be delivered in 2011 and 2012. AMR’s second quarter results reflect a substantial improvement compared with the same quarter last year with a reported loss of $390 million and almost $1.5 million the year before. (click here for AMR Q2 Earnings Call transcript)

Delta began the airline industries” earnings season Monday by reporting a profit of $467 million net income – which was their best quarterly result in a decade. Delta’s passenger revenue increased by 19% when compared with last year. United reported its best quarterly result in three years at $273 million. United’s passenger revenue rose 28% over the last year.

APFA released a report on Monday that disputes the continual claims by AMR leadership of the so-called $600 million labor costs disadvantage. AMR has employed this argument to refute the other network competitors” reported profits this quarter. As stated in the white paper APFA believes the real cause of AMR’s weak financial results is due to AMR’s decision to retain its huge fleet of fuel-inefficient MD-80 aircraft. Another contributing factor is the long-awaited benefit of anti-trust immunity with its oneworld partners. This comes 14 years after Delta and United acquired the same benefit for their international alliances. (click here to access APFA white paper)

The newly granted anti-trust immunity with British Airlines (BA) and Iberia Airlines (IB) – as well as the anticipated approval of anti-trust immunity with Japan Airlines (JAL) – have created positive projections for American in the third quarter.

U.S. DOT APPROVES ANTITRUST IMMUNITY TO AA, BA AND IB

Late Tuesday, July 20th, the US Department of Transportation granted final approval to American Airlines, British Airways, and Iberia Airlines to coordinate flights between North America and Europe and expand their alliance worldwide. Finnair and Royal Jordanian also received antitrust immunity from DOT.

This long-awaited and hoped-for decision will dramatically enhance the combined airlines’ route network and improve American’s competitive position in the world’s airline industry.

AA AND JETBLUE PARTNERSHIP

American and JetBlue Airways announced on Tuesday their plan to offer customers convenient connections and more travel options to and from New York and Boston. They also announced that they will begin a shared frequent flyer program later this year. JetBlue customers will earn Advantage miles when traveling on AA while AA customers will earn TrueBlue points when traveling on JetBlue. These are steps toward enhancing the cooperation between American and JetBlue which began with a partnership the pair formed in March.

Beginning Tuesday customers are able to book flights in non-overlapping markets from JFK and BOS. The partnership will allow customers to connect to 14 of AA’s international destinations and 18 JetBlue domestic markets. AA will transfer to JetBlue eight slot pairs at Ronald Regan Washington National airport and one slot pair at White Plains, NY. JetBlue will transfer 12 slot pairs to American at John F. Kennedy International. Customers will benefit from improved connections while both airlines will see additional customers fed into their networks.

MISSED TRIPS ARE ON THE RISE

It hs been brought to our attention that missed trips (TM) are on the rise. Remember, when you request make-up for tomorrow’s flying via HISEND, crew schedule can and may pre-plot your MU trip prior to 7:00 P.M. (1900). It is the Flight Attendants responsibility to check their schedules to see if they have been awarded a trip. If it is after 7:00 P.M. (1900), crew schedule must call you.

U PICK IT!

We are still accepting ideas for picket sign slogans to be used in a strike should American Airlines push us to that unfortunate step.

What would YOU want to see on a potential Strike Picket Sign? Be creative and be spontaneous (but let’s keep it clean, please). The top slogans selected by members of your Negotiating Team will be voted on by the APFA membership to see who has the best Picket Sign idea(s). The top three winners will receive a framed copy of her/his Picket Sign.

To enter, send your idea(s) to [email protected] with the subject line ‘U PickIt! Submission. Please include your name, base and employee number. In the event of duplicate entries, the earliest submission will count. The deadline for submissions is July 31.

RETIREMENT BRIEFINGS

APFA’s Retirement Specialist Patrick Hancock, along with Michael Moster, the Financial Advisor for the AA Credit Union Investment and Retirement Services, will be conducting their last July 2010 Retirement Briefing in Chicago. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, July 27 from 2 P.M. to 4 P.M. (1400 to 1600) – this session will be held in the Flight Service Conference Room across from the FYI Center, lower level K19.

Retirement Briefings for next month will be conducted by Patrick and DFW Flight Attendant, Jackie Phillips. These sessions will be held on August 16 from 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. (0900-1100) and August 17 from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. (1800-2000) in the Yandry Center at the DFW Airport, terminal C.

Discussions include pension selections and retirement benefits, including insurance and travel. To get the most out of these helpful and popular seminars, print out and bring your personal pension estimate and plan calculation formulas from Jetnet. Flight Attendants from all bases are welcome to attend and no reservations are required.

——
Remember there are 1,343 members on furlough and awaiting recall.
——

The Wings Foundation is much more than can recycling, though that is an important source of the funds they distribute to members in need. If you are an active American Airlines Flight Attendant and you primary home has been destroyed, please contact WINGS Disaster Relief. Visit their website for fund raising activities, to find base representatives, forms for donation ($$$, PVDs, etc.), or applications for assistance. See how you can help at your base. Wings was created by and is managed exclusively by AA Flight Attendants. Wings provide services only to AA Flight Attendants. Check out Wings and all our APFA supported organizations through these links:

Wings // Airline Ambassadors // UNICEF/Change for Good