5.07.23 – APFA LAX Base Brief – June 2023 Staffing and Allocations

June 2023 LAX Staffing and Allocations

Sunday, May 7, 2023

This update will cover these topics:

• June 2023 Staffing
• June 2023 Allocations
• EFB Issues
• New LAX Base Manager
• June 2023 Bidding Timelines

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June 2023 Staffing

• LAX RESERVE NUMBER – 417
• LAX RESERVE PERCENTAGE – 25.5%
• SYSTEM RESERVE PERCENTAGE – 22.3%

LAX’s Reserve percentage is unreasonable and excessive, only exceeded by PHX (28.2%) and CLT (27.0%). DFW is a close 4th at 23.7%.

Our Reserves are not flying. The company is on endless loop claiming they need these Reserve percentages when, in fact, they are wasting money by flying us significantly below our guarantee.

The company does not share reserve utilization numbers with the bases. Please send your below-guarantee reserve examples to APFA National Scheduling Chair, Marti McMillan at [email protected].  Marti needs this data to continue our fight against excessive reserve percentages. I also forward any examples I receive to Marti.

June 2023 Allocations

• LAX TOTAL BLOCK HOURS – 97,167
• WIDEBODY PERCENTAGE – 45%
• WIDEBODY HOURS – 41,340
• NARROWBODY HOURS – 12,665 (INT) 40,586 (DOM)

SATELLITE AND CO-TERMINAL BLOCK HOURS

• ONT – 3,706
• SNA – 5,971
• LAS – 1,435
• SAN – 1,949

Highlights:

• Return of high time turns – MIA, RDU, IND.
• MIA is a 777 day turn.
• We need a greater selection of DFW turns with some departing early and getting home early, and some departing late and getting home late.
• The company knows 4-days are largely unpopular yet they increased them to 10%.
• The increase in 3-days which comes out of the 1-day and 2-day percentages is also a problem.
• Daily JFK Transcon at 0958; 1420; 1540 and 2045.
• Daily BOS Transcon at 2200.
• Near-daily LAS ODAN
• 321 redeyes to MCO, MIA, CLT

I have submitted complaints to Doug Price about problematic multi-days where one or more days have 3 legs, leading to fatigue.

The Allocation Group which receives the Preliminary Allocations has provided their feedback to the Base Manager, as well. The Allocations Group is a committee maintained by the Base Manager with each giving feedback on a specific area:

• Pam Askew – SNA
• Monica Lane – ONT
• Keri Sartell – SAN
• Ellen Eherts – LAS
• Michele Genovese – LAX – Domestic
• Wilson Ngai – LAX – Domestic and ONT
• Dottie Long – Transcons
• Keith O’Connell – Transcons

AA announced a seasonal return of LAX-AKL. I have already submitted my request for LAX to fly this trip, and have also requested again that they bring back our displaced Flight Attendants.

EFB Issues

The company is aggressively pursuing non-compliant EFBs, even though, in most cases, the company created the non-compliance issue by not programming apps such as Comply365 to update automatically.

While APFA National attempts to reason with AA on this issue, these aggressive efforts are taking place at every base.

I have also filed a Base Grievance on this issue but am expecting some movement towards reasonableness on the AA HDQ level. Their current position is unrealistic as long as we are hampered by the software they have forced upon us.

Here is a reprint of the APFA Hotline from April detailing the steps necessary to ensure your EFB is compliant.

Updating Your EFB

To squelch a rumor started in DFW and perpetuated on Facebook, there is NO requirement to keep your EFB updated while on vacation; sick or any kind of leave. Per Tim McMahan:

New LAX Base Manager

LAX has a new Base Manager, Andrew Masiello. His email is [email protected].

Tim McMahan remains as Regional Manager. His email is [email protected].

June 2023 Bidding Timelines

Safe travels!

In Solidarity,

John Nikides
APFA LAX Base President 
[email protected]
310-751-6605