1.19.05

Hello. This is Denise Pointer, DFW InfoRep, with an InfoRep Hotline message for Wednesday, January 19th, 2005.

As you all know, the InfoRep program is off to a new start. I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to send an e-mail expressing your desire to remain active in the program. E-mails have been pouring in and your positive comments are a testament to the popularity of the program. Your involvement is critical. Thank you for stepping up and wanting to be supportive.

I’m also presently working on updating the current list of InfoReps. If you haven’t taken the time to send us an e-mail indicating your continued desire to be involved, I would appreciate hearing from you. If e-mailing is not something you do, then call me at Extension 8743 and leave me a message.

There is something very important that I’d like to encourage all of you to be aware of and that is the APFA Opinion Survey. Yesterday, January the 18th, was the first day you were able to access phase one of the APFA 2005 Opinion Survey via the APFA website. Please take the time to click on the link to the site and take this survey. The researchers conducting this survey are wholly independent of APFA and AA. The data collected in this survey will be analyzed by the SRC research staff and reduced to a written report to be shared with only the APFA leadership. All individual answers will be kept completely confidential. Please spread the word and ask your coworkers to participate as well.

Being a part of this opinion survey is your opportunity to help shape the focus and approach of APFA in 2005.

January has proven to be a busy month already, and we have a few important items to cover. Let’s start with a few rumors.

First of all, I’ve been asked if there is any truth to the rumor that Richard Branson is buying Eagle and/or a part of AA. This is speculation and there is no truth to this rumor. No one at AA or American eagle has confirmed this.

Secondly, it has been asked if AA is planning on combining Domestic and International operations soon. The answer to this rumor is "no." Although there has been some talk over the years that this would make sense and possibly reduce training costs, the logistics of accomplishing this are daunting. This type of change would be very detailed and very complicated. It won’t happen anytime soon, and it won’t happen without a lot of Union involvement. Squelch this rumor for the time being.

Also, questions are coming in regarding base closures. At this time, there has been no talk of this. In fact, there is talk of more satellite bases opening up. As we receive information on the satellite bases, we will let you know immediately.

You received an e-mail regarding our new reciprocal jump seat arrangement with Skywest and Frontier. There is no hidden agenda with regards to this new benefit. AA has not informed us that they are buying these companies, or any other company for that matter.

Tommie Hutto-Blake is continuing with her base visits. I hope all of you have the opportunity to stop by Ops and visit with her and the various representatives that are traveling with her.

The next upcoming visit is in LAX on the 24th and 25th of January. On February 1st and 2nd, she’ll be in ORD.

Elections will be held for the Chair and Vice Chair positions at Boston International, DFW, IDF, JFK, Los Angeles International, MIA, SFO, and Chicago Domestic; Chairperson at St. Louis and Vice Chair at Miami International. Ballots for these elections will be mailed on the first of February and they will be due on March the 2nd. Encourage all your coworkers at these bases to vote!

From the APFA Hotel Department, we’d ask that you please ask your coworkers to utilize the APFA’s pink hotel debrief forms or access the hotel debrief form on the APFA’s web site. Our Hotel Coordinator, Dané Townsend, wants all of us to be involved by communicating to her your opinions of our layover hotels. If she doesn’t know how you feel about a layover hotel, she has no way of improving or making changes. These debrief forms are critical. The good comments, as well as the bad, need to be sent to her.

If you like a layover hotel – tell her. If you don’t – be sure and tell her. If paperwork and e-mails are not your thing, then call her at Extension 8306 and leave a voice mail. She will complete the form for you.

We need your help in recruiting more InfoReps. Encourage your coworkers to get involved. Instruct them to e-mail their Base Chairs and request they be added as an InfoRep at their base. We need their help, and we really need their involvement. They can also e-mail me directly, and I will forward their e-mails to the Base Chairs.

That’s it for tonight. Thank you.

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