3.07.25 – APFA LAX Base Brief – April 2025 Staffing and Allocations

April 2025 LAX Staffing and Allocations

Friday, March 7, 2025

System block hours have only increased 1.6% between March 2025 and April 2025. The airline remains constrained due to a widebody aircraft shortage attributable to a series of questionable decisions by upper management.

While PHX has received transfers intermittently, the company has kept their reserve percentage at much higher levels than LAX’s. This has resulted in PHX’s reserve seniority consistently remaining higher than LAX’s.

In my talks with the company on LAX reserve staffing, I emphasized that LAX needs increased headcount without increased reserve percentages.

The company claims it determines reserve percentages using  historical data year over year specific to the reserve month.

JAN 2025 was unusual in that we had both a min and a max. I worked with the company to eliminate the min and the max for both FEB and MAR.

In March, LAX was the only base with no min and no max, offering more flexibility to LAX Flight Attendants.

There is a 1.6% increase in block hours systemwide in APR 2025.

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April 2025 Allocations

• LAX Total Block Hours: 94,738
• IPD/NIPD Widebody Hours: 35,478
• Domestic Widebody Hours: 1,879
• IPD/NIPD Narrowbody Hours: 15,008
• Domestic Narrowbody Hours: 42,373

Satellite and Co-Terminal Block Hours

• ONT: 3,891
• SNA:4,916
• LAS: 1,724
• SAN: 1,191

The LAX Allocation Group continues to provide feedback to the company regarding sequence construction, sequence duration, etc.

For example, the number of 3-days remains problematic. These trips frequently end up in ETB and Open Time.

The company’s systemwide reliance on the Optimizer for sequence construction continues to be the biggest impediment to a bidsheet which meets flight attendants’ needs. A bidsheet which meets our needs results in happier flight attendants and better reliability. A win-win for both us and the company.

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Upcoming Meeting With AA Upper Management – LAX Headcount and Reserve

As a follow-up to our meeting in October, I have another meeting scheduled with AA HDQ management for March 28th regarding LAX staffing; returning our displaced flight attendants; increasing headcount and reducing reserve.

As you know, I met with Chief Operating Officer David Seymour, VP Manpower Planning Anne Moroni, and Inflight Paul Tronsor (standing in for Bobbi Wells) on October 18 to present more proposals for adding flight attendants at LAX, beginning with the return of our displaced flight attendants.

They remained committed to their argument that LAX flight attendants call in sick “too much.” I countered their argument with the following:

1. The age demographic of our reserve flight attendants at LAX naturally leads to increased sick calls. I explained that, as we get older, we are more susceptible to both interim and chronic conditions. We are also more apt to have caregiver responsibilities. Every person in the room was either over 60 years of age or close to it.
2. The make up of our sequences at LAX leads to more fatigue and increased risk of opportunistic illnesses. The surfeit of redeyes and early morning pickups on the East Coast wear us down much faster than flight attendants in the eastern bases. This is something the local LAX Allocation Group has addressed this issue consistently with the company.
3. The reserve sick numbers are deceptive in that reserve sick on IPD trips is much lower on a percentage basis. I pointed out that reserve sick on IPD trips is lower because, in large part, a reserve who would have otherwise called out sick, can much more easily drop an IPD trip to another flight attendant.
4. Our reserve utilization remains high. I presented them with the numbers from the preceding months. LAX averaged 79% utilization which was above other bases.

I presented several proposals to AA:

1. A test whereby the company allows for the return of our displaced flight attendants, and then monitors sick call numbers. I am confident that the drop in reserve seniority resulting from the transfer of the more junior flight attendants will cause a drop in sick calls. This would then open the door to vacancy transfers and eventually new hires.
2.  A good faith transfer…without a test…of our displaced flight attendants to LAX. I proposed that this would be a win-win as the displaced flight attendants would be where they want to be, undoubtedly leading to their enhanced reliability.
3. Increasing the percentage of LAX and LAX coterminal departures utilizing LAX crews. LAX is a difficult market for layover accommodations. It would be far more cost-efficient to use our crews to a greater extent, especially if it for long turns which are very popular at LAX.
4. Working with us locally on sequence construction to create a bid package which would enhance reliability.
5. At the very least, backfilling the base headcount to a certain date i.e. October 2022…two years prior to our October 2024 meeting…when the LAX headcount was 1965.
6. Utilizing overages at other bases created by seasonal IPD reductions to add headcount at LAX.

Prior to the meeting, I proposed using the announced overages for the Summer of 2024 at other bases to add headcount.

Since the October 2024 meeting, I have tracked our headcount as it reduces downward due to transfers out, retirements and resignations.

At the October meeting, Anne Moroni stated that, at that moment, the LAX base headcount was where they wanted it to be. According to the staffing plan for October, the base headcount was 1700.

In January 2025, I followed up with Anne and reminded her that 1700 was the number she cited in October but due to attrition, the numbers had fallen:

• For November, it was 1693.
• For December, it was 1692.
• For January, it was 1690.
• For February, it is 1677.

From my proposal:

“Between the October and the February Staffing Plans, there is a decrease of 23. Since at the October meeting, you considered 1700 to be optimal, February’s 1677 would be less than optimal. I requested last week that consideration be given to returning our displaced flight attendants to LAX due to the fires. That request was denied. Returning our displaced flight attendants to LAX would backfill the vacancies created between October and February, and would prepare us for the seasonal increase in system block hours going forward into March and beyond.”

Anne responded:

“As you know, we evaluate the size of our crew bases on a continuous basis and we make changes to staffing as needed. During our October meeting, we also talked about the fact that we could not commit to backfilling attrition at LAX given the reliability of the base. That position has not changed. I can assure you that we will continue to evaluate our staffing for LAX based on the needs of the business and we will let you know if and when we see a path to growing the base again. We are not at this point right now. Thank you and please continue to include Kipp and Cindi in future communications.”

I let Anne know that I would continue to pursue all viable solutions and options. I am not dissuaded. I have set up the meeting at AA HDQ in March with Anne Moroni, Cindi Simone, David Seymour et al to pursue the issue of adding headcount. We are compiling additional data to present demonstrating that LAX and its co-terminals can support a far greater headcount.

Because the issue of reserve seniority and headcount are inextricably linked, I have engaged with Julie Hedrick to invoke the provisions of CBA Section 12.A.3.e. High Reserve Seniority Bases. Our meeting in March will address this key issue, as well…in tandem with the headcount discussions.

Regarding PHX, AA is playing a very different game with that base. While they add flight attendants there through vacancy transfers, the company adds to their reserve numbers, keeping reserve slightly higher than LAX reserve.

For example, even though they added flight attendants to PHX last year, their reserve seniority ranges slightly higher than ours because management added that number to reserve in PHX by increasing the reserve percentage up to a stratospheric 30% of the base.

Despite PHX’s recent transfers, the base has remained fairly flat staffing-wise, hovering in the 1300 range. I would imagine that is because of attrition.

I want the company to, at the very least, backfill LAX…or preferably grow it…without increasing our reserve percentage to PHX levels. Adding people does nothing for reserve seniority if the company simply increases the reserve percentage in response.

In summary, the company could easily resolve, or mitigate, the reserve sick issue at LAX by embracing the pro-flight attendant suggestions I have made, including, but not limited to, the creative solutions I have proposed, and will continue to propose.

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TBIT (Customs) Arrivals – Access to Employee Bus

On February 20th, the company put out the following CCI message regarding TBIT (Customs) arrivals:

“Due to ongoing construction, the doors to the T4 West Lobby have been closed. There is a construction door that has a code for access to the lobby and LAWA Access Control and Alarm Monitoring System (ACAMS) door.

More details:

The doors are on the upper level of T4 as you approach from the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).

LAX flight attendants who hold a LAX SIDA badge can access the lobby through this door, then access the elevators to the airside shuttle port.

The door with the access code is located on the second set of doors when coming from TBIT.

The new code can also be found in Comply 365: My Publications > Document Library > Contact Information > Crew Room Location/Access Info + Contact Information”

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April 2025 Bidding Timelines

That’s all for this update. Safe travels!

In Solidarity,

John Nikides
APFA LAX Base President 
[email protected]