6.09.26 – APFA BOS Base Brief – July 2026 Staffing and Allocations

July 2026 Staffing and Allocations

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Hello Boston!

The total BOS headcount increased slightly to 863 Flight Attendants (including inactive members), while the active headcount decreased slightly to 832.

The final group of new hires currently completing Initial Qualification Training (IQT) in Dallas will join the base this month. Boston is expected to receive a total of 11 new Flight Attendants, completing the anticipated hiring allocation for the year.

July flying hours are projected at 51,543, representing a 5.5% decrease from June and nearly a 4% decrease compared to July of last year.

Despite the reduction in flying, the reserve percentage will increase significantly to 22.4% of the base, a 4.3% increase from June and a 4.1% increase year-over-year.

Your APFA Representatives strongly challenged this increase. With higher open-line averages and reduced base flying, we do not believe the reserve allocation supports such a substantial increase.

Crew Planning cited several factors for the adjustment, including:

• July being a peak summer travel month.
• Elevated absenteeism during May.
• Increased reliance on Red Flag flying throughout the month.

While we agree that May presented significant operational challenges both in Boston and across the system, we strongly disagree with any implication that Boston Flight Attendants were responsible for those difficulties.

For months, your representatives have raised concerns that the base was being pushed beyond sustainable levels through aggressive trip construction, a consistently high number of three-day pairings, and schedules that appeared efficient on paper but left little room for operational disruptions. Combined with predictable spring and summer weather impacts, the operation was vulnerable to exactly the challenges that occurred.

In discussions with Crew Planning, the company acknowledged that it may have “overextended the base” and now needs to make adjustments to improve operational performance. Unfortunately, the immediate impact of those decisions will once again be felt by Flight Attendants.

Boston will have 186 Flight Attendants on reserve in July, an increase of 35 compared to June and 36 more than July of last year. With fewer flying hours and higher open-line averages, the effects of this increase will be noticeable throughout the base.

That said, we remain cautiously optimistic that this adjustment will be temporary and part of a broader effort to improve trip construction and bid packages moving forward, rather than relying solely on higher reserve staffing levels as a short-term solution. While only time will tell, that was the indication provided during our discussions.

VLOA

There will be no VLOAs offered for July, and we do not anticipate any leaves being offered for the remainder of the summer flying season.

Sequence Construction Overview – July

LAX & XLR Flying

Boston will continue to staff three of the four daily LAX departures, with sequence construction remaining consistent throughout July.

The LAX “rockets” return this month, although there will be no long layovers on the “T” sequence. BOS Flight Attendants can expect:

• A daily traditional rocket featuring a morning departure to Los Angeles and a redeye return following a 12:30 layover.
• A daily reverse rocket with an evening departure to Los Angeles and a morning return after an 11:50 layover.
• A daily sequence featuring a 15-hour layover, with an evening departure to Los Angeles and a daytime return to Boston.

The XLR has officially arrived in BOS. Please keep this in mind when bidding, as both rocket pairings currently include one segment operated by the XLR aircraft. Service information is available in your tablet as usual.

Important: These flights will continue to follow AFS service standards in all cabins, including Main Cabin. While there has been considerable speculation regarding potential service changes, we have received no indication that Main Cabin service procedures will be modified.

We recognize that many of you value the longer LAX layovers. This change was not something your representatives requested for July. We will continue advocating for both the inclusion of an LAX rocket in the bid packet whenever possible and the return of the longer LAX layovers that BOS Flight Attendants have traditionally enjoyed.

LHR Flying

LHR flying remains consistent throughout July. The only change is that sequences reporting on Saturdays will have a layover that is 30 minutes shorter. This adjustment is the result of a 30-minute later departure from Boston, not a change to the London schedule.

PHX & DCA Flying

• PHX rockets will operate daily throughout the month.
• DCA ODANs will operate on Fridays only.

Widebody Flying

There will be no domestic widebody sequences in July.

The sequence construction breakdown is as follows:

The open line average for Boston is 81.7 hours, which is approximately 1–2 hours lower than many of the other bases across the system.

As we move into July, we would like to wish everyone a Happy Pride Monthand a safe and enjoyable Independence Day. Since our next update will be after the Fourth of July holiday, we hope you have a wonderful start to the summer season.

As always, thank you for your professionalism and dedication—and most importantly, fly safe! ✈️

In Solidarity,

Luke Williams
APFA BOS Base President
(617) 362-0052
[email protected]

Kea Serikaku
APFA BOS Base Vice President
(617) 362-0052
[email protected]

Ben Samoylich
APFA BOS Staffing & Allocations Representative
[email protected]