Cabin LOSA (Line Operations Safety Audit) is a voluntary, confidential, non-punitive, and peer-driven safety program. The objective of the Cabin LOSA program is to collect safety data for the intended use of making necessary changes to policies and procedures, as well as to identify future risks to our safety onboard the aircraft. LOSA seeks to better understand the systems in which flight attendants work, analyzing policies, procedures, and systematic processes that drive flight attendant responsibility on the aircraft. Using the model of Threat and Error Management (TEM), LOSA observers collect quantifiable data to drive change for flight attendants. Our frontline team members are the ultimate customers of the Cabin LOSA Program.

The four tenants of the Cabin LOSA Program are:
1. Safety Program: Compliments existing Cabin ASAP Program
2. Voluntary: Flight attendants may decline to be observed for any reason.
3. Non-Punitive: Data cannot be used for disciplinary action.
4. Confidential: The observations are de-identified and confidential.

1. An APFA line-qualified Flight Attendant, who has been trained as a Cabin LOSA Observer, selects a flight to observe.

2. The Cabin LOSA observer will introduce themselves, explain the Cabin LOSA Program, and ask all Flight Attendants if they would like to participate in the program.

3. If all Flight Attendants say yes, the Cabin LOSA observer will occupy a passenger seat (Cabin LOSA observers will never take a jumpseat from a commuting Flight Attendant), and the observers must receive a yes to observe the flight from every member of the crew. If one crew member objects, no observation will take place.

4. The Cabin LOSA observer will not interfere with crew duties. The observation is confidential, and the observer does not record the flight number, date of the observation, or any employee information.

5. Once the observation is over, there is no debrief – the observer will thank you for allowing them to observe and may offer you the opportunity to provide crew comments.

AC120-90 and MOU

As a result of a successful LOSA, it will be common (and is the purpose) to experience changes to policy and procedure that are derived directly from and/or influenced by LOSA data. Here are some of the changes that have been implemented or are currently in the works:

1. TidyBroom
During early LOSA observations, direct feedback from line flight attendants who participated in LOSA observations indicated a need for a better method of cleaning up broken glass onboard the aircraft. This led to the resurgence of the pre-pandemic TidyBroom, a small broom that will be provisioned in the Flight Attendant Service Kit. This gives flight attendants a safer and more effective method of cleaning up galley spills and/or broken glass while in the air.

2. 737 Auxiliary Table
LOSA data uncovered that many of the 737 auxiliary tables in the forward galley were improperly installed, leading to a latching issue that created a hazard for flight attendants wishing to utilize this tool. Thanks to efforts from AA/APFA Safety, our TechOps team has now added this item to their three-month inspection list, and all improperly installed tables will be fixed, making this much needed tool safer to use on our 737 fleet.

3. 737 Exit Row Briefing
LOSA data revealed that often times a flight attendant other than the FA4 would complete the 737 exit row briefing due to many external circumstances, most frequently because the FA4 is stuck in the aft section of the aircraft due to passenger traffic. In response to this, Inflight Policies and Procedures proposed new language surrounding this responsibility. New IFM language will allow flight attendants to use CRM to delegate the exit row briefing responsibility to a flight attendant other than FA4 in order to get this task done more safely and efficiently.

4. SS Passenger Briefings
LOSA data uncovered many flights with a very large number of special services passengers that required briefings during boarding. Some flights had so many passengers needing these briefings that it became apparent it was nearly impossible to brief this many of our passengers during this already task saturated phase of flight. Through collaboration with Inflight P&P, AA/APFA Safety, and the FAA, a recent IFM revision reduced the number of special services passengers who require a briefing, lowering task saturation for flight attendants during the boarding process.

5. Flight Deck Turbulence Communication
Cabin LOSA data supported a Q1 Flightdeck WBT surrounding turbulence communication, discouraging the use of language not outlined in the IFM such as “chop” in order to better communicate expectations and procedures during turbulence events.

6. Galley Cart Repairs
Cabin LOSA provided one of the very first data sets IDS used to more proactively pinpoint galley cart issues. Thanks to your participation and feedback, there are large scale active mitigations taking place to ensure that galley carts are fixed in a timely fashion and returned to service fully operable. These mitigations include potential new cart designs, and cart repair facilities in two of our operational locations: DFW and LHR.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Cabin LOSA, please reach out to the APFA Cabin LOSA Program Coordinator: Tyler Fowler, APFA Cabin LOSA Coordinator [email protected]

I declined a LOSA observer, is the observer still allowed to ride along but not observe?
Yes, LOSA observers can ride along on the flight but not conduct an observation if a member of the working crew declines to be observed. Many LOSA observers will need to do so to get to the next sequence of their observations, or get back to base for their next assignment.

How are observations kept confidential?
Cabin LOSA Observers are trained on how to ensure confidentiality during an observation. No identifying piece of information is collected as part of the LOSA program. No employee numbers, names, or flight numbers are recorded. There
also exist legal agreements between all parties involved that no flight attendant can be identified from a LOSA observation, just like the Flight Deck and Dispatch LOSA programs, which have been operating at AA for 10 and 4 years, respectively.

Are LOSA observers told what routes to observe?
No, LOSA observers choose the routes that they observe, furthering the commitment to confidentiality. At the current time, LOSA observations are only taking place on narrowbody aircraft servicing domestic routes.

Do LOSA observers take priority over commuting crew members?
No, LOSA observers will not take a seat from a commuting flight attendant. If you feel that this has been violated, please reach out to the Cabin LOSA Coordinator for assistance.

How do I become a Cabin LOSA observer?
New hire classes of LOSA observers will be conducted once a year, based on need. When the application reopens, you will be alerted via CCI message.

Where do Cabin LOSA observers sit during an observation? 
Cabin LOSA Observers occupy cabin seats (preferably an aisle seat for observation purposes) during an observation.
If you have other questions regarding the Cabin LOSA Program, please reach out the APFA Cabin LOSA Program Coordinator.