3.07.26 – APFA DFW Base Brief – April 2026 Staffing and Allocations

April 2026 Staffing and Allocations

Saturday, March 7, 2026

April marks the ramp-up to what American Airlines has projected to be the largest summer operation in DFW history. While additional flying is generally positive for Flight Attendants, this increase also brings mixed feelings for many, particularly given how high-volume operational challenges have been managed in the past.

For the first week of the month, operations will continue under the current 9-bank hub structure. Beginning April 7, DFW will transition to the revised 13-bank structure, which is intended to help reduce some of the operational pressures historically experienced at the hub. However, the full impact of this structural change will likely not be reflected across an entire month until the May bid period.

Over the past several months, we have received many questions and suggestions regarding specific flying. Many base members have shared preferences for certain routes, layovers, and types of sequences. As you can imagine, balancing the preferences of a large base while working within a systemwide master bid sheet that covers all ten bases can be challenging.

As APFA has discussed previously, changes at one base can influence another when management’s optimizer runs and constructs pairings. The programming used to build sequences incorporates both contractual constraints and company-designed operational buffers. Once projected systemwide flying hours are distributed to each base, the bid sheet program begins building sequences accordingly. Even small changes—such as a shift in a single departure time from Network Planning—can significantly alter the outcome and produce sequences very different from those seen in prior months.

It is also important to remember that fulfilling certain base-specific requests can sometimes have unintended impacts on another base’s bid packet. While your DFW team always works to relay requests for preferred flying, any adjustments must still protect the overall distribution of flying across the system.

Our DFW Allocation Team reviews member feedback each month and makes recommendations accordingly, while also recognizing that we are one base within a larger union structure. These recommendations are continually adjusted based on recent feedback and any new operational information available.

Balancing the varied preferences of thousands of Flight Attendants is no small task. We welcome your continued input, recognizing that priorities often differ among members and may shift during different stages of life. In our ongoing discussions with American Airlines management, we consistently advocate for improvements in quality of work life, including:

• More productive, higher-time turns
• Improved day-of-week trip cadence
• Early and late reports that align with corresponding returns for scheduling flexibility
• Adequate layover rest relative to duty days
• Increased trip productivity to reduce the total number of days worked in a month

These are just some of the factors we evaluate when reviewing bid packets and operational feedback.

Finally, a brief note regarding the upcoming 13-bank hub transition. Early observations suggest an overall reduction in three-leg duty days, many of which appear to be replaced by one- or two-leg sequences. Additionally, some sits have been reduced as more trips now route through other hubs instead of returning through DFW. We will continue to monitor these developments closely once the May bid packet reflects a full month under the new hub structure.

Important Dates:

Important Dates:

• April Contractual Month runs from April 1st – May 1st (31 days)
• There is a schedule change on April 7th. April will be our first month on the new 13-bank schedule (Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays); Tuesday will run with 12 banks and Wednesdays/Saturdays may see some additional cuts.

Special Events in April:

• April 5: Easter
• April 5 – 14: AGS – Master’s Tournament
• April 29 – May 1: SDF – Kentucky Derby

Changes to IPD/Seasonal Routes:

PBS Preliminary Manning Plan, DFW – April 2026

Crew Planning

DFW Total Block Hours for April 2026 – 402,839
Up from the previous month (393,292 in March),
and also up from a year ago (398,145 in April 2025).
Wide-body International – 27.1%

• Wide-body Domestic – 0.1%
• Narrow-body International – 15.0%
• Narrow-body Domestic – 57.7%

Satellite Base Hours:

• AUS – 1,692 (1,740 last month)
• STL – 3,234 (3,230 last month)

ODANs account for 7.4% of all NB sequences at approximately 65.9 ODANs originating each day.

Systemwide Sequence Construction
Narrow-body (3-5 FA) construction

Sched Duty Length

• < 8 Hours    46.8%
• 8-10 Hours    26.1%
• 10-12 Hours    23.0%
• > 12 Hours    4.1%

Sched Block in Duty

• < 5 Hours    40.1%
• 5-7 Hours    40.8%
• 7-9 Hours    17.2%
• > 9 Hours    1.9%

Sched Legs in Duty

• 1    34.2%
• 2    51.0%
• 3    13.7%
• 4    1.1%

Sched Layover Rest

• <= 11 Hours    0.2%
• 11-12 Hours    4.2%
• 12-14 Hours    28.6%
• 14-16 Hours    20.2%
• 16-18 Hours    16.9%
• 18-20 Hours    10.0%
• 20-24 Hours    8.0%
• >= 24 Hours    11.9%

Sched Sits between Flights

• 2-2.5 Hours    12.4%
• 2.5-3 Hours    9.0%
• > 3 Hours    2.7%

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As always know your contract and ask questions when you are unsure. Visit APFA.org for the most up-to-date information. Fly safe and stay vigilant out there. Thank you for your dedication and professionalism.

In Unity,

DFW Allocations Team

Robin Reitz
APFA DFW Base President

Luis Vasquez
APFA DFW Base Vice President
Fierce advocates for more than 7,300 DFW Flight Attendants