6.03.26 – APFA ORD Base Brief – July 2026 Staffing and Allocations

July 2026 ORD Staffing and Allocations

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Happy June, Chicago.

Summer flying is coming in hot, and July has more flying than any other time of the year. It is the peak of the peak of flying for the year.

Today was the Staffing and Allocations call for the contractual month of July.

---

Important Dates

• July contractual Month: July 2 – July 31
• July 1 – July 7 is deemed the “critical period” for attendance. Please review American Airlines Attendance and Performance Policy for information or reach out to your Crew Attendance Manager at [email protected].

• Independence Day: Saturday, July 4

---

APFA ORD Virtual Town Hall

On Friday, July 17at 1200 PM (CT), APFA ORD will host a virtual town hall. We anticipate recording the session and posting it on the AFPA ORD Base Page for those who are unable to watch live. A link to join the virtual town hall will be sent prior to the meeting.

---

T-5 Utilization – Domestic Flying

Management has advised that the occasional arrivals into Terminal 5 were expected to conclude by the end of May. As we move into June, if flights continue to arrive at T5, please notify both Inflight Management and APFA so the issue can be documented and addressed.

For any concerns regarding continued T5 arrivals, please contact:

• Fashawna Whiteman – ORD Base Manager [email protected]
• Ben Humphry – Vice President of ORD Operations  [email protected]

---

Coverage Needed Dates (CN)

July is one of the busiest months for flying. As the company said on the June staffing and allocations call, it is “all hands-on deck.” 25% of the hours in Chicago for June are on wide body aircraft – none of which is domestic.

MSP Satellite hours are down for July, we advocated to maintain the hours that the satellite base has shown the ability to maintain, yet they are down for July compared to June.

• APFA Coverage Needed Information
• PBS Bid Guide

---

Allocations

Allocations for July remain consistent with the June bid month. 26% of flying is on widebody aircraft; there are no domestic widebody trips.

MSP Satellite hours are up approximately 200 hours from the month of July, allowing more flexibility for MSP satellite flyers.

---

Staffing

The line average for July is projected to be higher than it was for June, which means people should try take the hours bid into account when bidding opens. For more information on the TCR review the PBS Guide, starting on page 67.

Chicago will see new hire classes continue through the rest of the month, into July. Please continue to welcome them and give them guidance that only experience can bring.

The reserve numbers are inflated compared to previous months. The company continued to emphasize these numbers are needed to help protect the operation. We will monitor how the reserves are being utilized to cover open time.

July is the peak summer flying and includes the July 4th holiday. This will impact bid patterns, so be sure to check your Target Credit Range (TCR) in the PBS Guide.

Chicago final new hire classes start flying first week of July.

---

Reserve Numbers

Despite absenteeism decreasing year over year compared to recent Julys, continued improvements in maintenance performance, and vacation hours in July remaining virtually unchanged from June, reserve percentages at ORD still increased—and at a higher rate than many other bases.

One explanation provided by the company was that “all work groups will have to dig in and work a little harder” to support the operation. As a strategic hub located in the center of the network, ORD is frequently used to absorb operational disruptions across the system. Our Lineholders have consistently demonstrated their willingness to pick up additional flying throughout the month to help support the operation. A lower line average provides the flexibility necessary for that flying to be covered by volunteers. Instead of maximizing that flexibility, the company chose to increase the number of Flight Attendants assigned to reserve.

If the expectation is that “all work groups will have to dig in and work a little harder,” then Flight Service must also increase its support for ORD, including additional engagement and resources at K19. If our workgroup is being asked to shoulder a greater burden to ensure operational success, it is reasonable to expect Inflight leadership to do the same.

We will continue to closely monitor reserve staffing levels and advocate for transparency and accountability. When the numbers and the rationale behind them do not align, we will continue to raise those concerns and demand answers on behalf of our Members.

---

Daily Departures

---

Sequence Distribution

• 1-day: 27% in July vs 27% in June
• 2-day: 22% in July vs 21% in June
• 3-day: 48% in July vs 49% in June
• 4-day: 3% in July vs 3% in June
• ODAN Starts per day: 12.3 in July vs 10.7 in June
• 26% of flying is widebody aircraft.

---

PBS Preliminary Manning Plan

---

Previous Month(s) PBS Awards

Below is some information from the most recent PBS bid run (June 2026) to give an idea of what different seniorities held in Chicago. These do not guarantee how the month of July will end but may provide some perspective on what different seniorities hold in the summer months.

You can utilize the APFA website to review previous months and years bids to gather more information on bid awards: APFA PBS Award Files

June 2026 Awards:

• IPD Most Junior* – Base Seniority 1,310 (approx. 58%)
• Spanish Qualification Most Junior* – Base Seniority 1,561 (approx. 69%)
• Italian Qualification Most Junior* – Base Seniority 1,908 (approx. 85%)
• Greek Qualification Most Junior* – Base Seniority 1,866 (approx. 83%)
• French Qualification Most Junior* -Base Seniority 1569 (approx. 70%)
• Awarded low time <70 hours: 105 FAs

*Held at least one trip in the month of June

July 2025 PBS Awards:

• July 2025 PBS Award Summary
• July 2025 Coverage Needed Dates

Safe Travels!

In Solidarity,

Justin Patterson
APFA ORD Base President
ORD Base Number: (773) 645-0809
Cell: (509) 720-0067
[email protected]

Dray Howard
APFA ORD Base Vice President
ORD Base Number: (773) 645-0809
Cell: (630) 215-8410
[email protected]