PHL Base Briefs

Saturday, December 4, 2021 January 2022 PHL Staffing and Allocations We are still waiting on the much-needed improvements to our sequences. Our sit times have not improved, nor has the long duty day followed by a short layover. We continue to complain about the sequence construction, but nothing is improving. We do have a small increase…

Thursday, November 18, 2021 WELCOME PHL NEW HIRES We are welcoming new hire Flight Attendants around the system beginning next week through December. Currently, PHL is expecting to welcome 136 from the first four classes. Base indocs will occur every Monday, and they will be on duty and available to fly the following day. There…

Friday, November 5, 2021 December 2021 PHL Staffing and Allocations We haven’t seen much of the promised improvements to our sequences. We have an increase in sequences where the layover is shorter than the duty day. Sit times have not improved. The Company has changed how they are building the schedule in December compared to years…

Tuesday, November 2, 2021 Meetings with a Flight Service Manager Employee Parking Reserve Reminders COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Retirement and PBS Town Halls Available   MEETINGS WITH A FLIGHT SERVICE MANAGER We are seeing a significant uptick in the number of meeting requests with FSMs, including your attendance flight service manager (AFSM). If you are called or…

Monday, October 25, 2021 SEPTA Workers Union Authorizes Strike Yesterday, Transport Workers Union Local 234, representing SEPTA workers, authorized a strike which could begin at midnight on October 31st. This strike authorization does not guarantee workers will strike, but it does give them leverage as they continue negotiations. The strike would affect service on buses, subways, trolleys,…

Saturday, October 16, 2021 Support American Eagle Piedmont Flight Attendants on the Picket Line! When: Thursday, October 21, 2021, 12-1 pm EDT Where: Philadelphia International Airport, Terminal F (Departures), 8000 Essington Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19153 AFA Flight Attendants at Piedmont—a subsidiary of American Airlines—are taking a strike vote right now. They need our support. Management’s latest proposal…

Thursday, October 7, 2021 EVLOA RETURNS November 1st, we will welcome back our first group of Flight Attendants who were on an EVLOA. PHL is expecting 140, with the remaining returning December 1st. We do not have the exact number of the December returns as some Flight Attendants have yet to clear. As soon as…

Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Allocations The company started making quality of life improvements with the October allocations, indicating that we would see additional improvement for November. We have many sequences that have a long duty day followed by a short layover. In most cases, the layover is shorter than the duty day. Our sit times…

Thursday, September 23, 2021 ATTENDANCE FLIGHT SERVICE MANAGER (AFSM) The company has decided to move in a slightly different direction when it comes to attendance. Everyone has been assigned to an AFSM. They will be the manager that you will report to for all things attendance-related. We have been told they are highly trained and considered subject…

Sunday, September 5, 2021 Allocations The Company has finally taken the feedback from the APFA leadership and made some changes to the trip construction. With some good comes some bad. We are seeing fewer segments in a duty period, longer rest but increased sit times. We do have domestic wide-body flying for October and a…

Tuesday, August 3, 2021 Allocations Your APFA leadership has made the unanimous decision not to participate in the allocations call this month. For several months now, we have continued to speak to the need for shorter duty days and longer rest. We have complained about long sit times, five-leg days followed by minimum rest, eleven…

Friday, July 16, 2021 Cancellation of All EVLOA’s As reported by the Company yesterday, all Extended Voluntary Leaves of Absence (EVLOAs) will be cancelled. Flight Attendants on these leaves will have the option to return in November or December. Balloting for your return date is now open, and returns will be processed in seniority order. If you are…

Tuesday, July 13, 2021 Tips for August 2021 PBS Bidding Just a few tips for August bidding. PHL has never had a six-day trip, and its calendar day length, RON durations, and flight hours combine to create some bidding issues in PBS. First and foremost, if you are bidding for this six-day trip, the following waivers may be required: WAIVE…

Sunday, July 11, 2021 Parking, Parking, and More Parking PIT Commuter Parking August PBS Bidding Adjustments  Contact Information and Resources   PARKING, PARKING, AND MORE PARKING We are now back in the employee lots. The large lot on Bartram Avenue started off to a rocky start. Beginning July 12th, the buses will be back to a…

Tuesday, July 6, 2021 Allocations We are happy to report PHL will be operating the six-day LHR/SEA trip. This trip will depart daily, and operate on a 777. It replaces our three-day LHR trip. This trip does not have a home, and it can move between bases. Other bases have already had an opportunity to fly this trip.…

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Meeting Tracey, Dan, and I had an opportunity to meet with Frank Morales, Managing Director of Base Operations, and Sam Maher, Regional Director for PHL, yesterday during their visit to PHL. I did have a long agenda of issues to discuss. I realize this is lengthy, but I feel it is…

Monday, June 21, 2021 Employee Parking The parking situation is frustrating. The latest update from PHL Flight Service stated we could park on the ground level if the garages are full. Parking is also available in the International Plaza parking lot, but you will have to walk to the A-West terminal. While this is not…

Friday, June 18, 2021 Parking Update Philadelphia Flight Attendants, We were advised today that the parking garages are either at capacity or very near capacity. PHL Parking Authority (PPA) has authorized and implement alternate parking plans for all airport employees. Effective immediately, employees will be permitted to park on the ground level when the garage is…

Tuesday, June 8, 2021 PHL Virtual Town Hall Meeting Reserve Rotation Information Meeting with your Flight Service Manager (FSM) APFA Live Chat   Philadelphia Flight Attendants, PHL Virtual Town Hall Meeting The Vice President of the PHL station will be hosting a virtual town hall meeting with Network Planning for all team members who work in…

Saturday, June 5, 2021 Allocations Amsterdam COVID Testing Update on PHL Employee Parking   Philadelphia Flight Attendants, Allocations Our allocations for July are on par with what we have seen for June as far as trip construction. Sit times are not nearly has long as we have seen. We will still be operating DUB, LHR,…

Saturday, May 22, 2021 PHL Employee Parking Over the last few months, we have been struggling with the employee parking situation in PHL. The parking garages are full, and it is becoming increasingly more frustrating. The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) has made it very clear they will not be reopening the employee lots at this…

Wednesday, May 12, 2021 PBS Bidding Help PHL Base Council Representative, former PBS/FOI trainer and FABRC specialist John Pratt will be available in the PHL B-16 crew room to assist our Flight Attendants with June PBS bidding on the following dates: Thursday, May 13th, 9:00am – 5:00pm Friday, May 14th, 9:00am- 5:00pm You can also contact him…

Wednesday, May 5, 2021 Amsterdam Required Negative COVID-19 Test For quite a few weeks, we have known that the Netherlands government requires a negative COVID-19 test before boarding for all crew members and passengers to enter the country. We have been pressing the company for a process and how they were going to provide and compensate…

Wednesday, May 5, 2021 Need Help Bidding in PBS? PHL Base Council Representative, former PBS/FOI trainer and FABRC specialist John Pratt will be available in the PHL B-16 crew room to assist our Flight Attendants with June PBS bidding on the following dates: Thursday, May 13th, 9:00am – 5:00pm Friday, May 14th, 9:00am- 5:00pm You can also…

Monday, May 3, 2021 June 2021 Allocations Philadelphia Flight Attendants, Each month is looking better. We have more one-day turns. We see the return of some redeyes, including a redeye LAS turn on the 787. The sit times are slowly coming down, but there are still some sequences with sit time every day. We are happy…

Sunday, April 25, 2021 Base Council Contact Information APFA recently held base elections for the term beginning April 1, 2021- March 31, 2023. I am pleased to announce that Tracey and I have been duly elected for another term. Below is an updated list of your PHL APFA Base Leadership team. Please note we have…

Thursday, April 8, 2021 May 2021 Allocations Philadelphia Flight Attendants, It has been a long time coming, and we are not there yet, but we will see a block hour increase of 56% for May. Our 1-day turns are back, and AMS will be joining LHR and DUB on the IPD schedule. The sit times are…

Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Known Crewmember and Customs Processing Updates PHL Known Crewmember Relocation The Company and APFA were just notified that effective tomorrow, March 25th, the Known Crewmember (KCM) checkpoint will relocate back to Terminal C. TSA stated that this will allow more room at the Terminal B checkpoint for peak summer travel. Customs Processing Update…

Thursday, March 11, 2021 2021 APFA Annual Convention This week, the APFA Board of Directors gathered in DFW for the annual convention. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, the meeting was limited to the National Officers, Base Presidents, Base Presidents-elect, and a small gallery. The focus of this year’s convention was to put policies in…

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 April 2021 Allocations Philadelphia Flight Attendants, April allocations show a substantial increase in flying. We have LHR and DUB in the April bid packet operating daily, and we have an increase in NIPD turns. We have more two and three-day trips along with a decrease in one-day trips. We still have no…