Alaska Airlines flight attendants file grievance over staffing on long-haul international flights

Alaska Airlines flight attendants filed a grievance last week, stating the airline has been understaffing its newest long-haul routes from Seattle.

The Association of Flight Attendants-Communications Workers of America, the union representing the employees, filed a grievance last week against Alaska Airlines and came together to meet with the company on Thursday, according to The Seattle Times.

The outcome of the hearing will determine what changes Alaska would make to its in-flight operations for long-haul routes, if any.

The complaint focused on the routes flown on Alaska’s fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, a plane the airline is using for its expansion into nonstop intercontinental flights out of Seattle.

Alaska announced two more international routes as the staffing dispute plays out

Alaska announced that two more of the routes would be added to the roster on Thursday, including flights from Seattle to Paris and Greece next spring.

The grievance was filed by Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants who work on Alaska-branded planes flying the long routes. Alaska Air Group acquired Hawaiian Airlines in 2024.

Currently, there are about 400 Hawaiian flight attendants stationed at the airline’s Seattle hub, according to The Seattle Times.

In the grievance, the union said that Alaska violated a portion of its contract with Hawaiian flight attendants because it requires company management and flight attendants to mutually agree on service requirements on flights.

Alaska Airlines decided to move one flight attendant from the main cabin to the front of the cabin, said Josh Aoki, a Hawaiian flight attendant and Hawaiian AFA’s local president for Seattle and Los Angeles, according to The Seattle Times.

The union was under the impression that by having one fewer person in the main cabin, Alaska wouldn’t make changes to the in-flight food and drink options, according to Aoki. Instead, the airline added new offerings, such as ice cream and warm cookies, leaving flight attendants rushing to get through the main cabin.

Passengers then had to wait longer for food and drinks, and for their meal trays to be cleared, according to Aoki. That also limited sleep time for passengers on long-haul flights.

“We’re in a transition period where Alaska has handed us this service model where, operationally, it just does not make sense,” Aoki told The Seattle Times. “It creates this chaotic environment on board.”

Union wants Alaska to either add staff or scale back the in-flight offerings

The union has asked Alaska Airlines management to negotiate with them, whether it be an increase in staffing or changes to its in-flight offerings on the long-haul routes, Aoki said, according to The Seattle Times.

In a statement, Alaska said that the airline’s “priority is to support our crews while delivering the safe, consistent and remarkable travel experience our guests expect — and that keeps us competitive in the markets we serve.”

Alaska has introduced seven nonstop international routes from Seattle since December 2024, including routes to Tokyo-Narita; Seoul, South Korea; Rome; London; Reykjavik, Iceland; Paris; and Athens. Alaska plans to add at least five more routes by 2030.

The grievance filed by the union last week only focuses on the routes flown on Alaska-branded Boeing 787s, which include flights to Seoul, Rome, and London.

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