Alaska Airlines Faces Criticism Over Staffing Levels on 787 Flights

Alaska Airlines is facing criticism from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) over staffing levels on its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights. The union claims that Alaska's management has failed to honor a prior agreement to study and adjust staffing as needed.

The issue began in April when Alaska started operating international flights with the 787, which led to a 30-day observation period where flight attendants provided feedback and suggested service flow improvements. However, after the observation period ended on May 28, Alaska has yet to implement any changes, citing a need for more data.

The AFA argues that Alaska can respond quickly to customer feedback, but instead chooses not to address the staffing issue, telling flight attendants to 'make it work.' The union is calling for Alaska to either increase staffing or adjust service standards to reflect the current staffing levels.