APA News Digest

Aug. 8, 2025

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In This Edition ...

National Town Hall Scheduled for Aug. 11

APA President FO Nick Silva, APA Vice President CA Chris Torres, and APA Secretary-Treasurer FO Philip Johnson will host a national town hall meeting at 1600 Central on Aug. 11. The meeting will feature updates from the Negotiating Committee, the Joint Implementation Action Committee, and the APA-ALPA Merger Negotiation Committee.

Click here to register for the meeting. Registering in advance will enable email reminders.

To ensure maximum participation, all members in good standing will receive a call from Telephone Town Hall Meeting, the vendor that assists APA with its town halls, at 1600 Central on Aug. 11. Pilots who are not in a position to watch the town hall meeting via Zoom will be able to listen via their phones. The number that will appear in your caller ID is 817-302-2171. We encourage you to add this number to your contacts.

To submit questions in advance, please send an email to TownHall@alliedpilots.org.

Positive Rate Episode 60: Security Committee

In the latest episode of our “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with Security Committee Chair CA Paul Nelson, who details how the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks “profoundly changed the security environment.” He affirms the committee’s close collaboration with its Air Line Pilots Association peers and notes the committee maintains “a good line of communication” with American Airlines’ security experts. CA Nelson cautions that “complacency” represents the biggest threat to our industry, with commercial aviation remaining a high-value target for terrorists around the world.

Each episode of “Positive Rate” features APA subject-matter experts working on the membership’s behalf. The podcast is available through popular streaming services, including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can search for “Positive Rate” or “Allied Pilots Association” on your platform of choice to subscribe and download. Your first opportunity to listen will be via AlliedPilots.org/Podcasts.

Our Family Navigation Team Needs You

This is a new message from the APA Compass Project Committee.

a female pilot holding two small children

FO Nike Adamo volunteers with our Family Navigation Team.

With all the new pilots walking though AA’s doors, the Compass Project’s Family Navigation Team is busier than ever. Volunteers are needed to help our pilot-parents navigate all that comes with preparing for and going out on leave for the birth or placement of their child.

If you are a parent who is passionate about helping others, the Family Navigation Team needs you! There is an extra need for those who have experience with adoption, surrogacy, fertility treatments, pumping during travel, bidding strategy, how to handle postpartum depression, and those who have taken Paid Family Leave in California, Massachusetts, or New York. Anyone interested in volunteering will be given all the necessary tools and resources needed to ensure our pilots receive the support they deserve.

Volunteers can take on as much or as little as they would like – any help provided is profoundly appreciated. If you are interested in joining our team, please contact the Family Navigation Team at FamilyNav@alliedpilots.org.

a pilot in a cockpit with a young boy in his lap

CA Chuck Castor is also a Family Navigation Team volunteer.

The APA Compass Project is an industry-leading pilot mentoring and support program. Compass offers one-on-one support from experienced line-pilot sponsors, as well as tutorial videos and an extensive database of stage-based documents covering a number of helpful topics that are beneficial to all pilots. Click here for more information.

Join Our Retirement Preparation Seminar on Aug. 13

This is a new message from the APA Compass Project Committee.

APA, in collaboration with AA, will host a YOUnion 401 Retirement Preparation Seminar via Zoom at 1100 Central on Aug. 13. This seminar is intended to help you understand the AA and APA benefits and programs that will be available to you as a retiree. All pilots who are at least 50 years old should attend. Plan on a 90-minute session due to the amount of content to cover.

  • Who: Pilots who are at least 50 years old
  • What: A seminar about your benefits as a retiree
  • When: 1100 Central on Aug. 13
  • Where: Zoom

Click here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the seminar.

Send your feedback to YOUnion@alliedpilots.org.

Can You Help Facilitate Communication?

This is a new message from the National Communications Network.

a closeup of two smiling pilots

CA Josh Kratz and FO Mike Roman participated in Concourse Conversations at PHX recently.

The National Communications Network was created to facilitate two-way communication between line pilots and their elected leaders. Our volunteers relay the union’s objectives to the membership while also conveying members’ views to the Board of Directors.

Our goal is to have at least 10 percent of the membership trained as NCN volunteers. If you would like to join us, please complete our training modules.

If you would like to hear more about our efforts, our next Concourse Conversations session is scheduled from 1200 to 1600 on Aug. 14 at CLT. Look for us in the food court.

Breeze Airways’ Temporary Jumpseat Embargo

This is a new message from the APA Jumpseat/Non-Rev Committee.

Breeze Airways has scheduled an overnight upgrade to its reservation system as Aug. 11 transitions to Aug. 12. During this process, it will not be possible to book, modify, or cancel any reservations or standby listings.

To allow Breeze station personnel to focus on the upgrade and support their passengers, a temporary embargo on all jumpseat travel has been imposed for Aug. 12.

We advise pilots not to list for or attempt jumpseat travel on Breeze on Aug. 12. Breeze expects normal operations to resume on Aug. 13.

If you have any questions or encounter issues related to jumpseat, deadhead, or non-rev travel, please reach out to a committee member or submit a Jumpseat/Deadhead/Non-Rev Debrief.

Retirees Missing Out on Bonus Payments

This is a new message from the APA Negotiating Committee.

Surprisingly, several retirees and other former pilots have not confirmed their addresses with APA, which puts them at risk of not receiving the One-Time Supplemental Payment (OTSP) and Ratification Bonus (RB). Both payments were part of the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which requires former pilots to verify their mailing address to receive the payments. The payment provisions apply to any pilot who had eligible earnings during the years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, regardless of the pilot’s status on the date the 2023 CBA was ratified.

Pilots are required to confirm their address with APA via addressconfirmation@alliedpilots.org. Please include your name, AA employee number, and address, which must be a street address in the United States or Puerto Rico; the address cannot be a P.O. box or international address.

If you know a retiree or other former pilot who is eligible for the OTSP or RB but has not received these payments, please urge them to immediately confirm their information to avoid losing out on these payments.

MIA to Host Joint Fini Flight Celebration

This is a repeated message from the APA Family Awareness Committee.

a group of 13 pilots in uniform under 'congratulations' ballons

A joint Fini Flight celebration happened at ORD in June.

Attention, pilots who did not get a Fini Flight celebration on their last flight:

Maybe you took an early-out during the pandemic or turned 65 while on long-term disability. APA and American Airlines invite you to put your uniform on one last time and join us for a Fini Flight ceremony at MIA on Oct. 24. You do not need to be officially retired or age 65 to participate.

Following the ceremony, our photographer will take flight-deck photos with you and your family. The event will conclude with a group dinner.

a group of nine pilots in uniform in front of an APA banner

A joint Fini Flight celebration happened at DFW in January.

If you want to participate, please let us know by emailing finiflight@alliedpilots.org or by calling FO Tim Jackson at 847-809-8888.

Hotel Debrief vs. Hotel Survey

This is a previously published message from the APA Hotel Committee.

A Hotel Debrief is an important mechanism for crews to communicate systemic and particularly egregious layover issues (hotel or transportation) that need to be addressed with the company or the third-party vendor in a timely manner. Hotel Debriefs are monitored daily by the Hotel Committee.

The Hotel Survey, which automatically pops up on the APA Pilot app after a layover, is used to track trends, both good and bad. Issues that don’t need to be addressed immediately are best tracked in the survey versus a debrief. Room wait times, transportation wait times, climate control issues, and lack of food options are all examples of issues that are best communicated through the survey. The survey is quicker to fill out than a debrief and helps us to track trends. We can identify problems clearly with the survey, and it allows us to appropriately address them with American. An issue in a debrief is often seen by the hotel or the company as a “one off” (and often that is the case), but the survey gives us data necessary to identify an actual trend that needs to be addressed. Save yourself some time and capture this information in the survey, which takes just a minute or two to fill out. There is no need to duplicate with the debrief unless it is an egregious issue that leads to a fatigue call, forces you to secure your own transportation or hotel room, or causes a late departure.

We are also happy to send a positive Hotel Debrief to the company if you have a particularly great stay.

For more information, check out the QRH – Quick Reference Hotels document. This resource answers 99 percent of all hotel, transportation, and layover questions while providing helpful solutions. Suggestion: Download this QRH document to your AA iPad for easy access in the future.

APA Welcomes Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

Click the image for a closer look.

On Aug. 6, the Membership Committee hosted a casual dinner for the following pilots who were in Fort Worth for American Airlines’ Professionalism, Leadership, and Mentoring class: Akiel Alleyne, Spencer Bell, Timothy Black, Paul Blair, Robert Camfield, Jeannie Coroneos, Glenn Counsil, Graziano Di Stasio, Daniel Dib Bastos Faundez, Christopher Fanone, Michael King II, Michael Lehman, Robert Milett, Aaron Port, Scott Sorrentino, Michael Stone, John Wickham, and Keith Williams.

APA Medical Minute – Weight-Loss Medications

In this encore edition of the APA Medical Minute, APA Medical Advisor Cassie Bien discusses FAA regulations regarding weight-loss medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.

Domicile Elections

When there are four or more candidates for a domicile position, the APA Constitution and Bylaws calls for a Nomination Round that winnows the field to three.

These PHX candidates’ resumes are posted on the Elections page on AlliedPilots.org:

PHX Chair
CA Richard Baker
CA William Price
CA Jeremy Ryder
CA Mitch Vasin

PHX Vice Chair
CA Nicholas Chaplin
FO Jadan Joyner-Fields
CA John McIlvenna
FO Adrian Osio

The Nomination Round voting period for PHX will be open until 0900 Central on Aug. 28. The deadline for receipt of mailed paper ballots is 1000 Central on Aug. 28.

Each eligible PHX pilot should have received a notice in the mail containing a unique Voting PIN and voting instructions. It is important that you retain this letter, as you will need the same Voting PIN for all rounds of the election. Each eligible PHX pilot should have also received his or her unique Voting PIN and voting instructions via an email from APA’s elections vendor, Sequent.

Domicile Events

a group of pilots in a conference room

More than 900 pilots tuned into Tuesday’s town hall meeting hosted by the BOS, LGA, ORD, and PHL Domicile Officers. The meeting included briefings from the National Officers, the Negotiating Committee, the Joint Implementation Action Committee, and the Scheduling Committee. Pilots from any domicile can listen to a recording of the meeting.

Visit AlliedPilots.org/Calendar to RSVP for any of these upcoming domicile events:

  • BOS: New England Summer Lobstah Pier Picnic on Aug. 23
  • CLT: Concourse Conversations on Aug. 14; Domicile Meeting at Charlotte Knights game on Sept. 7
  • DCA: Kentmoor Fly-in/Drive-in/Boat-In on Aug. 19; DCA Memorial Golf Tournament on Sept. 10; Baltimore Orioles game on Sept. 24
  • DFW: Texas Rangers game on Aug. 24; Retirement Party on Sept. 6
  • LAX: San Diego Lunch on Aug. 12; Dana Point Lunch on Aug. 14; Redondo Beach Lunch on Aug. 19; Domicile Meeting at Topgolf on Aug. 28
  • LGA: New York Mets game on Aug. 31
  • MIA: TPA Gathering at Yard House on Aug. 31; Tampa Bay Rays game on Sept. 1; IMAX Training on Sept. 24; Retirement Party on Oct. 4
  • PHX: IMAX Training on Aug. 12; Arizona Diamondbacks game on Sept. 24

Week in Review

Here are some recent messages you may have missed:

Are You Willing to Serve?

Each of these national committees or subcommittees has the indicated number of vacancies:

  • Aeromedical Committee (0)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivational Study Subcommittee (1)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (2)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • Retirement and Benefits Committee (1)*
  • Safety Committee (0)
    • Air Traffic and Procedures Subcommittee (1)
  • Training Committee (0)
    • Checkmate Subcommittee (1 on 777)

* Seeking volunteer with financial services experience and possible AIF®, CFP®, or related designations.

If you would like to serve on one or more of these committees, visit the Member Engagement Portal.

Professional Standards FAQs

When I make a call, am I “turning someone in” to Professional Standards?
No! When you call Professional Standards, you are utilizing fellow pilots, who are trained in handling peer-to-peer conflict, to resolve an issue that you are not comfortable resolving yourself. One of the first questions a volunteer will ask you is: “Have you tried to resolve this issue yourself?” While resolving the issue between the two parties is truly resolution at the lowest possible level, many people are not comfortable with this scenario and utilize Professional Standards.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

Professional Standards’ 24/7 hotline: 817-402-2181

Free Admission to 9/11 Memorial & Museum

Coinciding with National Aviation Week, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum invite active and retired pilots and flight attendants – and their guests – to visit the museum for free on Aug. 18 or any day from Aug. 20 through Aug. 24. Free tickets can be reserved here.

On the day of your visit, you will be asked to show your flight crew credentials to receive your free tickets. As in years past, the museum will publish a blog post highlighting National Aviation Week and honoring flight crews’ commitment to safety. If you intend to place flowers at the memorial and wouldn’t mind your tribute being featured in the blog post, please let the museum’s Chris Mendoza know via cmendoza@911memorial.org.

The memorial is open from 0800 to 2000 daily, and the museum is open from 0900 to 1900 every day except for Tuesdays.

If You’re 50, Join The Grey Eagles

Are you a pilot for American Airlines, at least age 50, active or retired? Please join The Grey Eagles for food, fun, and fellowship. We offer cruises, conventions, monthly luncheons, retirement dinners, professional mentoring, and assistance to surviving spouses – all for a one-time lifetime fee. Our next cruise, a nine-night excursion across the southern Caribbean, launches Oct. 9.

Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar

The Future & Active Pilot Alliance’s next Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar are scheduled for Aug. 23 at Aviation High School near LGA. Click here for more information.

Industry News

For more about what’s happening in the industry, be sure to visit the Industry News page on AlliedPilots.org.

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