Dear American Eagle Flight Attendant,

Undoubtedly you have each read the information published last week regarding American Eagle’s capacity reductions, and we know that each of you is anxious to understand the specific schedule, fleet and staffing changes that will result from these reductions.  We are happy to announce that we will not be furloughing any American Eagle flight attendant. We have mitigated our need to furlough by lowering line values and increasing part time lines.  Despite these efforts, our reductions have caused an imbalance in our current staffing levels in both SJU and BOS. This will require us to potentially displace 55 BOS flight attendants and 54 SJU based flight attendants.  We anticipate openings to be available for these flight attendants in ORD, DFW and the new DFW Executive base.

Bids for transfer to the DFW Executive base will open on July 02, 2008 and close on July 16, 2008.  We will need 100 flight attendants in this new base by November 1, 2008 and will transition the flight attendants into this base over a three-month period.  The bid will be opened for 33 flight attendants in September, 22 flight attendants in October, and 45 flight attendants in November.  The base transfer form will have room for three choices.  When submitting your bid, for the DFW Executive base, please indicate in order of preference which month you would like your transfer to be in effect.  Transfers will be open to all Executive and AE flight attendants and will be awarded in seniority order.

Once the Executive transfers are awarded, we will offer voluntary system wide personal leaves of absence.  3 month and 6 month leaves will be available beginning September 1 in SJU, and November 1 in all other bases.  If you take a personal leave, you will be eligible for D2 travel for 6 months and will be given the option of continuing your current active medical benefits at your expense.

Once leaves are awarded, we will determine what vacancies are available and offer base transfer to those flight attendants who will be impacted by the displacement. These openings will be awarded in seniority order.   Voluntary or involuntary displacements will be treated as involuntary for the purposes of moving expenses.  Please remember that in order to be eligible for moving expenses, you must actually move and receipts must be submitted.

If you do not wish to transfer, you will be offered a voluntary furlough.  A voluntary furlough does not have a determined length of duration.  You will be recalled, in seniority order, when the base from which you have been furloughed becomes available and will retain all forms of seniority and continue to accrue occupational seniority.

We realize this is a lot of information to digest, and we encourage you to check with your Flight Service Manager, or your AFA Local Union President if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Linda Kunz                                                              Veronica Tenerelli

Vice President In-Flight Service                                 AFA AMR Master Executive President

NOTE - Your AFA-CWA EAP (Employee Assistance Program) Representatives will be available in the crew lounges in San Juan and Boston for the next several days to assist you and answer any questions you may have. Your MEC realizes that this is a difficult time, and we stand ready to assist you in every possible way.