LAX Survival Guide

New Base Survivor’s Guide
How to survive being based in LAX
An AFA CWA CP Publication
A Message from the President
In This Guide
"In the 7 years of our existence, we have seen many
changes, such as being owned by 3 different
LAX Airport Map & Info
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AFA Base Visit
p.4
LAX Overview
p.5
Scheduling
p.6
Crew Room
p.6
Money Management
p.7
Compass Flight Attendants. The loyalty, contributions,
Commuting
p.8
Attendants, is why Compass Airlines is recognized as the
Crash Pads
p.9
top performer in our industry.
ProStands
p.9
As we enter a new phase in the story of Compass Airlines,
Contact Information
companies, had 5 different CEOs/COOs, 4 general
managers of Inflight, 2 base closures, and now we see a
shift of flying to the West Coast along with a new base of
operations.
Throughout these changes, the one thing that has not
changed is the dedication and professionalism of the
hard work and strong ethics from the Compass Flight
this is an exciting time but a daunting one as well. LAX is
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not inexpensive, and with no idea of the type of flying, we
have FAs blindly going into the unknowns, in continuing their strong contribution to this airline. No
matter what challenges we face, we stand together, resolute. We will adapt and through OUR
union, we will continue to be here for each other, to provide support, guidance and assistance;
and OUR resolve will remain ever constant.
To all who contributed to this survival kit, thank you and a special thank you to Tracie Williams, our
AFA EAP Committee Chair, for presenting the idea for an LAX Survival kit and spearheading this
project.
In Unity,
Catriona Bagley, Compass AFA MEC President"
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CP Departures
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CP Crew Room
Did you know…?
Did you know that the best source for
Compass Airlines Association of Flight
Attendants information was on the
Compass AFA website?
We encourage you to visit
www.afacompass.org.
Remember, your union is here to support
you.
In solidarity,
Compass Airlines Association of Flight
Attendants
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LAX:
The Ins and Outs,
The Ups and Downs
If you have already been to LAX,
some of this information will just be an
overview for you. We haven’t
received much more info than was
already shared previously. We will do
our best to update as soon as
possible.
Currently the goal for 90 FAs by the
end of the year still stands. February’s
goal was to have 18 flight attendants.
The next new hire class has over 22
new hires and if they are successful in
their training, it should prevent
displacement for the time being. As
the year progresses we will a clearer
image of what being based in LAX will
be like. In the mean time, here is
what we know so far.
Shuttle flight service is expected to
expand to Seattle and possibly other
destinations. Currently we operate out
of Terminal 5. We generally use the
same gates for Delta Shuttle flights but
we all know that irregular operations
can change all that. The crew room
5
will be located in terminal 6, to the left
of Rubys. From there take the
elevator to the 4th floor and it’s the first
door to the right. Compass Inflight
personnel are expected to visit the
base when it opens and will visit
sporadically there afterwards. If you
are laying over in SFO, Air Crew
Transport will be handling the
transportation to and from the airport
for the Compass Airlines flight crews
with layovers in SFO.
The company hotel is the LAX
Sheraton Hotel is designed like many
resort style hotels. The rooms are
comfortable and every room below
floor five has a refrigerator. Sadly,
there are no microwaves available.
There is a huge work out facility and
outdoor pool area. The van to the
airport fills up quickly and takes a
while to get to terminal 5 so plan to
leave early.
Crew Rates for hotels and crash Pads
in LA are much more expensive than
what most of us are use to paying.
Most hotels charge around$70- $110
for crew rates. One hotel, the
Hacienda isn’t as expensive and is
close by the airport. Some Crash
Pads can cost upwards of $700 a
month and you may not get your
own room.
As we all know, food at the airport
can be quite expensive. However,
the food in LAX is significantly more
expensive than most other airports
due to the higher cost of living. There
also aren’t many food options in
Terminal five. The picture seen here
shows a McDonald’s next to an
escalator. That escalator is the best
way to get to other terminals,
including the crew room, without
going outside of security.
The LAX airport also has free wifi. For
more information on the LAX airport
and amenities, please visit
http://www.lawa.org/welcomelax.aspx
!
LAX Crew Room
We were able to get some photos of the crew room from February 1, 2014!
Seems like we could use some color on those walls. The crew room is
located in Terminal 6 to the left of “Ruby’s Diner. From there, take the
elevator to the 4th floor and enter the first door on the right. The code for
the crew room can be access by calling crew scheduling.
Please do not publish this code for security purposes. Next to the crew
room you will find the Inflight office, quiet rooms, and a room to stow bags.
The union is working to get a message board posted with helpful
information.!
Scheduling Committee:
Know Your Contract!
Most trips out of LAX are one days and CDOs
and this is unlikely to change. If you live there
or on TDY this would be great but if you are
commuting it will be imperative to
plan ahead, bid smart, and to seriously
consider a crash pad.
Bidding help is available. Please refer to the
online docs on the PBS home page as a
reference. Here are some quick tips:
*Bid knowing your seniority. Your bids will be
different if you are top, middle, and bottom
of the seniority list. Example: Reserves
wouldn't bid pairings.
*Take advantage of all 7 of your bidding
layers.
*When in doubt, ask!
When the lines are awarded make sure to
check your bid award. If there is a PBS error
(not a FA bidding error) in your award you
are protected by your contract. See page 66 section F of your contract for more details.
Contact your scheduling committee for any
further help and last but not least, KNOW
YOUR CONTRACT! !
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message boards. There are many advantages to living
with co-worker. Not only will you have someone you
can trust to share your space with, you will also have
someone who clearly understands your lifestyle and
lifestyle is everything this job is about.
If you drive a car, consider taking public transportation
Managing Money in LA
instead. See the transportation article of this guide for
details. Food in LA is very fresh and can be very
Although there is a lot of lure to living in Los Angeles,
there are a few things flight attendants should consider
when making this move. California has one of the most
expensive standards of living in the country and this high
expensive. Eating at home as mush as possible and
cooking your own meals is not only healthier, but it will
prevent you from overspending. Investing in a lunch
bag for work would also save you money on the road.
cost of living can greatly affect our flight attendant
group. On our income it would be very difficult for flight
attendants to live independently.
Easing into life’s luxuries like cable and internet are ways
to save money as well. Cable bills can be quite costly.
Consider alternatives like a Netflix or Hulu account for
Internet reports show an average income of $24,000 as
the minimum cost of living for one person in California. A
new hire flight attendant at CP would make a minimum
of $15,000-$17,000 a year based on guarantee.
Although this financial gap seems large, there are ways
to manage your money to make this work.
of paying for a gym membership, engage in the many
free ways to stay fit such as running or walking along the
beach and using the fitness equipment there. If you find
yourself struggling with finances and wanting money
management assistance, you AFA EAP can provide you
Having a roommate would help assist in the cost of
will resources to get back on your feet. Contact
living. If you are interested in finding a roommate,
information can be found on the last page of tis guide.!
please go to the Compass AFA website to visit the
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your leisure entertainment. For staying in shape, instead
Commuting
LAX has 680 flights everyday.
It’s one of the busiest airports in
the country and it caters to
one of the countries most
heavily populated cities.
Although commuting might
seem like a breeze with so
many options, there are always
unexpected hurdles that may
get in the way. Please be
familiar with the commuter
policy and plan ahead.
Your eFAM has a listing of all
the carriers we jumpseat
agreements with in the
collection entitled “Reciprical
Cabin Jumpseat Agreements”.
Please note that the correct
information for listing for
American flights is found under
“Memos Inflight. If you ever
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have trouble listing
at the gate on a DL
jumpseat, please
invite the DL crew
members to
reference page
5.7.7 of the flight
attendant manual
for jumpseat agreement
information. This information
can also be found in the DL
pilots manual under Jumpseat
Agreements under General. If
you are ever having trouble
jumpseating, ask for a CSA
“red coat” and contact your
Inflight Department.
The website
www.passrider.com is a great
tool to use when commuting.
It shows a listing of all flight
information for any airport.
Save this website, along with
any other helpful website
regarding travel, as a
bookmark on the internet for
your personal electronic
devices. That way you can
access this information
anytime.!
Transportation
We’ve all heard of how
terrible traffic can be in
Los Angeles. It’s not often
rumors are true but this
one definitely holds up.
Congestion can easily
happen when you have
so many people in one
area. One way to get
around this factor would
be to take public
transportation. Visit
www.metro.net to get all
the information you need
for LA public transit.
If taking public
transportation is a new
venture for you, don’t
be afraid. Just
remember to always
give yourself more
time than you think
you need. You can
use mapping
applications on your
electronic device
such as Google Maps
and
other
local
apps
to
make
travel
plans.
It’s
best to
buy
fare
passes, such as 30 day
monthly passes, in
advance so that you
always have a way to
pay. Stay close to
your personal
belongings and
remain situationally
aware.
!
Crash Pads &
Hotels
If you’re in the market
for lodging in LAX
there are an
abundance of
options. The hotel
committee has
gathered the
following resources. If
you’d like more information, please contact your Hotel
Committee!
Crew Hotel Rates
Crew rates can change varying on availability and time of year
Hilton LAX
Hacienda Hotel
Best Western
Courtyard by Marriott
https://www.id90.com/
Crash Pads
A Message from the
Professionals!
As you begin your new adventure in LAX, we want to
help ease the transition. Change, especially a move
to new bases and new homes and cultures, can
cause a great deal of stress. With this potential stress in
your life you may be more inclined to experience
conflict with co-workers.
We want to encourage you to be a support system for
each other as you are all experiencing similar
difficulties. Be open to new concepts and look for
ways to encourage one another. If you find yourself in
a difficult situation with another co-worker, please
know you have an additional support system in your
Professional Standards team.
We will offer a confidential listening ear, advice, and a
possible go-between. We wish you all the best of luck
and look forward to seeing the LAX base evolve into a
great, cohesive
community.
In solidarity,
http://crashpad411.com/search?airport=3484
Kara Wright
https://www.facebook.com/crashpad.lax
http://www.crashpadjoe.com/openrealty/index.php?Domicile=l
ax&price-min=&pricemax=&searchtext=&action=searchresults&pclass%5B%5D=
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Professional
Standards Chair
(262) 365-3810
Contact Information, Committee Chairs:
Air Safety, Health & Security Committee
Jay Krohn
[email protected]
Professional Standards
Kara Wright
[email protected]
Employee Assistance Program
Tracie Williams
[email protected]
Scheduling Committee
Cindy Olson (Temp. Chiar)
[email protected]
Government & Legislative Affairs
Ryan Demapan
[email protected]
Communications Committee
Annika Fraser
[email protected]
Grievance Committee
Mary ‘Terry’ Kiernan
[email protected]
Insurance Committee
Luis Malave
[email protected]
Hotel Committee
Tiffany Rupp
[email protected]
Jumpseat Committee
Catherine Kingkeo Pulido
[email protected]
New Hire & Mentoring Committee
Bradley Benton
[email protected]
Uniform Committee
Dottie Schwiesow
[email protected]