Source: Dear AFA

Recently United announced in their Inflight Services Weekly (August 14, 2013), they will begin testing, changes to the verification process for FAA minimum crew requirement onboard beginning this week in LAX.  While we always fully support, advocate and assist United in being compliant with all Federal Regulations, we are concerned United’s announcement of this testing has created confusion about Crew Member verification procedures.

We have confirmed that this new procedure does not change the requirement by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as detailed on 17.7 of our FAOM. 

Once Crew Member verification procedures have been accomplished by the CSR this new procedure will now require you to scan your Crew Badge each time you board or deplane an aircraft except when deplaning on a terminating flight.  This process is to help United make sure that the FAA Minimum Crew is on board before passenger boarding.    

The new procedure also changes the way the CSR’s begin the passenger boarding process with now relying solely on the gate reader to determine if the required FAA Minimum Crew Requirements have been met. If the gate reader determines that the FAA Minimum Crew Requirements have been met, the CSR will “autoboard” without any direct verbal communication between the Flight Attendant and CSR.  Removing this important verbal verification with the Flight Attendants that the cabin is prepared and safe for boarding raises many concerns for us as we have always advocated for this direct communication to insure the flight begins safely.   

As we receive more information we will pass it along.