Source: Elines

In recent days we have received a number of questions from Flight Attendants around the system who are surprised by the expectation of Customer Service Representatives (CSR) that boarding will begin in advance of established boarding times. While we’ve not yet been able to determine the source of this instruction to our colleagues in Airport Operations or if this is, as it has been in the past, a misunderstanding.

As we approached the upcoming busy holiday season, we want to ensure that we take the time necessary to ensure proper safety checks are completed and, to the extent possible, we are prepared for passengers at the designated boarding times.  Boarding is coordinated between the Flight Attendant in the purser position, the Captain and the CSR.  It’s important that we maintain clear lines of communication with everyone involved in the dispatch of the aircraft.  The Flight Attendant filling the purser position should brief with the CSR to establish a clear understanding of the boarding times based on the aircraft type as listed in the Policy & Procedure Manual.  The following are the Contractual standard Flight Attendant check-in times.  Because our colleagues in Customer Service work with Flight Attendants from the pre-merger subsidiaries, boarding times differ.  As a suggestion, we recommend that you defer to the information contained in the IBS to establish when boarding begins. 

Keep in mind, for the international operation, these check-in times can be extended up to forty-five (45) minutes for specific departing flights provided the information is included in the monthly Bid Package Cover Letter.

(*) – For the purposes of passenger boarding, domestic includes Hawaii, Alaska and Canada 

During the briefing with the CSR, it is important to establish if the inbound aircraft will be arriving late.  If the inbound aircraft is late, Minimum Service Times (MST), defined as the minimum amount of time allocated for an aircraft to be at the gate, applies. MST information can be found in the Policies & Procedures manual.  In these situations, communication with the CSR is essential in order to establish the departure time (and any revision to it as a result of the late arrival of the aircraft.   The purser should coordinate the planned boarding time dependent upon completion of any required Flight Attendant safety checks.  As we always do, Flight Attendants should be prepared to board the aircraft after the last customer and inbound crew disembark the aircraft to begin our safety checks.  If issues arise that would dictate a delay in boarding the aircraft, the purser should notify the CSR when this is known and ensure the captain is made aware of any issues if she/he is not already aware. 

In those unusual circumstances where there are a large number of disabled customers requiring special service or additional assistance in boarding, Customer Service may ask for a few extra minutes to board the aircraft and, as we always do, we make every effort to cooperate in attaining an on-time departure.  It is reasonable for us to expect that the CSR will respect our professional assessment of circumstances on the aircraft and trust our communications with them.  We should be prepared to greet customers at the boarding door with the first customer crossing the threshold of the aircraft door at boarding time.  Under no circumstances is a jet bridge to be used as a passenger staging or holding area for boarding. In the event it becomes necessary to evacuate passengers while at the gate, the jet bridge is the primary escape route.  Using the jet bridge to stage passengers with their baggage is an unsafe practice that is not supported by standard operating procedures and is to be avoided in the interest of safety for everyone involved. 

If you experience problems in establishing boarding times with the CSR, use your professional skills to resolve the issue at the time it occurs and continue to file ISAP reports for any FAR violations caused by early boarding.  As always, ensure the box on the form is checked that provides AFA with a copy of your report.  It is also helpful to follow up with a call or e-mail to your Local Council to advise them immediately if you experience problems with early boarding. 

Our Safety, Health and Security Committee encourages all Members to continue to advise us if you witness any change in procedures that contribute to unsafe work conditions.