Please, keep in mind that I was not talking about a benefit here. Travel privileges are a benefit, and as far as I am concerned, a company has the right to take away all benefits to all employees. In fact, British Airways did that shortly with their cabin crew, when they were striking.
What I am referring to here, is a basic tool, for employees to be able to manage their day to day business with the company. One that could be offered, with the company absorbing the associated cost, but because it is America West, they do not.
For most crew members working in the USA, being that the USA relies heavily on permanent reserve crew members, it is a necessity to have access to the scheduling system. Most decent companies offer this access for free. In fact, some companies, up until recently, due to union demands, had to even provide beepers to their crew members, as the opinion was such, that if the company needed to try to get in touch with a reserve crew member, then they better supply a way to contact them, thus the beeper (believe it or not, as outdated that this device is). Having a personal Cell phone number on file, was not a means or excuse for the company to try to reach that crew member, and they were actually banned from trying to reach them on those.
You will find though, in your cultural shock, once you deal with America West management, that they have lowered the bar, where no-one else has before. If you came from a normal company, (hell, even a cheap-ass regional one) and went to US Airways (onto the America West side of things), all these things that you expect from a decent company, are no longer there. And this goes even as far as communicating to new-hires certain rules for vacation and how to bid for them, with the hopes that you miss the deadline for requesting it. This way they can wash their hands off having to pay for vacations, and say "too bad that all of you didn't know," "we know we fucked you over, and we love it.... and there is nothing you can do about it.."
Expect, first off, that nothing has changed with AWA management; second, that they have already imported some of that hostile ghetto style to US Airways east; and third, that they wont hesitate bringing this charm over to American Airlines.
Again, I say, if they figure out a way for you to pay for stuff, they will.
You already pay for your Uniforms as a F/A (that's become the norm in the industry)
With AWA, you pay for access to your schedule from home. It's free on company terminals.
In the days of cash transactions, I worked for one that provided $40 change, so that you (Should) always have change ready for the customers. At America West, it was expected that you carry change of your own, and that you be ready to provide change to a customer, when there was a transaction on board.
If AWA management can figure out a way to make you pay for your manual, they will.
America West gave flight attendants their first contract in 1999, and as a condition of that contract, F/As had to give up crew meals.
US Airways West F/A.s (America West) finally got a much needed pay-raise. How was this funded? By stripping away vacation.