I believe the other big carriers have Satelite Bases such as American, I am not experienced in this area. Perhaps a flight attendant from another airline can explain it.
The current satellite bases at AA are SAN, MSP, ATL. The f/as in these bases begin and end all trips at that base. The satellites are (for want of a better term) self-managing. There are no reserves, no standbys. The base management is located at the "mother ship"--for SAN, it's LAX; for MSP, it's ORD, and ATL is a satellite of MIA.
If a f/a in the satellite is sick or otherwise unable to fly their trip, they contact a phone tree of other f/as in the base. SOMEONE has to cover the trip even if they are scheduled to be off that day or days. No one is flown in to cover the trip. If trips cancel because the trip is not covered, the company will close the satellite. It's that simple. No playing games.
If one of the f/as in the satellite is abusing the system, the f/as in that satellite have to deal with the problem. The company makes it clear that either the f/as make it work or no satellite.
Just FYI, FLL is not an AA satellite. The trips that begin and end at FLL are on the MIA bid sheet. MIA, FLL, and PBI are all covered by MIA flight attendants--just as (domestically) LGA, EWR, and JFK are all covered by LGA flight attendants. (The JFK
base is strictly International.) To differentiate between satellites and these situations, the company uses the term co-terminal. It gets a little messy when a trip begins at one co-terminal and ends at another. The company is required to provide transportation back to the originating co-terminal. LAX, LGB, ONT, BUR, and SNA are co-terminals. For the convenience of the f/as though, the company attempts to create bid lines that begin and end in those co-terminals; so, a f/a with sufficient seniority who lives in the BUR vicinity need never fly out of LAX.
AA has other satellites in the planning stage. I've heard rumors that TPA (or maybe MCO) and AUS are under serious consideration. One of the main criteria for creating a satellite (other than a lot of origination flying from that city) is that there are a lot of commuters from that city who would want to fly from the satellite.
This may be way more info than you wanted, but this is the way that satellites work at AA.
