American Airlines is firing a record number of flight attendants, according to a union executive committee document reviewed by View From The Wing.
Association of Professional Flight Attendants board minutes from February say that 59 cabin crew members have filed grievances for ‘reserve not in position’ terminations in the previous year and that “those numbers continue to rise.”
- When flight attendants are scheduled to work ‘reserve’ rather than being assigned to specific flights they have to be available to report within two hours.
- But many flight attendants don’t live near where they’re based for work. If they aren’t scheduled, they might roll the dice and bet they won’t get called on (or if they do, they’ll call in sick). They get paid for reserve hours, but aren’t actually available to work.
- American has cracked down in this – and more flight attendants are being fired over it than ever before.
The union says that when a flight attendant is late to show up for an assignment, or calls in sick after being called up to work a flight, they investigate the employee’s travel records to see where they may have flown (and if it’s a city other than the one they’re supposed to work from) as well as social media and even use of their airline-issued tablet. Presumably that logs location. However, I’ve also been told that American has investigated flight attendants who haven’t missed a flight or shown up late.
Flight attendants don’t technically have to be in their reserve city – only able to make the assignment within two hours (three for co-terminal airports).
None of this should be surprising since American Airlines has been threatening it for four years. They fired 50 flight attendants for this in 2022, or three times the usual rate.
Since that time, the union has been warning that once there is a trigger event, the company pulls travel history, including on other airlines.
Their current “Reserve Out of Base” guidance adds social media, company tablet use, and conversations with Flight Service to the known evidence that American investigates. They may skip progressive discipline entirely and go straight to termination when a flight attendant is found out of base while working reserve.
American Airlines needs employees scheduled to be available to show up for work when called. They’re getting paid for it. However, related data shows that threatening to fire flight attendants who don’t show up because of illness doesn’t help improve attendance.
If the requirement is that you must be on duty by two hours when called then that’s part of the job requirement. If you can’t or won’t meet the job requirements there’s no reason for you to be employed. When you get hired you know what’s expected. Pretty simple.
They knew the rules when they were hired or whenever a new contract gets implemented. If you don’t want to follow your employers rules they have every right to take disciplinary action.
Some flight attendants and pilots seem to take for granted that they can live anywhere outside their base, but its a privilege. When the airline has a t-storm roll through and a crew isn’t available who needs to work the trip, the impact on the customers is severe.
It’s unfortunate when a small percentage of crews ruin things for the majority.
Commuting on reserve at beginning flight attendant salaries simply makes no sense.
“I’ve also been told that American has investigated flight attendants who haven’t missed a flight or shown up late.”
So you’ve “been told”. Is that generally enough for you to accept something as fact? Personally I would not include this in the story, but at the very least you should include that you have nothing to verify the claim. The story should be updated to include supporting evidence, or that you have none.
AA and the union agreed toa rotating reserve system. This results in senior FAs suddenly finding themselves on reserve. A traditional system where FAs come off reserve when they can naturally hold a line would prevent a lot of this. AA may even have a “commuter clause” that allows FAs who encounter issues commuting to “call in honest”. I know this for a fact, because I wrote the policy at the AFA carrier I was a senior manager at.
Fact remains, the rules are what they are. You are required to be available on your scheduled days. If you are not, you are subject to disciple up to and including termination.
@Chris P Bacon: He literally told you he didn’t have anything additional to verify the claim when he said he’d “been told”. The reader can figure out how much credibility to assign to that statement.
Had a friend who was a Jetblue FA, she was based in Ft. Lauderdale but living near Ocala, about 4 hours away. She shared a crash pad near Ft Lauderdale with a bunch of other FA and would live there when on call. So it can be done, just that some think the rules don’t apply to them. AA needed to bring it under control, and those who refuse can be replaced by those who will.
Not sure why the union would have a problem with this (if in fact they do). Being paid for reserve hours when you know full well that you can’t show up when needed is pretty clearly employee theft.
They got a massive raise. Standards should also increase.
They deserve to be fired.
No sympathy for those gaming the system. It makes those that play by the rules look bad.
Is AMERICAN being run by Russia or North Korea?
What’s next FAs mysteriously falling out of windows backwards out of low grade high rise hotels?
Huh, and I thought the ‘economy’ was supposed to be doing ‘great’ again… what’s up with all the layoffs… 239 days until midterms…
@Dwondermeant — Ayatollah Isom…
@1990 – Wow are you in a cult? Can the Democrats do nothing wrong to shake your faith? You will even support cheating the airline? Please tell us what the Democrats will do that will make the country better – besides obstruct our current president. Something positive to look forward to under their leadership. I am willing to bet you become strangely silent or list bad things the current leadership did (in you opinion).
AA needs a new reward level. Say, 300k lp and they get to fire a FA. Or at least enter a lottery to get to fire one. Sure would be group 10 boarding.
@ Michael Mainello – Don’t waste your time. 1900 (aka Retard) is literal human garbage incapable of sentient thought.
If you don’t show up for work, you get the boot. As simple as that.
Meanwhile, can’t we keep politics off VFTW? This is supposed to be an aviation and frequent flyer forum.
@1990 I think MSNOW has chat rooms better suited for you than this one.
I’m pretty sure I saw GPS ankle bracelets on a couple of FA on Boston to Miami. So management must indeed be cracking down on locations of on and off-duty FAs.
Hello @Tim Dunn,
You said “Commuting on reserve at beginning flight attendant salaries simply makes no sense.”
Commuting (by air) is free. Living in NYC on reserve is expensive. Crash pad rent, food, taxis etc. So if one lived in a much cheaper area, but is based in a high cost of living base, the math doesn’t math. Do I misunderstand your comments?
In any case, if you’re not in place to work, there’s the door. “I’ve been told” AA is only firing the bad ones. I do like the idea of LP rewards (two choices) to shitcan a bad FA, and there’s one on my list!
Looks like Toby has a new project to work on.
@Mike Hunt – You are right. 1990 is incapable of defending his statements. He is either a bot or sneaks onto the computer from his cell.
I can assure you both that 1990 is not a bot, or a retard. He is an enlightened thinker, well versed in all the great works in economics and philosophy, from Marx to Engels. There is no more profound statement than his famous line “workers should be paid more”. It’s so simple but true. If only the world would follow his prescient advice, we all would be swimming in abundance.
@1990bot – You funny drone.
Sounds like this is a situation where both sides could clearly be construed as being completely wrong.
One one side, FA’s presumably know when they’re supposed to be available. How is the airline supposed to fly without adequate personnel? Choosing to live in a different city than where you’re based is a personal decision and comes with inherent responsibilities.
On the other, the airline needs to be realistic about how feasible it is for FA’s – particularly new ones – to afford to live in a high cost hub city and commute there to be on standby. A thoughtful employer would seek out ideas to mitigate these issues rather than just shoot the horse that can’t make the jump.
I don’t know what new FA’s make, their work loads, or how long and often they’re on standby. I do think that trying to find solutions rather than vilifying the other party is more likely to make some progress towards solutions instead of just pissing each other off.
AA has become a crappy place to work under Isom for many many reasons. This is not one of them. If a flight attendant on reserve isn’t actually available to report for work within two hours they deserve any contractual consequences. They deal with plenty of crap, it’s true, but they can’t take and take all the perks without limits. I’d imagine this is only a few bad apples. If they are caught, let them take their lumps. And for the many good ones I hope they can get a CEO with some actual leadership skills who can take the helm and return AA to a company to be proud to represent.
@Pilot93434 — Do people actually believe that “only firing the bad ones” lie?
@Christian — Great non-political use of ‘both sides,’ actually. Yeah, returning to “trying to find solutions rather than vilifying the other party” would sure be nice.
@DFWSteve — View from the (right) Wing is so ‘fun,’ though.
@Michael Mainello — Seems like I hit a nerve. Oil over $110 per barrel, and climbing. Yikes.
@Mike Hunt — Good… good… let the hate flow through you…
@1990bot — *beep boop*
Agreed that the tropes who espouse their political beliefs on this website shouldn’t do so. Politics has nothing to do with the article…period. As for being on reserve, the flight attendants know the rules before they sign on to work for the airline. Commuting by air, while it may be free, is a crapshoot. The commuter flies standby. There’s NO WAY, in the case of being New York based, that a reserve pilot, flight attendant or any employee not living in their New York base assignment can be available within a two hour short call. The airline has the right to investigate and terminate as necessary. Other airlines face the same issue, more so with flight attendants rather than pilots. Pilots, while not immune, realize that if they get fired from one airline/company for violation of the rules, will have a hell of a time getting a job with another airline. Those who, in their narcissistic manner, who post everything from their daily bathroom trips and what they were doing when supposed to be at work…BUH BYE and good riddance.
@Win Whitmire — Respectfully, politics is intertwined in everything. Public policy choices do affect people and businesses, in ways large and small. To pretend that it doesn’t is lazy at best. As for gate-keeping others, I still think the answer to speech we don’t like is more speech. Sure, less vitriol might be nice, but if that’s where folks wanna go, who are we to stop them. It’s Gary’s site; he’s judge, jury, and executioner here. So far, it doesn’t seem like he wants to punish anyone for bringing more clicks and eyeballs here. Conflict (even manufactured) is good for business, apparently.
Glad to see AA management doing what they should do if they want to get to the point of being a reliable airline.
@ 1990. Equating current politics to public policy is erroneous. To pretend that it is, is lazy at best.
Hired in 1988 first base DFW I live in SJU was base in DFW reserve was the real reserve the one with blocks of 6 days 24hrs around the clock NOT the BS of shifts that they do today and there is more whiners than ever before. Crash pad in Irving I was on reserve I think 7 years couldn’t hold base at home so I got MIA and moved to Winter Haven Fl in 1992 and commute out of TPA or MCO was same thing to me until the end of 2024 and during my 38 years Stellar Career I never had a missed assignment or missed trip commuting back in the day was more challenging you had only your airline and make sure you had a ID90 on your tote bag just in case. Many time after 9/11 I drove to Wesr Palm took the Tri Rail go do my trip come back go back on tri rail to PBI and drive home sometimes I even flew PBI MIA PBI on Eagle wow great times. APFA you need to stop baby sitting this new breed of looser than they were never been hired in the first place back in the previous 10 years plus. Now anyone who shows up and an event gets hired and for some reason we managed to get the leftovers of the leftovers. Whiners get your Sh*t together and earn your damn wings you have not flown 10 hrs and for some reason you know more of this than ppl who have been doing this longer and twice longer than you have been alive? Stop that I know everything imbecile attitude of yours and listen and you might have a career. And I can careless if you take the advice and this is for you all in every airline not only my own American
Att Retired FA Rico Suave
MIA Base
Rico…I’m betting that you were one of the best flight attendants at American! Congratulations on years of commendable service to the passengers and your employer. I have seen with my own eyes the whiners and complainers that bitch about their jobs. Numerous times, I’ve seen a flight delayed because flight attendants don’t show for the flight. The airport calls crew scheduling. “Where’s flight attendant XXX and YYY?” Scheduling calls them, “Oh, we had a chance to go waterskiing on Lake ZZZ.” “You are supposed to be taking a flight right now!” “Well, we’ll take a sick day.” Now, scheduling will have to call up a reserve. So the flight, and more importantly the customer, is delayed. The airline will put up with just so much before XXX and YYY are fired. Then, when they try to get a job elsewhere, the new employer will call the previous airline only to find out, “He/she was fired for cause.” The airline will not say what “cause”, but now the potential new employer knows that this candidate was terminated for good reason. Unless the employers are desperate, hopefully XXX and YYY are turned down.