Flight attendants at American Airlines, frustrated by lack of progress on a new contract, have gone online to commiserate and share how much they’re struggling day to day with a raise. Some don’t have money for gas to get to the airport, or to pay their bills and buy food so they make up for it pocketing snacks from the first class snack basket. Some of the stories are heart wrenching.
American Airlines Flight Attendants Haven’t Had A New Pay Deal In 9 Years
Cabin crew flight attendants have been working under an agreement that ran December 2014 through December 2019.
This was the agreement that went along with the acquisition of American Airlines by US Airways. It was the default agreement if union members didn’t vote for a negotiated contract. They didn’t, so this agreement was imposed, though American Airlines voluntarily gave higher wages than they were required to.
The contract became ‘amendable’ in December 2019, right before the pandemic, and that delayed negotiations. But those negotiations have now dragged on and flight attendants are frustrated. They asked the National Mediation Board to release them from negotiations into self-help, allowing them to strike. This would have meant a Christmas strike. But the Board, dominated by Biden Administration appointees, sent them back to the bargaining table instead.
Cabin Crew Are Sharing Their Struggles – And Confessions – Online
The airline’s flight attendants have been sharing stories online about how tough they have it under the current contract, which is now nine years old. Inflation has eroded the value of their wages around 16% since December 2019. Here are some of their stories.
Our FAAmily- Our Times of Struggle
I completed a 3-day domestic trip last month with one flight back to Dallas. We were coming in late that evening and once we arrived at the gate and deplaned, one of our New Professional Flight Attendants working the trip appeared to be in a state of distress with tears in his eyes. I asked him what was wrong? Did something happen? He shook his head for no.
He then went on to say that when he started the trip, he barely made it to the employee parking lot because his car was nearly empty, and he did not have any money for gas. He then went on to say that he had not eaten at all during the trip besides snacks from the airplane. My heart immediately sank! I asked him why he did not say anything on our layovers? I thought he was just a slam-clicker and didn’t want to socialize. He shares a place with some people that he is renting a room from in Dallas, that is an hour’s drive away from the airport. He did not want to sleep in the crew room at the airport and was too embarrassed to ask for money for food and help.
He was crying and let me tell you I cried and my heart completely broke. I told him once we got to the employee parking lot, I would follow him to the nearest gas station, and I filled up his car and then I gave him money for food for a few days.
I would like the Nation to know, THIS IS OUR REALITY here at American Airlines.
This is the HARSH REALITY of 5 years (9 years since the last contract was initiated) without a significant RAISE, mixed with outrageous crippling inflation and the sad toll that it is having on our FAAmily.
We have been waiting for a NEW CONTRACT and have been in negotiations since 2019 when our contract expired. What corporate is doing by dragging out these negotiations, is absolutely maddening and disgusting to say the least. I am so hurt and beyond that, I am ANGRY at the way this company is treating their largest workgroup and the face of their airline, the Flight Attendants.
What American Airlines is carelessly doing is having a great effect on the mental, emotional and physical health of our FAAmily; more than people know.
I want to let the public know, how cruel American Airlines is and that something needs to be done NOW to stop their blunt mistreatment to their Flight Attendants.
Flight Attendants sleeping out of their cars, having to go find 2-3 jobs just to make ends meet and applying for government assistance is an outrage. None of these things should be happening. Our job is not part-time. This is a FULL-TIME JOB. This is modern day employee slavery.
We are a FAAmily of 28,000 Flight Attendants.
FA’s sleeping out of their cars, having to go find 2-3 jobs just to make ends meet and applying for government assistance is an outrage…Our job is not part-time. This is a FULL-TIME JOB.
If it weren’t for my husband’s second income, I would not be able to survive. The fact that I’ve been at this job for almost 8 years and I’m still struggling is so ridiculous. I feel so bad for these new hires! it’s unlivable wages!!
I’m a year and a half in. I’m 50 years old and can’t afford to live on my own. I rent a room with wonderful people. I’m truly grateful. But I work 3 jobs just to pay my bills. I struggle and I should not struggle at this time in my life. ..We deserve a worthy contract to be paid for our worth. I’m tired of working multiple jobs just to live. I would have to work 5 jobs to live on my own. I don’t have a husband…I have barely been able to buy anything for Christmas…just a little present for my kids and my parents and it’s not much.
I flew with a newbie that looked so tired and hungry. Literally. She had holes in her shoes. She was working another job along with being an FA and told me she has to pick between paying her bills and food. I fed her every leg I could and the crew shared food with her. SO MANY FA’s are STRUGGLING. A couple dollars to their name after they pay bills. Selling their cars, moving in with parents etc.
I had to call out sick on reserve on month because I didn’t have money for gas and toll to get ot the airport or to get any groceries to make food for the trip. Snacking from the first class basket has helped, but only does so much.
Working As A Flight Attendant Can Be Rough
Working as a flight attendant can be a rough life. Here are 9 reasons why, 8 of which aren’t even the pay.
- Currently American Airlines flight attendant pay ranges from $30.35 in the first year, $54.75 after 10 years, and tops out at $68.25 after 13 years.
- APFA wants $41 – $92 per hour.
There’s no question that it’s tough to live on $30,000 a year at the start. In inflation-adjusted terms that’s what the $21,000 I made right out of school is worth today. It’s fine if you’re not trying to support a family, but there’s not a lot of space for luxuries. Many flight attendants work a second job.
If you live somewhere other than where you’re based, things are tougher. You need to chip in for a shared “crash pad” so that you’re available at your ‘base’ city when you’re scheduled to work, especially when you’re on reserve.
But It’s Not ‘Modern Slavery’
Let’s dispense with the notion that this is ‘modern day slavery.’ Working as a flight attendant for American Airlines is 100% voluntary. It’s not even indentured servitude, crewmembers can leave whenever they wish.
Any ‘lock-in’ effect in the job is the result of union-led seniority. A flight attendant can’t just go get a job as cabin crew at another U.S. airline without taking a pay cut, since they’d start at the bottom of the seniority list.
Crewmembers take the job knowing what the pay scale is, and can leave for other work. A flight attendant job at a U.S. commercial airline will never not be tough financially (as many jobs are tough financially). One binding constraint is that the value of the wage can’t exceed the value of marginal product.
- Knowing what the pay scale is, I’m not sure why someone is surprised by what they’re making eight years in
- Or why doing the same tasks at the same job will mean materially more money in the future
Much of the allure of becoming a flight attendant is seeing the world, not high wages, though for some it’s better pay than they’d get elsewhere. But the overall pay from the job isn’t likely to materially change.
This Won’t Suddenly Become Lucrative Work
The main value add to their employer is that they satisfy the 1:50 regulatory requirement, that an airline can’t fly without at least 1 flight attendant per 50 seats on their aircraft. That’s not true everywhere! Service can drive a revenue premium, but that’s not how American Airlines is set up.
And there are long lines of people interested in becoming flight attendants, even at these wages. Airlines frequently say they’re more selective than Harvard when it comes to getting into a training class (though I wonder how good a job most airlines do at the selecting piece).
The Best Bet For Improved Pay Is Realistic Expectations
I wonder if flight attendants realize that their employer has offered them a contract that would equal top pay in the industry already?
Every day that negotiations drag on is costing them money, since they won’t get a pilot deal with an up front bonus equal to all the back pay they would have earned as if whatever final deal they reach were effective the day their contract had become amendable. (The longer a deal takes, the more money the airline saves.)
With flight attendant union officer campaigns in full swing, their leadership cannot appear to be soft on the company and cut a deal for less than members have been told all along to expect.
And American Airlines, the financially weakest of the large U.S. airlines, isn’t in a position to pay more than peers.
A Path Towards Better Pay At American Airlines
There are basically two ways to get paid more as a union worker at American Airlines. One is to wait until other airlines pay more, and engage in pattern bargaining. That’s more or less what happened for pilots. And the American Airlines union could wait to see what kind of deal United flight attendants get. But they’d be delaying any raise in the interim, and improvements are likely to be marginal.
The only way to actually transform the pay structure is to deliver more value to the company. A starting place is to ask why American Airlines is financially weakest? They have high costs and low revenue. Unlike Delta, people don’t pay a premium to fly their product. The airline needs to be better.
For years American kept saying if they could become reliable that would solve everything. But their reliability has improved and their financial performance hasn’t. Reliability is table stakes, necessary but not sufficient.
American actually should pay flight attendants more but they should get something in return. It shouldn’t be more pay for the same people to do so the same (or less) work. They should insist on accountability in executing service standards, and those standards should be higher than they are today, so that customers enjoy the product more and are more willing to pay a premium to get that product over others.
That’s how flight attendants can create more value, earn more money for the company, and justify higher wages.
FAAke news from lazy, lying trash that think they’re more than they are. You’re airborne waitresses that do something more than that once or twice in a career at most. You’re paid what you’re worth.
I call BS…
Zero sympathy! While I respect FAs and appreciate their work it is a job that is easily filled with minimal training. Also, they knew the salary before taking it and, as you noted, they are free to quit and find another job that pays better. There are also non-salary benefits (like travel) that is attractive to many FAs. Finally, there are many people struggling worse than FAs so, again, zero sympathy.
Ditto Dave, My neighbor who is an AA FA lives in a newly built $500K home, in a golf course community and drives an Infinity. I haven’t seen her begging for $ or food on the street corner.
What a load of bull. The average family (FAMILY) income in the US was around $38 per hour in 2022. Maybe they need to take some financial management classes. Or better yet, get different jobs. My sympathy. Too bad.
$30.35 in the first year…is this boiled down to a 40 hour work week or is this flight hours only pay?
I get it. I’m a flight attendant at the low cost carrier. We have a mess going on with our negotiations with the supposedly our vote election hack, which isn’t all true. Been with the company 22 yrs and have to bust my ass missing holidays etc. Just to make ends meet and pay the bills and gad. No matter what airline, we are all family. And family stick together.
Babblespeak the $35-$42 is per FLIGHT HOUR, so on average flight attendants if they fly 1000 FLIGHT HOURS per year is only $35-42K. Flight attendants, pilots, etc are not paid based on a 2080hr pay scale unlike 9-5 cushy office jobs. They are only paid door close to door open. All time spent checking in, going through security, etc is unpaid.
Sunviking82 a $500K house could have been affordable if she had a well off partner or had assistance from family. In some areas that’s a “cheap” house.
Walter your comment is despicable. Go take greyhound or amtrak if you don’t want to fly.
Note: I am not a FA but I work closely with them and have several FA friends. Most barely make $40-50K per year (maybe $60)
Well, if supposedly they aren’t making any money, there are other opportunities elsewhere.
The per diem rate also seems low at $1.50-2.50 per hour while on a trip. In 24 hours, that’s about $50 per day. If they can get a hotel breakfast and food prep, it’s reasonable, but on an international destination, there’s generally no food you can bring after the first leg. Early fights flights tend to leave before breakfast is available. Unless on a layover, the place they can get food is overpriced airports. Even on a layover, there isn’t always a reasonably priced food option nearby, and delivery charges can really add up.
While there are a lot of people applying to be a flight attendant, it’s definitely a difficult lifestyle at a company who is trying to keep their planes in the air as much as possible. During the pandemic, there was a big push for a $15/hour minimum wage, and flight attendants at the beginning of their career are barely paid that if averaged over their duty hours
They’re paid for flight hours only (and some for reserve). My wife averages about 80-100 hours/month depending on what she has going on. So they don’t make 40hrs/week type pay. That’s what everyone is missing.
Minor quibble, Gary but they’re working off wages from 2017. AA unilaterally raised Flight Attendant wages without Union negotiation.
https://www.dallasnews.com/business/local-companies/2017/04/26/american-airlines-offering-raises-of-up-to-8-percent-for-pilots-flight-attendants/
I think a key point Gary made is that the non-portability of this job from one airline to another is of the union’s own doing with the seniority-based wage scale, and used for work assignment purposes as well. The unions negotiate to keep the senior folks, who after a certain point are not going anywhere, happy.
I think it is a shame that more airline don’t do like some of the LCCs and when they hire for F/As, they hire for specific bases. They tend to get a lot more people who are not commuting, or have a more manageable commute, which saves the employees money.
I have many friends who are flight attendants. Probably 200 at least on social media who I know from working together at various airlines. Plenty who live in their base, make an effort to pick up extra work, don’t live above means (which let’s be honest airline benefits kind of encourage it), do just fine. Others commute, like one who is MCO based but lives in FLL and basically drops her entire schedule (or pays other crew members $50-100 to take her trips) and tries to pick up trips out of FLL (which that airline, they can pick up out of base after a certain point in the month). Then complains about not having gas money. And makes grilled cheese with hotel irons. But non-revs to Hawaii or Mexico or the UK all the time with the rationale that the flights are free.
I’ve had airline flight benefits, and I think any frequent flyer appreciates this point as well… Even if the flight is free, travel costs money. I used to have a friend at Delta who would say “Let’s go to Ireland this weekend!” Okay, well by the time I add ticket taxes, hotel, food, all that, the “free” weekend flight to Ireland just cost me $400-500 at the end of 3 days.
It is interesting what’s occurring at many regionals with the pilot shortage… hiring people in directly as Captains who have the requisite experience. And paying hefty bonuses (read the link in the Round up post to the interview with the CEO of PSA). But then again, possessing type ratings and enough experience is in high demand and can command a high premium. Flight attendants will not be in that boat, probably ever. Closest is some overseas carriers who may hire in people as a senior crew or purser directly based on past experience – but that’s meaningful experience like being a concierge at a 5 star hotel which is not dime-a-dozen.
So many questions. Are the FAs limited from working and earning 40 hours a week? Do the FA;s believe their union actually represents them?
I believe AA wants the flying public to believe that the poor return that we receive on our travel tickets are the result of bad FA’s. It is not difficult to see that FA distress has devolved into their militarism toward the passengers.
The story suggests that FA’s have no where else to go but only cite continued airline work as their option. We all have options and owe it to their families and themselves to make the best choices.
If their contract and wages have not been improved in 4 years, then I don’t see how their latest request for wages will even be enough. So, to all of those FA;s out there trying to use the passengers for demands, I suggest they take it to the Union and demand better representation. I doubt any union leader is crying in a corner with no gas in their car.
“…so this agreement was imposed, though American Airlines voluntarily gave higher wages than they were required to.”
Not sure it’s voluntary if they were required to.
I normally shy away from these things, but I agree with nonrevexpress. I’m no FA but I was a ramp agent, now an aircraft mechanic. I’ve seen what they are required to do, even helped on occasion as to help them catch their next flight or ride home. They deserve better pay for what they do, their job and the requirements of such are a mile long. But do any of you care? You just see a “waitress” or “server”. You don’t see the tasks required of them prior to flight, post-flight, mid-flight. You just see an object deigned to serve you drinks and snacks. You forget (or choose to deny) that they are another human being like you. For all the garbage people and nonsense they deal with, they deserve better.
Imagine what it would be like if an airline required all FA applicants to have successfully passed Econ 101.
Or almost any union business for that matter.
The union negotiators are corrupt. They should not be allowing more than double pay after 13 years. FA’s with 13 years of experience can be marginally better at best. The entry level pay should be increased and the top pay should be decreased. The federal government does that to Medicare. An experienced doctor is not paid more, they are paid the same. The pay is cut many years including 2024. I do not like to see Medicare cut. The politicians should admit that they are cutting Medicare.
@Thing 1 – the JCBA was an imposed contract, what flight attendants got as a default if they didn’t approve a better deal. Flight attendants voted down a better deal. But then American unilaterally raised their wages anyway.
@MaxPower – I wrote that AA unilaterally raised wages! I don’t think we’re disagreeing here.
@Meh – flight hours
This is a very good post with very valid assertions and responses.
1. FA is a client-facing job that likely attracts and retains very sensitive individuals who are very sensitive to passenger needs, and very sensitive to their own feelings. (Although I occasionally feel like I am being served by a prison warden matron.) I don’t deny their heartfelt feelings.
2. Their union leaders have to look out for them.
3. Temporary inflation of the past few years have thrown payscales and making a living out of whack. Pilots make their $600k+ salary and benefits, and everyone else makes whatever they can.
4. Of course, there’s some NDA or freedom of speech parameter.
5. I don’t know if we’ll ever get a straight answers from union bosses and other bosses about tipping policy in Air Travel. It’s ridiculous enough that I have to tip the barmaid and barman at an exclusive aiport lounge. And the ubiquitous charity partners, ok. Let’s get back to talking about tipping policy on domestic airlines.
I’m curious, the male “New Professional Flight Attendant” who was crying and said he has no gas money or food to eat (very beginning of this article), how much does he and other similarly qualified Flight Attendants earn?
The whole industry needs a makeover.
Flight attendants should have a mandatory retirement age – mirroring ATC and Flight station.
And my passion: rename to Inflight First Responders followed with more stringent training….
What do these suggestions have to do with money? Nothing. Its about credibility and helping the public see us in a different light – that we deserve more money.
My bad, Gary. My reading comprehension is off today. Sorry. I was too trigger happy on the keyboard (not the first time that’s happened…) 🙂
The Union Free FA have the best pay. Dump the union and use the dues for gas.
Just reading some of the nasty comments is disgusting! Maybe trolls are everywhere and just say things for reactions but still! You never really know what another person’s struggle is. I’ve been a flight attendant for also 30 years and while the stories of the struggle to make ends meet that are in this article and I have heard throughout my career have never been the case for me is because I’ve been extremely blessed and fortunate enough for them not to be! Rent and gas are far more expensive now than they were when I first started to work for the airline as well as food so I’m sure the struggle is real for many! This is a career choice but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be properly compensated for it! Many of us work hard giving quality customer service to many thankless,entitled people who always know more about our jobs than we do but for the most part,people are sympathetic because they are human and they have jobs and they know the struggle! Just be kind even if you don’t agree for goodness sake!
Let’s get to the real issue here.
Delta moved first among the big 4 in agreeing to a pilot contract and that was a very rich contract. AA and UA had no choice but to match for their pilots but WN is still dragging it out w/ its pilots although a contract proposal is supposedly read, hung up because of the FA negotations.
DL turned around and raised pay for most of the rest of its (non-union) workforce at rates that are not what the pilots got but reflect what DL is willing to pay for labor esp. given its higher non-transportation revenue (amex, Delta Tech Ops) and lower fuel costs due to the refinery.
AA has said it will match DL’s raises for its FAs including for boarding pay which will disproportionately benefit lower seniority FAs; WN is also agreeing to boarding pay.
There is no reason why AA or any other airline needs to or will agree to pay rates close to what FA unions are asking and FA members think they should get.
But no union wants to take back a deal that is just matching what a non-union company is doing – and THAT is why all of the FA contracts have been dragged out. Some FAs think they should get pay like pilots while FA unions can’t bear to tell them that won’t happen. Throw in union leadership elections and this is all a recipe for tens of thousands of FAs never being able to recover what time is costing them.
As usual, Delta mgmt is having a field day w/ unions and already preparing the cards it will send out to employees as soon as any workgroup – including the FAs – get anywhere close to suggesting a union can help them.
BULL. SH*T. Let me button up my shirt so my heart doesn’t fall out.
Anybody have a gun to their head forcing them work as a flight attendant? If you don’t make enough money, get a new job that pays you more. These really aren’t very intelligent people are they? If enough people aren’t willing to work for what the company is offering, then they’ll adjust the pay to attract more people. Even Wawa figured that out. You now have two choices: continue work for less than what YOU feel you are worth and continue to bitch about it, OR quit and get a higher paying job. How is this so difficult to understand? Airlines don’t have a problem with people applying to be a flight attendant because many people are willing to work for the pay offered coupled with the travel benefits.
As a very frequent passenger who often experiences their abysmal service, I couldn’t care less about their “plight”. There are plenty of people out there who work a hell of a lot harder for a lot less money in much worse conditions.
Being an airline pilot I see how it is. BUT these are very acute problems with the FA group. It’s easy to walk away from a job that is not paying what you need to live.on. I get it bills and loans rent/mortgage etc but it’s about managing finances and the budget. If the job or career doesn’t make you money time to go.
Let’s talk about pilots for a minute: here we spend money for training (civilian cost is from $150,000-200,000 for a 4 year degree flight program), or come from military and get our first job back in 2015 making $16,300 gross first year (regional level) and that’s flying the plane! Just saying welcome aboard!
Getting a college education online is easy today and with only about 1,000 paid hours plus putting up barricades so as to not interact with customers while getting paid, time should be available. Then the flight attendants doing this would be able to go out into the rest of the workforce and work 40 to 80 hours a week making less per hour. A nice stable job within an hour of work, driving there each day. I would be impressed if I actually saw a flight attendant studying for a college course.
Darin – ” Been with the company 22 yrs and have to bust my ass missing holidays etc. ” — are you really that stupid? Why SHOULDN’T you work holidays? It’s a /service/ industry FFS! Thanks for making the very point about sky waitresses – you’re lazy, ignorant, and entitled.
BC – “BOO HOO”. Your wife has a part-time job, then. So stop expecting full time pay.
AircraftDoctor – No, they don’t.
Chel B – “inflight first responders?” What utter, utter entitled BS. They/you are nothing of the sort.
R.F. – want some cheese with that whine, bootlicker?
I will disagree that flight attendants have “minimal training”. Our flight attendants have a 12 week course. If they fail more than 3 tests during the 12 weeks, it is “thank you very much but…hasta luego”. The flight attendants are the first and last lines of defense on board. As far as the unions go, when one works for a decent company, unions are not necessary. However, unions are like herpes… once you get it…you have it forever. Non union employees usually get better treatment because the company knows that by better pay, bonuses and incentives, there is no need for a union. AA is was once a proud airline that, due to poor management, greedy unions and a disgruntled workforce has dropped to the point that they are lower than whale crap on the bottom of the sea. Pathetic.
The problem is that seniority is supreme in any union shop.
Newbies get six legs (3 round trips) but only accrue 6 hours of pay in one day with the equivalent of 11 hours of effort (turn around, boarding, etc). The FA who bids on Rome or London (most senior) gets paid 6 to 8 hours for one trip and then paid again on return at a rate 25% to 40% greater than the newbies.
When it comes to contract time, the most senior are the ones sitting at the negotiation table and end up with the biggest effective raises versus those at the bottom tier.
In addition, union contracts have a “Last Hired, First Fired” clause. The new kids on the block are the first to go.
Should have joined about 6 to 8 yrs ago when all the Baby Boomers hit retirement and made significant movement up the food chain and seniority.
Starting from scratch today as a FA would be a difficult challenge considering the chances of any airline lasting 25 yrs. If in doubt, think TWA, Pan Am, Braniff, or Eastern plus all the deregulation casualties.
Might be better to go back to school and get an accounting degree….
nonrevexpress…I too know a bunch FA’s for the big three, all with 10-15 years of experience (er seniority), most of whom make six figures and those that don’t are really close. While their base flight hour pay is low, they also have the ability to easily pick up additional trips and do really well with overtime time and holiday pay.
Rather than complaining on the internet hoping that people feel bad for them, they should be screaming at their union leadership to get a deal done. This isn’t AA delaying a new contract, its on their very own union.
Welcome to America lol. More Americans are working two jobs than ever in history, as recorded by the department of labor. Almost every single person at my overnight job has a second job to make ends meet. Maybe flight attendants need to learn how to budget and live within their means. Idc if they get a raise or not but complaining you can’t afford your lifestyle isn’t how you get it. Whenever I’ve asked for a raise at work I usually list my accomplishments and what skills I bring. Nothing here made me want to give them a raise, it made me want to find the world’s tiniest violin.
First of all, someone can disagree with their position they deserve higher wages without ad hominem attacks on them. That kind of nastiness is unwarranted.
Second, there is no way that being a flight attendant is ever going to be a high paying job. They knew the pay scale when they joined. Further, many professionals doing far more important jobs such as teaching don’t make great money. Yes, flight attendants know something about safety procedures. So do school crossing guards. A flight attendant’s primary job is customer service. While I think most do a decent job, there is very rarely evidence of outstanding customer service.. It is definitely true that earning only $30,000 a year is not wonderful pay. However, if you take a job that pays that you better learn some good budgeting skills.
What was also failed to mention is the fact that the head of American Airlines just got a substantial raise & makes at least $1,000,000 a year, yet there’s no money for raises. The airline also spends money on monograming napkins, cups, bags, etc. Do they really need to spend money on those things?
Modern day slavery. Slaves used to be provided with food and a roof over their head in return for labor. Now paper money is given to the slaves which can in turn be exchanged for food and a roof over their heads.
I still wish passengers would be courteous to FAs. It’s amazing how some passengers turn from grownup to helpless child as soon as they’re on a plane. Put your bag in an over head bin sit down and shut up. Don’t ask someone where seat 20D is.
Most of your readers are heartless a-holes. F them all. It is easy for the well off to try to shame your FA’s. Please don’t fly, you have so much animosity toward those who can save your self righteous worthless lives! I’m on the FA’s side. Really.
Well then..I guess only employees of any airline are the only ones that get it. Oh and by the way, we flight attendants are here to “save your asses, not kiss it” remember that in an emergency. And when you or your family member is choking or having a heart attack, be glad we know what we’re doing.
The time spent complaining about their job would be better put into a job search. No one should endure a job that doesn’t pay the bills or makes them miserable. There are a multitude of jobs out there in this surging economy, find one you’re happy with.
Some of the negative comments about flight attendants are really not called for. I think we have all experienced bad service but these are people like you and me. Why would we wish them anything but success. I agree with you Garry that American Airlines can improve their flight attendant service levels. Have been flying a lot of Air France and I have been amazed by the consistency of good service. So it’s not just asian or middle eastern carriers that can do an amazing job in the cabin. Clearly Air France has invested in training and holding attendants to high standards. So I wish AA flight attendants a good raise and that they also receive training in delivering an experience just as good as other airlines. Internationally I’ve had some good flights with them.
Wow- A lot of remarks here. Not sure from whom because nearly everyone uses a fake name. Unless you put your name behind it, you are just a ChatGPT bot to me.
I don’t.
I just returned from Houston for a large family reunion yesterday (12/17/23… these posts hang around for years, lol). Took UA 1st class on the way there, AA on the way back. UA trip was a disaster- I was told there was no pre-flight beverage. AA was wonderful. Liam from IAH-DFW took care of everything, and then Joshua (23 years old? Maybe?) was awesome too.
I also have several friends who are pilots at JetBlue.
Here’s my suggestions to both give and get:
1) Pay FA’s for GATE open time to when they leave the plane. I’m a computer guy by profession, and the airlines are *notorious* for bad computer systems, so I can see why one of the main reasons they only pay for door close-open, is because they are required to track that for the FAA. Folks, it is not that hard to put in a time clocking system- even for tens of thousands of FA’s every day- where it measures this time correctly.
2) By matching the value of the FA’s service with customers to the money they get paid = reinforced positive behavior for the customer. This is business 101.
3) There is plenty of AI tools that can look for fraud or suspicious behavior… these are anomalies and likely already happen *today* anyway, but just in other ways.
4) FA’s should consider giving up seniority protection in exchange for these concessions. Having talked to hundreds of FA’s in confidence, and seeing this in other industries, everyone knows who is good at their job and who is skating along. And this frustrates the high performers so much, they leave, or worse! They degrade their service to match the average so they are not singled out by their peers.
Again, this is the perspective of a customer flying 20 times a year. Luckily now (mostly) in 1st class after 20 years in coach.
And American Airlines is sooooo much better than United, at least in two head-to-head flights in the last 3 months.
-Jon
Well I guess this explains why most of the AA flight attendants are so grumpy and rude.
BigTee, your pilot pay figures are way off. I am a 767 Captain at a top-paying major airline, and I made less than a third of your quoted figure last year. My annual pay is average for my airplane and longevity with the company. This coming year my pay will likely decrease slightly because of decisions at my company outside my control to eliminate my aircraft from my base, leaving me with the choice to go to a smaller, lower paying aircraft type or to pay to commute cross country (all hotels and ground transport, time spent away from home doing so are on the crew member’s own dime). When I started as a regional airline first officer I made $19.10 per flight hour pretax and my hours were capped at 1000/yr by the FAA. In reality as a reserve pilot I received a 72-hr/mos guarantee meaning I made $16,500 pretax pay for the year. This is after investing $50k into my training, which these days is likely double for new pilots. My pay went up marginally each year but year 4 flying a 225pax A321 I still only made $39/flight hour. ($39 x 72 x12mos= $33,696 annual pretax pay). Many pilots like me have student loans to pay off, and we are not in a position to do so until we are finally at a major maybe 5-7 yrs into the career, finally not committing, finally able to upgrade to Captain.
FAs do hard work dealing with disgruntled, sometimes verbally abusive people in physically tight spaces for long hours. I deal with this too, especially when situations escalate and I need to step in to counsel a passenger who is yelling, grabbing a FA’s body, aggressively slamming overhead bins causing them to break (true story), being unwilling to follow crew instructions etc. Crews seek to de-escalate and resolve situations while being fair and professional but also potentially recorded on cellphone camera.
Walter, in my experience as widebody Captain, we deal with various medical emergencies about 2-3x month on average. Some are obviously more serious than others, but the FAs are critically important especially at these times. I’ve personally dealt with a heart attack, fainting passengers (Xanax plus alcohol ordered on flight, then failure to disclose) turbulence related injuries, etc. Thankfully these issues don’t occur more frequently but then they do, a well-trained FAs is important. Setting aside administering meds or a defibrillator, just simply managing the communications with ground-based doctors to assist me in my divert decision and helping me free up mental bandwidth so I can focus on getting the plane safely to the airport are valuable FA functions.
Shame on some of you commenting! Y’all are disgusting. Karma will surely find you that I’m sure of
Union and government distortions notwithstanding, wages are still dictated by supply and demand. If AA is able to staff their FA positions, then the FAs are being paid what they’re worth.
This is why pilots earn so much more pay their FA peers. It has nothing to do with the responsibility or work rules of the job. Pilots are in very short supply, and therefore they will earn higher pay than FAs (who are not in short supply).
Walter is obviously a moron who has no real idea of what the job entails. Initial training is an intensive 7-week course, NONE OF WHICH PERTAINS TO FOOD SERVICE OR “WAITRESSING”. Even if it did, half the workforce is comprised of men so his vernacular is off-base. I would like to see him resuscitate an unconscious casualty using the onboard defibrillator, fight a fire or successfully evacuate 300 passengers in 90 seconds from a charred wreck of an aircraft. Yes. THAT’S what they do, you jerk. You’re obviously the oblivious, annoying type of passenger who barely looks up when offered said service or thanks the crew upon deplaning. We don’t want people like you on ANY flights.Too bad I forgot to hit you with the evacuation slide on the way out
This topic is very controversial. Hourly pay rate looks pretty on paper, but that is only a small part of the equation. Basically working a 12-14 hour Duty Day with only accruing 5-6 hours of ACTUAL Flight time, makes for a long day and not a lot of pay. HOWEVER, I have seen MANY FAs live way above their means. Many drive luxury cars, but can’t afford to eat – that’s a bad choice on them. Most of them need a class on financial planning and budgeting.