American Airlines flight attendants haven’t had a raise since 2019. At the end of that year their contract became amendable, and the value of their wages has been substantially eroded since then by more than 20% inflation.
- A new contract was delayed first by the pandemic
- The process of negotiating all the myriad details is a long one. The current agreement (that flight attendants didn’t even approve) runs over 325 pages. And that doesn’t count a separate 15 page attendance policy and 18 page uniform policy among others.
- Plus, union politics (effectively needing to wait for incumbent officers to be re-elected) meant further delay.
Boston-based first and second year American Airlines flight attendants are eligible for food stamps. American Airlines even gives newly-hired flight attendants a letter attesting to their poverty.
The letter states that a new flight attendant will have a “projected annual salary [of] $27,315 per year before incentives and taxes” and concludes, “Any courtesy you can provide would be appreciated.”
The actual letter AA gives new FAs when they move to NYC, Miami, Boston, Dallas etc.
byu/containment-failure inamericanairlines
Here’s the flight attendant pay scale from the current contract. Their last raise was in January 2019.
Here are some key things to understand about this pay.
- The lineholder minimum guarantee is 71 hours per month. A flight attendant working reserve is guaranteed 75 hours per month. Many cabin crew do work more than that.
- Those are hours from push back to arrival. Those hours do not include time at the airport, connecting between flights, or boarding planes.
Flight attendants can make more than the minimum in the American Airlines letter, but 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. Those were some of the best times of my life! Lower incomes can be fine with roommates, without unexpected major expenses, and if you’re not trying to support a family. Many flight attendants do side work, though a second job is tough since they don’t have consistent schedules month-to-month.
American Airlines introduced a profit-sharing program for its employees, including flight attendants, in 2016. This decision was part of an effort to improve employee relations and align the company more closely with industry standards, as other major carriers like Delta and United already had profit-sharing plans in place. American’s CEO had argued that flight attendants don’t contribute to profit so shouldn’t get a piece of it.
In April 2017 the airline announced unilateral wage increases for pilots and flight attendants. This decision was outside of the regular contract negotiation process and was intended to correct a pay disparity with Delta and United.
American could, on its own, do more now (or at any time in the past few years). They learned with their mechanics that this makes it harder to reach a new contract. Giving out raises without getting a contract done means there’s less to give in the contract, so employees have less reason to agree to one. Mechanics didn’t wind up striking, they wound up engaging in an illegal work action that crippled the carrier in summer 2019.
With Southwest flight attendants getting a record-breaking contract and non-union Delta then handing out unilateral wages, American’s flight attendants will get a better contract. In some sense, the longer senior flight attendants wait the better off they become (especially if, like Southwest crew, they receive make-good payments for the time it took to get to a deal). Junior flight attendants though suffer from much lower wages, having to live closer to hand to mouth, the longer they wait. The incentives of junior crew are very different than more senior flight attendants.
Sure is amazing that you were able to find out about the Flight attendant contract up for re negotiations. But not about the airport agents contract re negotiations that were finalized at the end of January. And the company is already not working in good faith with the new contract.
Not surprised.I am a retired Flight Attendant and my pension is not much but still better than nothing at all like today.We worked a lot harder though ,LOL, serving a meal in 90 minutes to 300 people ♀️♀️♀️♀️♀️
Most of the comments are laughable. Everyone makes a statement they think is fact and they are all different. I’ve been flying 34 years. Tired of the whiny new hires. They DO have it better but it’s a generation of entitlement. They are used to tik tok and becoming an overnight sensation for “likes”. Most pay at other jobs are based on some type of longevity. The new person is not going to make the same as a long time person. 34 years ago NY FAs were living 10 in an apartment. It’s not new. The reserve system today is fat better than long ago. New hires can work more just ask the junior cartel FAs in NY flying Premium International trips. There are plenty of ways to pick up but they want the BEST trips.
Pilot##### You are an arse. No FAs thinks we should make the SAME. What we do expect and deserve is the same benefits in financial accordance. We do deserve a great raise AND retro pay, just like you.
As far as pay as a new hire, what I tell new hires, the good ones, if you can stick it out it does get better and it’s worth it in the long run. You can definitely have a side hustle. We have realtors, business owners, ect. The younger people are so savy with online. I know a new hire with a TESLA. Definitely lots of down time to be online.
When you see those BIG numbers for pay, at the minimum cut it in half. It amazes me how other greedy people can somehow KNOW what a FA should make. All of you are going for highest salary like every one else. Corporate is definitely overpaid in many ways. It’s like kids sports, get rewarded for participation and even failure. Yes, that makes total sense. AA wants to save pennies so they can put it in their pocket. Isom and the pilots used Delta, United AND SOUTHWEST as comparables for their compensation. When SW FAs got their $90, within hours Isom made an announcement that the FAs aren’t comparable bc its “different operation” HYPOCRITE. If it’s not the same type of operation how can it work for some work groups but not others??? Isom keeps saying he is going to give the FAs an “industry leading contract” Well??? There are 3 other airlines to compare with, it’s not that difficult. Isom is just a liar and disingenuous. There is a term for a person that can reward himself with millions while the people under them are suffering and scraping by. SADIST. Toxic, mental abuse.
No raise in 5 years. NO ONE can justify that. Us senior FAs that people think have it so well. I’m flying 40-50% more HOURS every month to pay the same bills. It’s exhausting. I don’t want or need any ones sympathy or your asinine remarks. Just what is right.
airlines= very shitty business. I worked for united what a f……. Joke. Jgoff airline that never had space for non revs and would upgrade a passenger to 1st class before giving it to an employee. If anyone can reach a human being at frontier airlines please let me know. I was trying for info on their summer pass . But never talked to human. Frontier worse than united happy chapter 11 fat ass white stockholder jag offs.
It’s bad that they haven’t had a raise in 5 years but new service members in all branches are eligible for food stamps as well as many services members that have been in for a while but now have families. People fighting for our freedom are struggling as well and they’re not allowed to strike. Plus, they put in many more hours per day, week, and month and are always on call.
Did this article indicate that living in poverty is fine as long as you have roommates and no unexpected expenses????????????? Really?!!???
Ceteris paribus more money is better than less money
The per capital GDP (not PPP) of Spain is ~ 30k.
Not easy, and certainly rough with a family to support, but young and single and in good health it’s fine actually
All Americans are paying more for the same thing product service now Do not blame the corporation? blame the Biden administration!! His piss, poor spoiled brat spending policies Hef has causes everybody to spend more to Get the same things! Did you have this problem four years ago five years ago six years ago… We had a Jerk as a president but God Almighty American came first You people Keep drinking the elixir that the Democratic party is giving you …. It did panic party did raise the amount of people that can get to come in this country undocumented 2,500,000+ more coming across the bridge and the last few years . They have no job they have no skills they’re gonna have children pay for those 5% percent 100% American people!
I lived in poverty the first years after moving solo to California (no friend or relatives there) and that was in a rented room with the bathroom down the hall that people from three other rooms also used. I didn’t consider it a problem. After a while I knew that a dead end job was not for me. I used the opportunity of being laid off from that job ($400 a month in unemployment benefits) to get my second job and then later my career job. A major benefit from living in poverty is that you learn to live at a low cost. That includes the entertainment budget. That knowledge can help you plan for retirement. The flight attendants living in high cost cities have a road map laid out for them to make reasonable money if they stick with it.
How things haven’t changed since my wife was an FA for PanAm. Still only getting paid after push back. If your boss requires you to be somewhere, despite what you’re doing, then he’s stealing your time if you’re not getting paid. Watch the two hour documentary American Experience (PBS), “Fly with me”. Not to be confused with the BBC film of nearly the same name. FAs have been fighting for fair treatment from the very beginning of passenger flight.
You know who isn’t getting poverty letters or living hand to mouth? The Union Bosses. They are living high on the hog on the money they take from everyone foolish enough to join the Union!
Ahh yes. ” Capitalism” wink wink!
Cause we can’t call it free market socialism because everyone is CONVINCED that socialism is communism. Thats why education in America sucks. Because the gov does bot want an educated population.
THIS IS CRONY CAPITALISM Where the taxpayer funds BOTH food for the working AND pay for the Corporation.
We.could just have laws that REQUIRE people be in Unions and that the option of going non union does not exist and a LAW that a company ca ot pay wages that require the STATE to supplement their low pay.
Smh
Wake up Americans
Only true free market socialism can save our country and it’s the only form of fair government where you still get to own property and excel but your leveled on the playing field with capital The worker is level with the people that control the money it’s time to start voting for your own best interest stop voting for cults of personality that means never vote for a Republican or Democrat again
The pay is poor, the work conditions are poor – yet people line up to get the job. Why should they pay better it’s Supply & Demand. If there were no recruits then they would be forced to pay better.
Time to tell American Airlines to stfu. They get a new yacht each year, you’re asked to apply for welfare. Losers working for bigger losers. If you let this happen or you choose this job, faults on you.
Ok but the real question is why can’t the starting salary at least be enough to live on, not extravagance, just enough for the basics, food, water, shelter?
Also, there’s this: Nearly One in Ten Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants Have Experienced Homelessness in the Past Year and Over a Third Have Been Forced to Use a Food Bank
John O’Neill – GFYS you union loving scum.