American Airlines says it wants to win more premium travelers, but its flight attendants union says the airline is replacing well-liked crew hotels across the system in ways that mean less rest and worse onboard service. This is not just a fight over layovers — it is a test of whether American can really deliver a better product while still cutting the conditions crews depend on to do the job.
The airline is trying to sell a premium comeback while reportedly now cutting the part of the product that its flight attendants say affects rest, safety, and service. They’re leaning on premium to close the revenue gap, after focusing too leaving on cost and posting much weaker financial results than peers. The CFO’s suite just can’t help itself ‘not spend a dollar more than they have to’, in the admonition of its CEO Robert Isom upon first assuming the role it seems.
A new memo from the American Airlines flight attendants union reveals that the airline is working to replace the hotels cabin crew stay in at “nearly every layover city” where stays are “well-liked” and “contractually compliant” despite their objections.
Despite APFA recommending renewal of incumbent hotels that meet our contractual standards, management is moving forward with hotels not recommended by APFA, and doing so without adhering to the mutual agreement process outlined in the CBA.
Already, the airline has doubled the number of hotel site visits to 8 a month in a push to replace its current layover hotels. The union suggests this is a cost-cutting move and in violation of their contract, bypassing the mutual-agreement process for hotel selection.
- The collective bargaining agreement says the Association of Professional Flight attendants and the airline are to review hotel suitability together, that the union gets the list of proposed hotels, can add properties, and the parties jointly inspect them.
- The union memo alleges that management is choosing non-recommended hotels without adhering to that process.
Section 6.A.2.c lays out the process for crew accommodations to be mutually agreeable. By selecting hotels against APFA recommendations and prioritizing management’s objectives over contractual standards, management is failing to uphold this requirement.
Crew hotel quality ties to rest and safety and next day readiness, which is part of both operational reliability and the possibility of good service on board. The contract with flight attendants specifies criteria of safety and security of transportation, room and hotel location, cleanliness, quietness, and adequacy of eating facilities.
During recent storms American Airlines flight attendants were sleeping on airport floors because the carrier had underinvested in its hotel booking capability, which has been a known problem during major operational events for years. Crews waited six to eleven hours to reach the teams responsible for reassignments, hotels, and transportation.
CEO Robert Isom acknowledged it while saying this ‘comes with the business’. Meanwhile COO David Seymour denied it ever happened.
Some are linking this to the flight attendants union calling for CEO Robert Isom’s ouster but it’s more in line with the airline’s continued cost-cutting – like closing airport customer service centers, cutting headquarters staff, and outsourcing IT – even as it seeks to attack its revenue problem with a pivot to premium.
Unions are never happy.
Management is always wrong.
Mainline crews are put up in very nice properties, four star and above. They’re not going to the Residence Inn let alone Country Inn and Suites. There are contractual provisions about rooms. A complaint, and more specifically multiple complaints to crew scheduling means that property loses airline business.
Yeah, maybe on longer layoffs to reduce costs crews will get an airport hotel versus a downtown hotel. It’s not the end of the world, deal with it.
“Worse service”…..yeah okay
I agree completely with Michael.
Talk about an empty threat. You can’t get any worse service. Unfortunately you can’t get better service either unless you lock out the union and hire eager new employees that actually want to do the job. Their is no world where these union slobs suddenly turn it around.
Would you hire and promote someone that hates you, hates your company, hates their job, does it poorly, then demands more?
@george romey — I’ve always been a bit surprised by the expensive hotels mainline crews stay at. I would think a solid 3-star property near the airport with good reviews would be the standard. Something like a decent Holiday Inn Express. Spending more money on frills might actually REDUCE crew rest. Personally, when I need a quick overnight stay near the airport, I wouldn’t pay for more than that.
And these “premium travelers” are coming from where, exactly? Especially given the current and likely future state of world affairs.
Maybe, hear me out, we should actually listen to the workers…
AA has adopted a business model intermediate between the legacy airline model and the low cost carrier model. Passengers and emplyees need to realize this when making travel and career choices. I doubt Isom’s departure will dramatically change AA’s approach over the near term.
@Chopsticks the contract, that AA agreed to, requires hotels with restaurants and 24 hour room service. That makes perfect sense to someone who’s arrived in the hotel at 8 pm for a business meeting at 8 am the next morning.
For everyone else, this isn’t just a union problem. This is an AA problem. I know people at HQ who have left very good jobs because the do more with less cost cutting has cut to the bone and even in IT they’re “duct taping” to hold stuff together.
Hotels no longer need crew to fill rooms. They don’t need to discount in city centres any more. Your airlines are being told to look elsewhere. Where are you airline discount hotels when you commute? City centres 5 stars? No. You all are happy with airport Residence Inns and less when it is on your dime. Should we regulate your commute hotels the night before a flight for “crew rest safety”? Thought not.
Flight attendants do not need the 5 star hotels and crafted union language coercing airlines into paying for them. They can stay at airport 4 star hotels just like the Premium customers they serve.
The “here for your safety” associated rhetoric is getting old. Check out rest areas for junior doctors, nurses and EMT’s (often earning less, carrying greater educational debt)..
There are truly tired crew out there alright. Nothing a nights sleep will fix however. Consider your career choices.
@Wasted Union Dues — Tim, you don’t have to use different aliases…
Unions are never wrong. Mgmt is evil
Agreed with 1990 that the companies should listen to the employees. One of the major airlines in the world does listen to their employees, treats them as partners in the business and takes their input seriously. The employees are put first. That’s not to, in any way, negate the customer’s role in the success of the business. Quite the contrary. If the employees are happy, that translates to them making the customers happy. Don’t sell no (sic) seats…don’t treat the customers as…THE CUSTOMER, don’t get no (sic) paycheck or bonus.
Back to the days of airlines running their own crew dormitories?
I find it ironic that the group largely responsible for the increased costs at the airline is upset when the company is forced to cut costs. Situational awareness doesn’t appear to be their forte.
They want premium travellers but push them out of first for their union employees?
THey are not serious.
Isom: “I may be terrible at the whole CEO job thing but I’ll see to it that we make more profit no matter how many sacrifices you have to make.”
just saying.. tonight I fly for 8 hours and end up in Denver at 22:40. it’s a decent airport location hotel.. the rooms are nice.. BUT
the nearest food at 23:30 is a Taco Bell and 7-11, 0.5 miles away. or you can grab some food from the lobby vending machine. the first breakfast place opens at 7:00, .6 miles away. my first flight departs at 10:00. so much for following the contract about food available..