American Airlines pilots approved a new four year contract that increases pay by more 20% immediately and more than 45% during that the four years of the agreement. The deal includes many “quality of life” (work rule) concessions. 73% of pilots voting were in favor of the new deal.
One of the items that pilots got in their new deal is first class deadheading – flying first class when not piloting an aircraft between segments that they’re working on a trip. (That’s different than commuting to and from their base if they live in a different city than where they’re assigned to start and end their trips.) This is broadly similar to a benefit that United pilots won three years ago.
- On the one hand, this promotes well-rested pilots. Larger seats are more comfortable and less stressful.
- On the other hand, pilot unions have argued for years that the U.S. has the safest air transportation system in the world (defending barriers to entry into the profession) so it’s hard to suggest this is somehow needed for safety. It’s a union bargained perk, for better quality of life at work.
When I reached out to American to comment on the change, they merely referred to their earlier published statement on the contract.
In a deal to keep pilots flying during the pandemic, United Airlines and its union agreed to avoid furloughs by allowing more junior cockpit crew access to flight hours by reducing minimum guaranteed hours.
The union demanded a concession in exchange for not furloughing its members. United gave pilots positive space first class deadheading with priority at the airport for available for class seats ahead of revenue passengers on the upgrade list. American’s pilot deal matches this.
In 2020 upgrades on many routes were easy. There was reduced travel demand, and reduced premium cabin travel demand. Now that travel has returned, upgrades are tougher than ever. Many United 1K members report that upgrades “do not exist” at that level, which is equivalent to American’s Executive Platinum.
Even when I was a ConciergeKey member on a coach ticket I frequently would be number one on the upgrade list – while flying in economy. Although I also sometimes did clear upgrades for that last available seat. Now that seat might go to a pilot instead.
It’s a very real question whether the airline is being run for the employees rather than customers, at least for pilot employees. Pilot unions won huge barriers to entry into the profession with the 1500 hour rule. Combined with early retirements and not hiring during part of the pandemic, a real pilot shortage occurred which gave pilots leverage in negotiations. Small cities are losing air service because of this shortage, too.
American Airlines has been successful in selling first class seats like they never have before. Some pilots will be disappointed to have a low upgrade success rate like an Executive Platinum in recent times. However their AAdvantage cash cow, having re-oriented its status program to drive revenue especially through the credit card program, relies on the promise of upgrades to drive activity which earns “loyalty points.” American needs more premium seats – on economy-heavy Airbus A319s, A320s, and 787s – both to sell and to ensure the continued success of its $30 billion AAdvantage program.
This is going to irritate many passengers who see that 1A is empty on a J1 flight 20 minutes prior to boarding and then see a pilot sitting in that seat while they languish at 1 on the upgrade list.
AA has done well with revenue management to the detriment of elites. I buy F 90 percent of the time now unless I’m flying an elite light route to some craphole city. F seats have gotten far cheaper for purchase.
Deadheading is something the airline tries to avoid, as it means they are paying crew to not work, as well as reducing the number of revenue seats available. It does happen as a result of irregular operations/recovery from Dane, a crew member gets stuck, or trips where the scheduling considering crew time restrictions just doesn’t work out otherwise. I would be surprised if even 5% of segments have deadheading pilots on them, but I would be curious to know the real number.
Finding that percentage would be interesting, but with storms, it likely varies from year to year. That would also give an indication of how often this would be the reason an upgrade doesn’t clear.
Good for the pilots…
Outrage! Anger! Over-dramatic headline!
Small insignificant change that is an existing benefit at other airlines.
signed, an AA EXP.
Perhaps American can just fly their employees around and the public can ride in the cargo section, while sitting on 5 gallon buckets. AA has lost it’s vision.
I have the ultimate weapon for flying First Class, i use to buy a First Class ticket, better that hoping and begging…
Good for the pilots. “ Customer Upgrade Seats”, nothing of the sort…. Talk about a sense of entitlement Gary. But now the pilots actually have this as a contractual entitlement! This will affect a grand total of less than 5% of flights… If you want an F/J class seat then pay for it or get it in your contract, like the pilots just did!
To all the complainers, if you’re some darned “elite”, why don’t you fly private or use your OPM to purchase first class and just avoid the upgrade queue.
Been experiencing this with United frequently…..and the occasional pilot in street cloths, not uniform getting the upgrades ahead of 1Ks.
Can be frustrating…..
@ Gary — AA (and some others) will be bankrupt soon enough. Pilots should not be paid $500,000+++.
@Gene
It amazes me how people want to put their lives in the hands of underpaid pilots. I hope they are richly compensated to attract the best of the best keeping us safe. Why BTW do you care how much pilots make?
I fly United almost exclusively, where they’ve had this policy for a few years. I’m a 1K. I always fly in the pointy end of the plane, and I never have a problem getting a seat up there, because I don’t play upgrade roulette – I buy a ticket for the cabin I want to sit in. Very simple. And even with this reasonable pro-pilot policy in place, I rarely see a uniformed pilot sitting up front. And on most flights – even on UA’s A320/A319 planes which usually have only 12 seats up front on their leisure heavy destinations to closer-in cities in Mexico – I am usually seeing 2-3 people (who aren’t global services) getting upgraded. So, for the American Airlines flyers, if this works like it does at United – and it certainly appears that way, this policy change is likely gonna be a nothing-burger for passengers and a nice thing for a pilot who deserves to sit in a comfortable seat.
A sign of a good company is one that takes care of their most valued employees…providing the most comfortable travel available seems like a no brainer. Many good companies allow employees first class seats when on travel…AA should too. Good for the pilots!
Yes let’s have our doctors sleep on cots before surgery (not beds)as well. How about we let kids pack parachutes. Oh and the airlines let Military people on first. I think you people who don’t have enough money to buy a first class ticket should get off your horses.
I used to schedule pilots at AA. I can attest that deadheading a pilot is avoided. This won’t have much effect.
@Alan: “Perhaps American can just fly their employees around and the public can ride in the cargo section, while sitting on 5 gallon buckets.”
I kinda thought that’s what they’re doing now….
Love all the logic joking here. Yes overpaid bus drivers can also pay for their ticket by all of the idiots’ logic on here. I take amtrak, busses, trains etc. They don’t make that amount of money and do the same job.
guarantee you sit up front by buying a ticket there- good for the pilots – hope the flight attendants are next.
What I do is use miles and/or cash to purchase a business/first class seat when booking my flight.
It’s a very real question whether the airline is being run for the employees rather than customers, at least for pilot employees.
The amount of economic piffle propagated in this blog is amazaing.
The airline is being run for stockholders. Any benefit to employees (their employment) or customers (transportation) is purely collateral.
Put me in the category of people who are not bothered by this. It will be a small number of flights. And almost every flight leaves with someone who was next on the upgrade list. As others have said, just buy the FC ticket and then you have zero worries.
@ MetsFan — I care because overpaid pilots a) are not going to make anyone safer, b) are going to drive up the price we pay to fly, and c) are going to financially damage airlines. The increase in pilot compensation at AA exceeds the company’s profits. That is unsustainable. Reminds me of Eastern Airlines in the late 80s/early 90s.
Meh. I don’t see this will have much affect. Sounds touch to be a dead heading pilot.
I rather have my pilots have good rest. The chances this will really take away that many seats?
I think the bigger gripe is we have a huge amount of people traveling these days because for a period during the pandemic everyone postponed plans, so now everyone is making up plans.
Plus some were traveling during the pandemic and misses those easy upgrade periods.
Additionally with the pilot shortage there is reduction on flights, making the supply and demand more difficult for some areas. More people might just need to actually purchase first class, where as before they were left empty and given as upgrades.
We need more pilots so that we can have more flight availability and then maybe it wouldn’t be so difficult.
Anyone who is jealous of pilots getting this should work to be a pilot and benefit from this. Oh wait that means you also would have to be deadheading.
It’s not like all crew got the ability to fly first class all the time. Unless that’s what you are worried about happening in future bargaining, I really thing you are getting worried over nothing.
@J Smith regarding your reply “Yes overpaid bus drivers can also pay for their ticket by all of the idiots’ logic on here. I take Amtrak, busses, trains etc. They don’t make that amount of money and do the same job.”
To help keep aircraft from falling out of the sky, I thought union airline pilots are required to have significantly more training than bus drivers. Accordingly, I believe airline pilots are entitled to their negotiated benefits such as wage compensation higher than a bus driver or upgraded seats while traveling to their work location.
This is fine with me. However it’s time for American to do something for their elites. For those elite members who purchase upgrades via in app offers or at checkin should start receiving LPs. This somewhat new loyalty point system still has some flaws.
People…AA crews (both pilot and FA crews) are *already* eligible to be upgraded to a premium cabin when deadheading. They’re accommodated after all revenue passengers on the upgrade list. Are they just moving up the upgrade list or will they be booked into F *IF* F is available at the time the deadhead is scheduled?? Also…I’d be willing to bet money many passengers confuse pilots sitting in F in uniform (especially on domestic flights) as deadheading pilots. What it actually is about 99% of the time: they’re NetJet pilots (or other fractional pilots) positioning between cities. They’re revenue passengers and are very often Executive Platinum members. Very misleading headline. 🙁
AA FF since the beginning. I do not fly AA anymore. Give free 5 leg tkts on 1-2 leg routes to CA so the homeless migrants can join the welcome wagon on the streets of SFO, LA, SMF, SJO, SAN.
Just buy a FC ticket you cheap bastards.
Maybe this will keep the Nouveau riche types out of FC and in the back with the proles where they really belong.
Not an issue at all. Rested pilots are probably a good idea, As decades long FF on UAL and AA I appreciate the quality of the majors. **Editor note: as new reader i sense the general theme is airline bashing and passenger praise. Some focus on bad flyers would be good. Many seem to think they are boarding a cruise ship.
@ Andys — Even better, just buy BFS on Spirit and forgot all the bs of the other airlines. None of the hoops are worth jumping through anymore when the beneifts are zilch these days.
AA needs to be very careful right now. I’ve already stopped spending on my Exec Citi card due to changes and moved my spend onto a different AA card. If there is no chance at upgrades and no interesting places to fly with my miles for a reasonable rate: I will find other travel arrangements.
The just buy FC tickets people need to calm down. Why dont you fly private then?
If airlines offer as a published benefit to issue free space available upgrades then honor that. If they dont want to, then change the terms and conditions.
The pilots have always deadheaded in the premium cabin, it’s been part of their contract for many years.
You can buy a f/c seat .. I want my pilots rested.
What’s the problem??? The pilots are on company business. Ask Isom how many execs and their families bump FC upgrades. All of them is the correct answer. Most people in FC don’t actually pay, so they will be fine.
How about living where you are based? These guys that choose to live in Boise when they are based in Miami is just ignorant
I always pay for First unless I am flying on an regional flight and then I always get the upgrade. I am ExP because I buy all of those First tickets. We should stop talking about the “benefits” of being ExP because there are no benefits other than the higher loyalty earning (11x v 5x) when you fly. The SWUs are fake. The idea of upgrades on mainline are fake. It’s all fake unless you pay for it. Also, about the comment about the airline being run for the employees v. the customers, they haven’t run the airline for the customers in years!
A question that I have is really this: I am I more or less valuable to AA than someone who buys economy fares and earns the flying butt in seat? Or am I more valuable to them flying far less but always buying a premium seat? I already prequalified for ’24 (not that it matters.)
“The airline is being run for stockholders. Any benefit to employees (their employment) or customers (transportation) is purely collateral.”
Don’t forget the employees who happen to be significant and/or vesting stockholders, executive management. These are the real, real beneficiaries and get to make the decisions and determine their own financial fate, the investing stockholders are just along for the ride…
@LarryInNYC
“The airline is being run for stockholders. Any benefit to employees (their employment) or customers (transportation) is purely collateral.”
In fall 2017, Doug Parker made a public bet with an investor that AAL shares would reach $60 by November 2018. Parker, who has 3 past DUIs, bet a bottle of wine. Brilliant. He was betting on a 25% increase, and the stock fell 25% by the time the bet was over (both United and Delta shares were up materially in the same period of time).
Ignore the pandemic dip. AAL shares returned to (downward) trend by March 2021. It’s been a consistent slide.
I suppose it is *possible* that the company is being run for shareholders, and management should just in fact do the opposite of what their judgment tells them?
@Bob , This is not about the pilots commuting from their home to go to work.
Its about Deadheading, Totally different travel. Do some homework.
Airlines need to remember who pays the wages, one of the perks of flying week after week as an Executive Platinum is being #1 on the upgrade list so a 1st class seat with a an employee in it will not sit well, especially as we contribute to their take home.
This is not new. Just official now. Often there is a long upgrade list and you get on to see staff sitting there. While some live in cities outside their base city (on their choice) I do not think it should be used for that. Only when needing to move them to support a flight
third class airline, doesnt even have direct route to Germany.
Meanwhile agents under the CWA union are have been working without a new contract for over 5 years and have not had a raise since the negotiation of the last contract.
For those that say to “just buy first class”….there are plenty of businesses that do not allow that. I fly Delta…DM, with 107 segments this year already with $25k spent on airfare. Delta is starting to take away benefits from us elites….it’s like they forgot who kept them flying in 2020.
I agree with everything except that the optics are bad. The optics seem good to me! I don’t resent the pilots anything.
Why in the hell don’t you make everybody seats a little bit better to make it a little less stressful. You’re paying a small fortune. And have to undergo through a lot of stress. Just the fly anymore. I’m not saying the pilot shouldn’t get it. Yes they should. But SOCIAL at the flying public. It’s a flying bus for God sakes make everybody comfortable. They probably have a lot less irrational people, bitching and moaning.
Nothing but the best for the pilot!! , **New special covered parking privileges for their Porsche’s and Lamborghini’s and now FC travel like a CEO….. what a life!! Mansion in Westlake next to Prescott complete with Sportscar, Hot Model wife and First Class Travel anywhere!!! Like Telly Savalas always said, “Who loves ya baby!!”……