Flight attendant starting pay is so low that Boston-based American Airlines cabin crew qualify for food stamps in their first and second year.
It’s not a high paying job at any commercial airline, even with seniority, and American’s flight attendants haven’t seen a raise since 2019. That’s when their contract became amendable. Negotiations were delayed by the pandemic, and public positions between the airline and its union remain far apart. In the meantime, inflation has eroded the value of pay by about 20%. Some report being unable to afford gas, and living off of first class snacks.
Since 1989 the Wings Foundation has offered help to American Airlines flight attendants who find themselves in critical need due to illness, injury, or disability or because a natural disaster damages their home. They’ve raised money in 3 ways:
- Employee donations via payroll deduction
- Events
- Revenue from recycling aluminum cans on board American Airlines planes
For the past 23 years funds from onboard recycling have gone to the Wings Foundation to support flight attendants. American Airlines has just pulled its support, as highlighted by aviation watchdog JonNYC.
"(Company let FAs collect cans for the FA specific charity (when sick time runs out, bills pile up, etc)) Now company says cans don’t make enough money to support it and you’re on your own)"
— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) February 7, 2024
The airline says there’s ‘no longer enough money’ from recycling to donate to an organization run by flight attendants to help those in dire straits whose entire budget is about half a million dollars per year, and they’ve decided to end support for the charity.
As CEO Robert Isom told employees upon assuming the role, “We can’t spend a dollar more than we need to. And we shouldn’t. We have to be on the lookout for opportunities to save” and added “this is for everybody.”
Isom’s mentor, former Northwest Airlines CEO Doug Steenland who joined the American Airlines board during the pandemic, is known for furloughing employees, and supporting them by suggesting they go dumpster diving.
JonNYC draws contrast to former Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein who led that airline through bankruptcy. He didn’t take a salary during that period. Upon emergence from Chapter 11 he declined the compensation he was offered and donated it instead to start Delta’s Care Fund.
American Airlines flight attendants have a status conference with the National Mediation Board on March 13th over whether they can be released from negotiations and allowed to strike.
Grinstein earned loyalty and it paid off for DL. Today’s CEOs – not so much.
What a terrible airline. I hope they strike and bring the entire company down to its knees.
I wonder if this move has more to do with the increasing costs of recycling. It seems that the “business” isn’t as lucrative as before, with higher costs to send recycled materials to Asia for processing.
@haolenate – the amount of money earned from recycling should be immaterial. The company can and should make up the difference, given how small the amounts are involved and especially while trying to get a new union contract done.
@haolenate – Your statement is valid for plastics but most of the aluminum cans in the U.S. sent for recycling are recycled in the southeastern U.S.
Well, you can’t say that Isom isn’t showing his bona fides in the ineptitude department. The entire board at AA is a puzzlement in that they continually reward monumentally inept management to run the airline under their oversight.
Simply put, American Airlines is a horrific company to work for. The disparity with which they treat different work groups is appalling. They treat the pilots like demigods and the rest of it’s employees like indentured servants. Such a horribly run company with ZERO customer service.
AA is a terrible company all around, but I’m not sure who’s the villain in this particular saga. From the outside, my impression is that AA flight attendants effectively work for their union, not really AA. Their union determines the pay structure that causes hardship for junior members. Shouldn’t the union leadership be sacrificing to make up the shortfall in this case?
By recycling, global warming is avoided thus saving the planet, including flight attendants.
This should be enough for them.
Recycling is a mess, admittedly, but aluminum cans are one of the streams that isn’t as difficult but the earnings it brings probably are reduced by the overall cost of the recycling process due to other streams – like plastic bottles with labels, paper where probably 75% of what people throw in there doesn’t really qualify, etc.
But it is such a small amount the company should make up for it. It’s one of those items that has a specific dollar cost but exponential in goodwill.
Good. The flight attendants insist on biting the hand that feeds them and threatening to destroy the company anyway. Give them a pay raise, then pull the pass privileges. They want to be paid like a regular job, then they get the benefits of a regular job.
starting pay for AA FFAs (and pilots) is notoriously low with AA. This also works it way down to regional airlines.
Never mind recycling cans as a way for them to eat. Pay a living wage then the problem disappears. Have a group look at it other than AA management and see what they recommend. I don’t like the strike option as only the public pays the price. Nor do I like the “Pull their passes “option mentioned by someone.
This is a stain on the industry. The FAs, new or senior, are responsible for getting passengers out of the fuselage rapidly in case of fire, crash landing, or runway immobility.
Look at the recent crash at Tokyo Haneda. Over 200 passengers were evacuated in less than two minutes, as the aircraft was enveloped in flames. No fatalities and no serious injuries.
The FAs must get this message to Isom and Steenland. It might get the threat of a strike for limited vision managers such as these to see the light.
The AA Flight Attendants can train to become pilots if they wish for higher pay. It will costs 150-200k and take 2-3 years for ATP check ride.
Delta is offering employees 50k to become pilots.
The cat ranchers at AA cannot be counted on to effectively save any lives. They are allowed to “bypass” the required training and many of the senior mamas have their mandatory annual training done in private so that the general body of FAs cannot see their inability to physically perform the job. They want to be paid like professionals yet they continue to act like amateurs. They could easily be replaced by lighted signs and a drink dispenser. They want a 50% raise which would put them 30% above DAL and all the other FAs for a way worse work ethic and an overblown sense of entitlement.
DISGRACEFUL. I’ve said before that AA does not care about much more than the money they squeeze from the airline. If they could they’d take all the economy seats out and make everyone cram themselves in, additionally they’d make flight attendants tipped employees.
@noah Your comments were hilarious.
AA is nothing more than the middle man in this. They coordinate an arrangement with the caterers to have them recycle the aluminum cans flight attendants collect and separate, and provide the proceeds (after recycling costs) to Wings. But the funds go directly to Wings from the caterers, not via AA. Since the value of recycled aluminum is down, there are minimal proceeds to share. (Frankly, it would be cheaper for the caterers to just trash the cans.)
Separately, AA supports Wings and makes sizeable donations directly to Wings.
@Former FlyGuy – the donations aren’t that sizeable, the whole organization’s revenue is about $500k/yr from all sources including events, payroll deductions etc.
@Noah
The training comments are verified as true? Or did you just make it up. Either way, your comments reflect your ignorance.
The wings foundation is a scam.
Just because Pat, Gary, and Sierra Mist fish those can out of the trash and into the galley carts, it doesn’t mean those cans are recycled. Could it possibly be the cans are tossed in the trash in the catering facilities anyways?
The next scam program AA needs to do away with is the unicef change for good hustle.
American Airlines does NOT care about people, and their actions prove it. There is a special place reserved for Isom… He’s an embarrassment and a a buffoon.
When the pilots need All that money there is none left for anyone
What A**holes. I’m a retiree. So glad I’m rid of that company. Should’ve worked for Delta! My retirement had better be in my account faithfully on the first. The board of directors should try Dumpster Diving!
The leadership running American are responsible for the Bankruptcy of America west US Air twice and American Airlines even though American had 4 billion in the bank. They care about one thing their on bank accounts. They have ruined a great company with their ANTI employee retoric. Starting pay at all non pilots work groups is below a minimum standard for basic needs to live. I’m glad I’m close to retirement.
True fact, coming up February 13, there will be a world wide picketing at 30 airports from flight attendants joining together from many airlines. United, American, Southwest, Jetblue,Spirit, Mesa. Turnout rate of flight attendants to show is 100,000. That’s huge!! All these flight attendants from these companies haven’t had a contract in awhile. I’m sure the picketing will be all over the news channels.
The current CEO got a HUGE raise & stock options. The airline has made record profits, yet they won’t give the flight attendants a raise. Disgraceful!
Soulless CEO and Board from a man whom just received 11 million bounus on top of his 1 million dollar plus yearly pay. He takes from his employees so he can put more in his bank account. By the way American made 53 billion last year!!!
The current low cost carrier management is destroying AA. They are clueless when it comes to the international operation and treat it like its a cheap flight to Cancun or Punta Cana. They believe passengers just want a cheap ticket. That may work domestically but not internationally. Passengers, especially foreign, flying first or business still expect a certain level of sophistication, service and class. AA management has no concept of that.
Somehow Delta, who has surpassed AA in international routes, destinations and pay, is making it work. I am treated better by Delta than my own AA coworkers when on their flights. They have a comradery and respect for eachother that AA is lacking in all work groups. That starts at the top. AA management has zero respect for the F/As. All workgroups at AA are union but yet everyone acts like its just the FAs, and we are just so horrible for expecting equality and a raise after 5 years. How do you think the pilots got what they got? Or the Mechanics? Or Ramp? Ect. and that is OK. We spend the MOST time with passengers. In 34 years I have seen unbelievable changes in passengers. FAs are kicked, punched, spit on, yelled at on ALL airlines. We don’t cater the airplanes, we don’t pick the food and beverages, we dont make up the AAdvantage rules, or the FAA regulations. We have very little to offer and no ability to change those things. But for some reason its alway the FAs fault. That same passenger that has zero respect for us, wants us to write up all these issues they are having….to a management team that also has zero respect for us. Good Luck with that. They do not care what I have to say about my passengers issues or how I think we can improve it. We do this job day after day, year after year but yet they know better. Society and people today are disrespectful, irresponsible, violent, greedy, petty, fake, dramatic and so full of hubris. Management tells us how we are the face of AA while laughing behind our backs. They do not value anything we have to offer. We are first responders for anything that happens on the airplane, medical, fire, evacuation, violence, terrorism, emergencies of all sorts. Can’t make this up, we are required, by management, to watch quarterly videos one of which is always about DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND RESPECTING OUR FELLOW EMPLOYEES. Hypocritical much.
@noah you are just a miserable person. I feel sorry for you.
I would NEVER fly AA unless there was no alternative. They were the envy of the industry in the good old days. Today??? All they care about is the bottom line. Screw everyone else. They’re worse than the cheapest lowfare carrier.