American Airlines has faced contentious negotiations with its flight attendants, that have dragged on interminably. Their contract became amendable four and a half years ago. Flight attendants haven’t seen their wage formula rise since January 2019, and the value of wages has eroded around 20% since then.
The flight attendants union has declared their desire to strike for more than six months. The government hasn’t let them. The company offered immediate wage increases while negotiations continued but the union refused this. Many flight attendants are fed up.
So it’s no surprise to see a frequent flyer share their experience of an American Airlines flight attendant refusing to provide service – and shaming their colleagues that do.
I’m on the ground right now about to leave on [Chicago O’Hare to St. Louis]. I’m in [first class seat] 1B. We’re on time and will likely push early. Two [flight attendants] are chatting and one proudly declares, “I don’t do pre-departures any more because of the contract.” She went on to complain about a[ flight attendant] she worked with a few days earlier who did one, and she apparently didn’t like that.
I’ve suspected that [flight attendants] have been doing this lately, but it’s pretty amazing to hear them just outright declare it in front of pax. Interestingly neither…standing in the galley are wearing name tags. I assume that’s intentional too.
I know the [flight attendants] don’t care, and [American] probably doesn’t care either, but that sure does make me mad. If I declared my unwillingness to do my job in front of customers, I’d certainly get fired.
I’ve certainly heard similar conversations amongst cabin crew as negotiations drag on. Meanwhile, getting flight attendants to serve predeparture beverages has been an ongoing challenge at American for years. Here was their reminder to crew back in 2015:
One of the key service elements of American Airlines domestic first class is the predeparture beverage. Passengers are supposed to be offered something to drink during boarding. The airline has emphasized how valuable this is for customer perception and handed out fortune cookies trying to convince them to do it.
Many flight attendants just don’t bother to do it, and the airline doesn’t actually do anything about it. The most important thing for the airline is an on-time departure, and sometimes there just isn’t time. If a flight boards late, and passengers are pouring down the aisle into the plane, flight attendants aren’t supposed to slow things down. And if ever questioned, all they ever have to do is suggest that they didn’t want to risk delaying pushback.
Since there are no consequences when they don’t do this part of the job, many crewmembers just don’t do it. Others are openly hostile to the idea.
- Their pay is calculated on flight time after the boarding door closes, so they don’t want to work before then.
- They don’t receive enough profit sharing, so don’t care if customers are happy and the airline profitable.
This is a comment about predeparture beverages an American Airlines flight attendant once left on this website,
You bought the seat in 1st. The service is optional. FAs are on board to save your ass not kiss it. …Are there no drinking fountains or restrooms in the terminal? …[Y]ou are so self absorbed , you whine about everything. Walk a day in someone else’s shoes for a change. Tip your flight attendant. They make less than minimum wage working double the hours they get paid for. You tip the waitress that brings your food why is this job any different?
It’s absolutely reasonable for a first class passenger to request a predeparture beverage. In fact it should be proactively offered. However if you’re a frequent traveler on American Airlines you know not to expect this.
Now, as flight attendant contract negotiations are especially tense, some cabin crew are engaging in ‘self-help’ which is illegal. On flight attendant forums I see talk of refusing to pitch the airline’s credit card. It’s likely that severe operational issues at the end of May, started by weather, were exacerbated by flight attendants refusing to volunteer for premium pay extra trips. And we have them refusing to do standard service elements.
The real opportunity in these negotiations – an opportunity that American isn’t taking – is to offer real wage increases paired with real accountability for delivering service. The airline used to say that they’d ‘take care of employees, and employees would take care of customers’ and that would lead to a competitive advantage that customers would pay more for. They don’t talk about this anymore.
It never gets old to see people saying that (1) FA’s jobs are low skilled and “contribute nothing to society” but also imply that (2) said jobs MUST be done or one’s experience is ruined. I thought the jobs were meaningless; so it shouldn’t matter if they aren’t done?
The same people will crow that FAs should just shut up and take it or get a new job. Okay, fair enough. I suggest these commenters shut up and take their lack of pre-boarding beverage (*shudder* *gasp* *faint*) or fly another airline. The free market works both ways.
I’ll admit: people who travel in first class are credibly expecting a certain level of service based on AA marketing. But, it’s AA management’s (in)actions that are preventing said service from being provided.
Maybe instead of dumping so much more money on a flight that will get you there at the same time as the poors in coach, spend a few minutes finding out which airline is *least* likely to treat their FAs like cr*p and give them your money instead?
Pretty bold to call FAs unskilled when they are trained to make sure the people commenting make it out alive in an emergency hence the federal rules on 1 FA per 50 pax. I absolutely understand the frustration of these workers not getting pay raises and they deserve fair and fruitful compensation for a very demanding job most of us would never do.
Well it shows that most FA are not bright. The passengers pay the paycheck. If we don’t have passengers then how do they expect a paycheck? Say fire them if not doing their job. The company offered pay raise. They want the same as the pilots, but pilots and mechanics have to go to school and train.
“If I declared my unwillingness to do my job in front of customers, I’d certainly get fired.”
If I were to work and not get paid, that would be illegal in most professions.
Doesn’t anyone actually READ why they refuse to do PREflight service? They DON’T GET PAID for preflight service. No matter how much AA offered as raises, they still aren’t PAID for that half hour or more of work. I got FIRED from my job for finishing up after I clocked out and the union couldn’t help me. Because it’s AGAINST the law to work off the clock. No where else in the country can an employer tell you to come in an hour early off the clock to set up your work space.
If I were the passenger, I would write American’s Customer Service and tell of the experience. I would have no problem reminding AA of both AAdvantage status and, if applicable, if I paid for First.
I would would also write the APFA with the same details, and remind their leadership that if AA’s elites switch to United and Delta, there won’t be an AA for APFA members to work for.
Gene, may I help you understand a little on how things work in the airlines world and what is happening in AA? Coming from someone who worked in the airline industry for decades, maybe you can understand why the industry is where it is today vs the yesteryears from a bygone era when we US carriers were the envy of the world.
AA FAs want $100/flight hour but refuse to amend the contract to drive accountability. US airline unions are a hypergamous bunch that always want to swing for the highest paid in the industry, but want to have work rules allowing them to work as little as possible for that high pay. This is why Delta and JetBlue, in the US, are winning the service game compared to all the other domestic airlines. When you have a strong union then you will have a subpar product, ie. US airline industry, the US auto industry, US government, etc…when was the last time you had an encounter with a government entity and walked away thinking, “wow, they deserve a five star rating!”? Probably never, because the person behind the counter knows no matter how crappy they treat you they will still keep their job and they have the power to make your life a living hell. Unionized government is probably the worst of all unions, they literally screw things up and blame it on you, causing you massive financial losses and issues but they get promoted, complete trash system. Sorry…I digress.
Most unionized work groups are extremely highly compensated for the skills (or lack of) they actually bring. A top of scale commerical pilot now makes on average $400K/year, top of scale flight attendants make $100K/year working three days a week…or even less if you bid into long haul international route, top of scale aircraft mechanics can make up to $200-230K/year with OT, top of scale dispatchers can make up to $400K/year with OT, and so on…median US family income is around $70K/year. All these work groups complain how they are not being paid well…hmmm . I wonder if they are just bad at managing money since most of them never went to a proper school to learn about finances so no matter how much you pay them they will feel inadequately paid since they keep buying expensive hand bags, pick up bad substance problems, and spend lavishly on random vacations. If you make a million a year but you spend two million a year, you are still broke. I think these unionized work groups need to be careful what they are doing or pretty soon they will tank all these iconic American brands, and all of them will be jobless. Just take a look at Ford….well, actually I think Ford is planning to fire all of them and just move the plant to Mexico where people still put in a solid days of work for a solid pay. If you are pissed at the service you get, then take a look at the unionized contracts and how it does not allow the company to drive any accountability and unions actively fight and protect bad employees and endangering the public safety so they can keep increasing their dues, do you now see where the problem stem? Look at the Asian airline contracts and compare. They are far less paid compared to their US counterpart when normalized by the national median salary, yet their performance is excellent, because they understand if they do not perform they will be fired…just like the rest of us working in normal jobs without unions. Unions are micro communism organizations that disallow reward for performance and only for tenure, this sap all human motivation to do better than your colleague because there is no additional reward for doing so. In addition, doing more will get you negative feedback from colleagues, so why make your life miserable. Do the bare minimal.
Gene, hope this little rant helped you understand some inner workings of the airline industry and the challenges it face in the domestic market.
I haven’t even finished reading this article but I’m with the FA’s and PAX should be too.
What if this was you or someone related to you as an AA FA?!
PAX should also stand up for FA’s and tell AA that profit business will not continue until a fair and adequate contract is agreed upon.
May I ask if anyone here was a stock/share owner before the US Airways buyout/merger? And how much money did YOU loose?
AA has cut massive corners with share holders along with its FA’s
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Union Strong!
Great job FA’s at American Airlines!
Flight attendants routinely work 12-15 hour days while only getting paid for 5. They don’t get paid for airport sits, delays, boarding, or deplaning. They are away from family and homes for days at a time. The pay they get is often not a living wage for the bases they are required to be in. While they do get great benefits (when they have the ability to use them) and many of them did choose this profession, the bigger issue is the failure of the company to provide the proper supplies, tools and staffing to make sure the operation runs properly. The flight attendants are burnt out, tired of the company treating them like trash, and being screwed by maintenance delays (AA’s APUs never work), constant reschedules, and the operation going to crap any time Dallas has weather (constantly). Many of them want to be proud of the airline but can’t be under the current management’s failed leadership. Not saying there aren’t bad apples, but maybe we should be holding Isom accountable instead of villainizing the underpaid employee whos only training by the company only in how save your life in the event of an emergency and how to sacrifice their lives to protect the safety and security of the aircraft.
You should remember that the enemy here is NOT the FA’s, it’s the corrupt leadership of corporations and corrupt politicians who have been blocking their strike for over a year now. Anybody who hasn’t had a raise in 5 years while rents and living costs balloon would be at a breaking point at best… Or potentially in poverty.
FAs are entitled bunch, just like waiters/waitresses, who will always complain about customers and surprisingly no one else. Yet somehow other countries can get their service industry right but not the US.
And the bit about saving and not serving, you’re delusional and naive, if you truly believe that’s your ONLY responsibility.
I fly frequently for my work.
So, I am completely shocked by the non-chalance when making the statement “they don’t get paid until the aircraft door closes.” Stop and think about that. They arrive at the airport; they have to spend significant time to get through the airport and security to the gate with their luggage, they often have to wait for planes that are delayed, they have to prepare an aircraft, they support in-coming passengers (especially those with disabilities), they secure the aircraft before the door closes, they assess passengers to make sure they are on top of unruly, combative, or nervous passengers, and they apparently provide first class care to top rated customers. And they are not paid for any of this???
So, workers compensation and other benefits related to injury do not kick in until you are “on the clock” – so what happens if they are injured getting to or from the plane – or helping a passenger with luggage?
The airline industry is being allowed to take advantage of these workers and I can’t believe their union has allowed this to go on. Treat them with dignity. You want them to take their job seriously- take their time and their risks seriously.
Isn’t there some way we can outsource their jobs to China? Like we did other union jobs?
Geez, come on. You can not get paid during boarding or you get paid; the first suggests a higher hourly rate, the latter a lower one. But, if you are a more senior FA, you push the union for the second option. The airline pays the same in total either way, but money is transfered from less to more senior FAs.
Notice in the FA quote it points out they are safety experts, not servers. But, then you should tip them like servers.
I’ve had better service on Spirit than I have in AA first class. Can they fire the current FAs and hire new FAs that get more money?
If wondering, I only flew Spirit because I had to go to Atlantic City, and that was the only flight.
I don’t care for AA but you can’t take the opinion of one flight attendant “we’re not here to kiss your a**, we’re here to save it” and presume or suggest that these feelings are company wide. AA is clueless. I gave up on them long ago and they continue their race to the very bottom. But in all fairness…
The work force at AA is extremely toxic, a far cry from the days before the merger. Just look at the overall customer satisfaction rankings. When the management of usAir came over they were ranked 6th AA 3rd. They management to drive away the loyal customers while lining their pockets. You cannot fly north and south directly on the west coast. Their business class service is the laughing stock (There is no more 1st) of US carriers. Its no wonder the work groups are fed up. More to do, with less resources. Agents aren’t getting trained. FA’s are not paid until brakes are released. While I agree its bad form for them to air their grievances in ear shot of premium passengers. I can totally understand why.
Just as restaurant’s servers/waiters, FAs are entitled bunch, who will always complain about customers and surprisingly no one else. Yet somehow other countries can get their service industry right (specially south America, Europe and Asia) but not the US.
Airlines: pay then from the minute of scheduled boarding time to de- boarding.
FA: do your job or find something else.
Restaurant owners: pay them full hourly salary, and don’t accept tips.
Servers/waiters: stop thinking you need to get paid as physicians or rocket sciences working as waiters.
Physicians and nurses: start to collect tips from patients and if no tips give a poor service also. That should teach the other brats how entitled they are.
People citing the old “they don’t get paid until the door closes” line need to remember that AA has offered this as a concession in the negotiations but the union rejected it, because that’s not actually a change they want.
It’d lead to a lower overall increase in hourly pay. The current rule is great for FAs that work trans cons, transoceanic, and other long hauls since they get paid more than they would if boarding time was included. They also happen to be the most senior members of the union.
All airlines save Southwest suck, don’t give a hiit about customers anre not profitable. Non profitable companies have toxic cuktures, these airlines prove that.
If you don’t like your working conditions as a FA, get another job ! Don’t take your problems out on passengers. Simple as that. I work EMS 911, 12 hour shifts often with mandatory overtime. I’m not happy with that and other work conditions. But I knew about OT issues and all that when I signed up. When I’m burned-out and done with EMS, I’ll resign and get another job, not bitch and moan about work conditions I knew about before employment started.
Anonymous (the one who posted the response to Gene): I’d like to speak to you about this topic. Would you please reach out to me, anonymously if you wish, at erntemaher@proton.me?
Poor baby didn’t get the little pre departure drink in a baby plastic cup. I don’t blame the flight attendants for not doing extra unpaid work. I’d rather have the plane leave on time then worry about getting a pathetic little drink. I fly American often and I’ve never had a issue with the flight attendants, I have issues with the flying public that think thier behinds should be kissed when thier usually the ones at fault for thier own traveling experience!
Gary, are the “directives” for pre-flight drinks actually part of the contract? I’ve seen all of the memos reminding FAs, but if it’s not actually contractually required, then it’s not self-help. It’s just something they’ve been doing along the way.
Very important to have all of the facts before painting anyone in this poor of a light. Now, I wouldn’t suggest anyone stand in a corner and make those kinds of comments, but after being treated as they have by management for as long as they have, I can empathize.
I read thw 1st 5/6 replies & concur w/all. Even the snacks in 1st C, appear cheap & only 1 of 5 lately even offer a cup of water upon boarding. The entire world of “service” seems to not give a damn as if we owe them more than a thanks+smile after paying 3 to 4x as much to be served. AA doesn’t care either! Writing CS only to receive a static general response means zero thought. Maybe we need to form our own union to pressure/negotiate w/airlines for our benefit & put airline CEOs in the cooler?
Just flew AA where an attended just didn’t show up. The ground crew (and the pilot who came out to apologize) were baffled, said they’d seen sick or accidents before, but never a complete no show. The plane was delayed an hour later the next scheduled one we were able to shift too for a substitute that was being flown in. We suspect it was because of the failed negotiations.
“You bought the seat in 1st. The service is optional. FAs are on board to save your ass not kiss it”
Ah, so sassy black women FAs who moan at the concept of treating their largely white customers even remotely politely are largely behind this, which makes all the sense in the world. Got it. Why am I not surprised?
The other irony of the dumb FA who says “we’re here to save your ass, not kiss it,.”
This broad would never save passengers in a million years, I would know. I had one of these creatures on a recent flight that got hit by lightning. She literally started running around and goes “oh my God, oh my God!!’ they aren’t there to save anything, they are there to take up space.
Viewfromthewing often has incorrect and or misguided information in their posts, that people run amok with.
After reading the above comments , it’s again blatantly obvious ignorance of the Airline industry and it’s workers situations abounds !
One particularly long winded Anonymous commenter is completely misguided on industry pay scales, work rules and Overtime pay.
Having worked my entire life at airlines, let’s set out some FACTS for the unknowing.
F/A pay doesn’t start till the planes door is closed, and ready to taxi. All work done before that is unpaid, which by most labor laws is Illegal ! F/As are trained in many forms of skills, such as first aid, and extensive evacuation procedures as well as “serving you” your drink. Initial F/As were actually Nurses, didn’t know that did you? F/As have control of the cabin during flight, including the overly entitled passengers, and pre boarding drunks who demand a beverage the second they sit down, that’s an FAA rule, not the Airline. So when they “suggest” you put your phone away, or stop making a disturbance, that’s actually a lawful order to be complied with now!
While the Top seniority Pilots CAN make very good wages flying international routes, most domestic pilots make around 85k a year, some states more, some less. No where near 400k some quote !
As to Mechanics…well if you are Lucky the plane you are flying at 35k feet, doing 500 mph on was maintained in the US, NOT at one of the many Foreign Country MRO bases, where one Certified Mechanic signs off for up to 20 different”workers” maintenance tasks performed by non English native speakers. By the way ENGLISH is the Spoken, Written REQUIRED language of Aviation, Pilots, Mechanics are REQUIRED by law to Speak, Read, and Write in English to get licensed ! Having an A&P (Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic License) is REQUIRED at Americans Maintenance in the US, BUT NOT at the aforementioned Foreign MRO bases. Top senior Mechanics and Inspectors in the US make just over 100k while starting out can be as little as 45k. And the FAA rarely if ever does inspections of the foreign MRO facilities, and when done they are given weeks notice before they show up. Frightened yet? You should be!
Ragging on “Union workers” because they are in a union , whether the Pilots, F/As Or Mechanics is one of the dumbest things formed from ignorance ever.
Union workers have strict rules negotiated into contracts that are far above non contract jobs that must be followed ! Safety being paramount as you can’t pull a Aircraft over at 35k feet when something goes array.
Now I’m sure the “non-union” workers and small business bosses all HATE unions because of their higher wages, and perceived better working conditions, but that’s the point ! Things like the 8 hour work day WAS developed through the unions, along with paid sick time laws, and maternity leave, and paid vacation.
The Aircraft you are flying on costs Millions, and takes well trained people to fly, service and maintain, including the F/As that people like to treat like Servants, instead of skilled and trained air Hosts that can and do save people’s lives! Respect them as you should all Aircraft Personal. Your lives are in their hands daily !
@Jim
“lawful order”….yes SIR, officer! Am I being detained?
I’m guessing your last job was a mall ninja.
Am I right?
It seems obvious that flight attendants’ time clock should start the minute they board the plane, because they are doing coordination/arranging from that point on. Nobody in the world can counter that argument.
It also seems obvious to me that if they are held overnight, they need to receive free lodging and per-diem. (Not sure if that’s already happening or not.)
Let’s not dispute those things. Those are absolute musts.
As far as pay raise, I do not support these attendants receiving an hourly pay that is higher than an emergency responder. In an actual emergency, maybe only half of them could function how they were trained. They don’t do enough recurring practice scenarios to function correctly. They aren’t emergency responders. They are people who have to read off a safety script for the pre-flight speech that they give multiple times per day. They aren’t geniuses.
Summary: they should receive pay commensurate with the TRUE hours they work, and commensurate with the skill required at their job (LOW skill level).
P.S. Refusing hospitality to high-paying passengers should result in firing. The person who experienced this poor treatment needs to report it IMMEDIATELY to management. The union is currently in the process of trying to pad their pockets at the expense of customers. I’d prefer robots on the planes rather than disgruntled waitresses who can’t memorize a short safety speech.
I avoid AA and United. I know they’re a tad cheaper than COPA and some other international airlines, but the other airlines have much better service, use newer aircraft, are much cleaner, and much more reliable and punctual.
The AA and United business model is deeply flawed. The idea of maximizing profits to give shareholders a greater return on investment totally misses Adam Smith’s foundation of capitalism in “A Theory of Moral Sentiments.” Consequently, only the CEOs, CFOs and shareholders are happy with the service. They are sucky, yucky and unlucky airlines. Even their hub airports are behind international facilities.
Make the switch. Time to ditch the AA __itch.
The Pesky GL strikes again with third rate faux journalism, unconfirmed information and band of stooges.
Good grief!!
Safety First- Hell, I can get my own damn drink if I needed one that bad.
My LIFE is in their hands (from mechanic, pilot and FAs.).So please respect these people who trying to do their job which can be stressful while dealing with the public.
I think it is really delusional for a customer to expect an employee that is not on the clock to do a work task for free.
If you truly feel that someone that is off the clock should provide you with free labor, drop your contact details because I have a lot work that needs to be done and like you I’d rather not pay for it.
commentor, stated his disbelief that he could ever announce to customers he would not be doing a portion of his job. and keep said job. well no raise in more than 5 years, and inflation ate away half your buying power, and even the previous contract even longer as hugely concessionary, and before that was BK contract (you can imagine) so yes, f/a’s are performing 100% of their safety duties, and putting even more effort for an on time machine, but trying to serve drinks during boarding, while still trying to do 100 other tasks and still leave on time, with full loads, and reduced staffing, well somethings small might just choose to over look. we’ll call it prioritizing, and we can only serve what we are catered (see CLT or PHL complete lack of catering, with understaffed over sold flights, well what would you do? you show up and give 110% for years for half wages and we can talk
you go to work an hour early and stay an hour late, AND WORK for free, and tell me how above and beyond you would feel. you should as a customer be siding with the crew, and upset your revenue is not going toward paying for quality service, but share buybacks, huge executive bonus’ and mis management. your revenue is not going toward what you assume you are paying for. so wake up. tell American you want what you paid for, and that means no free labor, and your money should go toward a safe, on time flight with friendly service (in that order) but yeah go ahead and blame the gal who now qualifies for food stamps and not the executive getting 31 million dollar annual bonus on a company that is in debt to their eyeballs and loosing money
I was offered preflight beverages on every flight a few days ago. Very cordial service consistently.
Yes, airlines should pay a good wage for lifesaving staff. (That’s literally their purpose, to save lives in an emergency through their training to conduct a rapid evacuation, as well as various safety checks.)
@Lindy: You wrote, “I do not support these attendants receiving an hourly pay that is higher than an emergency responder. In an actual emergency, maybe only half of them could function how they were trained. They don’t do enough recurring practice scenarios to function correctly. They aren’t emergency responders. They are people who have to read off a safety script for the pre-flight speech that they give multiple times per day. They aren’t geniuses.”
I’m afraid I have to disagree. I am a firefighter and paramedic. How often, Lindy, should flight attendants be required to launch a life raft in the water to satisfy your need for proper training? Monthly, quarterly, annually? Continuing qualification (CQ) training for some flight attendants is held every 18 months instead of annually due to the addition of computer-based training (CBT) modules. CQ training includes ground training, which covers a review of knowledge and skills, updated procedures, and safety information. Like other emergency responders, did you know that flight attendants must pass their Continuing Qualification (CQ) training or receive an unsatisfactory rating? After a fourth attempt at passing CQ with an unsatisfactory rating, the training manager will release the flight attendant from CQ, and the Flight Attendant qualifications will expire. Unlike other emergency responders, flight attendants receive additional training to tell you how to evacuate your aircraft after a crash, serve meals, pour refreshing beverages, and say buh-bye when you safely arrive at your destination and exit the plane.
FOR LINDY WHO COMMENTS “I PREFER ROBOTS ON THE PLANES RATHER THAN DISGRUNTLED WAITRESS WHO CAN’T SEEM TO MEMORIZE A SHORT SAFETY SPEECH”. We may read from a script because our so call “script” of safety could change at any moment so we want to keep you updated on updated information that could be helpful to you and many others. Hope you understand this. You have mentioned preferring ROBOTS in your posts…. We won’t see this in our lifetime and hopefully if that is introduced to our future generations they will be able to afford it. Lindy look at some of the responses that you get from your posts… I know it is hard to get things right on commenting after reading some of the misinformation you may read here on this blog.
Again for Lindy “IN AN ACTUAL EMERGENCY ONLY HALF OF THEM COULD FUNCTION HOW THEY WERE TRAINED… THEY DON’T DO ENOUGH OF RECURRING PRACTICE SCENARIOS TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY… once again your perception is wrong.. On my flight 6 crewmembers pulled together to take care of 2yr old who needed medical care and did so with the most professionalism i have ever seen .These crewmembers had only worked a couple of flights together. Be mindful and respectful to others when you don’t have the big picture of your posts. They may save your life one day.
Every time I don’t get a PDB on American I file a chargeback for the full ticket price—services not as described. And I win. Every. Single. Time. Because AA does not have enough staff to even fight the chargebacks. They just go unanswered. I’m literally flying for free half the time these days.
Flight attendants have more power to bring passengers back or send them away than any other group in the airline. So when the captain is beside them during disembarkation, the flight attendant can say “Goodbye” and really mean it. Might want to pay your sales reps what they are worth.
AA is still operating on a 1980s business model when Planes were half full and Walmart passengers weren’t bringing body bags as carry on, FAs can’t get into the aisles, catering is always running late, so this is on AA for still offering a service that cannot deliver.