This makes me sad. An American Airlines flight attendant is looking for advice on leaving, because they are embarrassed to work for the company. They aren’t proud of the product they are forced to deliver, and they feel ashamed telling people what their job is. So they are considering trying to get hired on at United or Delta instead – because they “want to have PRIDE” in their career.
I absolutely love being a flight attendant and know that this career is 100% for me.. but i’m not sure i’m at the right airline.
I’m almost embarrassed to tell people that I work for american because of how poor our reputation has become. Before coming into the aviation world i figured american would be on the same level as DL, UA but even after nonrevving on those 2, we are DEFINITELY falling far far behind. I just feel like we have completely gave up on being a competitor and therefore give the bare minimum of everything.
…i can’t shake this feeling that I belong somewhere else. I want to have PRIDE for my career.
The advice this crewmember is receiving seems to be threefold:
- You can’t control the future direction of the company. United and Delta are doing well now, but they could get worse. And that matters because you’re locked in by seniority.
Airline reputations come and go. Seniority doesn’t. You’re still new so not giving up much, but you never know when a different airline could fail or when AA might get their act together.
- You can only really switch employers in your first couple of years. If you move, you start over at the bottom and that means lower pay and worse schedules (if you’re a lineholder at all, versus just working reserve). The seniority system locks people into employment where they’re miserable, so choose early.
If you’re going to leave, do it now. In my opinion, it stops being worth leaving around year 2 or 3, all of these airlines are the same job in a different font. …The only thing that will remain constant in this industry is your senority, so pick an airline quickly and stay put.
- Stop caring. Don’t take pride in your work. Focus on pay and work rules and ignore the reputation and quality of your airline.
Detach yourself from the company if that makes sense. We’re all doing the same job at the end of the day. And every airline has their “moment.”Focus on things like the contract, work rules, pay.
These strike me as toxic opinions, but they’re also sort of true. The seniority system is great for those with seniority, and comes at the expense of junior employees. Labor contracts are just as much one group of workers against another redistributing income and work assisgnments as it is labor versus management.
But it also paints a way forward for the airline. It’s a great reminder that people are more than their wages and work rules. This flight attendant wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and is clearly just begging for management to put them on a mission. The crewmember ends their message, “Do we think AA will ever make a comeback?”
- Flight attendants just got significant raises in a new contract. But they’re considering leaving after the pay increase! It’s not about pay. (United is still without a new contract, so flight attendants are still getting pre-pandemic wages.)
- Job satisfaction comes from feeling you’re a part of something, that you deliver something that matters. It comes from being part of a top team. And it comes from offering something high quality to the world.
- You also need to work alongside driven colleagues. Shrirkers don’t just add work for everyone else, they bring down the experience. They make top performers feel unrewarded.
There is something fundamental to being human about deriving satisfaction and meaning from work. And that is a reason why I am skeptical of both Universal Basic Income and the FIRE movement. Most of us need to work and feel productive for meaning.
I pointed out seven and a half years ago that American Airlines lacked a mission statement, and that frontline employees received mixed messages from management over the kind of service they were meant to deliver – were they trying to be an ultra-low cost carrier that competed with Spirit and Frontier (then-President Robert Isom’s formulation) or a premium airline?
They now believe being on time is just table stakes and they need to deliver a premium product to earn a revenue premium (which is necessary for strong financial performance given their costs). Top management needs to be out on the front line selling this vision.
It was what Oscar Munoz did when he became CEO at United, and it was the beginning of convincing his airline’s employees that they had a bright future, and that those employees were key to delivering it. It’s the opposite message that American employees heard for so long, when their CEO told flight attendants that they don’t contribute to profit.
Please they’re all crap now, since deregulation, You all wanted cheap now you got it. I started with TWA when you paid for first and acted like you belonged there.
That’s… a bit much, but, okay, I suppose… instead of fighting for better, you *can* just flee to a competitor… if they’ll have you. (Maybe @Tim Dunn has the hookup!)
Unions suck. Case closed, the end.
It’s never too late for a new career in an entirely different field.
That’s the problem with airline jobs. Seniority. If you pick right and your airline does well, you can have a pretty good career.
Choose wrong and you’re pretty much screwed for most of your working life (if you want to stay in that business).
All the things that could go wrong are out of your control.
There is no way that a senior pilot or FA can switch companies for a better or even an equivalent position, unlike most other jobs.
Sorry you feel that way. I’m an EP with AA and I have seen significant improvements all around. Change does not come overnight, but AA product offerings at their Admirals Clubs have now matched or exceeded Delta and United. Food offerings have also gotten better inflight and my number one priority is making my connection in DFW and my last 22 flights on AA have been on time and I have made all my connections. Their new customer focus initiatives are great as well and their advantage program blows all other frequent flyer programs out the door. One of my neighbors is a pilot for AA and he is not happy as well and tells me that their trips they’re now flying are horrible with long days and many legs with multiple aircraft changes. He did tell me that the days of long overnights are over unless you’re a very senior pilot (30 plus years or more). He did tell me that the money is just ok and that he is looking at leaving as well and go over to corporate flying. I did remind him that he is working and not on vacation. That comment did not go well with him. No company is perfect, but if you’re not happy then get out, but from a customer service stance I’m very happy and will continue to fly them.
@toomanybooks — Uh, no. Unions are not the problem. Bad management and the capital class often choose not to invest properly in their workers, and they also tend to neglect and abuse us consumers, all for maximizing their personal returns. It’s a class war, and organized labor is part of the solution.
Go to UAL and their open F/A contract. It’s been amendable for how long now?
While I agree that AA lags UA/DL in many ways….their premium cabins imo are some of the best of the big 3. The int’l J seats are superior to almost all DLs and I think better than Polaris. The new 787P which I’ve flown a few times are very nice for a US carrier. Domestic First is pretty much comparable hard product wise and I give AA the nod in most cases when it comes to food. At that point 9/10 times it’s the FA that makes or breaks a flight…..not the company.
Let’s assume this FA really does care about his/her job and provides amazing service when working. These are the FA’s us AA loyalists NEED to stay. AA gets 90% of my flights out of ORD. I’ve had some amazing FAs that really elevated the product. These FAs can really make an unremarkable flight remarkable. Sure, a $7 bottle of wine doesn’t scream luxury. But a warm, genuine presentation can make it more palatable. I think most people will usually have a positive view of a flight even when they say “well, the xxxx on that flight was shite…..but at least the FA was awesome”!
As far as coach offerings I don’t care….I don’t go back that far.
Toxic options have absolutely been suggested.
1. Get out if you are miserable. Don’t wallow in the misery with work colleagues. You are worth more than that as a human.
2. Walk away proud. You did your job well unfortunately your company did not.
3. Delta has 3 -6 A Days, a far different system than standard months and months full reserve at the other airlines. With a union only focused on “seniority” it is detrimental to start all over- however, Delta being the most highly compensated and most flexible allows for a far easier integration and starting anew.
4. You can only do so much. Not having the adequate tools to do your job and do your job well- hinders your growth at your current airline. Empowering employees and giving them the tools to ALWAYS “do the right thing”- makes Delta unique.
5. Delta Air Lines embraces every member of their team and work each day to encourage support and find solutions for their employees. Delta continues to be the highest ranked airline employer by Glassdoor.com.
A place employees WANT to work and be a part of the team!
6. Spread your wings! Being happy and finding that happiness will fulfill that desire of service and accomplishment.
Go free my customer focused and driven human being! And welcome to Delta Air Lines from Day Number One.
Keep Climbing!
The Delta Difference
I wonder why no airline ever offers the opportunity to transfer with n-1 years of seniority. I would think this would allow for poaching of the best employees. It may be impossible in a unionized workplace, but perhaps Delta could offer FAs the ability to transfer from other airlines, keeping most of their seniority.
Suggestion to the FA illustrate the challenges with today’s workforce. Get what you can for yourself and screw the rest of it. No mention of the customer. No pride in a job well done. Just all about themselves.
And we wonder why service excellence is non-existent these days.
Makes sense to want to work for DL or UA for the large profit sharing check. It is still FAs and pilots jumping from ULCC to the big 4 US airlines for the job stability and industry best pay. You would much rather be at AA than Spirit right now.
@Raphael The airline unions would never allow it and the carrier wouldn’t want it either. They would rather hire new talent on step 1 and train them.
Yes, because UA runs a business man’s flight where lobster is served in coach and flight attendants pass out cigars to all the movers and shakers of big business. Really? You can work for AA and do an excellent job, particularly if you bid for the Number One position (first/business). AA flyers know when they fly from DFW to LAX in First they’re not getting three courses, followed by surf and turf and then made to order ice cream sundaes.
Make an effort to do pre departure beverages, do the meal service in a timely fashion (rather than sit on your ass and play on your phone for nearly the first hour), regularly check on your passengers and make them feel welcome. Coach is coach in ALL airlines. For passengers it’s mostly a ride on the NYC subway. But at least do whatever you can like doing a second water run even on shorter flights (less than 3 hours).
If you really want to go back to 1965 go apply for Private. Many flight attendants I see present themselves like they work at Walmart. I doubt Netjets will have much interest.
I feel for this person. I flew in the new 78P on Wednesday in “Flagship” and it was not a great experience with FA’s. I had a front row seat meaning more space but my FA was disinterested in doing her job.
In fact the entire flight crew was late getting to the aircraft causing about a 35 minute delay. Rather pitiful. Oh. And the food wasn’t fit for human consumption. Wine in Business was $6.00 a bottle online. More or less like taking a public bus other than the seat which I liked.
@Rusty — They should have offered you some cheese… it would have paired nicely with your whine…
Sorry you don’t like your job. But your leg isn’t shackled to a chair. Find a new job.
@Randy it’s hard to find a new job when all your energy is focused on feeling entitled and dealing with the reality that life isn’t always fair. These poor fragile snowflakes just can’t survive in a world where mommy and daddy are not there to plow the runway for them.
Forget the labor mess as another poster stated they all suck for the most part with some exceptions here or there.
I’ve have good and bad experiences at all airlines
Yes the food could better in premium cabin but I like American even with all their worts and wrinkles.They do need to work harder with customer relations concerns
Make it clear what flights are weather vs mechanical issues.Been lied to sadly
Happy @ AA even with their dysfunctional operation at times
In the end I’ll fly spririt United and whoever over the thieves at delta with their rip off sky pesos program and antique old ancient planes they put over as fake premium
Being a flight attendant is a tough job, no doubt. You must serve a “cocktail party” to 100+ people at 31,000 feet, and walk to Los Angeles while doing it. Yes, starting over in the airline is gonna be a seniority issue. So, which airlines have the majority of happy employees both in numbers and percentages? Which airlines have the majority of management that tells you what is expected, expects you to do that, pays and pays you on time? Which airlines have the most employees “pulling on the same side of the rope” and, at the end of the fiscal year will give you a “piece of the pie” to all employees regardless of the job description or position? Salaries are close among all of the major airlines. So, look at the aggregate “salary” which would include the actual money take home pay, but then consider medical, dental, eye benefits, vacation and PTO accrual, bidding process, 401(k) matching, and ESOP. Are your “non-rev” privileges base on seniority regardless of position or does middle management, regardless of seniority, bump you? Does the airline you’re considering listen to new ideas from those who actually DO the job and if the idea is adopted , might give you a “piece of the pie” in savings? What about following the rules BUT, with safety always first, do what is right by yourself, your peers and the people that buy that ticket that pays your salary? Every single company, regardless of the industry, has faults and disgruntled employees. So you will have to carefully weigh the pros and cons that meet YOUR GOALS. Then, apply to that airline.
@Raphael, I think @Brian W is right about the unions, but maybe not the airlines. The evidence is clear, long-term FAs for an airline are obsessed with maintaining a system that benefits them at the expense of those with less seniority. The airline will offer a contract that will cost them $X. More senior FAs will seek to get the biggest possible slice of the pie. Mid career FAs are looking forward to the day where they’re on top.
You may need some type of work for meaning, but you don’t need remuneration to find meaning in your calling in life. Most of us need the remuneration first, but hope to also get meaning from our work. Both UBI and the FIRE movement are responses to these separate parts of our work needs. UBI takes care of some basic needs (freeing one to take risks and find more meaning in work), and FIRE frees one from high-paying, soul-crushing work. What does this tell us: a lot of US work culture is awful. We wish it weren’t so, but it is. Plenty in the FIRE movement don’t retire after hitting the FI number. Why? Feeling like you can quit makes one feel free in one’s work. Many more become entrepreneurs or volunteer their time. There’s plenty of pro-social work out there to be done.
I would suggest to this F/A that a better carrier experience starts with one person-yourself. Because in a union environment, if you perform a second ( or third!) service you will not be compensated more than the lazy person you are forced to work with but will fell better about yourself and the customers will notice and be appreciative.
Do the best job you know you are capable of doing and rise above the others that don’t care.
We need many more of you.
Good luck to you!
What a coincidence! I’m embarrassed to fly them.
I agree as a retiree I am also embarrassed tell people I worked for American Airlines (Over 40 years). I blame Parker (Former CEO) for the downfall of American Airlines.
Gary, either you are, or would be a fan of Ikigai!
This is akin to someone who’s working at Chili’s and is considering moving to Applebee’s or Red Lobster.
If you want to work for a classy airline that delivers good service, you will have to get hired by Turkish, Emirates, Singapore….all the US airlines have miserable seats, terrible food and poor entertainment options. But the pay may be poor on those airlines as they have access to cheap non-union labor.
@Mike P — “I want my… baby back, baby back…” Don’t knock those bbq ribs or fajitas, dawg.