Tag Archives for flight attendants.
Internal APFA meeting notes say the number of American flight attendants who couldn’t get hotel rooms during January’s Storm Fern “far exceeded” the 200 reported in a prior disruption, after the airline’s hotel-booking and crew-recovery processes failed. Instead of demanding make-goods, the minutes describe management as frustrated and “unable to help,” even as crews were left stranded in airports.
American Airlines is firing flight attendants at a record pace, according to internal union minutes, as it steps up enforcement against crew who aren’t where they’re supposed to be while on reserve. The airline is pulling travel records, social media, and even company-issued device data in its investigations.
United flight attendants haven’t had a raise in 5.5 years, and inflation has quietly taken a big bite out of what their pay is worth—so the tone shift this week is notable. The union says a final agreement is now close enough that it’s postponing a planned protest day, while United is telling crews the deal will deliver industry-leading pay, signing bonuses, and progress on “sit pay” and other long-running priorities.
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.
Southwest is experimenting with bringing cleaners on board between flights — but only to clean the premium extra-legroom section, leaving the rest of the cabin to the usual quick flight-attendant “tidy.” A flight attendants union leader says the trial creates a two-tier experience, likening it to Titanic class service, and warns passengers will notice fast when the front looks freshly cleaned and the back doesn’t.
The Southwest Airlines boarding experience has been the worst of all possible worlds since moving to assigned seating on January 27. Now flight attendants are being asked to shoulder the burden, and their union is putting the airline on blast.
Southwest Airlines has banned its employees from using smart glasses and other wearable devices capable of recording during work hours, citing safety, privacy, and legal responsibilities—though the policy doesn’t apply to passengers.
United flight attendants, who haven’t seen a pay raise in five years, are being promised a potential breakthrough deal this March—but the airline says they’ll need to accept tradeoffs on scheduling, and unpaid leave to get it done.
Southwest flight attendants have voted down higher union dues three times, but the proposal is back for a fourth try. This time, the union is limiting ballots to in-person meetings, turning a $5-a-month ask into a fight over turnout, process, peer pressure and whether “no” actually means no.
In a blunt internal message to employees, United Airlines says it has offered flight attendants the highest pay rates in the industry, but claims union leaders are refusing to agree to the needed tradeoffs. After five years without raises, here’s what’s holding up a deal.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
