Tag Archives for flight attendants.
United flight attendants haven’t had a raise in five years, and 71% voted down a union-backed contract many saw as inadequate. Now, as talks resume, United is putting a major flashpoint back on the table: algorithm-assigned work schedules that replace traditional trip picking with “preference bidding,” a system crews say is opaque and strips them of control.
A Delta passenger boarded his Las Vegas flight handing out $100 bills and Ghirardelli candy to the crew — all while filming himself for social media. The internet loved the generosity but hated the performance, and this raises a better question: how should you actually thank flight attendants without crossing lines or creating ethics problems?
An American Airlines passenger on a five hour Airbus A321neo flight showed up in row 37 with AirPods Max for every flight attendant and pilot, and wound up in first class after a passenger up front insisted on trading seats with him. Most people see it as heartwarming holiday gratitude for crew, but others question whether a filmed, high-dollar gift like this crosses the line into performative tipping and bribery-adjacent special treatment.
Flight attendants are sharing the funniest, cringiest, and most inappropriate pickup lines passengers actually try on them. A few of the lines surprisingly worked — but many crossed the line into awkward, gross, or outright harassment.
The head of the largest flight attendants union, Sara Nelson, says you should never press the flight attendant call button for a drink, and even tried to get the government to ban alcohol on planes which would reduce the amount of service her members would have to provide.
This is 100% wrong.
Aeroflot low cost carrier Pobeda ran one of the strangest in-cabin experiments we’ve seen: a humanoid robot acting as a flight attendant on a regular passenger flight. The airline had “Volodya” work on a Boeing 737 flight from Ulyanovsk to Moscow.
A flight attendant says she looked up during the safety demo and saw her own face on a passenger’s phone, enlarged and already texted to someone else. In her TikTok, she explains exactly how she responded and why crew have limited options when they’re being recorded without consent in a confined cabin.
American Airlines flight attendants face escalating pressure from their union, including threats of termination for unpaid dues and a demand they pay 48% more in union fees. With internal union battles complicating matters, a national legal defense group has stepped forward, offering flight attendants free legal assistance to protect their jobs and understand financial options.
Delta has unveiled its new Distinctly Delta uniforms for 65,000 employees — featuring Missoni-designed scarves and ties, Bombas socks, and a revived wrap dress from the airline’s early-2000s look. The collection begins wear testing in 2026 before rolling out systemwide in 2027.
After five years without a raise, 71% of United Airlines flight attendants rejected a union-backed deal that barely kept up with inflation. Now, the union is back at the table with eight new demands — from ground pay to better layover hotels.
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 »
