Tag Archives for flight attendants.
Airlines face a challenge around the holidays. Do they insist on a standard image for their frontline employees, or do they allow some festive creativity? And if employees can deviate from standard dress, what guidelines should be applied?
United Airlines appears to be taking a conservative stance this holiday season, cracking down on flight attendant holiday dress.
The battling between American’s independent APFA union and the stalking horse of the national AFA reminds me of Monty Python’s Life of Brian. They’ve seemed to have forgotten they’re supposed to be fighting the Romans (American Airlines management).
The union needs to be building a war chest for its negotiations. Instead they’re cutting costs like accounting systems that allow for electronic expense reports. They’re keeping higher union leadership pay. And they won’t go to the membership for a dues increase – fearing that would put them out on the streets.
Flight attendants respond to emergencies, bear the brunt of passenger frustrations and poor behavior, and staffing levels on some flights have been cut leading to more work. Maybe they’re underpaid.
I want to try out a very unpopular argument: that airlines pay too much for the flight attendants they’re hiring today, but that they should be paying more to attract flight attendants who will provide better service.
It turns out that filming flight attendants is especially prevalent in Japan, where a Japanese union representing cabin crew at Japan Airlines, ANA and other carriers says that 60% of their members have been filmed while on duty.
Some of the videographers are really creepy, too.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Unionized flight attendants — and flight attendants at airlines whose procedures mirror union work rules — get to work the most desirable trips based on seniority. Senior flight attendants at large international airlines can jet away to Sydney, to Buenos Aires, to Paris while more junior flight attendants overnight in Des Moines.
Those longer trips aren’t just more exotic. They pay more (more hours) in a short amount of time, have longer layovers, and may entail staying at better hotels. Secondary markets developed. Last year I wrote about American flight attendants renting out their seniority for $200 a pop. Now United flight attendants are doing it.
American Airlines executives meet with employees for question and answer sessions called Crew News. This past week an American pilot asked CEO Doug Parker about technology to connect cabin crew with all the functions of the airline to fix problems like Delta flight attendants have.
Delta flight attendants have a new update tot heir device so that they can connect and chat with ramp tower, catering, cockpit, crew schedules, passenger service and other teams. They can directly get problems addressed.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Christopher Elliott takes on his role as the world’s worst travel advisor and tells his audience in USA Today that they have his permission to take any empty seat in coach since flight attendants “can’t police every seat.”
By the way that’s one of his “tips for getting an upgrade.” So presumably we’re not even talking about moving between regular coach seats. Just sit in the premium seat and if questioned tell your cabin crew (and anyone they call in for reinforcements that you had Christopher Elliott’s permission.
Star Alliance member EVA Air has one of the best business class products in the world but has been in the news lately for how a single passenger behaved inflight and whether the airline does enough to protect its flight attendants.
Now there’s further criticism over the way the carrier approaches rumor and innuendo surrounding members of its cabin crew, based on an incident that occurred the very same day.
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 »
