Tag Archives for flight attendants.
American Airlines reduced the number of flight attendants working its widebody and premium domestic flights during the pandemic. Flight attendants weren’t serving extensive meals then, and there weren’t as many passengers on board.
When the pandemic ended, the airline didn’t restore staffing levels.
Over 200 United Airlines flight attendants, along with other employees, reported severe gastrointestinal issues after eating the airline’s Christmas holiday meal at Denver airport. Symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting emerged rapidly, with multiple attendants missing work and at least one reportedly becoming ill mid-flight.
The Southwest Airlines pilot union is reeling from an internal investigation of its recently-elected President for what’s being characterized by some as ‘sexual misconduct’, after it was reportedly revealed that he had a romantic relationship with a union staff member in violation of a “no fraternization” policy.
With United flight attendants having overwhelmingly voted to authorize their union to declare a strike if the government lets them, the AFA-CWA union is currently soliciting volunteers from amongst their members to be the first to strike.
United Airlines flight attendants haven’t had a raise in four years, as contract negotiations drag on. The union says that the airline is making unreasonable demands, like only paying health care benefits for flight attendants who work.
To keep crewmembers fired up, the union sent out a communication to members listing all of the items that United has sought to change in their favor in the new contract.
American Airlines plans to ask the FAA to certify their new Boeing 787-9P with one fewer flight attendant, but has told their union this is just so they could operate the plane that way if they had to – it’s not how they’re going to schedule the aircraft (although I wonder if they would on any domestic or short-haul international segments the plane operates).
American Airlines flight attendants will soon pay 48% higher union dues under a plan they’re being asked to vote for. The union is “calling this a dues restructure instead of a dues increase” even though dues will increase. They’re using this language because it isn’t just a single dues increase, but a system of automatic increases that raise dues 48% during the current contract.
A flight attendant on the Boeing 777-300ER videotaped this by aiming their phone’s camera at a monitor that was filming the entrance to the cockpit that displayed a live feed. They added their own explicit commentary, and shared it via WhatsApp.
United Airlines sent out an email to all of its employees about planned wage increases – but this was meant to go out to only corporate non-union employees. Flight attendants, who remain in protracted negotiations with the airline, are apparently furious. Their last raise was in 2021.
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 »
