Recently, two Delta flight attendants showed up to work at 7 times the legal limit for alcohol, and failed breathalyzer tests.
The flight operated normally and on schedule, because the airline staffs its Airbus A330s with more than the legally-required minimum number of flight attendants.
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). This was first revealed by aviation watchdog JonNYC.
AA 798 FA staffing pic.twitter.com/kZfCfJEYmp
— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) December 5, 2024
American Airlines generally staffs its narrowbody aircraft at FAA minimums – the lowest legally required number, which generally amounts to one per 50 seats. For widebodies they’ve had more that legal minimums, and that’s what they reduced. But they never brought back flight attendants to work these planes, even once the pandemic was over and travel (and premium travel) returned.
The airline actually began reducing onboard staffing before the pandemic. Then in 2020, American Airlines further reduced flight attendant staffing,
- To one above FAA legal minimums on international widebody and transcon flights
- To the legal minimum on Boeing 787-8 aircraft
American Airlines Boeing 787-9
Here’s the current staffing levels:
American’s 787-9s are, today, staffed at more than the legal minimum and they want the FAA to allow them to operate with the fewest flight attendants legally allowed. This would presumably be in situations like that Delta flight, where a crewmember was unable to fly. American’s flight attendants union is very angry.
This week, American management made clear their intention to work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify new 787-9P aircraft with a minimum of seven (7) Flight Attendants, moving our minimum requirements on this aircraft closer to our US competitors who have similar equipment and seating configuration.
This minimum staffing is in alignment with other carriers 787 minimum staffing, namely United Airlines, who have the ability to staff their 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 series with an FAA minimum of seven (7) Flight Attendants.
This is yet another unacceptable erosion of Flight Attendant staffing. It is unrealistic and unsafe to expect that seven Flight Attendants can adequately serve and ensure safety under the new configuration of the 787-9P, especially with an increase to 51 private Business Class Suites, with each seat bringing added Flight Attendant workload in an already understaffed cabin.
Further, the FAA mandates that suite doors remain locked open during taxi, takeoff, and landing, which adds a critical new safety task for Flight Attendants. It is impossible to perform these additional duties without compromising safety and service standards.
APFA categorically rejects the changes to the minimum crew requirement on the new 787-9P. Our safety, workload, and working conditions are non-negotiable.
While I’d rather see more flight attendants and real service standards, I think that fairly evaluating this situation requires understanding that:
- American, in response to a union grievance over staffing levels, points out that they offer much less service than they did 20 years ago, so staffing levels should be lower.
- Reduced staffing doesn’t violate the flight attendant contract as long as it still allows flight attendants to take contractual breaks
- Reduced staffing matches competitors like United, which successfully operates planes with more passengers than American will have.
- American paid ghost riders to watch nearly 200 flight attendants in action at current staffing levels, documenting that they aren’t overworked.
However, the Biden administration had a very strong union orientation, from requirements for subsidies by semiconductor chip manufacturers to an unwillingness to invite Tesla to participate a major event on electric cars (with the President calling Ford the leader in the industry). They moved to require more flight attendant staffing on planes with doors in business class, because flight attendants have to check to make sure they’re locked open at takeoff and landing. JetBlue responded by disabling business class doors on some planes to avoid increased staffing costs.
Presumably American’s decision to take this move now because of the results of the Presidential election. The FAA Administrator‘s term continues, although it’s not yet known whether he’ll stay. However administration priorities, and the influence of the parent DOT, will loom large in either case.
The American Airlines flight attendants union had a chance to restore staffing levels, or lock in even present levels. They just completed contract negotiations. However they did not prioritize staffing in those discussions.
Not cool or wise. Corporate is simply getting too greedy. It costs next to nothing in the grand scheme of things for an airline to properly staff these flights.
Totally unrelated, but maybe they should book a brief stay at the historic New York Hilton Midtown. Beautiful views from every room, even at street level. It might help them change perspective. A detox, if you will. A retreat, of sorts. Safe travels!
Or we can do it like they do in my home region. Be careful of open windows.
Lest we forget the story of Icarus. American is trying to ‘fly too close to the sun’ here. It reminds me of the insane pitches for single pilot commercial flights. What a horrendous idea, especially after pilot suicides like Germanwings Flight 9525, but also if there is ever a medical emergency in the cockpit. Safety regulations are written in blood, they say. As soon as we become complacent, that is when tragedy strikes again. These are gambles not worth taking. The only time in makes sense is general aviation, like a four seater Cessna 172, where it is not always practical to have two pilots.
As a passenger, we won’t notice the difference anyway.
@1990. Won’t cost AA how much $$$$$$$. The you pay for it. On my last flights no PDD no real food and FA are more concerned what is on their my space page then doing their job.
@1990. Won’t cost AA how much $$$$$$$. The you pay for it. On my last flights no PDD no real food and FA are more concerned what is on their my space page then doing their job. .
I believe this is only when the airline is short of flight attendants and rather than cancel a flight fly with the minimum number legally required. Somehow, someway 40 years ago an American LGA/ORD M80/Boeing 727 flight would have had three flight attendants. On that 90 minute flight there would have been a more elaborate first class service than today, a beverage service and hot meals in coach, followed by picking up all those trains.
This could severely hamper the ability to provide pre flight beverages. Oh wait that’s not a thing on AA.
But his could constrain time available to surf their phones.
It would be interesting to know what percentage of time an FA actually works on a 787. I would be willing to bet it is far lower than the average U.S. worker. And in public facing roles many of them are shown the door if they don’t provide good customer service service.
George N Romey, 40 yrs ago on a full 727 with a meal tray service in coach you were staffed with 5 flight attendants, not three.
As far as the 7 on the new 787-9, I don’t see a problem. In B/C there will be one galley and the Purser will serve all 51 passengers. Our breaks in that cabin don’t start for six hours anyway on the DFW-BNE route. Six hours will be perfect for the first dinner service and then probably only need about 4 hours prior to landing to start final service. No problem.
Lower quality of service and safety so AA execs can make more money. Brilliant plan, guys. #NEVERAA
Unions are scum. No reason for them to exist in 2024 with Federal and State regulations except to suck money from the sheeple that belong to them. Hopefully Trump will gut most of Biden’s union protections and make it so that companies don’t even have to deal with them. Lock them out, hire replacements and see how long unions last.
It is a new day in America – thank God
I love how @Gary still posts a group photo of Customer Service Agents promoting the (then) new uniform… You’d think such an ‘industry insider’ would know the difference.
sigh….
Hmmmmm…who ratified the contract without staffing being reinstated? Who ratified it keeping Flight Attendants 40 years on rotating reserve in PHX & LAX? Who ratified the contract getting boarding pay (6 months into contract), which really only benefits Junior Flight Attendants? An overall Flight hour pay would have benefited ALL more. Who ratified a contract without a vacation increase? Those that saw RETRO pay as a solution to all & even that? Was a slap in the face!
Take your time United & don’t vote for a “shit” contract like AA did. Of course you have a real Union, and hopefully that helps.
What I think is unacceptable is that AA stock photo with the FAs all touching each other. I have a lot of affinity and respect in my group of colleagues and the only touching we do are handshakes. One group of people I do NOT want to touch are AA FAs.
This is only the beginning. Wait until there are robots doing the work instead. AI and automation will make it happen in the not too distant future. Possibly the flight deck will not have human pilots. That would get rid of the complaints about pilots taking breaks that are too long.
Minor league management, America West / USAir has driven this once proud airline into a nosedive since they took over years ago.
I don’t know why people keep pissing on AA. While they aren’t on par with QR’s and CX’s of the world, they provide fine service. I feel Alaska is the best of the lot, however AA isn’t as bad as people are making it out to be.
Also, this is just a request. As @George N Romey stated, it’s probably a “just in case” situation. Regardless, it’s only matching their peers such as UA.
Hey Gary… is that staffing international or domestic routes? You clearly have not done your research on staffing levels as per the FAA regulations… there is also “augmented staffing” for extended duty period, that have to be followed. AA cannot send a 787 on a 14-hr flight with only 7 f/a’s.
A certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental
operations may assign a flight attendant to a scheduled duty
period of more than 14 hours, but no more than 16 hours, if the
certificate holder has assigned to the flight or flights in that duty
period at least one flight attendant in addition to the minimum
flight attendant complement required for the flight or flights in that
duty period under the certificate holder’s operations
specifications.
(5 A certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental
operations may assign a flight attendant to a scheduled duty
period of more than 16 hours, but no more than 18 hours, if the
certificate holder has assigned to the flight or flights in that duty
period at least two flight attendants in addition to the minimum
flight attendant complement required for the flight or flights in that
duty period under the certificate holder’s operations
specifications.
(6)
A certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental
operations may assign a flight attendant to a scheduled duty
period of more than 18 hours, but no more than 20 hours, if the
scheduled duty period includes one or more flights that land or
take off outside the 48 contiguous states and the District of
Columbia, and if the certificate holder has assigned to the flight or
flights in that duty period at least three flight attendants in
addition to the minimum flight attendant complement required for
the flight or flights in that duty period under the domestic
certificate holder’s operations specifications.
Get rid of all the grey haired , grey bearded attendants and replace them with Young People. Being a flight attendant was never intended to be a long career , house hold income supported. The girls and guys were attractive , young , fun and energetic ,, Not angry old haggs or faggs….. flying in the 70s was so much fun vs todays Affirmative Action Hires projecting their new found authority combined with HomeLand’s AA hired crew… there is a reason some need an advantage to get hired……
Today’s air mattresses do less than half the work they used to, so seems reasonable.
Typical AA absurdity and also a stupid reference in this article with regard to the recent DL alcohol incident in Amsterdam. I am not an FA, but am a widebody Capt. It doesn’t take to a genius to understand that staffing well over and above FAA minimums ensures that when half the cabin crew goes on enroute crew rest, there is an adequate number of FAs on the main deck to tend to passengers needs, comfort, and safety. My own carrier staffs a minimum of 10 Flight Attendants, ensuring there are still at least 5 on duty between the departure and arrival meal services, one of which must speak the language of our destination. Anything less is alarming, and no staffing to this level has absolutely zero to do with failed alcohol tests. Give me a break.
I’m appalled at the comments you allow on this site. Being retired from aviation jobs, I used to read your content fairly often, but after today, I’m done. The level of the vitriol spewed by ignorant people is unacceptable. You just had a guy refer to flight attendants as “haggs and faggs.” Disgusting. So many people on here say horrible things about FAs, specifically unionized ones. They fail to understand that unions were critical to fairness in this industry—unless you think it’s fair for a woman to be forced to retire when she turns 30, gets married, or weighs a pound over the “weight max” (which was hugely out of date. What the hell, Gary Leff?