FORT WORTH- It’s widely known that flight attendants from major U.S. airlines have recently raised various concerns regarding their working conditions and job security.
However, there’s now a reported accusation from American Airlines (AA) suggesting that some of their employees are trying to capitalize on rolling delays for personal gain.
American Airlines Flight Attendant Tussle
Flight attendants at American Airlines have expressed several grievances, including inadequate rest during layovers, alleged retaliation for complaints, and issues concerning compensation and benefits.
Adding complexity to these existing problems is a new development outlined by Ben Schlappig in an article for One Mile At a Time.
“American Airlines is alleging that some of its flight attendants are seeking to profit from rolling delays and is labeling it theft,” he wrote. “Undoubtedly, this will stir up discontent among flight attendants, particularly given the ongoing tense contract negotiations.”
Travel Expert Claims
On X (formerly Twitter), travel expert JonNYC shared a statement he claimed to have obtained from American Airlines:
“We have observed an increasing trend of flight attendants (FAs) picking up trips (UBL/ETB) while they are in the midst of a potential rolling delay in their current schedule, leading to ‘Illegal Through No Fault’ (JCBA 10. K) pay protection. The company has provided examples such as instances where the next assigned sequence requires FAA-mandated minimum home base rest of 10 hours in between or a double-up scenario necessitating the prescribed 1:30 gap between arrival and departure of the second sequence (among other examples).”
“Crew Schedule Seniors are meticulously reviewing each instance of these last-minute pick-ups resulting in pay protection to ascertain whether there was an intention to create an illegality for financial gain. The Company has informed APFA that they perceive this behavior as theft. They will conduct a thorough examination, considering when the trip was picked up, when the delay commenced, and the crew’s awareness of the situation (including communication with Flight). They may potentially initiate investigations. The company’s stance is that even if the schedule has not been adjusted yet or the sequence has not been rectified, it does not absolve the crew of awareness of the impending issue.”
“Should the company determine (through data analysis) that there was no intention to complete the trip, it will revoke the pay protection and may launch an investigation. We urge you to bid for/pick up trips only if you genuinely intend to fly them and are confident of your legal eligibility to do so to avoid scrutiny from the Company. Ensure you can substantiate your decisions with factual data.”
FA’s Methods
Schlappig from OMAAT outlined a method flight attendants can use to manage their upcoming flights.
“Flight attendants utilize a complex bidding system for trip assignments, considering various factors that shape their schedules,” he explained. “In addition to their regular monthly bidding, flight attendants can pick up last-minute trips for additional compensation, provided it doesn’t conflict with existing assignments. They must always ensure they have a minimum rest period between sequences, typically around 10 hours.”
Schlappig suggested that American Airlines flight attendants might be “deliberately selecting trips they have no intention of completing, aiming to increase their earnings, and the company is labeling it theft.”
Example
He offered a hypothetical scenario.
“Just to illustrate (purely hypothetical), let’s imagine a flight attendant has a scheduled trip starting at 6 AM tomorrow, flying from Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX). Flight attendants require a minimum of 10 hours of rest between flights.
Suppose this flight attendant decides to pick up a last-minute Miami to Tampa to Miami turnaround for this evening. However, it becomes evident that the flight will experience delays (due to a delayed inbound aircraft, maintenance issue, or thunderstorm).
If they indeed pick up and complete this trip but return after 8 PM (less than 10 hours before the 6 AM trip), they won’t be fit to operate the scheduled trip the next day, yet they’ll still receive compensation for both trips.
“I suspect the main goal here is to instill fear in flight attendants regarding such behavior in the future, but only time will tell,” he commented. “Should the company take disciplinary measures against flight attendants, I expect the union will have plenty to express.”
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