FORT WORTH- American Airlines (AA) is offering up to 1,205 flight attendants the opportunity to take a Voluntary Leave of Absence (VLOA) during September as the airline aligns staffing with lower post-summer flight demand.
The temporary unpaid leave program follows seasonal schedule reductions, recent hiring, and operational adjustments across the network.
The September VLOA program includes crew bases at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Miami International Airport (MIA), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), with Dallas Fort Worth receiving the largest allocation.
American Airlines Expands Voluntary Leave Program
American Airlines has tentatively set aside 1,205 voluntary unpaid leaves for flight attendants during September, representing approximately 4% of its flight attendant workforce.
The airline currently has more cabin crew available than required for its planned fall schedule following the busy summer travel season.
The largest allocation has been assigned to Dallas Fort Worth with 309 tentative leaves. Other major crew bases include Charlotte with 168, Chicago O’Hare with 144, Miami with 137, New York LaGuardia with 133, Philadelphia with 119, Phoenix with 58, Boston with 56, Los Angeles with 42, and Washington National with 39.
According to information first reported by View from the Wing, the leave program is being offered across every American Airlines crew base as the airline adjusts staffing levels for its September operation.
September 2026 Tentative Leave Allocation
| Crew Base | Tentative VLOA Positions |
|---|---|
| Boston (BOS) | 56 |
| Charlotte (CLT) | 168 |
| Washington National (DCA) | 39 |
| Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) | 309 |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 42 |
| New York LaGuardia (LGA) | 133 |
| Miami (MIA) | 137 |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | 144 |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | 119 |
| Phoenix (PHX) | 58 |
| System Total | 1,205 |
Dallas Fort Worth alone accounts for more than one-quarter of all tentative September voluntary leave positions, making it the largest crew base affected by the program.
American Airlines’ Reducing Flight Attendant Staffing
Several operational factors have created a temporary surplus of flight attendants for September.
The airline normally schedules fewer flights after the summer travel peak and following the Labor Day holiday. This year, the transition to the fall schedule began earlier than usual, moving seasonal reductions forward compared with last year.
American Airlines also hired more than 2,000 new flight attendants, increasing available staffing across its network. At the same time, the carrier reduced portions of its planned schedule in response to higher fuel prices.
Although the airline still expects to operate more flights than it did a year earlier, the final schedule includes fewer flights than originally planned, resulting in lower staffing requirements.
Rather than reducing its workforce permanently, the airline is using a voluntary leave program to better match employee availability with seasonal demand while allowing eligible flight attendants to retain key employment benefits.
Voluntary Leave of Absence Works
The September VLOA is an unpaid leave available for one month under the flight attendant contract.
Leaves are awarded to volunteers based on seniority. Lineholders receive priority before reserve flight attendants when leave requests are processed.
Flight attendants approved for voluntary leave continue to receive several employment benefits throughout the month, including:
- Continued seniority accrual
- Sick leave accrual
- Vacation accrual
- Medical insurance coverage
- Non-revenue travel privileges
Employees participating in the program cannot pick up flight assignments during their leave period.
American Airlines and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) opened bidding for the September leave program on Monday.
September Program Is Significantly Larger Than Last Year
American Airlines also offered voluntary leave opportunities for September last year, opening bids on the same date. Airlines traditionally reduce flying after Labor Day, making seasonal leave programs common during the transition into the fall schedule.
However, this year’s program follows an unusually early reduction in flying. The August voluntary leave offering was described by union leaders as the first such program in recent memory during the peak summer season, and it was made available across every crew base.
The fall schedule also shifted earlier than in previous years. At Charlotte, the reduction began on August 5, compared with late August the previous year, as the airline reduced flight banks from 9 to 8.
As a result, Charlotte flight attendant hours declined by approximately 6% from July to August. Boston experienced a similar operational adjustment, with flight attendant hours decreasing by approximately 5% during the same period.
American Airlines offered 312 voluntary leaves for August, but September staffing reductions are substantially larger. Initial expectations were for approximately 1,030 September leaves, while the tentative allocation has now increased to 1,205 positions.
Among five major crew bases, September leave allocations increased from 572 positions last year to 779 positions this year, representing an overall 36% increase.
| Crew Base | Previous Year | Current Year | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) | 237 | 309 | +30% |
| Charlotte (CLT) | 126 | 168 | +33% |
| Washington National (DCA) | 26 | 39 | +50% |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | 77 | 144 | +87% |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | 106 | 119 | +12% |
| Total | 572 | 779 | +36% |
APFA Sought More Voluntary Leave Opportunities
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants has consistently encouraged American Airlines to increase the number of voluntary leave opportunities available to cabin crew.
Many flight attendants value the option of taking unpaid leave while continuing to receive healthcare coverage, retain seniority, and keep travel benefits.
Union representatives also negotiated higher leave allocations at several bases. For August, management initially proposed 30 voluntary leaves for Chicago, but the union secured 40 positions.
At Philadelphia, the airline initially proposed only 8 leaves, but the final allocation increased to 55 after both sides agreed to a higher average monthly workload for the remaining flight attendants.
Additional voluntary leaves also create temporary opportunities for more junior flight attendants. As senior employees take leave, some reserve flight attendants can temporarily move into regular lineholder positions before returning to reserve when the leave program ends.
Operational Flexibility
American Airlines intentionally maintained additional flight attendants during the summer to improve operational reliability and ensure crews were available to recover from disruptions. Maintaining excess staffing, however, increases operating costs once demand begins to decline.
Because flight attendant staffing is being reduced by a greater margin than scheduled flying, the airline may have less operational flexibility if significant weather events or other irregular operations occur late in the month.
While the voluntary leave program helps align staffing with seasonal demand and control costs, a smaller operational buffer could make it more challenging to recover quickly from widespread disruptions.
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