American Airlines is sending flight attendants to observe other flight attendants, with a focus on safety-related matters. It calls this program both “non-punitive” and “voluntary.” But does the program actually present a new opening for flight attendants to “snitch” on one another, as some flight attendants have alleged?
Flight Attendants At American Airlines Skeptical Over New “Voluntary” Safety Audit
American Airlines is dispatching auditors to observe flight attendant performance when it comes to safety. This program is called Line Operations Safety Audit-Cabin (LOSA-C or Cabin LOSA for short) and at least now, is voluntary.
Here’s how AA describes the new program:
This new program will complement the existing Flight LOSA and Dispatch LOSA programs, allowing for a more complete picture of operational safety.
What is Cabin LOSA?
This peer-to-peer program will observe cabin crew members’ natural behaviors in the operation in order to quickly identify safety trends, mitigate risks, and make meaningful changes to our policies, procedures and training. American’s Cabin LOSA is unlike any other audit or observation program:
- Developed in partnership between American and the APFA
- All data collected is safety-related, confidential, and de-identified
- Observations are not check rides and are strictly non-punitive
- Participation in the program is voluntary
- Observations are completely voluntary, and all data collected is de-identified and non-punitive.
- The program ensures confidentiality and anonymity of all flight attendants observed. The observer will ask all flight attendants for their permission to observe the flight. If any flight attendant declines to be observed, the observer will not conduct the observation and any future discussion of the declination will be de-identified.
What a LOSA is not…
A LOSA is not a “check-ride” and is strictly non-punitive. All data collected is de-identified safety data. Collected data is securely maintained, and is shared through American Airlines’ Safety Management System (SMS) meetings where stakeholders drive changes based on such data. Cabin LOSA data is collected by line-qualified flight attendants who act as observers in the cabin. By observing normal processes, trends can be identified, and changes can be made to improve operational safety. Cabin LOSA is strictly a safety program, and as such, only data related to safety is recorded by the observer.
View From The Wing reports that some flight attendants are resting, calling the new initiative a “snitch” program, even though the program was endorsed by the union representing them.
That is certainly understandable. After all, what is the line between safety and service when it comes to something like forgetting to dump the coffee or latch the beverage cart? Will declining to be observed mean your name is added to a list?
On the other hand, safety audits are a good thing, and this is especially true for flight attendants. Sometimes they become so entrenched in their ways (and insulated by their union) that a set of fresh eyes on safety may help to avoid a far greater problem later on. If only that were true for service too…
CONCLUSION
I do understand the concern of flight attendants, though safety audits (voluntary or not) seem very reasonable to me. What I’d love to see even more, though, is customer service audits. Bad apples can spoil entire trees. We need even more smiling and gracious flight attendants, as is already true with the vast majority.
image: American Airlines
Everyone should be subject to these audits. These audits should be carefully designed to prevent bias, though. Doctors, hospitals, pilots are all checked mid-career, so why not FA’s? After all, they insist they are their for safety. Sounds like they are anti-safety.
Hear hear. The fact that both pilot and FA announcements now mention that FAs are here “primarily for [our] safety” is laughable, at best. Most FAs currently employed by the US3 + WN (US4?) are too out of shape and/or geriatric to save themselves in the event of an emergency let alone multiple passengers. So the audits are necessary at a minimum because a lot (most?) FAs simply are physically unable to actually carry out their duties at the best of times. Then you factor in galley Candy Crush and gossip (especially on shorter US domestic flights) and the utter lack of situational awareness by at least one FA per flight is astounding. I’m not saying that being an FA is easy work or that they don’t deserve praise for what they do, but we’ve been putting lipstick on the FA situational pig for years and there’s been no actual increase in service offered or “safety” in years. In an actual emergency, I trust an untrained, in-shape/built passenger in row 15 more than I trust a 50+ year old FA pushing 200 lbs to do anything worth while.
Hope you Never need to evacuate a cabin anytime soon. Weight restrictions have been gone for yrs. Make sure you pay extra next time you fly, sit in over wing exit row, read the safety card, remember to take the safety line with you ( row 16).., and attach to hook on wing during ditching. Actually.. when the time is right for you?, surprise yourself and others and become a Flight Attendant. You may enjoy it.
Once COVID vaccines are no longer required perhaps more will consider it.
A couple of years ago we were on an AA flight from Charlotte to Miami. I’d heard from a friend that American will give a free cocktail to a military veteran. Being a veteran, I asked the flight attendant if that was true and she said no. About 15 minutes later she asked me what drink I wanted and I told her no need as we were getting ready to land. She handed me two little bottles as we deplaned and said she’d told me no earlier because she worried I was an airline plant looking to penalize flight attendants for violating rules. She checked the manifest and somehow confirmed that I was a legitimate passenger. This kind of “monitoring” obviously has gone on for some time. FYI, we usually fly first or business class so I’ve never asked for another free drink from AA in coach. Never would.
When I worked at The Cheesecake Factory decades ago, the place was run like a military operation. It had to be, to be able to offer hundreds of menu items that were from scratch and not frozen. As a server, we waited on tables and guests daily and weekly who were evaluating our service on hundreds of bullet points and requirements. However, we never knew until after the fact, as the program was a “secret shopper” type thing. We would get a printed multiple page report after the shoppers finalized their review of our service, and our management team would either praise us or move to progressive discipline—if standards were not being met. Employees were often suspended for x amount of days or weeks depending on offenses. Many were fired. Perhaps the airline should consider this type of secret eval? There are pros and cons but I never knew I was waiting on a secret shopper until I saw the report after the fact. They were that incognito and normal.
Does some dope really think that penalizing someone by taking away pay is not going to endear the employee. It’s much more effective to meet with the employee and talk about how to improve their performance. It’s better for the boss, it’s better for the employee, and it’s better for the company.
Debatable. CCF’s policy–back then–idk if the same now, did work to correct behaviors despite being heavy handed. In aviation, there is a huge subset of union protected FA’s who just don’t care. Sitting them down isn’t doing anything..if anything just making matters worse.
They should send them over to United!
United is already full.. of attitude
If your doing your job, you have nothing to fear. This is normal across many service and even non-service industries. This sounds like a few people who don’t want to get caught making noise while most are doing their job and meeting or exceeding expectations. Time we start to say “HMMM, why are they concerned” and stop giving me pity or airtime.
FA’s upward mobility in their job seems to be entirely dependent on seniority, not merit. Is there any sort of annual review process they go through? I’m asking because I’m genuinely curious. Most people in any career go through some sort of “safety audit” in the form of their annual review process. I actually wish leadership at my organization would follow me around more because I’m good at what I do and I want them to understand that.
Mostly seniority to my understanding. I think their ‘annual review’ consists mostly of safety recertification. Of course, if you’re calling out too much or getting complaints and violations then they move to progressive discipline or worse. Otherwise, “on the spot” merit awards like cash payments and points/gift cards can be issued for compliment letters and going above and beyond. Merit accolades and compliments (and also complaints) go in your file which can be good for future promotion opportunities for FAs wanting to become a base supervisor or move into corporate airline roles or whatever else. But otherwise I believe it’s mostly seniority only. I was talking to lovely Hawaiian flight attendants once and they were telling me about some of the older FAs with sixty years of service and so on. They mentioned in the safety certification many of the elderly FAs get a pass on certain things like closing overhead bins on a wide body. So there’s certainly variance in all of this.
Flight Attendants are legally required to attend recurrent training yearly, to keep their operating licence. FA are trained on each aircraft in the fleet or they are aircraft specific FA. Pilots submit to every 6 month physicals to stay physically competent to operate the aircraft. Air Crew are Federal Employee’s in a quiet way. FAA sets the rules, along with each Airline setting its own operating style. Line checks by FAA Cabin Inspectors Cannot Be Refused by FA. Same as FAA Pilot Check Airmen.
Only those who either are knowingly or ignorantly doing things incorrectly need to worry. If you’re ignorant then they’d likely see these as a chance to improve. The remainder don’t like it because now they’ll have to do their jobs
AA management has created a Hostile Work Environment for everyone that doesn’t work at HQ! They aim to fire for the simplist reasons yet can’t find enough Quality Employees…I used to love going to work but now have CTSD and PTSD!
Sorry to hear this. I hope you can get treatment and feel better. I hate to say it, but it but the gay AA flight attendants that I see all over social media are so extra and dramatic..something in that AA plane water. AA is very liberal with how they allow their employees portray themselves online, obnoxious pride parades and the rest. Sad.
As a past management employee who supervised and worked directly with many other union employees, this monitoring program will cause more bad feelings than any benefits gained and could become a very big headache with harassment complaints.
Let an exempt employees perform the audits…it’s better in the long run if this program is to have a long term benefit.
Service audits needed! Flying is very safe already but the service, especially from senior flight attendants, is often terrible. I flew from Europe yesterday in business class. I was practically yelled at from the chief attendant when I politely asked if he could put my jacket in the closet. There were several very grumpy flight attendants on this trip from LHR to DFW. I’m so tired of it. There were a few really nice ones too though. Like a previous commenter – seniority over merit – effort doesn’t equal results. They need to try harder.