Emboldened by the recent offer to pilots, flight attendants at American Airlines are demanding their own 35% pay raise. This is laughable. No, there should be no pay raise at all.
American Airlines Flight Attendants Request 35% Pay Raise, Host Of Other Financial Demands
American Airlines surprisingly just offered its pilots a massive pay raise. While the fine print must still be hashed out, there is no doubt that pilots at American Airlines will soon be earning a lot more take-home pay than they do now.
Now flight attendants want a similar pay raise and have proposed some specifics:
- 35% pay increase as of the day the contract is signed
- 6% annual pay increases in the following two years
- Increased reserve guarantees (from 75 to 82 hours per month)
- Higher pay for language speakers, on international flights, and for flight attendants who work the galley
- Boarding pay (50% of regular hourly pay)
- Night pay (extra pay when working domestic flights at night)
- Higher per diems
- Higher parking allowances
- Doubling profit sharing (from 5% to 10% of pre-tax earnings up to $2.5 billion and 20% for profits that exceed $2.5 billion)
I find the demands totally unreasonable and frankly laughable.
Some may think this shows derision for flight attendants, but that is simply not true. There are so many flight attendants that I know and respect. I greatly appreciate the professionalism and kindness of the vast majority, even in the USA, and understand (as I spoke about earlier) that they often have a difficult and thankless job.
But here’s the deal: this is an issue of supply and demand (or at least should be). Every time an airline hires flight attendants, demand for a position far exceeds the number of positions available. It’s basic economics. If anything, wages should go down, not up.
I don’t say that because I hate flight attendants. That’s absurd. I don’t say that because I want flight attendants to earn less. I say that because why should wages, as long as they are above a living wage, be kept artificially high when there are workers willing to do the same job for less?
Obviously, there is a balance. You cannot hire and retain a committed core of flight attendants if you do not pay them well enough. We saw that with some of the budget carriers (and British Airways) in Europe. if you do not pay your flight attendants enough to retain them, you cannot build the core of mature workers that is necessary to implement a superior service model that becomes a selling point for the airline.
But a 35% pay increase plus a laundry list of new benefits? No way.
CONCLUSION
It is understandable that flight attendants at American Airlines want a bigger piece of the pie, especially after pilots are lining up to receive a huge increase in pay and benefits. But the work groups are different (not that pilots deserve that pay raise…) and the reality remains that demand far exceeds supply for these positions (unlike pilots) and therefore this proposal should be dead on arrival.
(H/T: Paddle Your Own Kanoo)
The Federal Reserve and/or NYSE better add Halloween to their holiday calendars ASAP.
https://i.postimg.cc/GpMtHwCk/Screen-Shot-2023-03-10-at-12-49-54-PM.png
And due to seniority model you’re not going to get any flight attendants jumping ship like other professions
Attrition is very high in the first year and first few years though, as many realize it’s not what they expected/wanted.
Approximately 60 percent of new-hires make it through new-hire training and, of those, approximately 50 percent make it through their first year with the company. The high attrition rate is due to a combination of individuals quitting and those that are let go by the company.
Management got us into this mess by allowing contracts in the first place that prevent per diem employment. They could fix the problem by letting contracts expire and not sign new ones. Airlines will always be handicapped and near bankruptcy because of labor blackmail when as you said there is plenty of supply for the demand. It’s not like with pilots. Better to stop flying for two weeks after contract expiration than continue with the elephant on your back. Without hiring constraints imposed by union contracts, the airline could fill up their planes very quickly,with flight attendants on a per diem basis. No seniority, no non revs. No it’s not my job. Simple good quality pay and normal health/401K benefits with no restrictions on firing bad apples.
It literally is a full-time job to verify that your paycheck is correct as an FA, with the crazy amount of pay stipulations they have for everything under the sun
Airlines bargain under the Railway Labor Act. Under this act contracts NEVER expire, they reach their amendable date.
The cultural halo of flight attendants thinking of themselves in terms of safety (and the way that creates public perception) is the end result of them assuming they are anything more than a Starbucks Barista on the food chain of employment. They are not nurses. Or teachers. Or even closely resembling those two. They deserve the same amount of money a Starbucks barista makes. The job is nothing more than a stepping on point for a few years to gain experience, have some fun traveling and meeting people, with the idea of leaving by the time you are 30 for a bigger career. That in itself is where the problems occur. People began to try to make it life long employment and with that comes entitlement and greed. Get over it. I love a kind Starbucks barista and trust in them just the same but I don’t expect them to be there until they are 80 and making $100K a year. Nor do they.
Amen Stuart!!!
Given the number of times we read about flight crews relying on passengers to restrain attackers, doctors to help medical emergencies, and the ridiculous treatment of people who look at them wrong, it’s hard to argue that point.
Not much unto Ageism EH? If you can fit through the over wing exit and fit in a jump seat without extension belt, each yr? They can fly til when they cant each year. I hope you never need a FA during an emergency. Your head will be swimming before realize your off the plane. No Barista ever ever shows you where nearest exit are? or help during emergency. You should try the job.. you may enjoy it!
The exits are clearly marked along with lights on the floor to guide the way just like in every public building in the world. And unless they’re carrying me off the plane, I suspect I’m on my own to figure out how to get off the wing or slide down the slide in any emergency.
Lol at these comments I wonder if you choke on the plane the flight attendants don’t do a thing since we are baristas and not trained at all to help you in an emergency. Or if an emergency evacuation is needed we just stand there and not help save lives since we are baristas.
I’m surprised the author even published this article but he will probably realize very soon it was a huge mistake. 🙂
Ok. But you still don’t deserve a 35% raise.
Who are you to tell people what they deserve. Oh right, you’re trash.
You’re a particularly nasty fellow, you in particular don’t deserve anything. Be a good sky barista and make a second aisle walkthrough for drinks, and maybe you’ll get a raise. But you -STILL- do not deserve a 35% raise.
Do you even have a clue what the job requires? And the lifestyle that is lived? would you like a flight attendant to walk into your job and tell you what you should get paid? I agree I think you should keep your nose out of it when you don’t have a clue what the hell you’re talking about.
@ER: Maybe I don’t know everything. So you think you deserve a raise? Sure, maybe, but I know you don’t deserve a 35% raise. Because there aren’t a whole lot of job sectors in the entire solar planet who deserves a 35% raise. Stop being emotional, rofl.
Why do we think that a flight attendant hire should be an affable, pretty young person? Perhaps if we considered the duties of slinging hash and pouring coffee no longer just the job, we realize more is needed. I suggest airlines consider former correctional officers. Send them through charm school to smooth the rough edges. Hire those with the wingspan of a condor and the reflexes of a cat. There we solve the dilemma of adding weapons to commercial flights. And they are used to low pay and despicable clients.
Truthfully I laughed when I read the demands. And as the previous post was the want of weapons, maybe a retool of the job is necessary.
Like with pilots, I wonder if the reason why attrition rate with FA’s is high because of the poor working conditions for those starting out. Until one gains seniority (either as FA or pilot), the job is quite thankless. If conditions were better spread out: paid training for pilots, higher wages for the junior FAs and a schedule that’s less grueling, retention would increase and they’d save on training budgets to boot.
In the dog-eat-dog capitalism model, people are tempted to take out their frustrations on the passengers. The pilot who threw off Matt, for example, may have had the attitude that if he had to put up with a lot of dog doo-doo to get to his position, why should he take ANY gaff from the human cargo right-or-wrong?
Someone referred to barista as an example of low pay/skillset and while that’s technically true, I show INFINITE amounts of respect to ANYONE working in a low wage/service industry because, well, if I was them I wouldn’t do that work. I’d go on welfare or figure out some hustle to avoid living like that (again). I lived like that for the first year of my adult life and I vowed Never Again. Read about the history of The French Revolution and what happened to The Romanovs. (Hmmm, Matt should visit Yekaterinburg’s “Church on the Blood” when this war is over…) It’s a PRIVILEGE to sit in business class or heck, full economy class and enjoy a trip that my grandfather made once in his whole lifetime while others serve us.
100% on the first paragraph. compelling sentiments in the third.
Wow, the hate and contempt just oozes across the posts starting with the initial comment by Matthew. Granted, an FA may not need to be a rocket scientist or an PhD in anything, but basic respect should be shown for all working people. The last time I checked a whole lot of people have survived a whole lot of airline mishaps thanks to the quick thinking and responses of the FAs who are trained to evacuate large, thin tubes quickly and efficiently. Add to that the never-ending litany of bad behavior by disgruntled, unhappy, angry or just plain crazy passengers reported by the media which FAs are expected to address, often miles high in the sky and the barrista analogy becomes not only deeply offensive but ill-informed.
Tell me these many examples you speak of. That didn’t involve them running down the aisles begging for first responders or passengers to take charge of a situation?
Have a medical emergency like a heart attack I bet you’d be glad they were begging for first responders, But hey maybe when you fly just tell them if you have a medical emergency you don’t want anyone to look for a doctor or nurse.
I don’t get it. In every review you talk about the interactions with FAs, and how they can make or break your experience on these flights. These are the people that have the most direct interaction with customers and they are literally the face of your brand but because they require less training they deserve a pay decrease?
Since the entirety of your argument is about supply and demand. What world do you live in? Because the one the rest of us live in, the unemployment rate is below 4% which is the lowest point in 54 years, and until recently available job openings well exceeded job seekers. That is called a short supply of workers and an excess of demand of workers. Where are you going to hire them that will provide the level of service you expect?
Let’s say they could start hiring workers for less. How does this play out in a way that doesn’t infuriate existing FAs and cause even worse service? I’ve flown United for 33 years, literally my entire life, and we both know how bad it was before Oscar showed up. From a strategic standpoint this logic doesn’t hold up. If you treat workers as disposable, they will treat your customers the same way.
Lastly, your entire viewpoint here reeks of entitlement. And I’m a long time reader so I know you’ve been successful and faced some hardships in the last few years. But did you not stop and think, I wonder how I would feel if I was in there position? You’ve made it a point this year to share your views and values more openly. So as a Christian, how do you square this view point with the teachings of Christ? Where is the compassion for others that is so loudly spoken by him in this post?
Compassion is not a pay raise that far outstrips inflation. Once United cannot fill FA positions, pay will naturally rise.
Matthew you very misinformed of how the negotiations game is played. Next time you fly AA please identify yourself…..
I know the way the game is played, but I don’t like the way the game is played.
4%—lol. Imagine believing the unemployment numbers. Could never be me.
Your lack of understanding and or research as a journalist is a bit surprising. Even though there is a large number of applications for the job…. One needs to realize only one person is chosen out of hundreds or a thousand. Flight attendances are by far the work group that can bring customers back to an airline or run from it. In addition if you would add up the years of the present contract and the number of years negotiations have been going on. Then you would realize a 35% increase in pay might cover the cost of inflation and cost of living. I find getting into other peoples jobs and business with my options isn’t going to end well. An other words, stay in your on lane.
No thanks Mr. Todd. I’ll stick to blogging.
You do realize almost every major airline’s unions are fighting for the same wages, work rules, and benefits, correct? I don’t work for AA, but I will say this. The new hires coming in to these airlines are NOT WILLING TO WORK FOR THE CURRENT WAGE. This is why so many people are picketing at United, American, Southwest, and even Delta FAs want to unionize since they got an abysmal 5% raise, when pilots received 34%. Without the flight attendants, the plane goes no where. Not asking for the world, but an even playing field, is only fair. These are currently not the best live able wages like you make them out to be in your article. A few bucks isn’t going to cut it this time.
Shame on you, Matthew, for posting this blog. You provided a venue that has incited greater tension between flight attendants and the flying public, as evidenced by the demeaning comments that followed by your readers. There was no need to write a blog offering your comments on this news.
I enjoy reading your blog daily. Note that I’ve lost respect for you because of your comments.
This message comes from a 22-year tenured flight attendant for two major airlines who left to pursue a career as a highly trained mental health professional.
“There was no need to write a blog offering your comments on this news.” –No need is debatable..this is a blog. bloggers write articles on news. Please explain.
Separately, could you please justify the 35%? What exactly is the justification? Inflation?
Overall, I can certainly see a 35% raise for perhaps years 0-5, as the pay is dismal for new hires. Beyond that, unclear.
@AJ..I agree. AA flight attendants got a 5% raise 6 years ago. That was the last time they had a raise. That was plenty don’t you think? I’m sure you and Matthew would both agree that 5% 6 years ago is way more than enough to keep up with inflation. Who else in the US has even received any sort of pay raise in the last 6 years? You two really need to get a bit more educated on your subjects and stop spewing the hate. I can’t even begin with Stuart, John Dogass and GPG. Social media can be a terrible place. This article and the one Gary Leff threw out are flying through the rank and file. Enjoy your flying boys.
What hate, seriously?
Anyway 35% plus the laundry list of other demands seems crazy for those topped out or in the top half of the pay scale. It’s not like the job has changed that much in the past few years. FA’s don’t need to be the mask police anymore. That makes it easier. Taser police possibly next, though.
Overall, if the union proposed 35% all inclusive without the laundry list, then maybe that would be more agreeable. 35% plus the laundry list does seem comical. And I have friends who are FA’s. So it’s really not personal..but just business.
And yes I’m sorry holiday pay on Halloween is laughable.
I have a friend who was a proud career flight attendant. She was in the air on 9/11 and starting on that date being a FA changed. They were told that their primary function was now to protect the cockpit at all costs. They were trained in ways to do that. In addition to their annual training on multiple models of planes’ complex safety systems, first aid, how to use a defibrillator, they now have to try and manage unstable, angry, or distraught passengers. They have been punched, spit on, stabbed, etc. Many have taken self defense classes at their own expense.
Yes they graciously serve drinks and food but that is not their primary service. They r there to save lives. To compare them to a barista is insulting to them and very ignorant.
Remember when Sully landed in the Hudson? He was so grateful to the FAs on that flight and for professionally they did their job.
I think we all should be thankful and appreciate the FAs on our flights. They are there trained and ready to protect the cockpit and save our lives.
Just like teachers, flight attendants have a tremendous responsibility and both are not compensated appropriately for their level of responsibility.
The reality is you give one example in the last 20 years that you can argue FA’s may have helped an actual situation. What you fail to also mention is that despite what Sully said those passengers would have been just fine regardless. They were not swimming to people and rescuing them. The cockpit crew saved those passengers. The FA’s were simply pointing to the obvious afterward.…exit the aircraft.
This is the sham the FA unions love to perpetuate so as to demand more pay for a job that is hardly so demanding as to safety and sacrifice.
Holiday pay is more about encouraging employees who don’t need the holiday off to work. Holiday pay for halloween is not as silly as it sounds as most mothers with young children like to be home. Most jobs allow you to have at least part of the holiday off most flight attendants working will be gone overnight if not the day(s) before and after.
No.
That’s the problems with granting outsized pay raises to one labor group, it creates contagion to the other labor groups. though they may not get 35%, you can bank on them getting a whopping raise. No current management of a US airline will take a strike to get a better deal from the FA’s. EVERY US carrier better be budgeting for that, or they are not being honest with their shareholders. Right or Wrong, i don’t know, but they ARE going to get outsized raises.
Seeing the insane complexity of these contracts, it is truly a miracle that they can budget at all
or maybe they can’t budget at all, and that’s why they need bailouts
Stuart the reality is not what you think. My friend herself twice had to prevent a passenger from trying to open an exit door mid flight. And 3 times had to prevent passengers when they tried to enter the cockpit. And several times had to administer health assistance to passengers.
And countless times had to handle passengers who were verbally abusive to crew and passengers.
Doesn’t sound like a barista job to me.
Just because you aren’t aware of these incidents doesn’t mean they don’t happen.
I’d guess my physician daughter (volunteer) has assisted in more medical issues in flight than 99% of flight attendants. When a medical emergency occurs in flight the first request is for a physician passenger, not another FA. After 9/11 all changed. Passengers now know it is on us to subdue hijacker(s). Aircraft doors CAN NOT be opened in flight due to pressures so that’s not a save by anyone. Cockpit doors are so hardened no FA or even a federal air Marshall is required to keep the cockpit secure. Get your facts correct.
@Bill…great about your daughter. As a 40+ yr F/A, you are actually the one that needs to get their facts straight. You are wrong about several things. Because I have a social media policy and also have to sign a document about security every year during recurrent, I’m not at liberty to say. One thing I can say is that during a medical incident the first call goes out to all other F/As onboard, unless you know exactly where all of the medical equipment is located Bill, second call to the cockpit and finally to any medical personnel whether it be MD, DO, nurse, EMT, hec we’ve had vets onboard that were able to help. Get off the big boy high horse Bill. I have 3 MDs in my family, two of which are surgeons, 1 NP, 3 nurses and 1 EMT.
And the opening proposal from Management will be just as laughable. Both sides know that. How many of you pay. sticker price when you buy a car? Negotiations 101
I can’t help but be amused. People who voluntarily seek a job and then don’t like it. Decide to share their misery rather than find a job which better suits them. And the self importance of flight attendants. Simple supply and demand suggests they are already over compensated. Why else would there be many applicants for a each opening? Pilots and jet mechanics, different story. And after the pilots get paid there won’t be much profit left to share. If that is true look out below for the stock price.
The same people who make the argument that “compassion” dictates a 35% pay raise plus an increased share of profits and other perks will loudly complain when those costs are passed on to flyers. If you’re so disturbed by the low wages of flight attendants, may I suggest leaving a tip as you exit the aircraft? Say 25% of your ticket price? That will assuage your guilt, no?
Matthew is right – it’s a supply and demand issue. You don’t like the wages? Don’t take the job. It’s that simple, whether you’re an FA or an Amazon warehouse worker.
Guilt would really be assuaged with “25% gratuity will be automatically added to your total for parties of one or more. Welcome aboard.” Let me not give the airlines any ideas though.
Speaking of that ideas can FA’a stop saying welcome aboard at the 10,000 feet announcement or any other post-takeoff announcement. We’re already aboard
Matthew, are you an airline analyst or a blogger? To even opinion on something you obviously know little about, is degrading on your part. Not that I need to explain what’s happened in the airline industry for over 21 years, but airline employees have taken major concessions during that tenure, and are trying to make up wages. You do realize American flight attendants are still making less now than their contract in 2001, correct? From work rules, to unpaid ground time for hours on end, and lower hourly pay compared to inflation, and concessions (not once but twice-2003 and 2012) the pay is not enough to make a wage that was once considered good. Pilots will be going up to $475 an hour for a topped out captain on a widebody aircraft. Yes they fly the plane. But the flight attendants have many safety oriented duties that are not only trained for, but also learned over the years, with the many different scenarios that come their way. So I think that it’s more than fair that a topped out flight attendant should be making 20% or 1/5th of what a pilot makes. Flight attendants have gone without raises at some airlines for over 5 years now. So please educated yourself, instead of making a mockery and insulting an entire workforce, for those that work in the industry. Those that don’t agree, you’ll be the first to reach out to a flight attendant when there’s an emergency onboard the aircraft. Look up the stats of how many lives are saved from flight attendants due to heart attacks, choking, human trafficking, etc. Then tell me flight attendants don’t deserve a much needed raise. Lastly, the retention rate since Covid, and thereafter, has actually declined significantly, due to the above mentioned.
You may provide us the stats.
You’re just so knowledgeable about the workgroup apparently, have you asked AFA, APFA, or TWU unions to get the stats? Many have griped along with certain pilot unions, that employees are leaving and that the retention rate is abysmal. Have you wondered why all of the airlines can’t fly a full schedule. It’s not just pilots. It’s Flight Attendants, Ramp personnel in many locations such as Denver, that don’t want to work for the current wages. There is still a massive labor shortage in the airline industry. Can I see your stats on how many flight attendants have been hired and RETAINED, over the last year? You’re the one writing the article here without any proof of what you’re even talking about.
35% is actually pretty low in comparison to what the union should be asking for. Inflation has increased 20% percent since the last contract expired. Duty days have also increased with longer unpaid sit times. After you account for these 2 factors, this opening proposal is pretty weak. It actually barely keeps up with inflation. This really should be what the union settles with, not start with.
To the author, pilots at the big 4 airlines actually don’t have as much leverage as you might think. All the big 4 airlines have to do is pay better than the regionals and the low cost carriers which is were the pilot shortage is doing damage. Even then, pay increases won’t fix the pilot shortage. The biggest thing stopping potential pilots from going to aviation is the cost. Until airlines start paying for flight school from beginning to end, people simply are not going to take the risk of becoming a commercial pilot. On the other hand, most flight attendants at mainline have college degrees and other skill sets which they could use. In fact, a large percentage choose being a flight attendant as a second carrier. Considering flight attendants make about what a school teacher makes, there isn’t really much keeping new hires around. Certainly not enough to cover turnover at a cost efficient rate. So yes, 35% is minimum that flight attendant unions should accept.
have you ever studied the history of unions in the US? this article is asinine.
If you are such an airline expert then why are you basing your argument for a pay decrease on “basic economics”. Airlines and the aviation industry not just in the US but around the world never and will never run on the basis of actual proven economics. It’s always been a unique industry with history of nonsensical and often mysterious changes the general public like yourself will never understand. I’m a pilot for a regional carrier and I think 35 is not even enough for these poor FAs. Situations happen all the time that are not reported to the media (mind you there are thousands of flights a day, not just the one that you get on in), and everyday flight crews are gambling on their safety and lives. But if you would prefer them to have a pay decrease, citing basic economics, can you at least be honest, it’s okay to have a contempt for a certain work group… I mean… I hate articles like these by bloggers like yourself, but I’m not gonna wish less money, fortune, or blessings upon you… Good luck with your annoyance when you find this contract has been approved 🙂
This article, and frankly this whole joke of a website, should go straight where it belong: the trash.
Shame on you for trashing social progress and inflation adjustment. Wonder how you would feel if there was an article titled ‘Sh*tty travel blogs should get less money from their advertisers’
*shrug*
Nice ad hominem.
You can’t defend why you should get a raise.
This guy is a buffoon.
Since 2020, inflation has reduced the value of a dollar by almost 20-percent. Also, most American Airlines have had ongoing and stalled contracts for upwards of 8 years. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Most flight attendants don’t get paid for boarding, for delays or for airport ground time. Take that into account. Also, the record profits of last 36 months is unprecedented. Everyone is replaceable. There’s thousands of doctors in the Middle East ready to take jobs at American hospitals. By that logic, maybe AI will replace this guy with someone who knows what he’s talking about and not such a bully to an entire industry of people.
Has anyone seen his IG page?
Cringe factor: 10000+
Wow, I’m a pilot for united and am shocked by his smug article. I hope he’s never on my flight.
Oh yeah? Or what are you going to do?
His opening line sounds like, “I’m not revisits; some of my best friends are black!”
The pay has been stagnant for 5 years. It’s time for a raise. I am a flight attendant for a major US carrier. I went to undergrad and graduate school at global top-5s. I realized early on that pay does not correlate with education. I’ve seen hair stylists make over 200k and professors struggle early on in their careers. I knew if I wanted a change I’d have to switch fast to climb up the seniority list and get into a decent pay grade. I took a year off and learned French to add to my Spanish and was hired. All types are hired for cabin crew, and that is the point. Retired police officers and fireman and nurses have an upperhand in the selection process, but the point to have a wide variety of personality types and skills in the air to match the needs and emergencies of the cabin. Sure you can pay the lowest wages and people will still work, but with record profits coupled with record inflation, what kind of message does that send to the public.