American Airlines has told flight attendants to arrive at airports earlier and skip buying food if it might impede an on-time departure. The union representing American Airlines flight attendants is outraged, but I fail to see the offense in telling flight attendants to be prepared and punctual.
American Airlines To Flight Attendants: Arrive Early To Airpot And Skip Meals If You Are Running Late
A “Moments That Matter” memo to flight attendants was the source of outrage. It said:
As a professional flight attendant, you play a pivotal role in helping us leave on time, every time. As our customers begin to fill our planes and return to travel, it’s more important now than ever to ensure we’re doing our part.
The memo then offers tips on how to arrive prepared. Those include:
- Are you allowing time for traffic, van delays, etc.?
- Consider arriving a few minutes early in case you’re selected for random screening or if you need to stop at a Crew Service Center (CSC)
- You may not have time to stop and get food, etc. on the way to the plane – particularly if you’re called at the last minute, so keep that in mind
- Go directly to the aircraft if you are called; do not stop for food or other items on your way unless you have ample time and it will not delay you accomplishing your pre-flight duties and boarding
The last two points, on getting food, are directed at reserve flight attendants who “get the call” at the last-minute and are given a duty assignment, requiring them to come to the airport almost immediately.
Julie Hedrick, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants Association (APFA) which represents AA flight attendants, blasted the memo, stating:
It now seems that skipping food runs on the way to the airplane and monitoring traffic patterns should be our new normal.
This company continues to demonstrate just how out-of-touch they are with flight attendants, ignoring the fatigue-inducing trip construction and the constant battles over mask compliance.
And while I agree that the memo was not artfully worded, isn’t the general expectation of coming to work prepared reasonable? Isn’t that true at most jobs?
I do not consider it unreasonable to tell flight attendants on reserve to pack their own lunch or allow for traffic. How is that callous? I’m just not understanding the outrage.
CONCLUSION
Flight attendants have a very difficult job right now as mask enforcers onboard. I feel bad for the many wonderful flight attendants who have to deal with idiotic passengers who do not want to play by the rules. However, flight attendants work for American Airlines (and its passengers), not the other way around. Telling workers to skip lunch if they are running late not only seems reasonable, but frankly non-controversial…
(H/T: View From The Wing)
I think part of the problem here is that the airline is publishing actions that could adversely affect employees (like telling them to potentially go hungry on a long flight) without running those actions through the union first. If a more nuanced message had come from both corporate and union leadership, this would be a non issue. I doubt American is trying to force starvation on its staff, but from a PR prospective, this was a very avoidable and predictable own-goal.
Agreed.
If the FA is CLT based, good luck getting any sort of food in less than 30 minutes during a departure bank. Lines there have been horrendous lately.
As for DFW/MIA/PHX/ORD/LAX T4-5, they aren’t exactly culinary hotspots. Perhaps AA is just giving junior FAs a tip to avoid eating disgusting unhealthy food on their way to work.
In reality, I’m not surprised by their outrage. Anything from corporate that suggests FAs should actually do their job usually results in outrage. This is no different.
I agree Matthew. Perhaps AA should have phrased it a little better but ultimately a reserve FA should expect to be called at any time during their on-call hours. This is true of any profession where you have to be on-call: doctors, engineers, fire fighters etc. face the same thing. I remember a job from long ago where I would be on-call at night in rotation in addition to working during the day. They would always call me at 2 am. 🙂
While unpleasant, things happen and AA being upfront about expectations is a lot better than them being mealy mouthed where those expectations are not clearly understood. If flight attendants know about this policy in advance, they can plan accordingly and keep some food handy for just such a circumstance. Kraft Mac N Cheez cups (Just Add Hot Water!) come to mind.
Really this is all pretty standard. I have a report time and it’s up to me to manage my schedule to ensure I arrive at the aircraft when I’m supposed to. If I need food then it’s up to me to make the adjustments and for that it.
Now mid trip things change. If we get delayed and have a tight turn and the crew needs food then that’s the way it is. If the company sets our van time in the morning and the hotel doesn’t offer breakfast then we do what we need to do. If it’s a hotel van running every 20mins or something like that and we are deciding when to leave then it’s on us.
I suspect American is having an on time report problem with their FA’s (at least some of them) and what they should have done is simply reminded everyone of their obligations on when and where to report and left it at that. Telling them to leave home earlier or to skip eating is just not productive as it makes them look like jerks when their trying to remind employees of what should have been obvious anyway.
FAs have it rough. Maybe if they were actually paid for the time they’re at the airport with the door open, this wouldn’t be such a big deal.
That being said: 5 minutes early is 10 minutes late, guys. Plan accordingly.
Welcome to reality. How many of us have missed a meal, had to delay lunch, or had to work extra or odd hours because something came up at work? Personally I accept it as part of my job. I like what I do which may be the difference. And if I didn’t, I wouldn’t try make the company bend to my rules, I’d find something more to my liking. There are plenty of 9 to 5 jobs with built in break times. If you can’t handle a little uncertainty in your day, go do something like that.
They always have to find something to complain about in their (senior) $85,000/ year jobs.
Pilots and F/A’s on reserve must be ready for a turn or a 5 day trip and I just had a 5 day and was extended into a day off. All food on the plane is crap. Most of us travel with a cooler tote. If you are assigned International then you cannot take food. This sux eating corporate packaged food for 6 days. Eating on the road is extremely expensive and many new-hires have trouble paying rent.
As a flight attendant (for a different major carrier in the US), we are told by our pilots – if we have a quick turn, even if we are running late, and you need food, go get food. If the company wants to discipline us as a result, the vast majority of captains will take the bullet for us. The idea of skipping lunch if you’re running late for a normal job is understandable. You can order door dash when you arrive and work around a lunch. If you have a six hour flight to work and have to skip lunch, you cannot order a pizza to be delivered to your airborne plane. Your own well being comes first.
AA clearly seems to hate food. They eliminated meal service in first class and now they want to make FAs skip their meal on the ground. I don’t know where this is coming from but Doug Parker somehow thinks that we are biorobots who photosynthetize.
Perhaps not elegantly worded by AA but a reasonable expectation by an employer that employees are one time for work and considering the number of times as an EP that I’ve dealt with issues caused by late crew members I feel like (sorry John and Joshua ), that’s the deal they signed up for when they took the job.
Try being friendly, compassionate and professional to 150 cranky and crowded people while you are hungry. Especially if you have a 13 hour duty day ahead of you and you have no idea of when your next meal will be.