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Home » American Airlines » American Airlines Flight Attendants Find A New Way To Avoid Serving Passengers
American Airlines

American Airlines Flight Attendants Find A New Way To Avoid Serving Passengers

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 1, 2023November 13, 2023 43 Comments

a seat belt in a plane

I’ve got to hand it to the flight attendants at American Airlines who found a clever new use of their jump seat harnesses to create a barrier to keep passengers out of the rear galley. The only problem? Such action blocks egress to the rear emergency exit door, a safety violation that warrants immediate corrective action from American Airlines.

American Airlines Flight Attendants Create Seatbelt Barrier In Rear Galley

On October 29, 2023, a passenger snapped the following picture and video on AA2804 from Dallas – Fort Worth (DFW) to Toronto (YYZ).

Hey @AmericanAir. Do @FAANews, @FAASafetyBrief, @USDOT, and @Transport_gc allow your crews to block off access to rear exits DURING flight so your FA’s can sit and chat ? Seatbelt harnesses connected together. AA2804 DFW-YYZ, 29 Oct 2023. #safetyfail, #clueless, #infuriating pic.twitter.com/iGJ1KUVJaj

— Lori Soler (@lorikaycan) October 31, 2023

From the images, it appears that flight attendants took the seat belts on their jump seats and fastened them together to create a barrier restricting customers from entering the rear galley (and thereby bothering flight attendants who sat chatting).

This contraption runs afoul of federal regulations: imagine if there was a sudden depressurization event that led to an evacuation. There may not have been time to take down the barrier or the flight attendants may have become incapacitated and passengers would have been trapped. Every second may be the difference between life and death.

Their selfish stunt could have lost lives.

Let’s be clear – I think most flight attendants at American Airlines would never dream of doing something like this. Instead, most are simply trying to do their job in the best way they can with the resources they have been given.

Yet there is a subset of flight attendants (and in my experience, on American Airlines in particular) who do not like customers and who engage in this sort of behavior even though it is antithetical to the service levels American Airlines seeks to offer its onboard guests.

Even if it was “legal” this behavior was bad…it is anti-customer and shows a certain disdain that marks labor relations at American Airlines right now.

The backdrop of course is that flight attendants are bracing for a strike during the holiday season in response to the failure to agree upon a new contract. Flight attendants want more money and this will be felt by passengers, even if this particular stunt is not repeated.

CONCLUSION

The flight attendants on AA2804 may have thought they were being clever, but instead should receive harsh reprimand and retraining for their foolish decision to endanger the lives of others over a desire not to be bothered.  It’s time for American Airlines to get back to the basics and remind flight attendants what good service is.

(image: @lorikaycan / X // hat tip: View From The Wing)

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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43 Comments

  1. Aaron Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 1:00 pm

    I mean would this really work anyway? You could just ask them for what you needed from the other side of the barrier…

    • Todd Reply
      November 1, 2023 at 1:56 pm

      The point, seemingly, cruised about 30,000 ft over your head.

      • Aaron Reply
        November 1, 2023 at 2:31 pm

        Actually, no, it didn’t. I guess mine must have cruised over yours though.

      • Delightful Reply
        November 3, 2023 at 2:28 pm

        Umm, I do have to wonder why one would be trying to exit the plane during a decompression. A) The plane would be in the air, B) The doors would not open in the air C) There would be no where to go!
        More to the point, in the event of turbulence the cabin crew would need to fasten those seat belts around themselves quickly. I do get why they don’t want pax in the galley. Cramped space and no place for pax to sit if needed but there are other ways to prevent it.

  2. Justsaying Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 1:07 pm

    Oh stfu, snitch. It takes two seconds to unfasten a seatbelt. I can’t be the only one face palming while reading your articles who loves to exaggerate to get clicks

    • Brandon Reply
      November 1, 2023 at 1:25 pm

      He loves his clickbait, but as someone who flies on AA twice a week, about 20% of their staff needs to go. There are some really good FA, but there are just too many of these types above that are little napoleon wannabes.

      • CHRIS Reply
        November 1, 2023 at 2:04 pm

        Justsaying is DEFINITELY part of that worthless 20%.

  3. NoWayAA Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 1:10 pm

    OH. MY, GOD. I am not going to fly with AA to put myself in danger. Shame on you, AA flight attendants.

  4. Interested Traveller Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 1:13 pm

    As another commenter noted, I am not sure that the seatbelt shield or whatever it maybe called looks a bit intimidating, nothing would stop a passenger from going up the shield/gate/rear galley fort and asking for whatever the passenger wanted.

    The worst behavior that I have ever personally witnessed was on the legacy UNITED when the FAs announced that due to safety they would not be able to serve anything in any cabin. They just sat in their jumpseats and chatted for the roughly 4 hour flight to IAD.

    There was not a bit or turbulence, it was smooth air the entire trip, but they never once got off their jumpseats to work.

    • Travelgirl Reply
      November 1, 2023 at 5:38 pm

      I had that happen on SW too. Ridiculous!

      • Rolling my eyes Reply
        November 2, 2023 at 6:06 pm

        Poor little entitled Karens . The captain decides whether or not they get up due to reports of clear air turbulence, which comes along suddenly and unexpectedly and can severely injure or kill flight attendants and passengers. Of all the countries I fly to Americans are by far the most impatient, rude, and entitled passengers. The next is Chinese. Seat belt barrier? It’s a stupid to complain about as it is for the flight attendants to put up. It does not effect safety. In the history of airline accidents there’s not one that this would have effected. By the time a plane glides to a point this would matter the flight attendants would have 5 or more minutes to unfasten the center release which takes a twist of the hand only, and they would need in the event of sitting in their jump seats.

  5. Mr. Marcus Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 1:37 pm

    It’s a bad look, and it certainly helps reinforce some of the negative opinions that travelers have regarding FAs, but the approximate percentage of flights for which this would pose a meaningful safety risk is zero percent, right?

    It would take a lottery-winning-odds type event for there to be a situation in which the plane would need to be evacuated through the rear exits in which the seatbelts would not be already be unbuckled by the FAs.

    • Michael Reply
      November 1, 2023 at 1:52 pm

      I mean why bother doing the safety demo or actually having fully functional oxygen masks? What are the odds?

      • Mr. Marcus Reply
        November 1, 2023 at 3:24 pm

        I think the odds of me benefitting from an oxygen mask are dramatically greater than the odds of me benefitting from attempting to exit from the rear doors at cruising altitude, or the odds of me being substantially harmed by these seatbelts.

        The belts were up at cruising altitude, and the doors cannot be opened in that situation, even if you really want to. So, you have to envision some form of emergency that requires a plane to land, and be evacuated on the ground, but also does not allow the flight attendants even a few seconds to undo the belts– so an event that is far less likely than an emergency landing or a depressurization.

        Additionally, most able bodied individuals would be unbuckle those belts, likely within a matter of seconds. Or even maneuver around the belts reasonably quickly if needed. There is no simple workaround for not having oxygen at altitude.

        Consider that when a pilot wants to go to the bathroom at the front lav, an FA intentionally blocks the aisle with a beverage cart, blocking access to the front doors AND at the same time one pilot is in the lav. This happens thousands of times every day– we can also imagine a rapid cabin depressurization event or some other horrible event happening at this very moment if we’d like to and find a way to convince the most easily frightened among us that this is an insanely dangerous undertaking, but in reality it isn’t. You’ll be fine, and pilot will get to go to the bathroom.

        Putting the belts across the rear cabin at causing altitude is a bad look and it sends an undesirable message, and apparently it’s against policy, so it shouldn’t be done. The crew should be re-instructed. There’s no need to attempt to turn this into a “near-miss” safety event.

  6. derek Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 1:54 pm

    Proof that the claim that FAs are primarily there for your safety is bogus. They are there to serve as little as possible. Many of them are lazy. If they were motivated, they would be a pilot, architect, surgeon, etc.

    • Flyer1 Reply
      November 2, 2023 at 7:20 am

      Yes that’s me derek. Ms Unmotivated. Come to my home for a cup of coffee. By the time you leave you’ll be crying, crouched in my kitchen chair. I could run circles around you you and have accomplished more that you’ll ever think about doing. Grow up Mr derek.

  7. Parker Doug Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 2:19 pm

    Anti-American Airlines is approaching Spirit levels of ghetto.

  8. Richard Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 2:26 pm

    There is no question there will be a fine from the FAA for this, it’s a very serious violation. It will likely generate a revision or an addition to their operations manual, and it should. To say that a passenger would be able to get past this obstruction, and of course they could if the condition shown remained as such, but in an emergency situation that included damage or other non-normal cabin conditions, this situation could have very negative impact on passengers ability to exit the aircraft when that time came.

    • Mike S Reply
      November 2, 2023 at 10:43 am

      Then every airline needs to get fined for blocking the galley and lav when a pilot takes a poo.

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        November 2, 2023 at 10:46 am

        A little different…

  9. Stuart Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 5:00 pm

    Wow, these U.S. FA’s (and laughing at the ones calling Matthew a snitch) are really amazing. They really are the most unlikeable and awful people. It’s almost like they hire within that culture to encourage it. Truly, an embarrassment.

    • Maryland Reply
      November 1, 2023 at 7:03 pm

      I believe they use a web scraping to find the most egregious bullies.

  10. Troy Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 7:37 pm

    I’m interested to see what my colleagues in the NTSB think about this.. it’s on their desk now..

    • Mike S Reply
      November 2, 2023 at 10:41 am

      The NTSB has ZERO authority to do anything. They only can make recommendations. And they most certainly have better things to worry about than this. Like batteries exploding.

  11. Jerry Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 7:54 pm

    No surprise here. I hope it doesn’t catch on. In October I had three flights with no service whatsoever. MIA-MCO (in J), DFW-STL (in J), and YHZ-PHL (in Y). With no service whatsoever. That’s no pdb, no snack, no in flight drink on the flights in J, and no in-air service on the flight in Y which was certainly long enough for a beverage service. The FAs have just mailed it in. It’s worse than usual.

    • Flying with love Reply
      November 2, 2023 at 9:11 am

      Flights between MIA-MCO are request “only flights” per the company. If you would like a drink you can ring your call light or come to the gallery.

      • Rick Banzhoff Reply
        November 4, 2023 at 9:54 am

        I believe it is galley.

  12. Exit Row Seat Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 8:11 pm

    Say someone needs to used the restroom. Do they need to get a hall pass from the FAs?? I assume this is the rear galley. Once PAX start bunching up to use the front toilet, I would imagine the barrier would come down in a flash.

    Based on my past experience with AA, I’m not surprised !!!!!!
    I have found the AA FAs stationed out of Miami to be the most militant.
    Attitude, Attitude, Attitude!!!!!

  13. bhn Reply
    November 1, 2023 at 8:13 pm

    Fly the Friendly Skies. Oh wait, that is any airline other than American.

  14. Maugrim Reply
    November 2, 2023 at 2:52 am

    Interesting reading the salty comments aimed at Matthew who is right to bring it to the public’s attention. I wonder what possible reason the FAs would have to do that. Imagine if other professions behaved in the same way.

  15. Britania757 Reply
    November 2, 2023 at 6:13 am

    Talk about being dramatic. A rapid decompression only happens when you’re airborne. You’re not going to be evacuating the aircraft while you’re airborne. By your logic, the beverage and food carts should never be in the aisle either.

  16. Fathiss Reply
    November 2, 2023 at 7:14 am

    I’m executive platinum with American Airlines and have been for several years. My experience is 95% of the flight attendants do a good job. But a 5% poor standard rate is far too high. I agree with you, it does seem like it’s more with AA than other airlines

  17. Derek Reply
    November 2, 2023 at 8:12 am

    more proof unions should be outlawed

    It would allow for management to get rid of these bad apples

  18. robbo Reply
    November 2, 2023 at 9:15 am

    Lazy Americans

  19. Adam Dick Reply
    November 2, 2023 at 9:43 am

    I love how you claim you fly over 200,000 miles every year. Yet, you’re not intelligent or educated enough to know that during cruising you can open an airplane door. Why do you go make a living out of something else? You continue to bash AA and probably the rest of the airlines, why don’t you start traveling on Greyhound, by the look of your profile, it seems that’s where you used to travel growing up.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      November 2, 2023 at 9:47 am

      Who said you could open the door at cruising altitude? You sound like a bitter AA flight attendant…

      • Fathiss Reply
        November 2, 2023 at 10:11 am

        I think there is a clue in that guy’s name.

        • Matthew Klint Reply
          November 2, 2023 at 10:46 am

          LOL.

  20. staradmiral Reply
    November 2, 2023 at 11:04 am

    Maybe US airlines should go the way of cruise ships, register the plane in the bahamas and hire people from southeast asia. We’d actually have happy FAs with great service.

  21. James Harper Reply
    November 2, 2023 at 11:21 am

    I do love the way AA crews keep giving people reasons not to fly with them. One of these days no one will and they will all be out looking for new jobs.

  22. Droopy Dog Reply
    November 2, 2023 at 4:55 pm

    They rarely look up from their Marie Claire magazine anyway…

  23. airbus_jas Reply
    November 3, 2023 at 6:53 pm

    IRONICALLY, the flight attendant unions went NUTS when a commercial for Emirates showing Jennifer Aniston aired. She was looking for the shower on a US based domestic airline…and the F/A’s were….drumroll please…sitting in the galley eating and talking.

  24. Dan Reply
    January 4, 2024 at 4:45 pm

    Passengers do go into the galley and steal. Flight attendants have no place to securely stow their bags and passengers have gone in and taken wallets, iPhones and whatever they want. Also Flight Attendants need to bring their own food for 2 and 3 day trips and passengers have gone in the galley and have eaten food that was brought from home.

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