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Home » Flight Attendant » Are Flight Attendants Onboard ONLY For Safety And Security?
Flight Attendant

Are Flight Attendants Onboard ONLY For Safety And Security?

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 20, 2020November 14, 2023 15 Comments

a woman serving food on a tray in an airplane

In the new world of COVID-19, are flight attendants onboard only for safety and security?

A comment in a story I wrote earlier today, has left me scratching my head.

Lisa, who presumably is a flight attendant, commented on a story I wrote about labor tensions that have flared up at American Airlines. She wrote:

“I just read the new safety/service alert regarding service… I propose – ALL SERVICE is suspended on every flight. Flight Attendants are required to wear protective gear. One lavatory is locked off for crew. Meal credit expenses paid for EVERY layover. FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ARE ONBOARD FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY ONLY! WATER BOTTLES PROVIDED. TRASH BAGS AVAILABLE FOR SELF DISPOSAL. BRING YOUR OWN FOOD ( yes, even long haul) If restaurants are closed and social distancing is mandated- Flight Attendants are being placed in the most vulnerable position to contract and spread this virus. It is IRRESPONSIBLE to continue service onboard. Let us be an industry leader by taking drastic measures and SUSPEND ALL SERVICE. Protect your flight crews and the traveling public. Thank you, Lisa”

My first reaction was to roll my eyes. The all-caps and the demand for flight attendants to essentially do nothing seems to fit the sort of minimum-effort mentality that U.S. flight attendants (unfairly, I might add) are often accused of.

Fundamentally, I agree with the mantra on United that, “While safety is our priority, service is our passion.” Flight attendants must and should provide great service. Most of the the time, most flight attendants do. The forward-facing role of a flight attendant is about so much more than safety, even if that is the most important factor.

But this is a special time, indeed one that I am struggling to adjust to.

During this time, should flight attendants only be onboard for safety and security? Essentially, keep them seated and have them intervene or interact with passengers only in the case of an emergency? That way, distances are kept and the transmission of virus is lessened. The sooner we get COVID-19 under the control, the sooner we can return to normalcy, or at least our new definition of normalcy.

But if the role of a flight attendant becomes simply sitting and waiting for an emergency, should they be paid as much? And isn’t this a dangerous mentality that seeks to redefine a flight attendant role in a way that may “stick” once things return to normal?

In the days ahead, I predict we will see airlines move to pre-packaged meals and disposable cups and utensils in all classes. That itself requires much less work than carefully plating and arranging a meal. And that’s still quite different than totally ignoring passengers onboard to the extent they have their own trash bags.

Anyway, I’m curious what you think about this. Is it time for flight attendants to avoid all contact with passengers onboard?

image: Delta

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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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15 Comments

  1. Christian Reply
    March 20, 2020 at 12:07 pm

    Lisa is dead-on right. In fact, she doesn’t go nearly far enough. Flight attendants should have a hermetically sealed compartment on each plane where they can rest comfortably (in first class, of course) unless needed for a true emergency. They should also be transported to and from each airport in recently sanitized limos, one limo per FA. On overnights, they should each have a valet in a hazmat suit to attend to any needs outside their sanitized suites. These are just a few steps to help Karen – I mean Lisa – out.

  2. SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT Reply
    March 20, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    Lisa sounds like she’s a member (or wanna be member) of a flight attendant union negotiating committee.

    Since AA already contracts with Borenstein (owned by El Al) for Kosher meals, AA could use them or any other vendor to come-up with meals that are sealed and ready to serve travelers in first, business class, and for international routes with premium economy. I’m sure Borenstein has the capacity to serve AA. I’ve had Borenstein kosher meals on AA served to me out of LGA and JFK as well as DFW. I’m sure wherever EL Al operates within the U.S. – Borenstein meals are available such as LAX, SFO and MIA – not sure about ORD.

    For now – any airline can skip the any drinks that have to be poured such as coffee – sodas, juice and water from cans will work quite well – and with low load factors – each passenger will be able to be served as the carts will have the needed capacity for cans.

    SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT

  3. JBM Reply
    March 20, 2020 at 12:29 pm

    “But if the role of a flight attendant becomes simply sitting and waiting for an emergency, should they be paid as much?”

    Or, do we need that many flight attendants?

    • Matthew Reply
      March 20, 2020 at 12:32 pm

      Right. FAA numbers are based on seats onboard, but perhaps a waiver/change could be fast-tracked. Then again, maybe you want at least the minimum number around simply to guide evacuation should it become necessary.

  4. Simon Reply
    March 20, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    I’d assume ‘should they be paid as much?’ would be a ‘of course’ from FAs as their view is safety and security is the core and overwhelming element of their job. A view I’d never understand as the hiring criteria and training for FAs would more closely resemble an Air Marshall if that were the case and many FAs would not qualify.

    I’d agree with severely reduced service and bare-bones on short-haul, but needs to remain in a limited fashion long-haul. Non-service is a service at the moment as we reduce non-essential contact. With many who may be infected, but not displaying symptoms, you would want to minimize contact points of FA to passenger, passenger to passenger, and passenger to passenger via FA. This is for the best of everyone on board.

    To FAs get hazard pay, which is ridiculous given reduced load factors and lower service to the remaining already creating a premium by paying the same for lower workload. Also, a suggestion of a crew only restroom is absurd.

    To ensure that this does not become new continuing standard of work going forward is to have an agreement for less crew per flight (for the best really to eliminate person to person contact). With no/limited service element and reduced loads, is a full attendant crew required?

  5. derek Reply
    March 20, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    If they are there only for safety and security, they should dress like Australian flight attendants to Antarctica, namely jump suits and no high heels. But I agree. Prepackaged food that people pick up on a cart prior to boarding.

  6. David Reply
    March 20, 2020 at 1:45 pm

    Why not try it this way: No more service in Economy Class but service continues in Business and First Class. Flight attendants can keep their distance from passengers more easily. I think the food in Economy is so disgusting anyway that it is a blessing to just reduce this aspect of cattle class.

  7. Chiguy1979 Reply
    March 20, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    Taking this approach certainly won’t do much to get the public flying again. I have a Polaris flight booked from ORD-MUC in late June and am still somewhat optimistic that I’m able to take the trip. I can assure you that I’ll happily redeposit the miles and fly in row 33 if this is the approach airlines want to take. Yes, the hard product of business class is nice but the attentiveness, OK wine, and marginal food – plus the lounge – is a HUGE part of the experience for most passengers. Take that away and I’m just as happy to save my money or points and fly in the back, especially knowing that the flight might be 1/2 full – if it even takes off. I’m afraid that our society is going to take many steps backwards as a reaction to the the shared misery of the next few months.

  8. E C Reply
    March 20, 2020 at 4:36 pm

    So, before we ceased operations last week, our cabin crew were instructed to provide no service on flights of less than 80 minutes, water was available if needed and on flights over 80 minutes prepackaged snacks and drinks were available. On most of the sectors the crew complained they were annoyed they couldn’t provide service as there was little for them to do. That being said, having operated sectors for a week in between European quarantine zones, morale was low, we were risking our health to get people home to their families. At this moment people should only be flying if absolutely necessary and so reducing the risk to crew is in my view the correct thing to do.

    I understand it is an inconvenience for passengers but we are talking about an untreatable, potentially fatal, virus. This is not a normal situation and the crews are still coming in to be there for your safety, the main reason that they are normally there too.

  9. James Reply
    March 20, 2020 at 10:16 pm

    Lol. That’s what you get with lies. At one point, there is someone stupid enough to believe the lies are truth. As in “we are here for your safety and security”.

    They still look for a doctor on board in case of medical emergency. Almost none can do cpr. They need help from passenger if there’s drunken one. Almost none have any skill in martial arts or self defense.

    Ever heard FA stopped terrorist from hijacking a plane or fix any technical malfunction on air? I did. In the movies.

    You praise FA, now you pay the price. Lol.

    • Paige Reply
      January 28, 2021 at 9:39 am

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uli_Derickson

    • Paige Reply
      January 28, 2021 at 9:40 am

      https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewstibbe/2014/09/08/amazing-flight-attendants/

    • Paige Reply
      January 28, 2021 at 9:42 am

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neerja_Bhanot

    • Paige Reply
      January 28, 2021 at 9:47 am

      Guess what it comes down to, James, is it you should count yourself lucky that you’ve never been on a flight where you’ve had to witness one of us doing what we are trained for. I’ve stood in the aisle with severe turbulence to help calm down someone who is having a panic attack. That’s my job. I smiled at a woman in a darkened cabin on an overnight flight and would only half of her face smile back I realize she was having a stroke and was able to do something about it because I was walking through the cabin and checking up on my passengers. That’s my job. I also stand at the door, or various locations through the cabin, and graciously say hello to upwards of 200 people who I am genuinely happy to see, and once were in the air I happily serve them dinner, and drinks, and have conversation here and there because that’s also my job. I can guarantee you none of us want to sit in our jumpseat and do nothing, but we also don’t want to be the catalyst of perpetuating the spread of this virus.

  10. Celine Reply
    August 27, 2021 at 2:18 pm

    Could you imagine what passengers in an airplane cabin would actually get themselves into without flight attendants onboard? They would stand during take-off and landing, blast their audio devices, they would fist-fight, get in heated verbal arguments and run up and down the aisles even in turbulence. Some would smoke, cigarettes or otherwise. To help prevent this type of behavior (and keep the pilots informed of all conditions within the cabin) and of course open emergency doors and direct passenger traffic is the real reason the FAA mandates cabin staff. FAA and DOT do not care if an airline offers food or pillows. Service was a perk back when flying was considered a rarefied experience -many decades ago.

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