The union representing flight attendants at United Airlines is pushing back against the return of pre-departure beverages in premium cabins onboard.
United Airlines Flight Attendant Union: No Pre-Departure Beverages
The bulletin to flight attendants came from the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) and focuses on United’s recent announcement that pre-departure beverages and glassware will soon return onboard (pre-departures beverages will return on November 23rd and glassware on December 1st).
At the outset, the AFA notes that it was not warned in advance that pre-departure beverages would return so quickly:
Earlier this week, Inflight informed Flight Attendants through a Catering Alert that Welcome Beverages are to be offered in the Premium Cabin on all mainline flights, effective November 23.
That stands out to me. Why include that additional information unless there is some indignation that the AFA was not specifically consulted prior to this move?
Even so, the AFA asserts this move is not about being lazy:
Lest our objection to the return of this service become mischaracterized, we want to say upfront, this is not about Flight Attendants not wanting to offer this service to passengers on the aircraft. None of the employees of United Airlines more than Flight Attendants wants to return to a sense of normal on the aircraft, sooner rather than later.
But if returning “to a sense of normal on the aircraft, sooner rather than later” is the goal, flight attendants are advocating for a very gradual approach.
Noting rising COVID-19 numbers, the AFA points out two fairly novel reasons for why pre-departure beverages should not return at this time:
Testing of the procedures to return the Welcome Beverage to the cabin occurred in August of this year on two routes out of SFO. We immediately raised our concern to management over the return of this service identifying the closer proximity to passengers that Flight Attendants would be placed in while shuffling around boarding passengers and their baggage in our effort to deliver this service.
Further, we expressed concern about the visual this will create for other boarding passengers as they walk on the aircraft seeing those in the premium cabins without masks on as they drink the Welcome Beverages. This “visual” created stands in stark contradiction to the messages to which passengers have been exposed prior to boarding about the need to keep your nose and mouth covered with a mask due to federal regulations.
We have expressed concern that this will only present additional challenges for Flight Attendants seeking to gain compliance with the Federal Mask Mandate.
I have to admit, I find both reasons fairly reasonable. It is true that flight attendants darting in and out of the aisles during the boarding process can create congestion and lead to closer interaction with passengers waiting to get to their seat.
Furthermore, the visual of passengers sitting and drinking beverages unmasked as other passengers walk by certainly can (though does not necessarily) send the wrong message to other passengers concerning mask compliance.
So I do not dismiss these concerns. Even so, I’ve seen no persuasive analysis or study that demonstrates the actual risk of serving beverages onboard. I also note that other airlines are able to offer these without experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks. Thus, the AFA concerns are valid in theory but may not be in reality.
Despite the memo, the AFA seems resigned to the change. Still, it wants flight attendants to be more aggressive in reporting mask violations or alcohol-related issues since management is now taking a “data driven” approach:
Now more than any other time in our history, management uses data to drive and, dare we say, justify their decisions. It is absolutely critical that all of us continue to report issues with passenger mask non-compliance, alcohol-related issues, as well as any other issues or concerns arising from this change in policy. If it is not documented, it is not a problem and, from management’s perspective, it simply does not exist.
That’s fair enough. Even though United has taken a more hands-off approach to mask enforcement, flight attendants should still record every incident of misbehavior onboard.
CONCLUSION
The fact that the AFA begins the note by saying this is not about being lazy does not strike me as the most powerful rhetorical tool, but the union lays out two reasonable reasons for not offering pre-departure beverages at this time. Even so, weighing risk versus reward, I think United is making the right move in bringing back pre-departure beverage offerings.
Finally, I’ll add that I’ve spoken to many flight attendants about the return of glassware and PDBs and every last one expressed excitement about their return. In this case, could it be that the union is out-of-touch with what its members want?
image: United Airlines
Lazy people find stupid excuses. Adding that they work for United that completes the disgrace.
What a slap in the face to the many hard working United employees! The fact that would take the time to say something so insulting says a lot about you. I guess your mom never taught you …” if you don’t have something nice to say …………”. Shame on your Mama!
BTW….thank you to the many hard working UA employees! I’ve had nothing but great service!
Most employees work hard, but it’s the ones that fail to do what they are told that ruin it for the rest of us. You want water and champs = 67.11, done. You want me to uncover and dish up = 67.11, done. You want me to manage bags in the aisle and help customers = 67.11 that’s done too. You want me to smile, thank customers, be pleasant, like my job and wear my uniform the want I’m supposed to = 67.11…. done done done.
Are you a troll? Or maybe you work for United? Or a snowflake? United is by far the worst of the big 3 US airlines so yes they deserve the reputation. Deliver real customer service with a smile on the face and I will be the first one to recognize that.
Lol,lol,lol….you can dish it out, but you can’t take it!
“You made my day!”
The “slap in the face” has nothing to do with belittling the workload or performance of airline employees. The comment was directed at the AFA’s top brass who push back at every single policy change. See, the AFA could also say “Less flight attendants on board means less risk,” They’d technically be right. However, that means less hours offered and less dues paid. So, you won’t be hearing that from the AFA.
Welcome drinks are back for much of the competition. Little things can lose a lot of buisness, especially with the industry’s premium product market. The AFA doesn’t care. They do care when staffing is reduced though. It’s all part of the game. Huff and puff just loud enough to catch a few ears, and “earn” those dues. It’s the status quo, we get it. It’s just frustrating when the quality of product is reduced for the sake of the game.
Did you consider the “slap in the face” the lazy idiots impart on their paying customers every day?
No? Oh, you’re a shill for lazy ones.
Got itm
Do you even realize that flight crew members are not even being paid during the boarding process? How arrogant of you to call them “lazy” when they are working for NOTHING.
Why work when you can hide behind excuses all day?
Come on everyone…this mask thing has become such a shame. Just like at restaurants, wear your mask until you sit down then you can take it off. What a joke. I went to Memphis last month and missed the preflight beverage. Why, because I paid for it in my first class flights! I missed it and there re not that many first class seats in most of the domestic flight UAL has. I nursed a couple drinks so I never wore the mask.
There was plenty of time and space for the steward to perform this task just like they did for decades.
Your picture does NOT show the reality of a boarding aisle full of baggage and tote toting passengers trying to get to their seats and stow bags. It does NOT show flight attendants handling the seat dupes or hanging coats and performing the myriad of duties to get the aircraft ready for departure.
Showing an empty open aisle illicit negative responses who have no clue about our job.
It actually makes sense on narrow body aircraft. However, on wide body aircraft, especially when boarding is done aft of the premium cabin, it should be implemented.
I urge all United FAs to RESIST the PDBs starting tomorrow. Do not offer, and do not serve.
Any FA that does not comply with the management directive should immediately be fired.
Let Sarah Nelson pay their lost salaries
I’m sure they will heed your urgent request Joe. So good you made it here where all the FAs are constantly commenting.
This is a laughable move from UNITED. Instead of getting people drunk before the flight takes off, why don’t they work on fixing their low quality catering service beginning with that puke like Polenta Ragu they offer in first class. Why don’t they really clean and sanitize aircraft like they say in the announcements, I learned from flight attendants that cleaners are given 5 minutes to clean and no wiping or spraying has been done since March of this year.
My paycheck doesn’t not say AFA on it, how dare the union come out and comment on a non contractual issue. It’s service to customers – not work rules.
The union is out of touch but point 2 is a modest reasonable.
Get the in flight food and beverage back up to par – better than pre covid. PDB can wait, but the first part is urgent and no excuse for that about ‘masking’.
Falling behind LH, BA, AF, ANA on global flights, and behind Jetblue, Delta , Alaska, and even in some cases AA on domestic.
It absolutely has everything to do with being lazy…
Flight Attendants continue to demonstrate how lazy they are !! These are the people that pay their salaries god forbid they have to work!
Just another reason why they are the most disliked work group at United !!!
Awww. Did someone not make it through FA training and is stuck working CS, at $25/hr, even after 15 years? I’m sorry pal. We all know the CS group is the most disliked, don’t deflect.
Flight attendants are right. The airline should listen to them. Not complicated.
Pre departures shouldn’t be a thing on narrow body aircrafts. I don’t see why an offered water bottle in each seat or as first/business pax are coming on the plane wouldn’t suffice. I do think premium products should be offered but on the should be sufficient on a domestic product. Especially since the mask issue seems to be producing disturbing or violent incidents than should be acceptable.
Foot dragging. If we don’t start to bring back what was par in first/business class prior to the pandemic soon, these services will never come back. Look what’s happened to the hotel industry as an example.
Never understood what the big deal was with PDB.
Sure, getting a mimosa was nice back in the day. But it’s not going to make or break my trip if the first beverage service comes after we take off.
Maybe I care less because I never fly without carrying a bottle of water of my own in my bag?
Paying the same or more for worse service doesn’t gall you?
You need to change your mind set and view Flight Attendants as the same as firefighters and EMTs because that’s what we’re trained to do. Serving you wine comes secondary. If we were waiters we’d go work at chili’s cus at least then we’re allowed to get tipped.
So, you’re admitting that you currently don’t do any waiting service on your customers… does your employer know that?
I’m not taking the bait. Just know I do what I’m supposed to do and take care of my people. It’s corporate greed that refuses to help the people that pays their million dollar salaries.
I think you need to change your mindset. While you may be trained for safety procedures, what percentage of your work during the flight has to do with passenger service versus flight safety? Like it or not, you are the front-line, customer facing employees that passengers interact most with.
I mean yeah, if I’m paying $$$ to sit up front, there are certain thresholds of service and product that I expect.
I guess I just never really considered the PDB to be something that necessarily elevated the experience per se.
You’re not considering the thousands of Regional Flight Attendants that work for these larger carriers many making less than $20,000 a year. That six figure salary is an anomaly and while I agree with you that…that can seem lazy it’s still the principle. I’m all for cutting the super senior people’s pay rate as well as board members of the airlines so the majority of Flight Attendants that don’t make that kind of money can get a few dollars of compensation for boarding which is arguably the most stressful and busiest time for them.
I agree with AFA on both points. I would NOT want to be passing back and forth a 1st class cabin rubbing against others during a pandemic. It’s moronic to urge people boarding to cover their nose and mouth while those seated around them are maskless between slow sips.
Yes, like walking through a restaurant to your table with a mask on while others are eating and drinking.
Pre-departures are important, it sets a standard that has been missing. Many times, FA’s take their time serving beverages, (chatting, claiming bumpy weather ahead or ….) after take-off. With the limited first class seats on the narrow bodies, it is not a hard service to perform.
Meh, I actually find it the most dreadful part of of the flight. I’d rather do an entire dinner service in economy just by myself than deal with pre-departures on narrow bodies. Not that the serving drinks aspect is hard, but particularly on the godawful 737’s, the boarding line is relentless, passengers do not listen when the FA tries to pause them at the boarding door for a quick moment to deliver a drink, thus forcing the FA to try to swim upstream against the boarding line in an aisle that’s too narrow for anybody thicker than a toothpick, all the while having to placate impatient first class passengers that are trying to shove their 41-pound heavy coats into our arms because they can’t just sit with the coat for a second until we’re ready to hang them up, the gate agent is at the boarding door barking at us to hurry up or they’ll write us up to
management for being in the aisle trying to
do pre-departures and impeding the boarding line. It’s a whole mess on narrowbodies. I’d love to see you try it and reconsider your assessment.
One, Flight Attendants are not waiters. We’ll be sure to serve you a Diet Coke when the plane crashes and you have a heart attack. Flight Attendants do not get paid to serve pre-departure beverages or for boarding. They don’t get paid until the AC door closes. So you’re basically asking them to work for free so you can have a beverage before takeoff. So it’s not about laziness…it’s about being forced to work when you’re not even on the clock.
Find a new job… you clearly don’t like yours.
I love my job. I hate cooperations taking advantage of their workforce though. If you want better service compensate the backbone of the company for the work they are doing. In any other industry working off the clock is illegal. This needs to change.
I love my job! I don’t know what you’re talking about goofball.
I’ll be flying Polaris tomorrow. Let’s see if I get some swill in a plastic cup or not.
Only about 50,000 of the COVID-19 deaths in the US are of those under 50 years of age and most of those are of folx with comorbidities (namely being fat). Shield the old folx and let the rest of us carry on. Perhaps the union should prioritize thin flight attendants on longer flights.
No PDB. No separate beverage service in-flight and the meal was on one tray, including ice cream. No slippers loaded, either. C’mon, man!
The mask mandate theater is the problem. Common sense and any decent microbiologist who isn’t more terrified of losing Grant money than the pandemic will tell you. Nothing can remotely be called a return to normal until the masks are gone. Those who irrationally fear that should remain self quarantined in their homes. Enough is enough.
@ken, agree 110% on the masks. Gotta go.
How about they cater the plane’s properly?? Catering has been a total shambolic shitshow!!
They leave dirty galleys on board. Done legs they don’t bring any fresh bins of drinks. They don’te even have boxes for first on a 2 hour plus flight. And this is through HUBS!!!
I was even told that they had no plastic glasses FFS!! Cater the freaking planes properly!!
I fly United weekly mainly in first class. I want the masks on. Pre departure drinks can come back next year. Until masks are not required which I will guess will be in June. The flights attendants are spot on. We are not nearly back to normal with unvoiced people on the plane. I also suggest we require everyone that flys to be vaxed. Then we can can remove masks and have your pre departure drinks and more normal meal service like they do in Canada
It seems you are unware of the RCTs in Denmark and Bangladesh that show masks are pretty much useless. If you accept the Bangladesh one, surgical masks have an 11% relative risk reduction. I repeat, relative, not absolute. So, if you have a 1% chance of getting COVID-19 without a mask, you have a 0.89% chance with one. Note that most mask mandates do no require N95 or even surgical masks. Mask mandates do not work. The vaccines are a flop. UK vaccine surveillance data show that for most adult cohorts, the double-shot vaccinated are more likely to get infected than the unvaccinated, often by more than twice as much (see page 23 at the link below).
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1034383/Vaccine-surveillance-report-week-46.pdf
Newsflash: you’re wearing masks on airplanes at least until January 20, 2025, vaxxed or not. Beyond that, it’s up to the voters in the 2024 elections.
AFA: I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that
FA union claims it would impact other passengers when they see premium passengers without masks drinking beverages…. seriously???
If I had a dollar for every coach passenger with mask below their noses who walked by my seat in first or premium economy , I could retire.
On another airline a very tall and muscular gentleman was waiting for boarding without a mask.. nobody from DFW said one word.
That passenger boarded without a mask.. finally strapped it under his chin and walked off the plane without it in MIA.. no FA or airport staff did anything.
FAs don’t care about masks or safety evidently- only when pax are supposed to get service it becomes an issue…
Profit over people. That is the United way.
This is likely because one or two global service passengers complained about not getting their pre departure beverage. The management at United does not care about the safety of their flight attendants. They think each and everyone of their flight attendants is replaceable. Why do you think this company is self insured? It is a way of controlling costs and in turn, profits. When an employee of United costs the company too much money in healthcare, they will find a reason to get rid of them.
Aren’t almost all companies of that size ‘self-insured’ as you describe it?
I’m a 31 year flight attendant with another major carrier. Its appalling to read people’s comments on these articles. How disgustingly rude and entitled society is today. Everyone has an opinion but doesn’t know what they are talking about or the job and offer zero solutions. Boarding is by far the absolute busiest and most stressful time out of any other part of a flight, its blatantly OBVIOUS. Agents and flight attendants are under pressure to board and get the door closed by a certain time. That’s assisting 150 to 250 people with boarding, bags and carry on’s PROPERLY stowed (F.A.R.), seating issues and getting everyone in their seats because not everyone is sitting with their family or friends or sits in the wrong seat of which creates a domino effect, verbally briefing exit rows (F.A.R), Dealing with catering, checking and getting everything you need for the in flight service/s, that includes beverages, cups, ice, sugar, creamer, coffee tea, napkins, meals, the pilot meals, snacks, earbuds and about 20 other misc. items we may need and are supposed to have to provide a good service. Bins MUST be closed prior to door closing (F.A.R) the passengers that boarded at the end are still putting their bags away so we are assisting and getting bins closed. The lead flight attendant is making announcements that are F.A.R required. Passengers out of the bathrooms and off phones before plane moves or doing safety demo (F.A.R.) Hang coats, thats if you even have a closet to hang them. Unless you are the lucky last row of first class thats gets them all hung behind you on the airbus. All in 30-35 minutes. On a full narrow body aircraft with a constant flow of traffic it is impossible to do predeparture beverages with out holding up boarding flow. And once the boarding door is closed we can no longer offer predeparture beverages and must pick up service items, ANOTHER F.A.R.
lol – save those crocodile tears. If you can’t do the job, find a new one.
Why were PDBs served pre-pandemic? Why were they ever served? Why serve anything at all? Why even fly? People have died on planes! How can you allow people to continue flying? Safety first! Literal murderers!
Finally a response that describes what boarding is like. Great description of the stress involved in getting everyone situated. Of course no one has yet to comment on the fact that we are also focusing on safety including what potential problems come up with passengers not complying with the agreement they made to wear their masks properly & at all times. I find the guy who “nursed his double drink” sans mask & the guy who was never asked to put his on because of his size especially aggravating. I just did the card & report on a premier passenger who had to be told too many times to mask up. Fortunately it was my 1st time, usually everyone is cooperative on international flights.
I enjoyed reading these comments thank you lol
Has nothing to do with COVID. FA’s just being typical lazy on service
Why don’t I make you work without pay at your most stressful part of your job? I’m sure you’d be lazy too. Compensate the workers for the PDB and boarding and maybe they’d have a better attitude towards it. Also Flight Attendants have limited beverages on planes and all drinks must be collected prior to takeoff. Do you realize how much product is wasted because customers don’t finish their drinks in time? Flight Attendants don’t get paid to serve you PDB so if they’re lazy maybe it’s the principle and the thousands of other things they have to do without pay prior to takeoff.
There is no pandemic. It is a false thing for controlling people.
People – unmask if you want and do not comply.
Let airlines fail and go into bankruptcy, if they do not change their policy..
Relationship over policy. Love you all in high of highest God. Jesus name by his grace through the By Spirit.
Amen!
Our church had been open from day 1. No signs of pandemic. Those who got sick have not died. If was pandemic we would have seen it.
Our church also blessed.
PBDs should never have been suspended. This is a significant reduction in the service that we PAY for!
Frankly, flight attendants and their unions have no say in the matter and therefore nothing to complain about.
Regarding COVID fears, only those that have been Fully Vaccinated or have Medical Proof of Recovery should be allowed to fly or even enter an airport. The mask nonsense should also be dropped at the same time.
Finally, before any Boarding Passes are generated, the TSA should be doing real time criminal background checks on anyone that does not have at least one of the following: a valid passport, TSA pre-check, Global Entry, or a valid Military Id. If known criminals can be kept off aircraft, we all will be much safer.
Spoken like a true authoritarian segregationist. Just wait until you find yourself included in a class of deplorables, comrade.
I never really understood the point of PDBs. The fact that I can get basically unlimited beverages at any point in the flight doesn’t really get diminished if I don’t get one as soon as my butt hits the seat. In fact, I’d give up PDBs for better quality dopp kit amenities all day any day.
I’ll take it when offered but truly don’t mind it not being offered. It definitely disrupts flow when boarding on a narrow-body aircraft.
Plus…usually I have had plenty to drink in the United Club.
Flight in premium cabins today is cheap with inflation factored in and on domestic flight a significant portion of the first class cabins are upgrades that didn’t pay the first class price anyway.
I’m a Premier 1k with United and I’m embarrassed at times at how entitled my fellow road warriors act!
I like PDBs. Its just a nice way to start a flight. I fly mostly F domestic and J international, and I’ve had some good UA service, but I have flown a lot of airlines, and I would say that UA’s FAs on average provide worse service and pay less attention to the passengers than any other major airlines. So I am not surprised their union says this. On UA, I just have low expectations for the FAs. Just like I have low expectations for the food and drink on board. UA management depends on people flying them because of their routes, and it works in my case, but at the same time, if there is an airline with better service on a route, I choose that instead.
Honestly, I would rather get the single-aisle plane boarded vs. PDBs. I can wait until 10,000 feet or whenever for a drink. Having glassware return will be great!
So Sandra Nelson-AFA union runs the airlines now??? crazy hope the Airlines do not put up with it
The last paragraph of this article shows the author is completely out of touch and just makes things up. There are basically no flight attendant who want the welcome drinks/pre departure back. Boarding already is so difficult, passing out the wipes, mask problems, and always a million other issues. The focus needs to be on a timely, safe departure versus occupying time on beverages.
You are incorrect. Also sounds to me like you don’t want to work. I have spoken to many flight attendants who directly contradict your take on the matter.
Receipts please, because I haven’t found one. Furthermore, it’s not about working or not working. It’s about focusing on the most important things, ensuring a safe flight, and departing ontime. Finally, if those in the premium cabin would actually take the pre poured sparking wine and water, then the time spent, or the work (as you call it) would be fine. However, the amount of requests for other items is time consuming (stopping the crew from doing the most important tasks) and the amount of wasted bottles of sparking wine is insane.
You may “pay” so could get PBD (that is if you can afford First Class and/or Business Class) but you forget that it is BASICALLY FREE LABOR. Flight Attendants DO NOT get paid for safety procedures while boarding, boarding itself and ANY LESS PBD. Secondly, it interrupts with boarding and tending to safety because REMINDER, Flight Attendant’s aren’t nanny’s nor maids/butlers they are Safety Professionals first and foremost and boarding is a crucial process. Third, people are already extremely entitled and fail to comply with mask mandate. If Economy passengers sees y’all with masks down DURING boarding process (not only does it enable spread of your nasty germs) but they will think mask mandate is a joke and Flight Attendant’s will have it harder.
Honestly, GET OVER YOURSELVES ASSHOLES.
I was told flight attendants don’t get pay for boarding. Is that true ? If so why would they do pre departure anyways ?
Let the oncoming economy passengers think what they want as they pass. The faster we return to normalcy, the better.
Maybe bring back the unvaccinated flight attendants and let them do PDB? They don’t believe they can get sick or infect others….
Sounds like typically great UA service.
Revisiting this post as I sit in 1E on yet another transcon awaiting departure – with no pdb, even after asking. In an arrow where premium flying is becoming more important to the airlines, this stinks
*era