For the first time in my life, I think what I have what it takes to become a flight attendant (because I don’t think I’d deal with passengers very well).
In this post:
Airlines are operating cargo-only flights
With passenger demand for air travel at record lows, airlines have started operating cargo-only flights. There’s still plenty of demand for cargo, both to transport regular supplies, as well as to transport medical supplies and other exceptional things needed right now.
Generally airlines carry some cargo in the hold of planes, whether that’s traditional cargo or mail. With so many commercial planes grounded, there’s no doubt some gap left in cargo operations.
Quite a few airlines are operating cargo flights, and Air Canada has even gone so far as to remove seats from three Boeing 777-300ERs, which doubles the cargo capacity of the planes.
American Airlines has been operating some cargo-only flights. From Hong Kong, to London, to Buenos Aires, the airline is operating a fair number of cargo flights.
For example, here’s a look at American Airlines’ cargo schedule, with flights operated by 787-9s, 777-200s, and 777-300s:
These cargo flights have flight attendants
Maybe I’m the only one who finds this interesting, but I’ve been curious how the staffing on these flights works. Obviously there are pilots, but what about flight attendants?
Well, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), which is the union representing American Airlines flight attendants, has just outlined this.
Minimum staffing for American Airlines cargo flights (without passengers) will be as follows:
- For narrow body planes, there need to be a minimum of two flight attendants
- For wide body planes, there need to be a minimum of three flight attendants
- At least one flight attendant will need to be on duty at all times, in the event that other flight attendants rest
In some cases there will just be cargo in the hold, while in some cases the cabin will be filled with cargo as well (though American isn’t removing seats from any planes).
I’m not going to lie, this seems like kind of a fun gig. I’d love to have the cabin of a 777 all to myself for an ultra long haul flight.
Why are flight attendants needed on cargo flights?
Why is there even a need for flight attendants on cargo-only planes? It comes down to safety. While cargo holds have sophisticated detectors in case any cargo catches fire, in the passenger cabin the systems work differently, since they’re not generally designed for cargo.
Therefore it helps have some people keeping an eye on the cabin, so that any issues can be addressed before they become major.
So this is a safety decision to be sure that the cargo can be transported safely in the cabin.
Bottom line
While there’s a lot of frustration among American Airlines flight attendants at the moment, this sorta seems fun. American, if you need any volunteers to watch the cabin for one of these flights, give me a ring! I promise to be diligent, and it seems like an easy way to get in my daily 10,000 steps by just walking around the cabin constantly. 😉
To Stuart. You sound like good bus material. And I would like to see your daughter handle a medical emergency. What a jerk that we hate to see on our flights. Half of you have no idea what our job entails. Maybe you should get a little knowledge and then you would not look so stupid.
I like Truen’s post. AA today is definitely not the AA from the 70s and 80s. FAs like Truen were what made AA special. Today you literally have a 50/50 shot of getting a decent crew.
@eskimoooo
Wow, and you figured this all by yourself!? Such a clever little tot, you are.
I would say that AA flight attendants have provided great service on shorter routes, but they certainly fail on international. For example, I had **exceptional** service on a DCA-BUF flight where the FAs upgraded me (no status on AA) to first and were overall lovely. Also, many flights from DCA-MYR, DCA-MSN, DCA-PHL and others. BUT, on international routes such as MXP-JFK the service has truly been terrible....
@Pauline
I disagree with your statement. I am a black belt JD PhD MBA CPA CFA MD from Ivy league school.
You know you’ve won the argument hands down when your opponent is forced to use the "race card".
@Stuart
I understand your frustration about inequality. But before you blame @1KBrad for his wife's bailout salary, let me tell you who the real martyr is.
All you need is simple math.
These...
@Pauline
I disagree with your statement. I am a black belt JD PhD MBA CPA CFA MD from Ivy league school.
You know you’ve won the argument hands down when your opponent is forced to use the "race card".
@Stuart
I understand your frustration about inequality. But before you blame @1KBrad for his wife's bailout salary, let me tell you who the real martyr is.
All you need is simple math.
These are the rough percentage of airlines owned by one same company and how much bailout grant (free money) they got.
DL 9.2% of $3.8B grant = $350MM
AA 10% of $4.1B grant = $410MM
UA 8.8% of $3.5B grant = $308MM
WN 9.9% of $2.3B grant = $228MM
So this company got $1,296B indirectly in grants. (Which is slightly less than what B6+AS received combined!!!!!!)
This company is called Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. But that's not all.
There is this one guy named Warren who owns around 16.45% of this Berkshire Hathaway.
Guess what my math skills as a black belt JD PhD MBA CPA CFA MD from Ivy league school tells me.
Tax payers just bailout (gave) this Warren guy $214M.
So please leave @1KBrad's wife and her (alleged) 100k salary alone. Some of you might get a $1200 check, this guy got $214 million, more than what most people make their entire lifetime.
Unfair?????
Surely not the union's idea. The FAs would rather be at home. Bet it was AMRs idea of making it hard on them.
But on the good side - boxes don't bitch. From the comments, I'll side with the FAs.
I worked for AA starting in the 70's at low, low pay and lots of glammer was the norm when education, pleasant behavior,and immaculate grooming was a requirement. We were flight attendants because we wanted to be there and took pride
in our profession. Somewhere around
deregulation and its aftermath, American got the brilliant idea to hire FA's at a much lower base pay scale and impossible work rules. Our union did NOT...
I worked for AA starting in the 70's at low, low pay and lots of glammer was the norm when education, pleasant behavior,and immaculate grooming was a requirement. We were flight attendants because we wanted to be there and took pride
in our profession. Somewhere around
deregulation and its aftermath, American got the brilliant idea to hire FA's at a much lower base pay scale and impossible work rules. Our union did NOT implement this, management did. Not only did the new hires come in making much less base pay, but a new reserve and bidding policy was implemented. The attitude and bitterness took to seed and grew into a destructive weed.
BTW, I worked overtime and worked long haul Asian destinations at purser pay, and never made $100,000 a year! Who is handing out this false information?? Maybe a very few do, but they fly every legal day they can, have no life, pick up special assignments, and die young. Believe me, flying 14 hour Narita flights on Friday with short 24 hour rest periods, fly back Sunday, and hit the ground running at 6 am to make sure my young children were properly educated and supervised left no time for a social life of any kind and I was "EXHAUSTED"every day of my life for 37 years. Still, I went to work, loving my job and loving the comradery with my "senior" colleagues. I think things got even worse when a whole new culture of TWA and USAIR employees joined us. Not to say anything about the misguided, low expectation of nothing but profit regime of Doug Parker and his band of
USAIRWAYS fools. I, luckily retired before they took over and the merger was enacted. Give me back the days of Bob Crandall, class, reality of job expectations and description, and high, high standards. I am personally embarrassed by some of the "younger" and merger flight attendants, the lack of service, and the uncomfortable seating.
This is no longer my airline that I proudly represented for 37 years. However, there were some very, very rude and embarrassing passengers. I refused to go to their level, but made sure that security was waiting for them at destination. No need to fight them. Waste of time. I have boxes of great letters and compliments, AND, most importantly saved some lives, an ability I had bcs of our extensive and excellent
training.
I am saddened by the "new" American". We were such a great airline.
"@John – Unfortunately, it’s not just the cabin crew. It’s all up and down the line."
Such as what my mom experienced trying to get a refund for the flight she could not take yesterday: due to COVID-19 we were forced to cancel a family funeral for this Friday.
They gave her so much grief in multiple calls and emails, but finally relented and agreed to give her a credit valid for 12 months...
"@John – Unfortunately, it’s not just the cabin crew. It’s all up and down the line."
Such as what my mom experienced trying to get a refund for the flight she could not take yesterday: due to COVID-19 we were forced to cancel a family funeral for this Friday.
They gave her so much grief in multiple calls and emails, but finally relented and agreed to give her a credit valid for 12 months but not a full refund.
For a crummy $98. And mom said not one person exhibited any empathy at all. NONE.
And how many billions will their government bailout be?
@josh
You are ignorant.
They can't spare a pilot to do wall arounds. They have a contract that dictates, one person must be resting while the othe two pilots are in the cockpit.
Doing walk arounds isn't resring.
Now go back to penny count yo another place.
@Stuart
Ha, ha. Very true. A 'lawyer' who sits in his home basement waiting for his wife to bring in a check from the gov't can't be a good lawyer. He must hang out with that imbecile @DCS.
Take care, and stay sharp!
@Pauline
Yeah, if he even is. Sounds more like an old dude with no sense, a case of PBR and a laptop with Breitbart as the home page.
@Stuart
Something similar happened last week. At the end of a heated discourse, one particularly inept person claimed to be "Ph.D. in physics with a dual appointment at Ivy League colleges". When I read that, I also knew he was desperate for credibility, and was clearly losing the argument. LOL. So basically whenever someone throws out a dubious qualification, you know they're (a.) losing the argument, and (b.) probably don't have that qualification.
@Stuart
When your opponent is forced to say "I am a lawyer", you know you've won the argument hands down!
What a waste of MONEY!!! Why can't the spare flight deck crew do a walk around every once and awhile? What are the doing the entire time other than watching movies on their ipads? No wonder this airline will be bankrupt again soon!
@Sean M.
Does that mean you can fly a large amount of Lithium batteries (or other flammable cargo) on these flights in the passenger cabin with flight attendants?
I’m old-school. This is a bit off topic but putting a troublemaker on a cargo flight is not the answer. Back in the day we had a captain who was playing practical jokes all the time. Once he went to far and landed along the way to let off one passenger. They moved him to cargo flights. One night he had a dozen Occupied coffins on board. You guessed it, he switch the names. That...
I’m old-school. This is a bit off topic but putting a troublemaker on a cargo flight is not the answer. Back in the day we had a captain who was playing practical jokes all the time. Once he went to far and landed along the way to let off one passenger. They moved him to cargo flights. One night he had a dozen Occupied coffins on board. You guessed it, he switch the names. That was the final straw, so Instead of retiring from a top-five carrier he actually died flying in the Caribbean.
I will tell you why you hate so much on the flight attendants.
First, you think 4000 dls on a long haul flight is a lot of money. Come back to the ground. It isn't. Airline ticket prices aren't up to date with the inflation
Second, you are required to follow safety instructions from the cabin crew and your entitle self hates the fact that you have to comply when you are "a...
I will tell you why you hate so much on the flight attendants.
First, you think 4000 dls on a long haul flight is a lot of money. Come back to the ground. It isn't. Airline ticket prices aren't up to date with the inflation
Second, you are required to follow safety instructions from the cabin crew and your entitle self hates the fact that you have to comply when you are "a paying customer".
Third, you hate the fact that cabin crew can cut off your alcoholic habits. Yes, they don't have to deal with your drunk self and there is nowhere to kick you out when you are in a metal tube. I would be rich if I could count the amount of time I've had to baby sit "premium customers" alcoholic misbehavior.
We don't get to stay home during the pandemic.
You are welcome.
@Stuart:
Go find a better CPA. The one you have clearly sucks.
I'm busy right now counting all the money the government is giving my wife.
Take your hate and go away back down to the basement of your parent's house.
@IK Brad. You are clearly an idiot and know nothing about the realities of PPP. As well EIDL and how that has changed in the last few weeks. And the fact that the SBA announced today they only have half the money needed to pay the claims put forth. Please just shut up and enjoy your wife’s paid summer vacation courtesy of American taxpayers while the rest of us work to keep our employees paid and our business alive
@Stuart:
I am a lawyer [don't care if you believe me or not]. I don't give legal advice for free.
As a brief summary, in addition to grants, there are tax credits available:
SUMMARY OF CARE ACT PAYROLL CREDITS
RETENTION CREDIT 5K PER EMPLOYEE
CHILD CARE CREDIT 2K PER EMPLOYEE
CHILD CARE LEAVE CREDIT 10K PER EMPLOYEE
SICK LEAVE CREDIT 5.11K PER EMPLOYEE
There are also further grants and loans available beyond what your CPA told you.
Ok all you haters out there, you would probably the passenger standing on the wing of an airplane in the Hudson River holding their suitcase !!!!
Will the FAs have free WiFi? Sure there’s a lot of unused bandwidth with the satellites these days!
@Landon You are no more a first responder than my 11 year old daughter. In fact she even writes better than you.
Get off your FA pipe dream of entitlement and importance. My barista is more important to my safety and well being than you ever were (ya know, coffee). And she does it with a smile and brightens my day each morning for 30% of what you make in salary and benefits.
...@Landon You are no more a first responder than my 11 year old daughter. In fact she even writes better than you.
Get off your FA pipe dream of entitlement and importance. My barista is more important to my safety and well being than you ever were (ya know, coffee). And she does it with a smile and brightens my day each morning for 30% of what you make in salary and benefits.
Don't bore us all with the same arguments every FA gives us in these blogs. Few people buy it anymore. Take your taxpayer salary for the next six months and go quietly sit in the corner and be humble.
@1KBrad
Perhaps you can enlighten me on the SBA programs that I spent a week on with my CPA and Bankers? You seem to be so wise and full of yourself that I'm sure you have more idiocy to spew.
1. We get 2.5 times a four week payroll that allows us essentially a forgiveable grant for eight weeks for my employees. The airlines get the equivalent of nearly six months. I bet even you...
@1KBrad
Perhaps you can enlighten me on the SBA programs that I spent a week on with my CPA and Bankers? You seem to be so wise and full of yourself that I'm sure you have more idiocy to spew.
1. We get 2.5 times a four week payroll that allows us essentially a forgiveable grant for eight weeks for my employees. The airlines get the equivalent of nearly six months. I bet even you can do the math on that disparity.
2. Our payroll calculations do not include any salary over $100K for small businesses. Contrast this at airlines, with grotesque salaries that have risen up to $350K for some senior captains, that will be fully covered for six months. Apparently well-off senior pilots are considered desperate "workers" suffering the plight of the American economy and deserve their full salary courtesy of taxpayers.
3. Airlines have and could file Chapter 11 and just reorganize. They have shown it is not a detriment to their long term survival and is perfectly reasonable. Further, they will probably have to do it anyway in the fall after taking taxpayer money so that overpaid staff can enjoy their summer. However, for a small business, to file Chapter 11 is disastrous, costly, and few will be able to survive it.
4. I am grateful for the aid we are being offered. If it ever comes. As the SBA is in complete disarray. Every day people are closing their businesses or furloughing staff waiting for the money that was supposed to start happening two weeks ago. But the airlines will be fine as Oscar Munoz was just announced as one of Trump's special advisors to restarting the economy. I am sure their money is flowing in as we speak since the signing last night.
My complaints are not what WE are getting. My complaint is the complete disparity to what the airlines get (and soon even freakin Cruise lines). People are pissed as they learn more of this. Especially after the way the airlines have treated consumers over the past years while executives stuffed their pockets and "workers" were paid obscene wages leading us to this moment.
So please, go sit back down in your brown La-Z Boy and take time to marvel at your Thomas Kinkade paintings. It's better time spent for you rather than lying to everyone here and pretending you are even slightly aware of the realities in this country or how the airline bailout is complete nonsense in comparison to small businesses that are the backbone of the economy.
I avoid AA, and fortunately don't really need to; I'm a Southwest guy (their staff is great), and glad Jet Blue also goes where I need to. (RIP Norweigian routes. ) Not to be a Pollyanna, I will agree Spirit doesn't give you precisely what you don't pay for. But the antipathy here for AA (and unions) sure is spilling over into such a cascade of grievance against all lines and all staff, that it...
I avoid AA, and fortunately don't really need to; I'm a Southwest guy (their staff is great), and glad Jet Blue also goes where I need to. (RIP Norweigian routes. ) Not to be a Pollyanna, I will agree Spirit doesn't give you precisely what you don't pay for. But the antipathy here for AA (and unions) sure is spilling over into such a cascade of grievance against all lines and all staff, that it is pretty easy to see what all service people know: some people are only happy when they're unhappy. (You know who you are.) The article explained that a couple of sentinels in a cabin not designed to electronically monitor who only knows what is inside those freight containers (bats, lithium batteries, snakes, and miniature ponies who didn't take their shoes off at TSA?) This is a small cost to the airlines to protect a large asset. Plus, who else is gonna bring the pilots their Moscow Mules?
I am an AA f/a and totally shocked at the rudeness and brash comments made by supposed mature adults. I was formerly USAIRWAYS and extremely proud of my airline and my job. I am not lazy or rude to anyone on my flights and also I make no where near 100k in salary and I generally fly 80+ hours a month. Evidently slot of you know nothing about my job, the time I spend away...
I am an AA f/a and totally shocked at the rudeness and brash comments made by supposed mature adults. I was formerly USAIRWAYS and extremely proud of my airline and my job. I am not lazy or rude to anyone on my flights and also I make no where near 100k in salary and I generally fly 80+ hours a month. Evidently slot of you know nothing about my job, the time I spend away from home, the long hours I have some days with a short night to start again early for another long day. We dont have alot of time to get food and if we do, we have to gobble it down or else eat it cold. Then we probably have one passenger who is not happy with anything and we have that to deal with along with a medical emergency or sickness. You forget that we are expected to be doctors, nurses, babysitters, cleaners, cooks. Firefighters, police, etc. etc. etc. Maybe you should really k ow your facts before you throw out these less than accurate remarks.
Well since couple of weeks ago, SQ staff has been deployed to hospitals and metro stations all around Singapore! And they got paid extra on top of their basic salary!
>>"The typical chronic complainers and bellyachers are here again I see."
Opens by complaining about complainers. Then starts complaining himself. LOL. It's an open forum, "Jack".
Deal. With. It.
The typical chronic complainers and bellyachers are here again I see. I have been flying on AA since my career started in the late 80s. I've never had a problem other than bratty passengers who can't can't find their seat, put their carry-on in the overhead and sit down without having some sort of problem.
I really hope most of you are not business professionals in charge of any major decisions for long term...
The typical chronic complainers and bellyachers are here again I see. I have been flying on AA since my career started in the late 80s. I've never had a problem other than bratty passengers who can't can't find their seat, put their carry-on in the overhead and sit down without having some sort of problem.
I really hope most of you are not business professionals in charge of any major decisions for long term company success. Your business acumen is severely lacking.
Not only do the airlines fly passengers around the world, they fly vital cargo as well. If the airlines collapse, the economy collapses and you fools will clap with glee and then complain that you can't get what you need. If you can get it, it costs a fortune and the entire travel industry collapses.
As a current flight attendant for a Hawaii carrier I am grateful for the gift our representatives and citizens have given us. I hope this same treatment can be transferred to other service and safety industry employees. It is really terrible how low most hourly employees are paid in America. The difference in what I can make and what say a barista could make is truly an embarrassment to how our country has allowed minimum...
As a current flight attendant for a Hawaii carrier I am grateful for the gift our representatives and citizens have given us. I hope this same treatment can be transferred to other service and safety industry employees. It is really terrible how low most hourly employees are paid in America. The difference in what I can make and what say a barista could make is truly an embarrassment to how our country has allowed minimum wage and other employee compensations to fall behind. People may dislike how much flight attendants as safety personnel can make, but I hope other industries will fight and be able to gain the same standard of living. Took nearly two decades to negotiate what was lost after 9/11 while many corporations and airline executives walked away with millions. I deserve and work hard for every cent I earn. Especially living in basically the most expensive state in America.
@M. Brody:
I'm nice to people who are nice to me.
I treat assholes like the assholes they are.
And I couldn't care less what you think. I do wonder if you have sufficient pride not to fly AA or if you are like most of the hypocrites here?
@1KBrad
So, what was that you said earlier about how "NICE" you really are to people?! That fact that you felt the need to capitalize 'nice' into "NICE" is not just wholly unconvincing, it's also.......sad. It tells me you're grasping for a virtue that was never yours to begin with.
Biased. Wrong. Presumptuous. Angry. And to cap things off, you're now exposed as a petty LIAR. (Do you like that I capitalized for you?)
@M. Brody
I guess you missed that I am a several year EP and was a 1K with UA for over a decade.
@Mark Riesberg
There aren't enough flights. AA has over 27,000 flight attendants.
@John
Guess you missed the self-entitled bashing of flight attendants, or you just didn't care. Enjoy DL and B6.
@Stuart:
Ok, Snowflake.
BTW, you're wrong on the numbers to small business and Bernie lost. You're not getting free stuff. The airlines are.
Tough shit.
[If you hate AA so much, don't fly them. See how easy that is?]
Why is everybody so mad here? At least this airline is not funded by terrorists, like QR is!
The uncivil comments from @1KBrad have all but confirmed what I've read about abysmal AA service. If that's the AA problem attitude from a husband/spouse, can you just imagine just how much worse it would be from an actual AA employee?! The mind just boggles! It seems to me that AA service employees regard pax as enemy combatants rather than paying customers who are putting food on their table and sending their kids to college....
The uncivil comments from @1KBrad have all but confirmed what I've read about abysmal AA service. If that's the AA problem attitude from a husband/spouse, can you just imagine just how much worse it would be from an actual AA employee?! The mind just boggles! It seems to me that AA service employees regard pax as enemy combatants rather than paying customers who are putting food on their table and sending their kids to college. I will stick to JetBlue and if need be, Delta.
@AlliW
The ones you are mentioning fly cargo planes. Those have cargo compartement fire warning systems and cargo fire supression systems (gass, so that oxygen is eliminated). If a system is down for a compartement, that compartement cant be used. Pilots test those systems before flight.
Passenger planes has no cabin fire warnings, the flight attendants are the detectors. Also a fire has to be put out manually with fire extinguishers.
Naturally, if...
@AlliW
The ones you are mentioning fly cargo planes. Those have cargo compartement fire warning systems and cargo fire supression systems (gass, so that oxygen is eliminated). If a system is down for a compartement, that compartement cant be used. Pilots test those systems before flight.
Passenger planes has no cabin fire warnings, the flight attendants are the detectors. Also a fire has to be put out manually with fire extinguishers.
Naturally, if cargo is on board in a passenger cabin, someone has to watch it. Im sure if they only carry cargo in the cargo hold, flight attendants are not used. We reposition planes with only 2 pilots, but thats with empty passenger cabin.
And just a note, I see many here claim the flight attendants "do nothing" on these flights. They serve an nessesary perpouse, like a night shift guard at business property do.
Hello! These FA's are already being paid as per the payroll protection agreement in the airline bailout, why not work them?
@1KBrad
Has it occurred to you when bashing out these rants that you're not an unbiased/disinterested person here? And that you do actually have a vested marital interest in defending the (sloppy) work ethic of most AA FAs? I'll take your word that your wife is a good worker; but that makes her unusual. Try looking at it from the pax perspective for once, instead of thru your wife's eyes. And worse still, you're assuming...
@1KBrad
Has it occurred to you when bashing out these rants that you're not an unbiased/disinterested person here? And that you do actually have a vested marital interest in defending the (sloppy) work ethic of most AA FAs? I'll take your word that your wife is a good worker; but that makes her unusual. Try looking at it from the pax perspective for once, instead of thru your wife's eyes. And worse still, you're assuming that we're all a "pain in the a**". Bias and wrongful assumptions and anger is all I see in your rants.
@ 1KBrad.
Ah, so now the truth comes out. You are not just a flyer. Your wife is a FA. An important fact and surely plays into your biased sentiments.
1. There are many senior FA's making $100K. And more. Get woke.
2. There are many senior captains making over $300K
3. I agree that executives also are greedy.
4. Customers and passengers have paid the price.
5. Now you...
@ 1KBrad.
Ah, so now the truth comes out. You are not just a flyer. Your wife is a FA. An important fact and surely plays into your biased sentiments.
1. There are many senior FA's making $100K. And more. Get woke.
2. There are many senior captains making over $300K
3. I agree that executives also are greedy.
4. Customers and passengers have paid the price.
5. Now you want US to pay more as if diminishing product, crap service, and devaluations weren't enough.
6. Small businesses get capped at 100K in grants and can't even get the money for their employees or have any idea what is happening. And you are going off about the need for me to bail your wife out for doing a pretty damn easy job? Again, get woke as to the reality of what drives this economy. And it ain't airline employees.
7. You further revealed yourself with your last paragraph. To which I say, "Ok, Boomer."
Let the airlines burn. Fill the cabins of the new carriers that emerge with Starbucks employees who will love their work and enjoy it. And you and your wife can retire and enjoy your easy earned milking of the American taxpayer and leave the real work to people who love it.
@ Stuart:
My wife is a former PSA F/A and was a victim of the merger with US Air, and was then further victimized by the merger with AA.
Yet every single month she receives written accolades for her work ethic from passengers and has never had a single complaint despite having to deal with no shortage of self-entitled jerks, some of whom post here apparently.
Top pay is $68.25 a flight hour. A normal...
@ Stuart:
My wife is a former PSA F/A and was a victim of the merger with US Air, and was then further victimized by the merger with AA.
Yet every single month she receives written accolades for her work ethic from passengers and has never had a single complaint despite having to deal with no shortage of self-entitled jerks, some of whom post here apparently.
Top pay is $68.25 a flight hour. A normal line is about 75-hours so I'll let you do the math, even with international pay. The only way a F/A makes $100K is if they work 120-hours and are never home.
Are you really so ignorant that you think the flight attendants lobbied for the money from Congress? Let me give you a hint: their corrupt union is not that competent.
If you want to be angry with someone, it should be with the aircraft executives that landed the cash and the morons in Congress who enacted the legislation.
Other businesses didn't receive those handouts? Perhaps you should familiarize yourself with the programs for them being run by the SBA. Ever hear of the Payroll Protection Program? Apparently not.
They will be laid off in September (actually October 1st if you looked at the details)? How naive. The airlines will just ask for more money; and Congress will give it to them.
Oh, and they are not sneaking into my home stealing my money. She brings the stolen money home to me. Hopefully out of your personal pocket. But thanks very much.
Thank you 1KBrad!
I guess you guys haven't been on any of my AA flights! I'm sorry your experience wasn't a positive one? By the way, I'm originally from US Airways, and I always try my best and do what's expected, and more. Unfortunately, there are a few that don't share the same work ethic, but there are many of us that do take pride in our work.
By the way, why would...
Thank you 1KBrad!
I guess you guys haven't been on any of my AA flights! I'm sorry your experience wasn't a positive one? By the way, I'm originally from US Airways, and I always try my best and do what's expected, and more. Unfortunately, there are a few that don't share the same work ethic, but there are many of us that do take pride in our work.
By the way, why would anyone complain about working cargo flights? I would be grateful for the extra opportunity to fly? I'm grateful I still have a job, although my pay has decreased by 50%.
Honestly, I am not liking empty flights though, it is depressing, I do miss serving the passengers.
For those uniformed commenting on the flight attendants and their union the pay and working conditions have been agreed upon concerning those cargo flights. Being there to fight a potential fire is not my idea of fun time.
My dad was a cargo pilot for Flying Tigers and Slick Airways and never, ever were FAs onboard. [KLM flys animals all over the planet and again, no FAs. FedEx and UPS - nope]. Needed or justified ? :-) / Interesting read. Thanks.
@1KBrad.
Even when they are sneaking in your home and stealing your money to subsidize their bailout? Including senior flight attendants, the worst of all for service, making $100K a year to play Candy Crush in the galley?
How about you save your anger for small businesses who are pleading for help as they use their own money to pay their workers. Real workers. Not entitled workers. Attempting to save them the indignity...
@1KBrad.
Even when they are sneaking in your home and stealing your money to subsidize their bailout? Including senior flight attendants, the worst of all for service, making $100K a year to play Candy Crush in the galley?
How about you save your anger for small businesses who are pleading for help as they use their own money to pay their workers. Real workers. Not entitled workers. Attempting to save them the indignity of filing for unemployment.
Airline workers get nearly six months of pay thanks to us. Our workers under the SBA, that is the REAL workers, get 8 weeks, if we ever see it. The limit to our grant is $100K in salary. Meanwhile airline captains are often making over $300K and getting fully paid by YOU for six months. And your lovely FA friends you feel so passionate about are sometimes making over $100K. All will be paid by you.
In the end the executives will still lay them off in September when it's over.
So shut up and go back to your woe is them. Senior airline employees are lazy, entitled, and spoiled. And now we are paying for it while others suffer. Is it their fault? Partly. It's also the culture the executives allowed in letting this get out of control. Including with their own personal bank accounts.
So tired of these people defending airline workers as if they are essential and so precious. My Starbucks barista is precious and wonderful and makes $14 an hour at best. And she is not asking for a bailout to sit at home for six months.
This article does not tell the whole story.
If, and I emphasize IF, AA decides, in its sole discretion, to man cargo flights with flight attendants, the staffing will be as above.
AA does not have to do so. If they do, it will be as stated above because monitors are needed in the cabin due to hazardous cargo.
To all those who enjoy bashing AA flight attendants here, did it every occur to you...
This article does not tell the whole story.
If, and I emphasize IF, AA decides, in its sole discretion, to man cargo flights with flight attendants, the staffing will be as above.
AA does not have to do so. If they do, it will be as stated above because monitors are needed in the cabin due to hazardous cargo.
To all those who enjoy bashing AA flight attendants here, did it every occur to you that YOU are a pain in the ass and the flight attendants are just tired of YOUR shit?
I'm a former UA 1K, now AA EP, and I don't seem to have these problems with flight attendants. Maybe because I am NICE to them??????
@John - Unfortunately, it's not just the cabin crew. It's all up and down the line. Bags take forever, most FAs (not all) are surly and don't know how to smile, gate agents do everything they can to ignore you while you stand in front of them (tapping on those computers translating War and Peace). If you call the airline, good luck getting anyone on the phone. Long before the pandemic I was getting "unusually...
@John - Unfortunately, it's not just the cabin crew. It's all up and down the line. Bags take forever, most FAs (not all) are surly and don't know how to smile, gate agents do everything they can to ignore you while you stand in front of them (tapping on those computers translating War and Peace). If you call the airline, good luck getting anyone on the phone. Long before the pandemic I was getting "unusually high call volume" recordings each time with a "wait time more than 30 minutes". Personally I think the airlines have stripped out all the support staff so the execs can get more $$$.
Like our illustrious Prez, it's been a race to the bottom as fast and far as possible.
The overwhelmingly negative comments here regarding AA's cabin crew tells you a lot about their perceived problem attitude. I've never flown AA and my usual rule-of-thumb is to fly before passing judgement. That said, I think I'd be a complete moron to ignore all these recurring warnings, once travel gets back to normal. They're just too numerous to ignore! And I genuinely struggle to find positive reviews about AA cabin service.
DITTO:
I’m sure the union will find some way to whine about getting paid to do nothing.
Good thing many of those FAs have been practicing sitting in the galley doing nothing for the duration of the flight for their entire careers.
What a great idea, cargo will never complain about customer service.
So basically doing what they normally do. Nothing.
Come fly with me. I'm a nice flight attendant.I also fly with great competent f/a's.. There's not a single soul that comments, likes Flight Attendants...Maybe if your're nice and polite and follow the basic rules you would have a much better experience !!!
Yes FAs will complain no matter what. Yes APFA will find fault with this arrangement. Is there any news here? Nope.
Do they still do the safety demo?
Here for the comment section after that headline title.
*Popcorn*
This is not anything particularly unusual. Airlines around the world are doing this. Depending on the type of cargo being carried in the passenger cabin, there may be inadequate automated fire detection/suppression systems installed. As a result, the options become to either restrict carriage of these items (which is sub-optimal when flying a passenger aircraft for cargo puproses) or else to provide cargo attendants to monitor the cargo manually. Since AA does not have dedicated...
This is not anything particularly unusual. Airlines around the world are doing this. Depending on the type of cargo being carried in the passenger cabin, there may be inadequate automated fire detection/suppression systems installed. As a result, the options become to either restrict carriage of these items (which is sub-optimal when flying a passenger aircraft for cargo puproses) or else to provide cargo attendants to monitor the cargo manually. Since AA does not have dedicated freighter operations and consequently unlikely to have loadmaster/cargo attendant qualified personnel, a flight attendant is the logical option to take up this role.
@Doug
Heee-lair-e-ous!! You beat me to the punch on that one!! :)
That photograph is of an Air Canada B-777-300ER. Did you notice the maple leaf?
Oh this can't be real. If it was, Delta would have thought of it first. I call Fake News.
This is absurd. The unions will be the death of the American legacy carriers.
This seems horribly boring. As much as FAs may complain about pax, at least providing (what they loosely call) customer service provides them something to pass the time. Sitting in a jump seat for 10+ hours acting as firewatch will make the time crawl by. Unless they're keeping some of the J seats for them to hole up in while they do whatever it is they're to be doing, this could be miserable. Plus, all...
This seems horribly boring. As much as FAs may complain about pax, at least providing (what they loosely call) customer service provides them something to pass the time. Sitting in a jump seat for 10+ hours acting as firewatch will make the time crawl by. Unless they're keeping some of the J seats for them to hole up in while they do whatever it is they're to be doing, this could be miserable. Plus, all the destinations are also on lockdown, so it'll hardly be a fun turnaround.
So basically doing what they normally do. Nothing.
The FA are probably the equivalent of a roving watch.
Been on an almost empty 747 flight, skeleton crew and half dozen passengers, it’s not really enjoyable, quite creepy and unnerving, especially when they turn the lights out and forget you are the only one there on the upper deck.
Due to my Mom's failing heath (not COVID-19, just being 92) my wife and I had to fly this past weekend. It was the weirdest travel experience of my life (I have nearly 1 million miles between DL and AA so. . .).
The AA FA's were amazing except for one (I think she's a former UScareways flunky and she just needs to retire or maybe work empty cargo flights) who make everything about...
Due to my Mom's failing heath (not COVID-19, just being 92) my wife and I had to fly this past weekend. It was the weirdest travel experience of my life (I have nearly 1 million miles between DL and AA so. . .).
The AA FA's were amazing except for one (I think she's a former UScareways flunky and she just needs to retire or maybe work empty cargo flights) who make everything about her. I applaud how these folks worked, the level of service and making sure everyone felt safe and secure. We even had a laugh about the first class cabin with one passenger and one dog! :)
Thank you all for what your doing, I unfortunately will be making more PHX to PHL trips in the next few months so I truely appreciate it!
What a great idea, cargo will never complain about customer service.
Good thing many of those FAs have been practicing sitting in the galley doing nothing for the duration of the flight for their entire careers.
I’m sure the union will find some way to whine about getting paid to do nothing.