American Airlines has updated its policy for flight attendants wearing gloves (and no, we’re not talking about white gloves, like in Emirates first class). Admittedly this is totally minor, but I’m writing about this because I have some opinions I need to share.
Continue reading: American Tells Flight Attendants To Not Wear Gloves So Often
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
99% of people do not know how to properly use disposable gloves and should not be wearing them.
Good on AA, as their FAs definitely don't know how to use them.
I would bet that the majority of AA FAs - just like the rest of the population - doesn't follow good handwashing techniques. Continuously wearing gloves may help minimize disease risk for them but probably makes it worse for customers than if they wore no gloves except for during trash pickup.
There is no need to wear gloves when serving food and beverages. Unlike in medical situations, there is no need to eliminate any chance of passing any healthy germs.
if an FA has a cold or other disease that could pass germs to a degree greater than any other healthy human, they shouldn't be at work.
Good for AA for dealing w/ this issue which is part of how customers are viewed.
This has been far too long in coming. When the pandemic began, it brought a ridiculous wave of incorrectly used PPE, which has seemed to linger in people with mental illness and/or a lack of understanding how germs work. When an employee is wearing gloves to pass out food, type on a computer, or when an employee is wearing a cloth mask (ever) it makes the company look bad. Protocols should limit PPE use to appropriate times and circumstances and require it to be used correctly.
Ben - we are so disappointed in you! Missed a perfectly good opportunity to write about OLIVES!
A majority of workers at fast food outlets don't wash their hands after using the restroom. Even after #2. Hope your kids enjoy their happy meal.
+1.
A person wearing gloves never washes their hands, or their gloves. I want to be served by clean hands. Gloves are disgusting.
Very disappointed in this post.
You make a comment that AA wants to reduce the number of gloves being used which is purely a cost cutting exercise and “optics” and not anything to do with work health and safety. You also mention that ‘some’ crew don’t change their gloves. Plenty of crew change their gloves regularly as they should.
What you also don’t mention is that on most aircraft there are no handwashing sinks easily accessible in the galleys. There are barely enough toilets and crew are not able to easily access them for the amount of hand washing that is necessary in any other food handling role. Even if you do manage to get into a toilet- the more times you wash your hands on the aircraft, the more your skin dries and cracks, allowing germs to enter through cuts in your skin. Hand sanitiser does the same.
You would be astonished at what passengers hand to crew during service: used Kleenex, dirty diapers and any number of unpleasant items - even mid meal service.
If airlines don’t want crew to use PPE like gloves whenever necessary, then they need to put better mitigators in place.
Aircraft are disgustingly dirty places. It’s impossible to clean them adequately in the turnarounds and humans are very lax with their own hygiene practices. We all got better at it and now people have forgotten how to cover their mouths when they cough, or wash their hands after going to the toilet.
Airlines reducing the number of gloves on board will increase the likelihood that crew won’t be able to change gloves often enough.
Bare hands don’t mean clean hands.
The focus should be on correct hand hygiene and PPE whenever needed, not removing protections in a workplace.
@DJT:
FFS. What does someone wearing a mask has to do with you. Dude, you do you and let them do themselves. You people are so weird.
Justin:
How often did you or anyone you know wear a mask before 2020? You’re the one who needs to admit this was a seed planted in you during the panic of the COVID era, which you have not accepted is now (and long since) over.
My questions are how does the author know that f/a’s dont change their gloves often? Did they shadow them for 9-16hrs? And, how many f/as did they shadow to arrive at this assessment so confidently.
Nitrile gloves are either blue or white. If they wore a blue colored one all day does that mean they have not changed them? Or does it mean that they have changed them many times but an observer cant tell because they are the same color blue or white?
The flag and other airlines should assess their sick calls before and after wearing gloves? Will they really save money in the end?
I worked fast food when I was a teenager. My coworkers and I were pretty good about handwashing. The thing fast food workers slack on is washing their hands after handling cash. But that’s less of an issue now because so many customers use plastic to pay.
It is not the same gloves for extended period . You you are making things up. Slow news . Using the same gloves to even eat their food , really?
That saved me from a speed camera once. In that state, if the photo was different from your DL, they canceled the ticket. A mask was enough.
On my Malawi Airlines flight yesterday I saw flight attendants put on gloves at the end of the boarding process before they proceeded to close the overhead bins. I commented to one of them and she said it was a habit they picked up because sometimes passenger bag surfaces could be sticky and/or contaminated. They then removed and disposed of the gloves before the safety demo.
It gave me a new perspective because I'd never seen that before, and something I'd consider suggesting to people I work with in the future.
I fly AA a lot, and I find the constant wearing of nitrile gloves to subtly communicate that inflight crew believe passengers to be disgusting animals who they need to shield themselves against at all times. I'd understand wearing them during trash collection, but during boarding too? It sends a message.
Good! They always look so stupid wearing gloves all the time. Now fix their laziness and general sloppy appearance.
@DJT: Once again, what does any of this have to do with you? You don't want to wear a mask, don't wear one. Is your life so meaningless that this, what someone does for their own comfort impacts you so greatly? You have issues.
A shame you did not visit several Asian countries before COVID, where wearing of mask was somewhat the norm.
Yeah, the approach you describe American FA's doing is pretty gross- it transfers germs just as effectively (or more) than bare skin and does nothing to protect the FA - there's not a lot of things in the microbial world that are transdermal. It would also discourage the FA from washing their hands (since they need to remove and replace gloves each time).
It would make sense if there's anything specifically "gross" to clean up, before cleaning lavs, for trash pickup. But if you handle my food trays with your gloves on, how was that any more sanitary than doing it with bare hands? Same exposure for everybody involved, but with more plastic waste involved.
I like when they use the gloves throughout service, touching everything, then go make themselves a meal or drink and pull out their phone, scrolling with the same gloves on. More disgusting than just not wearing gloves in the first place.
You do know you can wash your hands with gloves on, right?
I use gloves to protect my skin from certain chemicals I encounter, not just to avoid “germs”. They also serve as a reminder not to touch my face or other things. They also provide better grip for some purposes. Sometimes I wear them to protect a cut on my fingers.
There are a multitude of reasons one might wear gloves. Taking them away is shortsighted.
FA here. Whenever another FA asks if I want gloves, I reply, "I'm already wearing gloves... they are made of skin." Honestly, this sudden uptick in wearing gloves for all phases of service confounds me. I get it at trash time, but sometimes I'll raw-dog it and then when done, simply wash my hands thoroughly. I'm still standing.
As crew, I only wear gloves during rubbish collection, and also when doing my galley checks (as a lot of the trolleys and canisters are filthy).
I don’t fully understand why some crew wear gloves during service, but at the same time, it doesn’t bother me.
If it makes them feel more safe in their job, why does it matter?
My airline has also recently redefined it glove wearing policy, and has told us not to wear them except for rubbish collection, and during medical situations, though I believe this is overbearing. It should be up to the crew members comfortability.
Also, unfortunately we don’t always get to wash our hands. When there’s a queue for the toilets non-stop, sometimes hand washing gets missed. So I do understand why some resort to wearing gloves.
And how do you know they don’t change their gloves? It’s usually done in the galley where you can’t see them, I wear them during the service because it gives me gripping power for opening minis, water bottles, etc. also if I have a cut or sore. After trash pick up disposing of their gloves is the first thing I see and personally do! Unless you are following a flight attendant around the whole flight, please don’t assume you know what we do!!!!
I wear my gloves during every service. I refuse to pick up trash without them no gloves no trash pick up. I picked up Mersa on the aircraft before Covid and why are you ask? I picked up a dirty cup without gloves. A passenger in business class had it. On the flight back I started having all of the symptoms. I ended with the hospital for seven days and 2 surgeries. So you still think gloves are not a good idea think again and I’m not the only one.
Funny that you are not the one that has to touch peoples credit cards and hope the person handing you there credit has washed their hands or sanitized their credit card before handing it over to someone. Do you ever look closely at the floor where the girt bar attaches? Since Covid they don’t clean the planes, carts or safety equipment. There is no more sanitizer given to flight attendants or passengers and the soap in the bathroom is so drying that you skin cracks after 2 uses on a daily bases. So before you criticize something you have no clue about why don’t you ask a F/A why they are using the gloves.
Have you seen a lot of people that fly today some of them haven’t bathed in a week and smell the high heaven. Do you think they have clean hands or any part of their body is clean ? no.people now fly in pajamas they rolled out of bed with and they don’t brush their teeth, either not all of them but a lot of them. How many times do people have dirty diapers and hand them to the Flight Attendants? Then expect them to touch them and throw them away would you touch one? I will continue wearing gloves even I’ve had to buy them myself. My health is more important than any passenger.
Just so you know, many people change their gloves when they eat, when they do drinks, or pick up! They are always a different pair of blue gloves! =_= I use gloves to arm doors, I use gloves for pick up trash, and sometimes to reorganize the carts. And they are ALWAYS a different pair of blue gloves
I am one of the globe wearing flight attendants(and mask). If I took a poll… majority like about 80% of all men do not wash their hands after using the laboratory. Yes we hear the water and yes the water continues to run. When we are handing out mainly beverages, they proceed to touch our hands when delivering the beverages. Now I am serving YOU after this passenger tranfers whatever they have on their hands. I am healthier than I have ever been in this industry. This author has no idea how often we change gloves unless he is following the flight attendant through the cabin. We change after every service. Unfortunately this is a cost cutting measure that is not related to safety and customer service. Everyone bring hand sanitizer on your flight.
Just yesterday, there was a lady who was putting her fingers between her toes as I asked if she would like something to drink. Gross! Let’s not mention how many men come out of the restroom without taking the time to wash their hands. Would you like me to grab you a drink after I’ve touched hands that’s been on their toes and penis?
I’ll bring my own damn gloves. I am responsible for keeping my body safe from all the bullshit germs were exposed to on an airplane, not American. I will be protecting myself, and if American has a problem with that then so be it. And the same goes for the clown who authored this thread.