One of the perks of being a flight attendant is travel. Jumping on a plane for work and ending the day in another country offers an excellent opportunity for exploration. Now, during contract disputes, American Airlines looks to shorten the amount of time their flight attendants explore. Another hit to their flight attendants.
American Airlines Wants to Shorten Flight Attendant’s Rest
According to the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), American Airlines works to change its protocols. Their first order of business is to reduce the minimum amount of time that their flight attendants have to rest.
Flight attendants currently find themselves embroiled in contract update talks with the airline. American Airlines negotiators proposed a motion to lower rest times from the current 14 hours to just 10 hours.
“The idea that one is going to fly to Europe, get to the hotel, settle down and be back at the airport within ten hours is completely unacceptable,” the union told its members in a memo. “We have a number of differences discussed below for both domestic and international rest and other provisions, but this is one area where the company is looking for a major concession, and have been told in no uncertain terms we are not interested,” the memo continued. “This will be subject to further discussion, but the rest, both domestic and international, is a major issue.”
Turnaround Time isn’t the Union’s Only Mission
The union isn’t limiting labor talks with their flight attendant’s turnaround time. They are now pressuring the airline to mirror Delta’s move to pay their flight attendants for boarding. Starting June 2 of this year, Delta Airlines is paying their flight attendants when they begin boarding. This is a change from the long-accepted policy to pay them when the cabin doors close. These battles drive a deeper wedge between the airline and their flight attendants following the mass firing.
