The Association of Professional Flight Attendants and Allied Pilots Association (APFA) on Tuesday claims that American Airlines failed to provide hotels during layovers. The labor unions represent the 40,000 American Airlines pilots and flight attendants.
In a statement by APFA National President Julie Hedrick, “We have Flight Attendants sleeping in airports and outside of baggage claim due to the company not providing hotel accommodations in a timely manner”. She also added that “Crew rest is being impacted, and clean, comfortable, and quiet rooms are not being provided for required rest”.
American Airlines answered the APFA statement and said that they are looking at the concerns closely. According to the airline, “Taking care of our crewmembers while they’re away from home is a priority for American”.
APFA Complaint is Just an “Anomaly”
On July 17, American Airlines flight attendants had to sleep overnight at the Glacier Park International Airport, Montana. It was reported that the flight attendants had to sleep on cots after a flight was delayed.
Unfortunately, there weren’t available hotel rooms in the area. The crew was originally going to return to American Airlines’ New York base on the same day.
The airline tried to find hotel accommodations even those that are three hours away. Unfortunately, there were no available rooms since there was a large music festival in the area. The spokeswoman called the incident an “anomaly”. The company also said that they are going to prevent this incident from happening again.
Increased Flights to Smaller Airports
While international flights remain low, airlines expanded their domestic operations. Some airlines even reported that the travel domestic demand is now back to 2019 levels. Some airlines are now also offering services to smaller airports that serve as gateways to outdoor destinations that are popular during the pandemic. However, some airlines are struggling to keep up with the current travel demand.
