American Airlines Fires 50 Junior Flight Attendants

Almost every industry faces staffing issues on the backside of the pandemic as “The Great Resignation” swept the nation. After facing a quarantine keeping them from work, people decided that their work is worth more. While most companies do what they can to keep their staff, American Airlines is going in the opposite direction. The company reportedly fired fifty flight attendants for dereliction of duty this week. 

American Airlines Flight Attendants Not Holding Up Their End

Flight attendants are crucial to the operation of a flight from point A to B. They are the face of the airline for the passengers. They are the ones that deal with problems in the cabin and ensure that all passengers are comfortable. Therefore, when a flight attendant calls out from work, another one must step in quickly. The airlines handle this kind of situation by having flight attendants on reserve. They receive compensation for their time, but they don’t get called in most of the time. The more senior flight attendants typically take their shift, and the reservists are left home. 

Recently, American Airlines began to have problems with their flight attendants not showing up for their scheduled shifts. They have approximately two hours to report to their base airport if they are called in. Because flight attendants weren’t keeping up their end of the bargain, they received a memo to address the problem earlier this month. 

American Airlines Made Good on Their Promise

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the union representing AA flight attendants, has warned its members. 

“We have seen a significant uptick in investigations regarding reserves, not in position to accept an assignment while on a Reserve Availability Period (RAP). The Company is aggressively enforcing the requirements of JCBA Section 12.H.1. You must be able to report to the airport within two (2) hours/three (3) hours for a co-terminal while serving a RAP. 

If you are on Reserve and you have a triggering event such as a TM (no contact, trip missed), a MT (missed trip- you don’t show up), LC (late call out or sick on contact), or a late request of a PO, the Company will conduct a travel audit and compare it to your reserve schedule. They will conduct a 35R investigation. During this investigation, they will pull all your travel benefits history, including past, current AA listings, travel, and other airlines. They will use other evidence to substantiate their claim that a Flight Attendant was not in position to report within the contractual timeline.” The company has made good on the promise to fix the issue as they have fired 50 flight attendants for what they call dereliction of duty.