Any AA Flight Attendants Out There?
 

Does anyone know when the next meeting of <BR>the American Airlines flight attendants is? <BR>I just heard they vote whether to strike at that meeting, the strike would happen 30 days after the vote. Can anyone give me the timeframe? Thanks!

Vote is in early May, not nailed down yet. I expect we will strike. Consider making other plans. <BR> <BR>ps we are not here just to get you antother drink, but for your safety.

AADeb-As a frequent flyer, I know that safety is your number one priority. But, your job does include serving drinks to passengers, customer service etc. If you don't like it, you should be in another line of work.

I'm with freqent flyer. Seems the attitude of flight attendants these days borders on hostility and rudeness.....

Frequent Flyer, I remember you from last week. You boarded the AC with an attitude because we were delayed from an earlier ATC hold. You wanted a dewers rocks and handed me your coat and complained that you couldn't get your seat to recline. I showed you the button and served you your drink. As others were boarding and the ground staff had screwed up a family of five's seats, catering told me that the two special meals were not going to make it in time for push back. You snarled at the college kid returning home for spring break with the knapsnack that grazed your shoulder, and waved for another dewers. <BR> <BR>But I digress, all we are asking for is a decent wage and the chance for some better work conditions. I'm sure your wife, let alone your girlfriend would put up with the stuff you expect us to do.

and what about his brother or brother-in-law? Since when has being an airline attendant reverted back to being a female profession. I know several male attendants who are perfectly happy with their jobs (including one who works for American).

<BR>WTG AADeb! <BR> <BR>Wonder what FrequentFlyer does for a living and if he/she is so perfect at it that maybe a few people might suggest a change in professions for him. <BR> <BR>There are people who always know it all when it comes to other peoples's job duties and attitudes. <BR> <BR>Most flight attendants are great (I'll bet you're one of them). <BR> <BR>Good Luck

I absolutely HATE people who feel the need to tell other people what their job is and what they should just put up with!!! EVERYONE has a right to expect to be treated with respect. I have worked in service related fields for years, and it still amazes me how rude people can be. Some people must get off on it or something, I swear! Get a life and keep your attitudes at home!

"Frequent Flyer" is exactly the sort of person who has made flying grimmer and grimmer. And IMO, any attendant who gives FF a drink should be fired. Attendants should be there first for safety, second for welfare, and third for comfort -- but last of all as bar-maids and bar-men and -- because of that -- bouncers! <BR> <BR>On the other hand, I wish there were as much support for the ground crew and reservations agents as there seems to be for pilots and attendants when it comes to a "decent wage." Maybe with better salaries and better training, some of the most unpleasant and frustrating parts of dealing with airlines would improve.

I used to work with the public and I know firsthand it is difficult. You have to take the bad with the good or else you need to get in another line of work. I have found that the majority of flight attendants these days are surly, rude and downright nasty. If you can't handle working with the public, you need a career change. Why subject paying passengers to your dissatisfaction. <BR>

yea 4 bucks for a drink in coach

It's Dewar's, not dewer's - but sometimes it could be doers, or even do'ers, but never do'is, and I would really like it if it were do'mine.

Deb probably became a flight attendant because her grades were not good enough to get her into college. <BR> <BR>

Deb-You made the CHOICE to become a flight attendant. No one is holding a gun to your head. GET OVER IT! And, quit your whining.....

<BR> <BR>The past few posts will probably remind visitors to the forum what Deb has to put up with. <BR> <BR>Jerks from all other professions think that flight attendants have it easy. And that creepy "get over it." That is so 1990's! <BR> <BR>GOI! <BR> <BR>I'm guessing FF2 must be about eleven. <BR> <BR>

Isn't it interesting how such a simple and innocent travel question about a possibility of a strike ends up with such horrible name calling, political opinions, and posts that have absolutely nothing to do with the question. Talk about people needing to "get over it"!

Deb -- <BR> <BR>Thank you for what you do. Many people are most appreciative. Figure the few nasties who posted here have a hair across their whatever. <BR> <BR>I think it indicative of something that so many of the people with Bad Attitude here are concerned about alcohol supplies and costs. <BR> <BR>When I have a problem with a flight attendant, which has been rare, it's almost always because I'm a female traveling alone and don't have silver or gold or platinum status. <BR> <BR>This tells me that attendants are told to give better treatment to some than others, and my condolences to them because those "special" people are exactly the jerks who think they are entitled to something, particularly their booze. <BR> <BR>If you strike, there are still some people out there who understand that the idea of making money isn't to benefit a special few at the top of the food chain but to keep everyone working.

Sorry to disagree with you guys, but I feel the service and the attitude of flight attendants has deteriorated a lot in the last couple of years. Maybe because you are of the male persuasion, the female flight attendants are nicer to you.

We're taking our first trip to Europe in June, hopefully, on American Airlines. We purchased our tickets in January. It seems to me the AA attendants just want to be paid more and more to do less and less. Prepaid ticket holders deserve respect too. I'd bet those attendants don't give a hoot how many passengers they inconvenience and disappoint. Just so as they can get a raise. I guess I'll just be worrying myself silly between now and our departure date over whether we'll get to go. Stupid me, I chose AA over Delta/Air France, hoping to avoid the possibility of strikes.

As with most debated issues, the truth lies between the two poles here: <BR>Yes, on average flight attendants are less pleasant and offer less 'service' than they did 10-15 years ago. <BR>But, their working conditions are poorer, their relative pay still (always has been) poor, and...ohmygosh, how RUDE people have become in general! Fliers, drivers, people in line at the check-out stand, etc. All this serves to make flight attendants' jobs more difficult and the change in their 'attitudes' is understandable. <BR>Until people in general become less rude (yeah, right, that'll happen) and conditions improve for flight attendants, things will not improve...in First Class, in steerage, at the ticket counter, etc.

I work in reservations for a major airline and believe me, the traveling public can be very ugly. I travel extensively since I can, and most flight attendents on any airline are great considering what they have to put up with from some people. But with any labor action or irregular operations, we in reservations really get the brunt of it. We have been without a union contract for a year and a half and make less money than almost anyone at our airline. Just remember when you deal with any of us....flight attendents, reservations, gate agent, etc...you'll get further ahead by showing some common courtesy and respect!

I have been flying on Southwestern airlines for several years. The airline attendants used to appear to have alot of fun. Lately the attendants appear haggard and grouchy. I assume the working conditions are changing. I also assume this is true of other airlines.

Perhaps if the passengers on the plane were a little nicer to the flight attendants, they would receive friendlier service. Most people who complain of "rudeness" are the ones that were rude first! For some reason, people think that they can treat anyone that is in the service industry like sh*t just because they feel like it. You can't possibly expect to treat people however you feel like and still expect them to just take it and still be nice to you! The old saying of 'you will attract more bees with honey that with vinegar' comes to mind when reading some of these posts. Treat people with respect, and it will be returned to you! Otherwise, don't be suprised when your rudeness is returned! <BR> And to the people who say "deal with it or get of of the business", what would you do if every person in the service industry really did "get out of the business"? Who would service you? Who would you complain to and degrade then? This world would be a greater place if everyone gave each other the respect they deserved.

Is it the one or two passengers who are to blame, really? Or the low wages and poor working conditions? <BR>Attendants are waiting until the Passengers are respectful ....or a pay raise and improved working conditions <BR>before exceeding expectations?

Teri, it's Southwest. Not Southwestern. And I agree that they have the nicest flight attendants. I suspect it has something to do with casual dress, the fun corporate culture at SWA, etc.

All fellow f/a's. Wouldn't it be great it all these whinners could spend a day in our shoes (especially when there are weather delays, or ATC flow control). Maybe then they could appreciate the joys of being punched in the back, tripped, yelled at, insulted, and degraded. Being a f/a is the best job in the world, BUT it can also be the worst when you have passengers like FF!

Unless you have elite frequent flyer status, the flight attendants won't give you the time of day.

Flight attendants have become increasingly surly, hostile, unhelpful and unfriendly. I'm not asking for much here, maybe just the same level of civility one expects from the person who bags my groceries, rings up my bill, answers my phone call, etc. I am in the service industry, and if I barked orders at people and made no attempt to help them, I would be dispatched. I know they have a hard job, and there must be a lot of nasty customers, but I think that is true of other service professions, and other professionals seem to me to handle it better. <BR>

Okay, let's turn this unnecessarily antagonistic discussion into something more interesting -- and here's what I'm wondering: Does it make a difference who the flight attendants work for? <BR> <BR>1. To the attendants: have any of you worked for more than 1 airline? Does it make a difference to you? Do they emphasize service, courtesy, and/or do they train you to treat some people differently from others? How do they treat you -- and doesn't that affect how you treat passengers? <BR> <BR>2. To the disgruntled travellers: Have you observed a difference from one airline to another? Are there some airlines whose attendants seem to be all-around nicer than others? Does everyone feel that coach passengers are slighted in favor of business/first class?

I didn't want to get drawn into the fray on this one, but after reading the increasingly antagonistic responses I simply can't help it. I have never had issue with a flight attendant - guess I've just been lucky. However, I would have to argue that the basic difference between other service industry jobs (salespeople, cashiers, gas attendants, waiters) has got to be the clientele. I would not imagine that many grocery store cashiers ever feel quite as threatened or as trapped as a flight attendant when faced with a tired, frustrated, angry traveler. I also hear very, very few examples of outright violence towards waitresses, salespeople in stores, etc. There's really no room for comparison there. As someone who has worked in a much less stressful job, as a salesgirl in a high-end clothing store in a resort area, I know that after all of the rude people it's hard to put on a smile for the nice people. And unfortunately it's rarely the nice people who are remembered. I would imagine that travelers get nastier and nastier, and flight attendants have to worry more and more about being threatened and abused - it's no surprise they aren't always happy. Seems like an incredibly high-stress environment to me. They've got my support.

Have to somewhat disagree with you Lizzie. As a waitress I have had my share of obnoxious drunks grabbing at me and lewd comments and people stiffing me. It takes a special person to handle working with the public in any capacity and a boatload of patience. Yes, it is hard sometimes to put a smile on my face, but that's my job. If you can't deal with the public and the stress that goes along with it, you need to get into another line of work...

Gotta wonder how much ALCOHOL has to do with all that rudeness, combined with fear, yes fear, of being in a confined space. I think Flight attendants have a tougher job than most service folks. I own a restaurant, and it almost always turns out that the nastiest customers are drinking... couple that with a confined space, and watch out!

I sure hope the flight attendants and ground people too get large raises. The close quarters and working conditions combine for a difficult job. I doubt if anything will get better with the space allocations on most airplanes. Drinking and air quality seem to be strong factors too. The air rage out there is way, way more common than in former years. My male counterpart ALWAYS gets more service than I do, regardless of what class we fly. He has noticed that too. <BR> <BR>Strikes hurt innocent bystanders. If you are striking and believe in your cause, at least have enough class to remember that the passenger is the reason for your job and not "the opposition."

It's too bad airline employees feel they need to strike but it's certainly their right. I just hope that they remember that such actions may bite them in the butt down the road. I flew American over 100,000 miles a year prior to the pilot work-slowdown/sickout two years ago and was a AAdvantage Platinum member. The pilots made the two weeks I had for vacation a miserable experience indeed...cancellations, missed connections, etc. I haven't stepped foot on an American aircraft since and it's cost that airline $120,000 of my company's money. Those bucks are now at Southwest and Continental, two carriers with relatively peaceful labor relations.

To Jennifer: <BR> <BR>Yes, but as a waitress (or salesperson, cashier, etc) you have the ability to walk out that door if a situation becomes violent or frightening. A flight attendant simply does not have that option.

Having just witnessed a fist fight on an American Airlines flight from Milan to Chicago on March 20, I want to say that the flight attendants did NOT put themselves anywhere near the brawl but seemed to avoid it much more than the passengers who got "rolled over" by the brawlers. The captain (1 of 3 pilots on an overseas flight) came out to secure the one passenger. Can't say they went out the door but I was closer than they were.

I think if it comes down to a strike, Bush will step in just like he did in the NW situation so air traffic will not be disrupted. And if he doesn't, American will shoot itself in the foot. And to those of you who feel the flight attendants need more money--just remember the raised will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher ticket prices....

Does anyone pay attention to what W. says about airline strikes and the economy in 2001? Maybe it's the one advantage we have of being inside the Beltway ... we hear. Why would he permit a strike to further threaten the situation? I think the AA flight attendants can hang in there for another year ... surely the transportation sector of the U.S. economy rates above this small group of folks, no matter how much we value them. Hey, AA, Delta pilots, and the rest of the disaffected in the ailrine industry, time to get a reality check. Your gripes are not even on the radar screen of what's important right now.

Leone you are absolutely right. The airlines are adding fuel surcharges to ticket prices and if they have to bump up ticket prices to accomodate pay raises this is not going to sit well with the flying public.

I still think that the service people deserve a raise and that it would bring better help into the industry. Fuel etc. will increase fares regardless. I remember when fares were much more prohibitive than in recent years. At least now you can go no-frills on ATA or Southwest, and there are other alternatives which can be cheaper. What I don't wish to see are all the smaller outfits getting swallowed up.