Originally Posted by
lancebanyon
jackal, are FAs routinely given the opportunity to rotate into back office or management positions and still retain their benefits? I've often wondered why so many FAs stay in customer facing roles long after they have wearied of the position. I watched an episode of 'Airport - Frankfurt' a few years ago where they monitored a new LH FA on her maiden flight to Caracas. At the end of the flight she was in tears saying she had no idea how horrible the passengers were going to be. Pretty eye opening.
I'm sorry if I gave you the impression, but I'm not an FA, nor do I work in the airline industry. I do work in the travel/tourism business but not for an airline.
I don't believe, however, from my conversations with friends who are airline employees, that there is any established procedure for moving from being an FA into management. An FA who wishes to do so has to apply for the job just like anyone else. Perhaps having been with the company for some time gives them a slight leg up (all other requirements being equally met).
As far as retaining their benefits, in most cases, all employees of an airline, regardless of position, have flight benefits. Some of the details may change (e.g. if a pilot were to move into management, he'd probably lose his jumpseat privileges), and the other ancillary benefits (health insurance, etc.) may change (especially ones that are union-negotiated).
I'm not sure how moving into management would affect a flight attendant's seniority or how easy it would be to move back into being an FA if he or she decided it was more fun (!).
Originally Posted by
emanon256
My argument, which is just for arguments sake and I hope doesn't reflect badly as I know and like many FAs and know how vital they are, is that why would the F/As on-duty clock start when they get to the airport, not when they get to their post? I don't know of any other jobs where a chunk getting to work counts toward your on-duty time. If this is the case, FAs really should be paid from when they get to the airport, and by all means bypass the line. Thus paid from when they go On-Duty. I know the FAA and airlines would never go for that, but if it counts toward their duty, it should be paid.
It just seems like an un-balance that when almost every other employee everywhere has to go wait in all kinds of lines to get to work, the Crew does not because their duty starts when they get to the airport, not their post.
I took a brief break from customer service one summer and worked for a railroad, which is subject to similar duty-time limitations (albeit under a different act of Congress, I believe, so things may not match up with FAA restrictions). Despite working for about six months, I still never quite got the full hang of the hours of service limitations, but there were some differences in the way the Federal Railroad Administration counted hours of service and on-duty time and the way the railroad counted hours for pay purposes. I'm not sure I'm remembering correctly, but it
may have been that, for crews away from their domicile, the on-duty time started when the railroad vehicle picked the crew up from the hotel, since that was considered the time they reported for duty. Perhaps something similar happens with airline crews? Again, I could be remembering incorrectly, though.