Originally Posted by PresRDC
Sluggo or AAFA can correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding of the Purser's role on AA is more of a "first among equals" rather than a supervisor. In fact, my understanding is that do not actually have supervisory authority, but rather are responsible for coordination among the FAs, PA announcements, international paperwork and meal service in the most premium cabin.
As for which flights get Pursers, I think it is all mainline international flights (including the Carribbean, not sure about Canada or Mexico) and three-class domestic flights.
As Sluggo has pointed out there are certain things the purser can do.
As you have stated the purser role is not always the on board leader but merely the "first among equals". AA would ideally like the purser to believe that they purser role is more of an onboard manager. They do not grant the purser any special abilities that the other FA's don't have that make this so, and the pay has significantly decreased to fly this role. Therefore the FA's who still fly this position, which I am no longer one, range greatly in motivation levels. Meaning that some pursers can get things done and straighten out the bad seed FA's and others would rather simply coast along and get paid to make announcements and do paperwork and nothing more.
In most cases, however, if your experiences are really terrible and the FA in question is really out of line you should always inform the purser because they may actually be able to do something for you and at the least they will either personally, or through company or union channels, have the FA straightened out. The bottom line is that the more bad apples we have in the barrel the more problems we all will have trying to get our jobs done. We don't want the bad ones on the line any more than you do.