Can't remember how much, but it used to be about 12 grand a year to start. I'm sure it's a little more now. But still not enough to live off of in any meaningful way. I know, I used to work there, but not as an F/A.
They're in a bad spot. Some get hung up on the fact that DOT technically considers American Eagle Airlines to be a major airline because of the 1 billion in revenue marker that DOT uses. Unfortunately, that 1 billion or 2 billion by now probably is earned on high seat mile cost regional jets. They just happen to fly so many of them that the revenue multiplies itself up to 2 billion. Unfortunately, that doesn't change the cost/revenue per seat mile equation all that much. The seat/mile economics of the airline are still the same as Chautaqua, Republic, Air Wis, Mesaba, whoever. In short, Eagle is a regional airline and the employees are going to get paid regional airline pay. If they strike, it'll be a pain for a little while, but AA will simply farm out the flying to any of the number of RJ providers out there and that will be that.