Exhausted FA's build 'fort'
Oct 2, 2011, 11:22 am
#31
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With regard to the topic of Main Course Meals, the direction to use the “selection of all meals boarded including crew meals to ensure premium passengers are provided their first choice” is erroneous. Flight Attendants who place orders for special crew meals are under no obligation to relinquish those meals in order to satisfy the “first” or any meal choice of a premium passenger. Crew Meals are negotiated to ensure that working crew members are properly nourished in order to meet their safety and security responsibilities and the ability to order special meals is intended to facilitate that negotiated intent. The ability to order special meals in lieu of crew meals is a mutually understood practice that has been in effect since January of 1995. Flight Attendants flying in the purser position should not use crew meals or special meals ordered in lieu of crew meals or any components of these meals as passenger meal components. Using these special meals would deprive a working flying partner or her/his Contractual entitlement to a crew meal and would be a violation of the Contract and we have notified the company as such.
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http://unitedafa.org/news/dearafa/default.aspx
Oct 2, 2011, 12:02 pm
#32
Join Date: Jul 2002
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So, a cabin depressurization or rapid loss of altitude and the FAs laying on the floor of the galley are flopping all around...... that is simply not what AA nor the flight attendant's union would tell you to expect. I don't need babying, but in my mind, this is simply not doing your job in any sense of the word, and should be reported.
Oct 2, 2011, 12:46 pm
#33
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Details are vague to protect the simultaneously guilty/innocent! On a recent overnight flight (departs late evening, arrives early next morning) on a 767-300, the clearly overworked FA's made themselves a nice fort up front (me being in J). The curtains were drawn across the right side of front galley with carts strategically placed and 'linked' so that pax could only access the rear-most lav and all of the galley (and front lav/cockpit door) was completely sealed. I peeked, and it looked to me like 4 FA's were sound asleep though I'm not 100% positive on all of them. One of them was snoring - on the floor! He had grabbed duvet's and pillows and was sprawled between the door and jumpseat.
Ironically - service was EXCELLENT! They did a great job during boarding, were super active during the meal service, everybody got the A+ treatment! Somebody must have set an alarm clock because breakfast service was the same - fantastic. My only issue is I slightly prefer the front lav for the bit of extra room as I'm tall and kinda fat.
So...no complaints here! I wouldn't mind the crosswords, people magazine reading, gossiping, etc if they at least make a major effort during the important periods - boarding, meals, descent. Gonna send a complimentary letter to AA, leaving out the 'fort' part.
Misogynists - this was mostly an all-male FA flight. Discuss.
Ironically - service was EXCELLENT! They did a great job during boarding, were super active during the meal service, everybody got the A+ treatment! Somebody must have set an alarm clock because breakfast service was the same - fantastic. My only issue is I slightly prefer the front lav for the bit of extra room as I'm tall and kinda fat.
So...no complaints here! I wouldn't mind the crosswords, people magazine reading, gossiping, etc if they at least make a major effort during the important periods - boarding, meals, descent. Gonna send a complimentary letter to AA, leaving out the 'fort' part.
Misogynists - this was mostly an all-male FA flight. Discuss.
How anyone can justify this behavior is beyond me.
But pictures would have been EPIC !
HP
Oct 2, 2011, 1:43 pm
#34
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Do you really think your safety is at all at risk when you're cruising at 36,000 feet without a babysitter monitoring the cabin for you? If so, I highly suggest that you hire attendants to cross the street with you and drive with you in your car, since both activities are much more dangerous.
Oct 2, 2011, 1:58 pm
#35
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FAs are not like the rest of us! They have a job in which they are not able to step out for a 15-min coffee or a 1-hr lunch break! They are working continuously (and get paid continuously) from the moment the aircraft door closes until the moment it opens at the destination. They are "on duty" throughout the flight.
So, the unions negotiated for crewrest times and the details of those breaks during the flights. But they remain "on duty" at all times to ensure the safety of the passengers.
Oct 2, 2011, 2:03 pm
#36
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If you would have read the post correctly, what I posted was that this is the line that FA's have been using for years, that they are there "primarily for your safety". Bottom line is that on most Asian carriers you don't see the pilots and FA's making a huge deal about their need to rest for a 7-8 hour flight.
By contrast, in the USA many carriers have FAs who have 35, 40, even 45 years of service with the company. (Once I met a Purser with 51 years of service!) They are the true veterans of the industry, having given their entire working lives to service as FAs. Very different mentality from Asia--in the USA, being an FA is a profession/career, not just a job.
Sure they are there for safety, but their primary purpose is to provide a nice, professional level of service.
- FAA
- airlines
- FA unions
Oct 2, 2011, 2:06 pm
#37
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FAs are not like the rest of us! They have a job in which they are not able to step out for a 15-min coffee or a 1-hr lunch break! They are working continuously (and get paid continuously) from the moment the aircraft door closes until the moment it opens at the destination. They are "on duty" throughout the flight.
So, the unions negotiated for crewrest times and the details of those breaks during the flights. But they remain "on duty" at all times to ensure the safety of the passengers.
So, the unions negotiated for crewrest times and the details of those breaks during the flights. But they remain "on duty" at all times to ensure the safety of the passengers.
Oct 2, 2011, 2:06 pm
#38
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Oct 2, 2011, 2:07 pm
#39
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FAs are not like the rest of us! They have a job in which they are not able to step out for a 15-min coffee or a 1-hr lunch break! They are working continuously (and get paid continuously) from the moment the aircraft door closes until the moment it opens at the destination. They are "on duty" throughout the flight.
So, the unions negotiated for crewrest times and the details of those breaks during the flights. But they remain "on duty" at all times to ensure the safety of the passengers.
So, the unions negotiated for crewrest times and the details of those breaks during the flights. But they remain "on duty" at all times to ensure the safety of the passengers.
Last edited by sukn; Oct 2, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Oct 2, 2011, 2:20 pm
#40
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[QUOTE=GB;17208269Bottom line is that on most Asian carriers you don't see the pilots and FA's making a huge deal about their need to rest for a 7-8 hour flight. Sure they are there for safety, but their primary purpose is to provide a nice, professional level of service. I don't understand the level of fuss made for rest on a 8-9 hour Trans Atlantic flight. That is a normal working day for the rest of us.[/QUOTE]
In terms of Euro and US/Canada/Aussie carriers, pilot rest is mandated on long flights. Its not just a matter of union rules. Union rules, however, may determine exactly how many pilots are on board and whether, for example, the crew consists of a Captain and three FO's or two Captains and two FO's. Not sure how much the FA rest periods are mandated.
Curious how specific the service standards manual is regarding rest periods and why AA doesn't attempt to enforce it.
In terms of Euro and US/Canada/Aussie carriers, pilot rest is mandated on long flights. Its not just a matter of union rules. Union rules, however, may determine exactly how many pilots are on board and whether, for example, the crew consists of a Captain and three FO's or two Captains and two FO's. Not sure how much the FA rest periods are mandated.
Curious how specific the service standards manual is regarding rest periods and why AA doesn't attempt to enforce it.
Oct 2, 2011, 2:25 pm
#41
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FAs are not like the rest of us! They have a job in which they are not able to step out for a 15-min coffee or a 1-hr lunch break! They are working continuously (and get paid continuously) from the moment the aircraft door closes until the moment it opens at the destination. They are "on duty" throughout the flight.
So, the unions negotiated for crewrest times and the details of those breaks during the flights. But they remain "on duty" at all times to ensure the safety of the passengers.
So, the unions negotiated for crewrest times and the details of those breaks during the flights. But they remain "on duty" at all times to ensure the safety of the passengers.
Oct 2, 2011, 2:27 pm
#42
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Honestly when I read threads like this I just thing to myself how glad I am that 125,000 airline jobs have been slashed in the past decade, how many flights have been outsourced to regionals, and the stagnant pay and deteriorating working conditions for the FAs. While it's never good to paint everyone in a workgroup with the same brush the fact is lately good service is the exception not the norm on AA.
Oct 2, 2011, 2:30 pm
#43
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The FAs work the entire time during the flights? Tell me which AA flights you frequent. On many of my flights the FAs talk loudly, read magazines and rarely leave the galley/jump seat area. A couple weeks back the FAs on 25 7:30am BOS-LAX did not BEVERAGE service until 70 minutes after wheels up. No joke. The lady behind me rang her bell to request something and was scolded that they "still getting things together". So either you're blind sighted or must have some compelling interest as an employee and union advocate for the APFA/AFA/IAM.
I think you might have misinterpreted my post. I was trying to communicate that FAs are "on the clock" for the entire duration of the flight. I was not commenting on their level of productivity, which I think is a highly subjective datum point. Yes, I frequently see FAs chatting over coffee or reading magazines or playing Sudoku on their iPads. But if their responsibility after meal service is to stay awake to monitor the cabin, perhaps that's how they can do so most effectively after many hours on duty (and several segments, in some cases of domestic FAs). FAs are people, after all, not robots. And they happen to be in a highly visible work environment. Would you like it if your customers/constituents knew how often you went to the lav, or how much coffee you drank, or which magazines you read during "downtime" at work?
I have no connection to any crew unions; I'm just trying to stand up for our good friends out there who are FAs! I think that the vast majority of them deserve nothing but our utmost respect for delivering professional service in a tumultuous industry that offers its employees constant challenges and a completely unpredictable work environment every day.
Oct 2, 2011, 2:31 pm
#44
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It sounds like if they were using extra duvets there must have been open seats in J, so it's surprising they just didn't take over open J seats.
I've experienced what OP did once or twice on 763s although it was only the galley they had blocked off. It was a bit annoying as they didn't respond to call buttons.
The only other experiences where I have seen crew treat themselves as pax or pax + with general indifference to the real pax was some of the former Eastern European airlines.
On AA, I find the more senior the FAs, the more chance of lackluster service or indifference. YMMV
I've experienced what OP did once or twice on 763s although it was only the galley they had blocked off. It was a bit annoying as they didn't respond to call buttons.
The only other experiences where I have seen crew treat themselves as pax or pax + with general indifference to the real pax was some of the former Eastern European airlines.
On AA, I find the more senior the FAs, the more chance of lackluster service or indifference. YMMV
Oct 2, 2011, 2:41 pm
#45
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I think you might have misinterpreted my post. I was trying to communicate that FAs are "on the clock" for the entire duration of the flight. I was not commenting on their level of productivity, which I think is a highly subjective datum point. Yes, I frequently see FAs chatting over coffee or reading magazines or playing Sudoku on their iPads. But if their responsibility after meal service is to stay awake to monitor the cabin, perhaps that's how they can do so most effectively after many hours on duty (and several segments, in some cases of domestic FAs). FAs are people, after all, not robots. And they happen to be in a highly visible work environment. Would you like it if your customers/constituents knew how often you went to the lav, or how much coffee you drank, or which magazines you read during "downtime" at work?
I have no connection to any crew unions; I'm just trying to stand up for our good friends out there who are FAs! I think that the vast majority of them deserve nothing but our utmost respect for delivering professional service in a tumultuous industry that offers its employees constant challenges and a completely unpredictable work environment every day.
I have no connection to any crew unions; I'm just trying to stand up for our good friends out there who are FAs! I think that the vast majority of them deserve nothing but our utmost respect for delivering professional service in a tumultuous industry that offers its employees constant challenges and a completely unpredictable work environment every day.