BenjaminNYC

This is sad. It makes me glad that, in the fall of 2004, I chose UA over AA for all future travel.

On UA, they just recently introduced their own "SOS" program. Every UA FA I've spoken to said they understand that the certs mean nothing in terms of money. However, they are ALWAYS very excited to have them. They go in their record, and make a positive difference. ^ ^

Seems typical of most (not all) AA FA's these days to say "we don't care".

JDiver

Uh, MOST FAs? I think the OP was about ONE FA who expressed dissatisfaction at a manager, and claimed she spoke for more.

Fortunately, this doesn't mean AA has written it off (yet.) And also fortunately, in my 133,759 miles with AA last year for instance, I ran into very few FAs who didn't do their job with some degree of pride and attentiveness, and did meet some outstanding ones to boot. (As I think about it, the ones who stood out for not being very good were on one particular UIO-MIA flight in May, 2003.)

Also in my experience, in comparison to a disgruntled FA exressing her opinion to a manager, every employee I have given my version of SOS coupon to have been delighted. But I don't think I will run over to the UA forum and post any of this, as it seems somewhat irrelevant to UA, and dare I mention, its bankruptcy issues.

Glad you found a good home, though.

BenjaminNYC

Too much hyperbole. Lo siento.

However, I do read the tone of the AA Board and the UA Board every day, and I get the sense there are many more unhappy pax here vs. over at UA. I know it's a small sample set, but it's a tone I sense...

I didn't mean to offend. I'm sorry Chuck had a bad experience with an AA FA. (I know that's tough for him.) I hope that FA doesn't represent the attitude of the FA's you encounter every day...

JDiver

Have you ever thought we may have more whiners over here than on the UA board? Uh, that didn't come out very well, did it? Maybe you guys just don;t get soy nuts - I understand they have an effect on one's temperament.

Seriously, I am glad you found the airline that suits you - that must include access and availability, etc. SoMe of those were the reasons I left CO. Why I left TW isn't even open for discussion...

HKG_Flyer1

Problem is, AA's compensation scheme and personnel policies relating to FAs are somewhere behind the U.S. Postal Service in terms of creativity and recognition of reality. Like the rest of the legacy carriers, AA has allowed a traditional union model to dominate its management of employee relations, with disastrous results.

In a traditional unionized production environment, management maintains at least a modicum of control since they can objectively monitor employee output and there are certain objective standards which can be enforced. The primary "output" of an FA (at least the only part that customers attribute any value to) consists of strong interpersonal skills... something which doesn't lend itself well to the application of a traditional organized labor model. IMHO, this is one reason why such a high % of AA's FAs (to be clear, a very small percentage, but large enough to have a significant negative impact on product value) are anti-social nutbags. We all know a loser when we see one, but how do you translate that into objective criteria that give mgmt the tools to terminate these whackos? As long as they keep on showing up for work and running the "defined benefit pension marathon," it's pretty hard.

CharlesMD

Actually, I don't think the FA in question was bad at all. She is actually really funny and nice and I enjoy flying with her. The point is that AA needs to give tangible recognition to FAs who are outstanding. While I agree that it is their job to be nice to people, a reward system could reinforce the good FAs. I also agree that AA's unions are a big problem in terms of improving service.

Anyhow, I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend and remember the reason for the holiday.

(Posted from a beachside cabana at the Kahala MO, where the sun just set and a light rain is starting to fall )

AAFA

Charles, as always, thanks for really caring.

I think the FA's you spoke with were not the majority. Most people I speak with would just be happy having some sort of recognition even without a tangible reward. The card is reward enough.

Naturally, the difference between the new SOS's and the old can be found wanting if they want to look at it that way. If they think about the fact that something is better than nothing they will get over it.

ratnamg

Why is Arpey the only one to blame? In the past few years Employee Benefits have been devalued across the board and across all industries! Most places have gone through lay-offs and Business Group consolidations. A lot perks have been discontinued. At some firms the employess stock purchase program has been either discontinued or reduced, at others employees are being told to pay more for Health Insurance and at some people have taken pay cuts. I also understand the employee morale is low at a lot of these companies.

It is very easy for us to pick on the leadership within AA or any other company and at the same time as stockholders we get frustrated when the company doesnt perform.

I agree that the SOS program was/will be a great program but the devaluation in these market conditions doesnt suprise me or anger me.

JDiver

My comments were more to indicate that an can be good on the job, yet (especially these days) be asked by someone, perhaps particularly someone seen as part of a continuing problem, a question about something like a devalued SOS and issue a "pushbutton "response like "you can put your new and toothless SOS repalcement where the sun never shines."

I'll keep toting my SOS replacements and the Starbrook Airlines chockies from Belgium with th enice old-timey airplanes and aircrew displayed on them. (I inquired as to where I could get them in the USA, but the reply was I have to get them in Belgium. They do sell them at BRU - Zaventem even... and they are decent chocolates.)

Cheers! (Headed to LHR, ATH, open jaw the Aegean on the 148-pax Wind Spirit, and IST for a couple of weeks...)

katysroth

To the AA FT community,

I used to receive AA SOS cards in the mail - small cards that you could fill out and give to an AA employee when they did something that you really appreciated.

I've been flying AA out of Austin (both old and new airports) for 8 years now. For 8 years, two AA employees have consistantly been more helpful than anyone else (Martha and "Duke"), including getting re-booked against all odds in order to get home in time for Thanksgiving... one of those crazy, stressful times in an airport when every flight is getting delayed, cancelled, and everyone is losing their minds, sitting on the floor, watching the clock.

In the current state of the industry, when everyone is overworked and underpaid, how does AA know that these two people are one of the reasons that AA in Austin gets my loyalty?

Sincerely,

Katy

sluggoaafa

THere are a couple of ways.

One, write a letter. Always the best way to let AA know why you continue to fly.

Two, if you want to let the employee know how satisfied you are with their service, then you can give them immediate feedback by using one of CharlesMD's SOSs.

New SOS for AA F/As

freeupgrade

go to aa.com - Contact Us - Customer Relations.

You can email a note to Customer Relations wiith employee names.

JDiver

I never gave up on SOS - and have my own "certificates" I give out (if you do an SOS search, you will come up with this and other strategies.) They include the specific reason(s) I think the recipient is "someone special," include my name and FFN information and include the statement that I will follow up and write AA.

AA employees never fail to acknowledge these enthusiastically - they can read and toss 'em, keep 'em or give them to their base management as tangible feedback from a satisfied customer. I also never fail to follow up and write AA. The pre-printed 1/3 page "certificate" makes it easy for me to give specific, positive and spontaneous feedback when it is due.

Sometimes I also carry some chocolate bars form a Belgian company (I get these in Belgium, inclduing BRU duty free, and on BA with duty free) titled "Starbrook Airlines," showing FAs, no, really Stewardesses, in 1950's costume - the only trouble with therse is that, though they are delicious to consume, mosyt of the ones I have handed out are met with "EAT these? I'm gonna KEEP this one!" (Wish I could get these in the US, but I've written the company and it isn't about to happen anytime soon.)

Anyway, I ask you to write AA and tell them specifically who, why and what - and if you run into these folks with any degree of regularity, give them a copy of the letter or e-mail you sent. I am not sure how long (or if it even happens evry time) AA takes to filter these back to an employee, but I don't like to take the chance they will never know...

MJonTravel

By all means, send an email or write a letter. I got a letter from our friend Don Carty himself once. A customer had sent a handwritten personal note to his attention. Now whether or not Carty really signed the letter to me.....who knows. But customer letters do get through the food chain, and they do mean a lot to most employees. I know they did to me.

magic111

I do write emails when someone goes out of the way. In one case the amount that the crew went out of the way for me was so exceptional that I made a donation to Make-a-Wish foundation and specifically wrote that it was because of the flight crew.

Do not know how it happens but on yesterday's flight (ord-dfw) the pilot announced that the FAs on our flight were an award-winning crew whom were going to DFW for a special ceremony. (was very good service on this flight) So it seems that there is some sort of acknowledgement and even incentive on a public level for those whom excel at their jobs