Fighting cabin crew
Mar 7, 2016, 10:25 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 85
Fighting cabin crew
I have been sitting on the Tarmac at MIA to fly to MEX for coming up to 3 hours. We taxied out towards the runway before two members of cabin crew had a disagreement, ending with one of them calling the captain and asking to be removed as she was unable to work with this person.
We taxied back to the gate and the crew member left. After a wait, a new member of crew boarded the plane, the door was closed and we were told we were moments away from leaving. Moments passed, and more moments, before the jet-bridge once again joined the aircraft and the door was opened, followed by an announcement from the pilot that he and the first officer were out of flying hours. He announced that they are looking for a new crew.
The current situation as it stands is there is apparently a replacement crew who will arrive in "at least an hour" (that was an hour ago) there is no indication on an actual time that a replacement cockpit crew will arrive. Despite this, the captain and ground staff have given people the option to leave the aircraft and go into the airport.
So now we are sat on the plane, with no idea how much longer for, the flight was entirely full, half of the seats are empty from all the passengers who have gone to wander around the airport, most of whom presumably have bags checked in and loaded in the hold.
This is all because 2 members of crew cannot get along in a work environment, and one has gone further than this and actually turned a full aircraft around. What is not really understandable is the lack of information we are currently experiencing and the frankly ludicrous idea of allowing some passengers back into the airport without any real idea of what is happening.
I can only imagine the financial cost and knock on effects of an event like this to AA. It is also going to have consequences for a lot of passengers no doubt, myself and my group are certainly going to have issues with our business in Mexico thanks to this delay. It also doesn't help we are running off 2 hours sleep in 48 hours.
I feel slightly held captive on this aircraft currently.
We taxied back to the gate and the crew member left. After a wait, a new member of crew boarded the plane, the door was closed and we were told we were moments away from leaving. Moments passed, and more moments, before the jet-bridge once again joined the aircraft and the door was opened, followed by an announcement from the pilot that he and the first officer were out of flying hours. He announced that they are looking for a new crew.
The current situation as it stands is there is apparently a replacement crew who will arrive in "at least an hour" (that was an hour ago) there is no indication on an actual time that a replacement cockpit crew will arrive. Despite this, the captain and ground staff have given people the option to leave the aircraft and go into the airport.
So now we are sat on the plane, with no idea how much longer for, the flight was entirely full, half of the seats are empty from all the passengers who have gone to wander around the airport, most of whom presumably have bags checked in and loaded in the hold.
This is all because 2 members of crew cannot get along in a work environment, and one has gone further than this and actually turned a full aircraft around. What is not really understandable is the lack of information we are currently experiencing and the frankly ludicrous idea of allowing some passengers back into the airport without any real idea of what is happening.
I can only imagine the financial cost and knock on effects of an event like this to AA. It is also going to have consequences for a lot of passengers no doubt, myself and my group are certainly going to have issues with our business in Mexico thanks to this delay. It also doesn't help we are running off 2 hours sleep in 48 hours.
I feel slightly held captive on this aircraft currently.
Mar 7, 2016, 11:10 am
#2
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 110
Ugh-mazing..I hope someone taped this on their cellphone. Would make for an interesting newsbit. I wonder what type of compensation, if any, they would offer the passengers who were delayed due to this..
Mar 7, 2016, 11:37 am
#4
Moderator: American AAdvantage
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Location: NorCal - SMF area
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Posts: 62,948
Nice public display of unprofessional behavior. 
Sounds like potential self-termination (I hope). If you absolutely can't work with your colleagues, go do something that doesn't require collaboration and teamwork. On your way out, ponder "workplace trust is not based on 'workplace like'".
Maybe AA will even have grounds. Wanna estimate the ultimate costs from this little episode?
Sounds like potential self-termination (I hope). If you absolutely can't work with your colleagues, go do something that doesn't require collaboration and teamwork. On your way out, ponder "workplace trust is not based on 'workplace like'".
Maybe AA will even have grounds. Wanna estimate the ultimate costs from this little episode?
Mar 7, 2016, 11:54 am
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
It might not happen but the offending FAs should be immediately fired. There is no excuse of not being able to work together. Come on, how complex are FA service duties? Really how difficult is it to ask someone what they want to drink then pour what they want. How can there be an argument over something so simple?
Mar 7, 2016, 11:55 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
Posts: 31,789
Terrible display of non-professionalism, but good thing it happened on the ground. Few weeks ago, DL had to divert a LAX-MSP flight to SLC because FAs were fighting, and three of the four were put off the flight by the Captain at SLC (and rumours were that they'd face termination).
The passengers are lucky that this happened at the hub, where replacement FAs (and pilots) are theoretically available. Can you imagine if this happened at an out-station? The lack of replacements would give the crew an incentive to "try to get along" but that could have disastrous consequences once up in the air.
The passengers are lucky that this happened at the hub, where replacement FAs (and pilots) are theoretically available. Can you imagine if this happened at an out-station? The lack of replacements would give the crew an incentive to "try to get along" but that could have disastrous consequences once up in the air.
Mar 7, 2016, 12:10 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Mar 7, 2016, 12:23 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Since I have little patience for this kind of behavior, I'd probably be trying to drum up local media attention at both origin and destination via Twitter.
Mar 7, 2016, 12:45 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
Posts: 31,789
I doubt that. The other FAs would have noticed that right away, probably in the crew room, before they walked to the gate, and they would have prevailed upon their co-worker to remove themself from the flight - FAs would have taken care of their own in that instance.
Mar 7, 2016, 1:09 pm
#12
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 526
I'm sure the FA union will fight to save their " Professional Staff " . Remember the removed thread about the CLT FA that struck an Air Marshall ? There needs to be an FA with some authority on each flight. Kind of like a Union Steward ! The pilot has other things to do than deal with children.
Real unions police their own in times like this. I know as I have been in a union where stewards made it one of their main tasks to put an end to folks that make the rank and file look like a bunch of idiots.
At the start of my first job , a senior steward told me that I was to do my job as the contract stated and to the best of my ability. If I did not , I need not worry about the company as he would see to it I was gone. End of discussion. Very few problems with the workforce when you have mature leadership.
Real unions police their own in times like this. I know as I have been in a union where stewards made it one of their main tasks to put an end to folks that make the rank and file look like a bunch of idiots.
At the start of my first job , a senior steward told me that I was to do my job as the contract stated and to the best of my ability. If I did not , I need not worry about the company as he would see to it I was gone. End of discussion. Very few problems with the workforce when you have mature leadership.
Mar 7, 2016, 1:10 pm
#13
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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We have no idea whether the crew member who requested to be removed was justified in her request or was at fault in the underlying dispute in part or in full. You may be assured that AA will investigate and take some action if it is warranted.
OP says that he feels "held captive" in one sentence, but in another notes that the Captain has advised passengers that they are free to offload and roam a bit. That seems a bit inconsistent. In this situation, I would immediately offload and, if the Captain had not authorized it, would ask for permission to do so.
Crew are trained for this. If they feel unsafe or don't believe that they can perform their safety and security duties, this is what they are supposed to do. Thus, AA will tred a bit carefully.
As to letting the passengers off the plane, that is the unfortunate consequence of the tarmac delay rule. The Captain really has no ability to prevent that under these circumstances without incurring eye-popping fines and, to be frank, there is little to be gained from making people sit onboard when they could be in a more relaxed environment.
When the new crew shows up, the flight will be called and them what have wandered too far will wind up watching the aircraft push from the wrong side of the aircraft, e.g. the gate.
AA will likely make some decent customer service gesture here in the form of some miles or a voucher. That will be of more use to some than others.
OP says that he feels "held captive" in one sentence, but in another notes that the Captain has advised passengers that they are free to offload and roam a bit. That seems a bit inconsistent. In this situation, I would immediately offload and, if the Captain had not authorized it, would ask for permission to do so.
Crew are trained for this. If they feel unsafe or don't believe that they can perform their safety and security duties, this is what they are supposed to do. Thus, AA will tred a bit carefully.
As to letting the passengers off the plane, that is the unfortunate consequence of the tarmac delay rule. The Captain really has no ability to prevent that under these circumstances without incurring eye-popping fines and, to be frank, there is little to be gained from making people sit onboard when they could be in a more relaxed environment.
When the new crew shows up, the flight will be called and them what have wandered too far will wind up watching the aircraft push from the wrong side of the aircraft, e.g. the gate.
AA will likely make some decent customer service gesture here in the form of some miles or a voucher. That will be of more use to some than others.
Last edited by Often1; Mar 8, 2016 at 11:10 am
Mar 7, 2016, 1:10 pm
#14
Join Date: Dec 2009
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