What American Eagle flights are assigned to LAX cabin crews?
Apr 22, 2019, 12:06 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LHR/SEA/YVR
Programs: BAEC G/*O E
Posts: 919
What American Eagle flights are assigned to LAX cabin crews?
A question to the community – is there a way to tell whether LAX cabin crew will be on a flight?
A bit of context (and, admittedly, a vent) – I do fly American Eagle aka Compass Airlines quite a bit and have noticed that while most of cabin crews (especially those based in PHX) are lovely, every time I fly with a crew from LAX it is a bit of a disaster. The latest example was a couple of days ago on LAX bound flight when a flight attend looking after F cabin spilled a (thankfully) lukewarm coffee all over me. I, assuming, cabin crew will be petrified, said something along the lines of “it’s okay – I got a spare t-shirt”, to which the lady responded with: “Oh, I am not worried, but that’s a good lesson for you not to order drinks on short haul flights”. I chuckled, assuming that was an awkward joke, and went to a bathroom to change. Imagine my confusion when I was returning to my seat and got a pile of napkins from this cabin crew accompanied with: ”now, go clean your mess” (exact her words, I kid you not). I was so baffled that just took those napkins and spent next 10 minutes removing coffee stains from my seat.
Not sure if this is cultural or lack of training, but would like to make sure I never again fly with a LAX cabin crew.
A bit of context (and, admittedly, a vent) – I do fly American Eagle aka Compass Airlines quite a bit and have noticed that while most of cabin crews (especially those based in PHX) are lovely, every time I fly with a crew from LAX it is a bit of a disaster. The latest example was a couple of days ago on LAX bound flight when a flight attend looking after F cabin spilled a (thankfully) lukewarm coffee all over me. I, assuming, cabin crew will be petrified, said something along the lines of “it’s okay – I got a spare t-shirt”, to which the lady responded with: “Oh, I am not worried, but that’s a good lesson for you not to order drinks on short haul flights”. I chuckled, assuming that was an awkward joke, and went to a bathroom to change. Imagine my confusion when I was returning to my seat and got a pile of napkins from this cabin crew accompanied with: ”now, go clean your mess” (exact her words, I kid you not). I was so baffled that just took those napkins and spent next 10 minutes removing coffee stains from my seat.
Not sure if this is cultural or lack of training, but would like to make sure I never again fly with a LAX cabin crew.
Apr 22, 2019, 12:55 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,191
I would report that AA..that type of behavior is unacceptable..
if you remember names great.. make sure to include them with of course your flight info..
if you remember names great.. make sure to include them with of course your flight info..
Apr 22, 2019, 1:08 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Laguna Niguel, CA
Programs: AA PLT, 1.8mm
Posts: 6,988
Apr 22, 2019, 1:08 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, HH DIA, Hertz PC, GE + Pre✓, Amazon Super Special Prime
Posts: 1,008
I have had mixed bags. Some LAX based crews are right on the money, others leave a lot to be desired as they are pretty green or just think that a 30 minute flight should not get the same care an attention as a 1:30 flight.
But never as bad as you shared w/ the spilled drink. That seems to be a one off. I would report that and chalk it up as a bad apple.
But never as bad as you shared w/ the spilled drink. That seems to be a one off. I would report that and chalk it up as a bad apple.
Apr 22, 2019, 2:02 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LHR/SEA/YVR
Programs: BAEC G/*O E
Posts: 919
I was not really sure whether this was lack of training or something people from LA would consider acceptable. Sounds like this is just my luck (or rather lack of it) with LAX crews. Would still be great to know how to avoid these crews since I have consistently experienced (what I consider) a poor customer service.
Apr 22, 2019, 2:36 pm
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Unfortunately shoving pay scales down to the levels they have the quality of candidates suffer. While yes many young people might like the adventures of being a FA the paltry pay of a starting regional FA (probably about $20K a year) probably discourages lots of good candidates from applying.
Apr 22, 2019, 6:36 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LHR/SEA/YVR
Programs: BAEC G/*O E
Posts: 919
You can't be serious. Minimum wage in CA is $12, which means with a full month of vacations, it shall be at least $21K per year. Airlines can' be that cheap to pay an absolute minimum to someone responsible for passengers safety, can they?
If that's really the case - what's next? Mandatory tipping when flying regional?
If that's really the case - what's next? Mandatory tipping when flying regional?
Apr 22, 2019, 7:38 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,226
You can't be serious. Minimum wage in CA is $12, which means with a full month of vacations, it shall be at least $21K per year. Airlines can' be that cheap to pay an absolute minimum to someone responsible for passengers safety, can they?
If that's really the case - what's next? Mandatory tipping when flying regional?
If that's really the case - what's next? Mandatory tipping when flying regional?
Apr 22, 2019, 10:19 pm
#11
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
You can't be serious. Minimum wage in CA is $12, which means with a full month of vacations, it shall be at least $21K per year. Airlines can' be that cheap to pay an absolute minimum to someone responsible for passengers safety, can they?
If that's really the case - what's next? Mandatory tipping when flying regional?
If that's really the case - what's next? Mandatory tipping when flying regional?
The poverty wages don’t make the FA behavior you described acceptable, though.
Apr 22, 2019, 11:18 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LHR/SEA/YVR
Programs: BAEC G/*O E
Posts: 919
You are right, but having learnt this I won't be sending a complaint. They were, albeit not very pleasant, only 15 minutes of misery for me vs a reprimand and a potential delay in pay raise for that attendant. After all we all have those days sometimes.
Apr 22, 2019, 11:49 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
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Posts: 5,234
Never mind flight attendants; regional airline pilots have a typical starting salary around $20k, though it does rise pretty quickly with experience. (source) I don’t believe state minimum wage laws apply to flight and cabin crew, and as noted the hours that count as on the clock are a small fraction of the hours crew are required to be at work, especially for short flights (since ground time between flights is generally unpaid even though it’s not like they can go home).
The poverty wages don’t make the FA behavior you described acceptable, though.
A brand new FO at Compass is making around 50,000 a year minimum. Flight attendants are obviously paid less but for many it's an entry-level job with benefits including flights on Delta and American. As you know, it's not covered by state wage-and-hour laws.
Personally, I'd be happy if the long-haul 777 fleet out of LAX was staffed by Compass flight attendants!
Apr 23, 2019, 12:56 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 474
Please do send in the complaint so, with luck, no one else has to experience this FA's bad attitude.
Apr 23, 2019, 1:58 am
#15
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Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: JFK BOS LAX
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Posts: 199
You can't be serious. Minimum wage in CA is $12, which means with a full month of vacations, it shall be at least $21K per year. Airlines can' be that cheap to pay an absolute minimum to someone responsible for passengers safety, can they?
If that's really the case - what's next? Mandatory tipping when flying regional?
If that's really the case - what's next? Mandatory tipping when flying regional?