FA just unloaded the snack basket into carryon
May 12, 2019, 7:14 am
#46
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If they don't eat them, the ground staff will..............
May 12, 2019, 8:37 am
#47
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Interesting discussion, albeit I think it’s all pretty speculative without the facts of the snack basket service and AA policy.
I can empathize. IROPS, diversions, delays, arriving at a RON hotel where the restaurant is closed... many of us have experienced that, and it’s a drag. When it’s frequent and comes with your job, ugh.
I don’t know if there are catering stations set up to recapture the sealed items out of the trash stream or not (there may be), but AA is billed for the wrapped set of items for each flight the same way regardless of what was reused. They aren’t billed on consumption for replacement of the snack basket items the way beverages are. Once upon a time pre-HP US provisioned it’s own snacks in most stations and maintained a rolling inventory onboard, but they moved to this modern when Hector Adler took over.
If the items are getting trashed or aren’t billed on consumption (or in the case of the water are contractual), and the pax are done with them, I’m fine with the FA’s eating or taking them.
If the baskets are left on board with residual, unused snacks and they get carted off and disposed of by the cleaning crew (and I can’t envision a scenario where these are carefully collected, returned to the caterer, sorted, inspected and repacked into fresh snack baskets) I’m seeing this as a pretty small issue. Especially compared to a First Officer charged with triple homicide being dragged away in handcuffs.
I rarely like to post, but this thread really bothers me. I was a flight attendant in the 80's and 90's and many of nights I dumped snacks, water, juice or soda in to my bag. Often you would arrive at a hotel near midnight and everything is closed. You just finished six or more legs on a DC9 or F100, and my personal favorite, the F28, running behind schedule all day with no time to run into the concourse to buy a meal. I spent many a nights eating my hearts content of pretzels, peanuts, cashews and granola bars. Also. flight attendants get paid twice a month and sometimes money gets tight at times. But, what it really comes down to is just mind your own business.
I don’t know if there are catering stations set up to recapture the sealed items out of the trash stream or not (there may be), but AA is billed for the wrapped set of items for each flight the same way regardless of what was reused. They aren’t billed on consumption for replacement of the snack basket items the way beverages are. Once upon a time pre-HP US provisioned it’s own snacks in most stations and maintained a rolling inventory onboard, but they moved to this modern when Hector Adler took over.
If the items are getting trashed or aren’t billed on consumption (or in the case of the water are contractual), and the pax are done with them, I’m fine with the FA’s eating or taking them.
If the baskets are left on board with residual, unused snacks and they get carted off and disposed of by the cleaning crew (and I can’t envision a scenario where these are carefully collected, returned to the caterer, sorted, inspected and repacked into fresh snack baskets) I’m seeing this as a pretty small issue. Especially compared to a First Officer charged with triple homicide being dragged away in handcuffs.
Last edited by JDiver; May 12, 2019 at 10:45 pm
May 12, 2019, 8:51 am
#48
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 229
The cost of restocking product through a central provider ensures that all items are assumed to have been used on every flight.
A typical SKU could end up being returned, restocked and sent back out multiple times, so the airline would pay for the service multiple times.
A typical SKU could end up being returned, restocked and sent back out multiple times, so the airline would pay for the service multiple times.
May 12, 2019, 8:58 am
#49
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I agree the FAs should follow all the rules, on the flip side I am not even sure how their labor agreements are legal. (Maybe this doesn’t apply to all the Regionals and AA proper)
My favorite one being they don’t get paid until the door closes and the flight pushes back. So from the time they check in to the time the plane pushes back they aren’t getting paid.
My favorite one being they don’t get paid until the door closes and the flight pushes back. So from the time they check in to the time the plane pushes back they aren’t getting paid.
May 12, 2019, 3:43 pm
#50
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Did you really do a 'where does it end' quote?
The slippery slope argument: One minute a flight attendant is copping a couple of bottles of water and pretty soon corporations get such huge tax breaks that they rarely pay any income taxes at all. Oops, too late, already happened.
The slippery slope argument: One minute a flight attendant is copping a couple of bottles of water and pretty soon corporations get such huge tax breaks that they rarely pay any income taxes at all. Oops, too late, already happened.
May 12, 2019, 3:53 pm
#51
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Without going into the morality of this person's actions, they were careless and foolish. If the OP saw them, then so could Security (I assume that AA have such a body). That could have caused them to be dismissed. Is not the 11th commandment "Thou shalt not get caught"?
May 12, 2019, 5:24 pm
#52
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I agree the FAs should follow all the rules, on the flip side I am not even sure how their labor agreements are legal. (Maybe this doesn’t apply to all the Regionals and AA proper)
My favorite one being they don’t get paid until the door closes and the flight pushes back. So from the time they check in to the time the plane pushes back they aren’t getting paid.
My favorite one being they don’t get paid until the door closes and the flight pushes back. So from the time they check in to the time the plane pushes back they aren’t getting paid.
May 12, 2019, 5:30 pm
#53
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May 12, 2019, 5:35 pm
#54
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Deleted by OP
May 12, 2019, 5:51 pm
#55
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Even if thinking that they should be required to hang about the airport on their own time, they are working the whole time on board surely - not just when the doors close
If from time doors close only - then there should never be any expectation of a member of cabin crew serving drinks before departure
May 12, 2019, 5:59 pm
#56
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I would assume many are working during that time and are billing another client. As well as billing another client while working on the plane during normal ops in addition to billing the original client for travel time.
May 12, 2019, 6:17 pm
#57
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sure. My point was every hour of work related activities isnt always billable or paid. How about salaried employees? Work 30 or 70 hours and your end comp is the same.
May 12, 2019, 6:20 pm
#58
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How much does AA pay for the snack baskets anyway?
So many brands of food in it are brands that I have never heard of and they seem to change so frequently that I guess that food in the snack basket is given to AA at deeply discounted prices to promote those brands.
But theft is theft.
So many brands of food in it are brands that I have never heard of and they seem to change so frequently that I guess that food in the snack basket is given to AA at deeply discounted prices to promote those brands.
But theft is theft.
May 12, 2019, 6:50 pm
#59
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If I’m wrong, then I stand corrected.
My point is comparing hourly workers who don’t get paid for every hour to highly compensated folks who can bill more than 24 hours in a 24 hour day is a little “let them eat cake”-ish.
May 12, 2019, 6:59 pm
#60
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Whether salaried or not - if you were not being paid, would you expect to provide drinks to people , make announcements on a PA, close overhead lockers etc? if they are only paid from the time the door is closed, then seems that they are being expected to work for free