MSPeconomist

Some carriers have rules saying that alcoholic drinks can only be served one at a time to passengers who are seated (in their own seats). If walking to the galley means that you'll try to pour your own glass of wine, etc., FAs are likely to become upset with you.

CLT

I've been kicked out of the galley numerous times just for asking a glass of water...no aero yoga involved.

I understand it's a FAR...that wasn't my question. My question was whether AA had a policy that allow FAs to serve BYOB alcohol, as B6 has/had.

PTahCha

And the answer is yes - in the past.

And no reason FA should kick you out of the galley, unless it was blocked off when they needed to enter the cockpit to deliver pilot meal, or let one of the pilots out for bathroom break.

PotomacApproach

My strategy involves being a de facto ExecPlat on SkyWest. Great solo F seats on the E175, much nicer FAs who are represented by an internal union, not the atrocious APFA or AFA, and usually reasonably priced by the parent carrier with service that meets expectations. I'll pay $300-$350 for F SFO-PHX on a OO E175 over an AA A321 any day. AA and the APFA will get hurt financially if this nonsense continues.

wakesetter93

One can only hope. I've been boycotting AA for over a year but you still have folks like my fiance who "Will pay more to fly direct" and keep funnelling money to AA from the fortress hubs.

ExpatExp

Great to know this is what the law actually says, and thanks for posting it.

However, this is AA. The FAs invent write their own FAA regulations

Visconti

LOL...on a recent TCON, about 1/2 way into the flight, I hear the FA call buttons go off; it instantly reminded me of enviroian's pic, and I just started laughing. I never understood the position that the FA button should only be used in the case of emergencies, kind of like all those puff pieces about making the FA's job easier. I mean, make your job easier? I'm the paying customer, and you should me my flight easier and more enjoyable.

In this covid era, tit for tat is the way to go. If anything, with these unions, I'm leaning towards tit for double tat.

carmelsown

For all those saying it's ridiculous to complain about these changes and that these changes are not that big a deal- for me it's more about the message it sends to those that feel AA should be pushing forward towards pre-COVID levels of service. By caving to these union requests, it allow AA to delay the return of food and alcohol and Main and other pre-COVID levels. This is particularly ridiculous when considering the current service levels other domestic airlines and/or One World partners are currently offering.

AADFW

Also, the less pushback AA gets from doing this, the more likely they are to make these cuts permanent. Remember, the entire culture at the airline is rooted in Parker's cost management philosophy at USAirways... which is to say, cut expenses as much as you possibly can and as often as you possibly can until it becomes very clear that passengers won't tolerate any more. It served his shareholders extremely well over the course of his career.

GUWonder

Airline management/shareholders wanting to cut on costs + airline employees wanting to have an easier job = agreement to reduce service levels for passengers.

LovePrunes

AA FA's wanting to do less mirrors certain teachers unions wanting to keep schools closed. That's exactly how it makes me feel: the FA "teachers" don't want to have to show up and do their best, so their union uses COVID as an excuse to reduce effort like teach in person, for things that other states' schools (other airlines) have no problem doing. Why does AA have to roll over to this stupid union so quickly. It's not the entree and salad on one plate that I care about AT ALL, it's the principle of it.

Visconti

Ah, in my very humble opinion, this is one of those situations where the market will resolve it and find some kind of equilibrium.

This strikes me as one of those times when everyone is doing his/her job advocating for precisely what they ought to be. Unions collect fees & dues, and I should hope they'll very aggressively advocate for more pay and less work, otherwise, why are their members paying them fees? If I'm a union member and all they did was sat on their a** sending me newsletters, I'd demand a refund or sue to get out of it. Likewise, AA's C suite is doing what they think, at least I hope, is in the best in interest of their shareholders and trying to balance their relationships with their employees. Finally, we as consumers are responding exactly the way we should--we don't have to accept it, and it's certainly not controversial to point out that unions are not consumer friendly (in what world is this even "union" bashing?).

So, as a consumer and thankfully...er...not an AAL shareholder, I'm ringing that FA call button whenever I need a drink. They do what they do, and I'll do what I do. Game on.

ATLflyer2017

If there's one thing I've noticed that has come from this whole COVID situation is that people in general are unhappy with work. They are angry that they aren't being paid enough, angry that they have to do certain duties and unhappy that they have to deal with rude customers. In general people are unhappy that some people don't seem to have to work very hard for their money while others are busting their butts to try and make ends meet.

I believe that there is a small percentage of people who are so concerned about COVID that they don't want to be serving passengers drinks and food. In my opinion if that's the case I'd say you don't need to be a flight attendant because the risk of getting sick is so much higher.
For the most part, they are just using COVID as an excuse. We've seen this in just about every single industry.

I wish airlines could set minimum standards that their FAs must meet in regards to service. If they don't want to or refuse to, they get fired. There are plenty of other people willing to do the job and let's be honest it doesn't require a ton of skill.

Tack

I second it! I’ll just add as a former union employee and regional Steward. AFPA leadership may be communicating the changes they want, but they are not driving it. This is 100% the AA FA group telling their union leadership what they want and instructing their leadership to take these demands to the spineless AA management. The quote above is the perfect traveling public’s response. While the AA FA’s have the galley to hide in…we have a call button.

Visconti

Agreed. Upon ringing the call button, I can envision, "Mr. V, what's the emergency?" My reply, "I'm parched."