Gird your Loins It's Going to be a long Summer
 

Well along with canceling all remaining new-hire classes effective April 1, 2008. United has now reduced it's staffing level on the 757. If the flight is under 4hrs long, excluding transcons and P.S. there will only be 4 flight attendants. :eek: They said they are doing this because of the cost of fuel these days. They have yet to reduce any management positions. I'm usually a pretty up beat and pro-company person and understand most things...but this is just too much!!!

Please send UAL emails and tell them you want the 5th flight attendant...or it will just take you longer to get your drinks in F and and economy. Less hands means it takes longer to get to you. It's unfair to us and most of all unfair to each of our customers.

Thanks!

Safety First?
 

I also see the lack of a 5th FA as a potential safety issue should there be a true emergency requiring immediate evacuation of the aircraft. That type of situation is where a 5th FA would really be needed to assist with the pax!

I'm disgusted. :td:

Lurker, the FAA minimum is met with 4, so they won't see it as a safety issue.

I agree with you that it's pretty crummy of UA to do this to the FA's during the summer season. And, thanks for the info about the FAA requirement - so much I have yet to learn here on FT. :)

Welcome. :)

The rule is 1 f/a per 50 pax. So a plane with 100 needs 2, 101 - 3, etc. Our 757 holds 182 so it is 4 f/a's.

Clank Clank
 

<sounds of loins being girded> :D

Liz, did you receive the same notification? or is this just a rumor?

I understand the need to cut costs, but agree this is going too far. Any clue whether the FA will be cut from Y or F? I would think they still need one galley and one aisle in F, which leaves two for Y, which really doesn't seem like enough! As soon as I experience it I'll be sure to write UA.

Are they trying to re-create the summer from h*ll a few summers ago? Geesh.

To the FA's and other flight crew here:

Please do not take out your frustration on us customers.

Many of us empathize with your plight.

You are not alone in facing major challenges in your work life with increasingly limited resources and even less managerial talent.

Thank you for all that you do for us.

Lucky, that means hedge your bet with row 6. If it is still 2 FA's in F, then ok. If down to one FA in F, use the second galley for self service since it is at row 6!! :p

Lucky,

They haven't stated what the staffing will be with just 4 flight attendants. I'm assuming 2 in F and 2 in Y.

If you need Liz to verify all she needs to do is check her enotes. There is an email from Mark who is the manager of worldwide scheduling for UAL. I would post the official enote, but I don't know if that goes against an article of conduct.

Everyone received this message.

^Great Idea^ It just depends on who you have working there. I'm all about you can take whatever you like, but I know some of my flying partners are a little more particular.:D

I don't think this is that bad. It obviously will slow down service on the plane, though really with service at such a bare minimum in Y, not to mention F, I don't think there is too much more a 5th FA really brings to the table besides a faster BOB cart through the aisles.

With that said, I hope they don't cut personnel in baggage handling, and GAs and other front-line employees. That is what creates a summer from hell. If you can not get people and baggage to the plane on time everything else tumbles quickly downhill from there.