This blog is a continuation in a series I have written regarding air travel and families. Most recently I covered the incident involving a mother and her chatty tot who got booted from a flight after an irritated flight attendant couldn’t convince the mom to quiet the child with some Benadryl.
The flight attendant’s employer banned her from publicly speaking about the incident until a full investigation is complete. However, in the days since the much publicized booting, various flight attendants who have no connection to the case have come forward to shed light on the issues flight attendants face on a daily basis. Let me preface their comments by saying that none of them excused the behavior of the Benadryl-pushing flight attendant; rather most were simply eager to share with reporters the difficult conditions they work under and the growing frustration they have towards the industry.
It basically boils down to a classic case of more work and less pay. Several United flight attendants say the airline slashed their pay by 30% in order to stay afloat. What’s more, most say they are working longer hours and have to trouble shoot an increasing amount of problems including, but not limited to broken toilets, packed planes, and heightened security restrictions.
In addition to the plane’s deficiencies, flight attendants say they are made to deal with worsening flight delays, which create tight turnaround times. Most flight attendants say passengers have no clue that they only get paid once the plane leaves the gate. Which means if a plane is stuck at the terminal waiting for the all clear to take off, flight attendants are off the clock. One flight attendant noted that there have been several occasions when she worked a 14-hour day and only got paid for five hours because of delays.
One US Airways’ flight attendant recently summed up the problem by saying: “Morale is in the toilet.” It would seem that most flight attendants agree that they are being stretched to the limit. Adding insult to injury, they say, is the fact that according to the Air Transport Association, last year, the U.S. airline industry posted a combined profit of $3 billion and the industry is on track for another profitable year in 2007. However, that success is not being shared with flight attendants who maintain they have to work extra hours to make up for the wages lost to pay cuts.
Still you can’t beat some of the perks that come with being a flight attendant including schedule flexibility and travel benefits.
Where do you stand on the issue? I’m sure there are many passengers who, while they may feel for the attendants on their flights, don’t want to feel the negative affects of an unfortunate work situation.
Related Articles:
Are Airlines Becoming More Family Friendly?
Mom and “Chatty” Tot Get Booted From Flight
Coughing Teen Gets The Boot From Airline
Breastfeeding At 35,000 Feet = High-Flying Controversy
Putting The “Friendly” Back In The “Friendly Skies”