An alleged statement has surfaced on social media saying American Airlines has raised concerns regarding the conduct of some flight attendants, alleging instances of exploiting rolling delays for personal gain. A screenshot of the same statement was obtained by X/@xJonNYC.

Such actions, the airline asserts as per the alleged statement, constitute a breach of trust and are being labeled as theft. These accusations have the potential to incite discord within the flight attendant community, particularly amidst ongoing contract negotiations.

In order to bid on assignments that determine their schedules, flight attendants participate in a complex system of trip selection. In addition to their monthly bidding procedure, they may also quickly obtain extra excursions for extra money, as long as they don’t interfere with already-existing commitments. There must be a required minimum rest interval between flying sequences, usually lasting at least 10 hours, wrote One Mile At A Time.

According to the statement that X/@xJonNYC obtained, some flight attendants are purposefully booking flights knowing there would be delays, taking advantage of circumstances in which last-minute assignments become available because crew members are scheduling out during significant delays. The statement says that it is believed that these flight attendants are purposefully choosing these kinds of flights in spite of upcoming assignments in order to guarantee little downtime in between assignments. Because of contractual clauses for pay protection, in the event that the delay continues, they are unable to meet their following responsibilities while still being paid.

The statement posted on X also mentions that American Airlines has commenced a comprehensive review process, assigning senior crew scheduling officers to examine each case in which last-minute trip buys have produced pay protection, the website said. Important variables being evaluated include when the trip was acquired, when delays started, and how much the crew knew about what was happening. The airline claims that the simple lack of real-time delay notifications does not release flight crew members from responsibility because it is assumed that they are aware of upcoming delays.

The organization is considering punitive measures, such as possible wage deductions, managerial interrogations, and the implementation of disciplinary punishments, labeling such conduct as equivalent to stealing, according to One Mile At A Time. The emphasis is on adhering to legal flight acquisition procedures. Flight attendants are expected to provide factual arguments in the event that pay protection is needed, thus they are advised to choose their flights carefully.

To sum up, as per the alleged American Airlines statement, the company is aggressively addressing complaints about the behavior of flight attendants, noting cases when the attendants took advantage of rolling delays to their financial advantage. The airline emphasizes the need for flight attendants to be thorough and open in their trip selection process in the middle of attempts to maintain integrity and contractual commitments.