New American Airlines contract targets selling of seniority among flight attendants

American Airlines sought sole discretion in determining who was involved in this activity. The union agreed to help stop it, provided they had a shared say in setting the standards used.

It is often evident when ultra-junior cabin crew regularly pick up highly coveted routes like Tel Aviv, Delhi, London Heathrow, and South America. The union's stance effectively targets these members under the new tentative agreement that will become binding if ratified by a vote.

Interestingly, union representatives receive more pay (115 hours of trip removal) than regular flight attendants and can still pick up extra flights, which they can trade with friends.

This isn't the first time the flight attendants' union has shown leniency toward company discipline measures. They supported reintroducing 'attendance points' for using earned sick days—a practice suspended during the pandemic. Senior union members benefit from discouraging sick leave since it prevents them from having to work reserve shifts.

Assigning schedules based on seniority provides employees with something valuable that others may covet more. A secondary market naturally develops from this system, benefiting both parties involved in such exchanges.

The core issue lies in inefficiently allocating desirable schedules based on seniority and addressing complaints from less senior flight attendants who feel overlooked. The current approach by both the company and the union addresses symptoms rather than fixing a flawed duty assignment system.

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