The move comes after an incident over the summer where American was sued by eight Black men kicked off a flight over an alleged body odor complaint.
FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines is limiting its flight attendants’ ability to kick passengers off flights unless they’re a safety or security threat. That’s per a new memo that went out to their crews this month outlining changes to the carrier’s in-flight manual.
The move comes after an incident over the summer where American was sued by eight Black men kicked off a flight from Phoenix to New York over an alleged body odor complaint.
The carrier wrote to crew members that over the past few months, they’ve met across departments to make “updates and provide additional clarity – with special attention directed at situations that involve customer acceptance and those that may result in the removal of passengers.”
The updates include making it so a passenger, not a crewmember, must be the originator of any non-safety concern raised on a flight before any action is taken. Once a concern is raised – it says at least two crew members have to work on a resolution. And before a passenger can be booted, the captain has to be notified and they must contact the airline’s complaint resolution Official.
The airline also told flight attendants the goal is to avoid removing passengers. The changes not only address things like odor concerns, but also include attire and attitude.
In a statement to WFAA, American said this about the updates:
‘Every day and on every flight, we strive to cultivate a sense of community and provide a travel experience where everyone feels welcomed,” the statement says. “With that as our guide, we regularly review our policies, practices and protocols, and make updates to ensure we’re delivering for our customers throughout their journey with us.”