Understandably, flight attendants at Alaska Airlines are angry that their union has failed to negotiate a new contract ahead of the incoming Trump administration, but barking at a first class passenger who requested a cup of coffee is just a bit much…
Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Shames First Class Passenger Over Pre-Departure Beverage Request
View From The Wing flags an exchange that arose on Alaska flight 142 from Juneau (JNU) to Seattle (SEA) earlier this week:
Passenger gets on the plane and asks the flight attendant if she could get a coffee, she is in seat 3a. The FA responds, maybe, it depends on how nice I’m feeling, I don’t get paid until the door closes and we don’t work for free… I mean, a “no, I’m sorry, we don’t offer beverages until we are in the air” would work, but …. it, let’s be rude and introduce our drama to a random person…”
I’m deliberately not going to delve into the thickets of flight attendant contract negotiation here, but only point out:
- Flight attendants are not paid during boarding time
- They should be paid for boarding time
- Their unions negotiated higher pay for flight duty time in exchange for no boarding pay because it benefits senior flight attendants (who can hold lines on longer, nonstop flights and therefore may work the same number of overall hours but be paid significantly more than those who operate several shorter hops)
- After non-unionized Delta Air Lines flight attendants were given boarding pay, unionized carriers like American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have negotiated similar boarding pay into their recently ratified contracts
- Alaska Airlines flight attendants have been unable to reach an agreement with Alaska on a new contract for several years
That last point is key: Alaska Airlines flight attendants are cranky (and understandably so). With a new more “pro-business” administration coming in January, I would not expect much help from government arbitrators at the National Mediation Board, at least anything more than has already been offered.
But even if there is genuine valid concern over the stalled contract, taking it out on customers is unacceptable. Alaska has asked its flight attendants to serve pre-departure beverages. Asking for coffee prior to takeoff may specifically be too much (due to the time involved in brewing a pot of coffee), but the request could have been handled in a far better way.
The snark and the bitterness are unacceptable and grievances should be addressed toward the union, not passengers. I strongly support flight attendants earning a living wage and think the disparity between junior and senior flight attendants should be addressed immediately through boarding pay, but internal matters should not be litigated with first class passengers. It’s tacky…
image: Alaska Airlines
