(Washington Insider Magazine) -Flight attendants who work during the 2021 holidays will be handed a one-time pay premium by American Airlines, the company has announced.
The airline was forced to cancel thousands of flights during the Halloween weekend of October, partly caused by a lack of flight attendants.
In order to combat this for the Christmas and New Year rush, those who work between November 23 and 29, or December 22 and January 2, will be given a 150% premium payment.
Moreover, those who work between November 15 and January 2 without any absences will be given a 300% premium for their peak holiday shifts.
American Airlines COO, David Seymour said: “On the schedule front, we’ve ensured that November and December are built to meet customer demand and that they are fully supportable by our staffing.
“From pandemic-related changes to the way we must do business (including mask and other travel requirements) to the small minority of customers who cause disturbances, the last 20 months have been incredibly challenging for many personally and professionally.”
In the fourth quarter of 2021, American Airlines are anticipating the arrival of 4,000 new team members, including 600 new flight attendants by the end of the Christmas holidays. Meanwhile, around 1,800 current cabin crew members have returned from their November leaves and a further 800 are due to return in December. In total, American Airlines currently has 24,000 flight attendants.
With the world starting to re-open following the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline is relying on their employees despite furloughing 8,000 flight attendants during the coronavirus.
