Flight Attendants are being taken advantage of, by their employers. Plain and simple. 

For decades, the airline industry has robbed flight attendants of their hard-earned pay; and it’s time they’re held accountable, what’s more, it’s time for change. 

Did you know that flight attendants are required to check-in (in full uniform compliance and carrying all required duty items) at least an hour before their first flight of the day? Failure to meet these requirements could result in termination. This is the time where flight attendants meet their crew, get a briefing with the gate agent, and receive any pertinent documents or special information about that flight. Then the crew boards the plane, conducts safety checks on all assigned safety equipment (ie: emergency flashlights, medical kits, oxygen bottles, fire extinguishers, etc) they also make note of any issues with the cabin interiors or systems, they check catering provisions and begin setting up the galleys…then boarding begins. 

The majority of a flight attendants daily job is carried out during the boarding process. As passengers begin boarding, one flight attendant will acknowledge you at the door with a smile and a friendly greeting, another is probably pouring predeparture drinks for first class-which they’ll serve before the door is closed, another is in the aisle directing passengers to seats and helping them locate bag space while keeping in contact with the gate agent as to the number of bag spaces left on board…notice I didn’t say lifting bags for customers. Why is that? I’m glad you asked.

See, all of this time that the flight attendant has been at the airport, carrying out their assigned duties…has been unpaid. Yes, you read that correctly, they haven’t received pay for any of this. What’s more, if there’s a delay, passengers love to yell at the flight attendants for the disruption and loss of time, but here’s another kicker, flight attendants hate delays as much as you do…because they’re still not getting paid. 

When do flight attendants start getting paid? When the plane door closes. Their hourly pay begins with the door closure and ends when the door reopens. When the plane has landed, the door opens, and you’re leaving the plane…the flight attendant who smiles and thanks each passenger as they’re deplaning is, you guessed it, not getting paid to do so. They’re not paid to do this, yet they’re required to do this. 

And flight attendants rarely just work one flight per day. On average they might work 3 flights in a day, often changing planes after each flight. This means running from one gate to another (often from one terminal to another) boarding a new plane, conducting all new safety checks, setting up a new galley, boarding another set of passengers…all off the clock. Their schedules sometimes require them to sit for one, two, or even three hours or more between flights…while this may be time they’re not required to be working, they’re unable to leave the airport, so in essence it is time on duty, but it’s all unpaid. 

When flight attendants return home from an overnight trip, their actual pay is generally about half of their actual time on duty. This simply shouldn’t be. With the current economic state of our country, due to rising inflation, many flight attendants simply cannot afford to rent a place in their base cities, so many live elsewhere and commute in for work. To do so, they must often rent a “crashpad” which is a house or apartment in which 10-20 people live. They share common spaces and sleep in bunk beds for the days they are required to be in base. This isn’t free either. It costs the flight attendant hundreds of dollars a month, in addition to their rent and other expenses back home. 

Recently an industry-wide pilot shortage has brought information to light, showing just how much airlines are willing to pay pilots; and rightly so. With the extreme demand for pilots, it stands to reason that the industry is working to attract more pilots to the line. But while the airline is willing to pay hundreds of dollars per flight hour for pilots, junior flight attendants earn $18-30 per flight hour. This may sound like a decent wage, but since most airlines only guarantee about 70-80 hours of flight time pay per month, it equates about $24-29k per year if the flight attendant only works their guaranteed hours and doesn’t pick up extra trips on their days off. 

I’m creating this petition to make the general public aware of the unfair pay practices that flight attendants have been subjected to, for decades, by an industry that devalues them. 

Bottom line, I believe a flight attendant should be able to earn a living wage, without having to work 30 days a month to do so. Tell the airlines that you respect your flight attendants and appreciate the job they do to serve you and keep you safe. Show your support by signing this petition, and together we’ll show the industry that it’s time to Pay Flight Attendants For All Hours On Duty. It’s time for Change. 

Thank you. Please share this petition. 

Respectfully, 

A Flight Attendant