American Airlines flight attendants are warning that a tougher disciplinary climate is making it harder to deliver good passenger service across the carrier’s network, including at its Dallas-Fort Worth hub. A union-commissioned survey found 81% of respondents did not feel empowered to go above and beyond for customers because they feared criticism or discipline, while 72.6% reported seeing operational effects when colleagues were pulled off flights for management meetings or disciplinary matters.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants has criticised what it views as a more rigid process for handling complaints, including the removal of crew members from work to answer anonymous passenger reports. The union also claims nearly 4,000 flight attendant workdays were lost across American’s hubs in June because staff were taken out of service for meetings or investigations, including 1,128 days at DFW alone. The issue touches staffing availability, punctuality and onboard service on the Texas-based airline’s operation network.