Hey y'all!

[TxMed]

Hey guys, I don't work for AA, in fact, I'm not in the aviation industry at all but I had some questions and a few people suggested I come here and ask the pros. I should preface this by saying that I for one feel for you guys getting dumped on as far as your contracts go. I don't know the intricate details of it, but I read the papers like everyone else and I know the abridged version is that y'all got screwed. I'm a paramedic/RN and I work for an emergency medical service company and, like you, we are required to work ridiculous hours (up to 72 hours at a time, no that's not a joke) on little to no sleep with not much downtime (at least in my coverage area) and our management's motto is, "You're on for 48, you'll run for 48" even if it means long haul trips or emergency calls on no sleep where we're intubating, sticking people with needles, pushing meds, etc. We are severely underpaid as an industry and unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we are unable to unionize. There is a Firefighter union, but I'm not a firefighter nor do I care to be. (We have a bit of a rivalry. When people ask our guys, "Why don't you work for the fire dept?" we reply, "Because we went to college." lol) Don't worry John Q Public, we're still all on the same side and they have our backs as we have theirs.

Anyways, just a few questions for you guys. I should also preface this by saying that I have a severe fear of flying, but my work and hobby, so to speak, requires me to fly to conferences occasionally and I've used AA several times, though we generally stick with Southwest as they are easier to get a flight out of where I live.

Is it still safe to fly AA? May sound stupid to you, but again, I have a severe fear of flying. I've actually walked out of a terminal before because I couldn't bring myself to get on the plane, lol. It sucks.

When will AA management return to taking care of their employees so that they're happy again? No offense but the last few flights I've been on, I've simply asked for a cup of water (mouth gets dry from silently freaking out about the flight) and they've acted like I pissed in their Cheerios. I'm not expecting Singapore Airways type service or anything, I'm happy with just friendly people, but I'm not something they scraped off the bottom of their shoe just because I wanted a cup of water. I respect that the FA's priority is safety, not necessarily service, but damn! I understand that they are probably tired and pissed from getting screwed around, and I understand, but I'm still patronizing their airline. I always say yes'm'am, no m'am, please and thank you, but the last few times they still treated everyone on the flight like.....well....####. More money and less hours would certainly fix this I'm sure, but again, its not my fault.

Are you guys proud that you don't outsource maintenance? I've always been told to fly AA because all maintenance is done in house. Is this really a good thing?

and finally, do you guys (FA's I mean, if there are any on here) ever get scared on flights or is it just business as usual after awhile?

Thank you for your time


Tex

 

[Boomer]

OK, I'll respond:

AA, as a Certificated FAR 121 Air Carrier, submits a comprehensive operational document for the manner in which they will operate.

Any Pilot can refuse to fly an aircraft because of a safety related problem. No "Ike and Mike" in the front seats, the aircraft does not go.

Any Flight Attendant can refuse an individual flight aboard any individual aircraft for a safety related reason. The number of flight attendants required for a particular type of aircraft to dispatch is based on the number of available seats onboard: to many seats and too few flight attendants, the aircraft does not go.

Any Mechanic can call an aircraft out of service if the problem they encounter is not covered by: 1) the time to fix a deferrable component; 2) parts available to fix a deferrable component; 3) an appropriate deferral. The aircraft does not go.

Any Fleet Service Clerk can refuse to Push-Back/Dispatch any aircraft for a safety related reason. The aircraft does not go.

That was all on the local, station, level.

In addition to the local, or station level, flight operations are given a top down look from Systems Operatons Control, SOC, Maintenance Operations Control, MOC, Dispatch, and TULE Tech Services.

Given culture we operate within: your driving to the airport constituted the largest risk exposure between leaving home and arriving at your destination airport.

 

[TxMed]

OK, I'll respond:


Any Pilot can refuse to fly an aircraft because of a safety related problem. No "Ike and Mike" in the front seats, the aircraft does not go.


Any Mechanic can call an aircraft out of service if the problem they encounter is not covered by: 1) the time to fix a deferrable component; 2) parts available to fix a deferrable component; 3) an appropriate deferral. The aircraft does not go.


Given culture we operate within: your driving to the airport constituted the largest risk exposure between leaving home and arriving at your destination airport.

That's awesome! Thank you for taking the time to reply. You don't know how much that last statement means to some of us fearful flyers. I mean you hear it all the time in the media (as well as all kinds of other BS) but to hear from people who actually work there means a whole lot more because we know you guys actually fly in the planes regularly.

But honestly, do the FAs ever even get a little nervous? I've heard one FA say that its really just a glorified bus, but safer, so she wasn't worried at all.

 

[boston]

Hey guys, I don't work for AA, in fact, I'm not in the aviation industry at all but I had some questions and a few people suggested I come here and ask the pros. I should preface this by saying that I for one feel for you guys getting dumped on as far as your contracts go. I don't know the intricate details of it, but I read the papers like everyone else and I know the abridged version is that y'all got screwed. I'm a paramedic/RN and I work for an emergency medical service company and, like you, we are required to work ridiculous hours (up to 72 hours at a time, no that's not a joke) on little to no sleep with not much downtime (at least in my coverage area) and our management's motto is, "You're on for 48, you'll run for 48" even if it means long haul trips or emergency calls on no sleep where we're intubating, sticking people with needles, pushing meds, etc. We are severely underpaid as an industry and unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we are unable to unionize. There is a Firefighter union, but I'm not a firefighter nor do I care to be. (We have a bit of a rivalry. When people ask our guys, "Why don't you work for the fire dept?" we reply, "Because we went to college." lol) Don't worry John Q Public, we're still all on the same side and they have our backs as we have theirs.

Anyways, just a few questions for you guys. I should also preface this by saying that I have a severe fear of flying, but my work and hobby, so to speak, requires me to fly to conferences occasionally and I've used AA several times, though we generally stick with Southwest as they are easier to get a flight out of where I live.

Is it still safe to fly AA? May sound stupid to you, but again, I have a severe fear of flying. I've actually walked out of a terminal before because I couldn't bring myself to get on the plane, lol. It sucks.

When will AA management return to taking care of their employees so that they're happy again? No offense but the last few flights I've been on, I've simply asked for a cup of water (mouth gets dry from silently freaking out about the flight) and they've acted like I pissed in their Cheerios. I'm not expecting Singapore Airways type service or anything, I'm happy with just friendly people, but I'm not something they scraped off the bottom of their shoe just because I wanted a cup of water. I respect that the FA's priority is safety, not necessarily service, but damn! I understand that they are probably tired and pissed from getting screwed around, and I understand, but I'm still patronizing their airline. I always say yes'm'am, no m'am, please and thank you, but the last few times they still treated everyone on the flight like.....well....####. More money and less hours would certainly fix this I'm sure, but again, its not my fault.

Are you guys proud that you don't outsource maintenance? I've always been told to fly AA because all maintenance is done in house. Is this really a good thing?

and finally, do you guys (FA's I mean, if there are any on here) ever get scared on flights or is it just business as usual after awhile?

Thank you for your time


HeyThere,

I for one is proud and perfer that we have our own maintenance, our maintenance crew are far the best, and as a flight attendant don't have to worry about all the out-sourced maintenance that a good number of airlines do. I've seen airlines from the US, in central Aaerica having their planes parked having work done, some of the airlines don't even fly International and there getting a cheap deal.

I thank you for the water story, I know at times I'm less than smiley, so I'll try to remeber your story, I guess after so many people are tugging at you for something and no one will get up to come and get it, and then factor in the "monkey see monkey do".

So I will remember

Tex

 

[boston]

Hey guys, I don't work for AA, in fact, I'm not in the aviation industry at all but I had some questions and a few people suggested I come here and ask the pros. I should preface this by saying that I for one feel for you guys getting dumped on as far as your contracts go. I don't know the intricate details of it, but I read the papers like everyone else and I know the abridged version is that y'all got screwed. I'm a paramedic/RN and I work for an emergency medical service company and, like you, we are required to work ridiculous hours (up to 72 hours at a time, no that's not a joke) on little to no sleep with not much downtime (at least in my coverage area) and our management's motto is, "You're on for 48, you'll run for 48" even if it means long haul trips or emergency calls on no sleep where we're intubating, sticking people with needles, pushing meds, etc. We are severely underpaid as an industry and unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we are unable to unionize. There is a Firefighter union, but I'm not a firefighter nor do I care to be. (We have a bit of a rivalry. When people ask our guys, "Why don't you work for the fire dept?" we reply, "Because we went to college." lol) Don't worry John Q Public, we're still all on the same side and they have our backs as we have theirs.

Anyways, just a few questions for you guys. I should also preface this by saying that I have a severe fear of flying, but my work and hobby, so to speak, requires me to fly to conferences occasionally and I've used AA several times, though we generally stick with Southwest as they are easier to get a flight out of where I live.

Is it still safe to fly AA? May sound stupid to you, but again, I have a severe fear of flying. I've actually walked out of a terminal before because I couldn't bring myself to get on the plane, lol. It sucks.

When will AA management return to taking care of their employees so that they're happy again? No offense but the last few flights I've been on, I've simply asked for a cup of water (mouth gets dry from silently freaking out about the flight) and they've acted like I pissed in their Cheerios. I'm not expecting Singapore Airways type service or anything, I'm happy with just friendly people, but I'm not something they scraped off the bottom of their shoe just because I wanted a cup of water. I respect that the FA's priority is safety, not necessarily service, but damn! I understand that they are probably tired and pissed from getting screwed around, and I understand, but I'm still patronizing their airline. I always say yes'm'am, no m'am, please and thank you, but the last few times they still treated everyone on the flight like.....well....####. More money and less hours would certainly fix this I'm sure, but again, its not my fault.

Are you guys proud that you don't outsource maintenance? I've always been told to fly AA because all maintenance is done in house. Is this really a good thing?

and finally, do you guys (FA's I mean, if there are any on here) ever get scared on flights or is it just business as usual after awhile?

Thank you for your time


HeyThere,

I for one is proud and perfer that we have our own maintenance, our maintenance crew are far the best, and as a flight attendant don't have to worry about all the out-sourced maintenance that a good number of airlines do. I've seen airlines from the US, in central Aaerica having their planes parked having work done, some of the airlines don't even fly International and there getting a cheap deal.

I thank you for the water story, I know at times I'm less than smiley, so I'll try to remeber your story, I guess after so many people are tugging at you for something and no one will get up to come and get it, and then factor in the "monkey see monkey do".

So I will remember

Tex

 

[TIME FOR CHANGE]

Dont know where you live but when I worked in NY (LGA) one of the Tech guys use to teach a fear of flying class. It was a group of people that he took around the aircraft and described exactly what was going on during the entire phase of the flight. This relieved much of the anxiety which caused many people to be terrified when flying. You should look into a class i have heard the success rate is high.