Why This Summer Is Breaking Flight Crews and the System
Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit and Head of Research Seth Borko talk travel every week.
Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit and Head of Research Seth Borko talk travel every week.
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A record-breaking summer travel season is straining flight crews and the federal systems that support them, says Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson.
Nelson, who has been a union flight attendant since 1996 and currently represents 55,000 members at 20 airlines, has been called 'America's most powerful flight attendant.' During a recent episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Nelson said the combination of storms, inexperienced travelers, and insufficient staffing levels has made summer travel even harder for flight attendants.
But despite the mounting challenges flight attendants are facing, including from recent federal legislation that she described as 'devastating,' Nelson believes public support for the profession is at an all-time high and sees other reasons for optimism.
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A Stressful Position
Nelson explained why being a flight attendant is enormously difficult, especially during the summer.
• 'Summer travel in general is always very, very hard for flight attendants because we also tend to have people who don't travel as often. So they don't necessarily know the routines.'
• 'It's pretty stressful, and it's also why people with any kind of seniority at all tend to bid the summers off.
• 'When I started in 1996, I had a lot of mentors on the plane, and we had time to actually learn the job… That's just not the case today. It's about rush, rush, rush — get that flight out.'
Nelson added she's seen passenger behavior change coming out of the pandemic, although she didn't attribute it entirely to Covid.
• 'We all sort of… were at home and not interacting with other people, and it does feel a little bit like we forgot how to be around other people.'
Political Concerns
Nelson also addressed the impact of the budget bill that President Donald Trump recently signed.
• 'It's devastating for flight attendants. We're not going to see the full effects of it for a little while, but many flight attendants have parents who are using Medicaid and Medicare for their care.'
• 'We're going to go through some really rough times — partially because of this big ugly bill, as I call it … I'm worried about the harm that that's going to do, and I'm worried that that is going to lead to people being demoralized.'
However, Nelson gave Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy high marks for his push to upgrade the country's air traffic control system.
• 'I will give Secretary Duffy props for taking the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Bill and essentially supercharging it to try to staff up and modernize and get the money to be able to do that.'
Increased Support for Flight Attendants
Although Nelson made it clear that being a flight attendant is harder than ever, she believes the general public is more appreciative of the position.
• 'I think that the public has the most insight into what we do. They certainly see the importance of our role as aviation's first responders.'
• 'They also have heard that we have been bargaining to get paid while boarding is going on, which we have never been paid in the history of our careers until these recent years in these recent contracts.'
Nelson also said she's seen a growing solidarity among international flight crews and a resurgence of union interest, citing Delta Air Lines in particular.
• 'I see a real opportunity to just change the way that our entire economy is built… and hopefully get back to the promise of what I had my hand over my heart for every morning in kindergarten.'
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