It sounds a bit ridiculous but flight attendants typically aren’t paid while passengers board planes.
However, that’s about to change for Delta Air Lines, considered to be the best US airline.
USA Today reports that the airline “will begin paying cabin crews during boarding, a first for a major U.S. airline and a change that is expected to increase their wages by several thousand dollars a year.”
Flight attendants usually start to get paid only after all of the passengers are seated and the doors on the plan close.
The changes in pay will start taking place on June 2. The rate of pay during boarding is 50% of regular pay rates. This doesn’t sound great but I guess 50% pay is better than no pay for boarding!
While Delta’s pilots are unionized, attempts to unionize their flight attendants have not been successful. Regardless, The Association of Flight Attendants takes credit for the new pay coming to FAs.
Find out more from USA Today here.
Daniel- I totally agree and don’t understand how this has been acceptable.
This is how it should have been for a long time. The public is surprised, but this is overdue. Time for pilots to do the same thing.