question for AA folks

[Cardenal]

Hello there:

I have recently taken several international trips recently on american mainline with an ID90 and have noticed F/A's will not put me in business class even when there is space available up there. Don't get me wrong, as I do appreciate the ride, but Delta and Airtran (to name just two) will definitely extend the courtesy when we can. I politely introduced myself, offered to help in any way they see fit, thanked them for the ride, and kinda hoped to get offered a seat in the front. But no.

Is there a policy to that effect?

Just curious.

Thanks

 

[pipe]

Yeah, there's a policy. From the FOM 1.1.1 - "Each employee group will, at all times, hate all other employee groups. This section shall be applied to AA, its subsidiaries, and to all other airlines with hatred levels in descending order".

 

[spacecadet1]

Yup, that about sums it up. Really sad.

 

[Cardenal]

Yeah, there's a policy. From the FOM 1.1.1 - "Each employee group will, at all times, hate all other employee groups. This section shall be applied to AA, its subsidiaries, and to all other airlines with hatred levels in descending order".

That there is funny (sad funny), I don't care who you are...

I would have thought it was chapter 6, section 6, paragraph 6 of the FOM.

I guess the solution is to treat them well when they travel on us and eventually they will realize it is appropriate to reciprocate.

Thanks

 

[accinelli]

Hello there:

I have recently taken several international trips recently on american mainline with an ID90 and have noticed F/A's will not put me in business class even when there is space available up there. Don't get me wrong, as I do appreciate the ride, but Delta and Airtran (to name just two) will definitely extend the courtesy when we can. I politely introduced myself, offered to help in any way they see fit, thanked them for the ride, and kinda hoped to get offered a seat in the front. But no.

Is there a policy to that effect?

Just curious.

Thanks

Or you could book the ID90 in business class and have a seat assigned (if available) and not deal with the FAs at all.

 

[Cardenal]

how does one do that?

I didn't know that was an option.

Any info is highly appreciated.

 

[aa73]

Cardenal,

You (and anyone who ever posts any question about AA) involuntary set yourself up for the typical barrage of idiocies coming from bitter TWA folks. No matter how innocent you try and make the question seem, you will always get the usual predictable garbage from the red peanut gallery. (This obviously does not include my very good friends from TWA who represent the professionalism from the majority of that group.)

That said, I don't know of an airline that upgrades its ID90/Zed fare customers to business class on an international flight. Jumpseaters, yes. I've ID90's on DL internationally and also got stuck in coach with room up front. Domestic, I'm not sure how it works. But you do have a point - AA is not a very non-rev-friendly airline. A lot of it stems from the fact that most airlines don't charge their own employees to ride in first/business, but AA does. Otherwise, I don't know, but there's definitely no policy governing it.

Glad I could help you out. You're automatically a first class upgrade on any of my flights (if there's room!)

73

 

[Palomino]

actually...i've been bumped up to First Class on AA more than any other airlines i've jumped on. i think it depends more on where the crew is based than actual company policy.

i've always been treated well regardless of the seat offered.

 

[accinelli]

how does one do that?

I didn't know that was an option.

Any info is highly appreciated.

When you're booking the ID90 tell them to price it for business. If you know the loads in advance it actually is a good option -- especially if travelling with family (the downside is that there was the slight chance you could have got it while not paying the difference). The difference can be a few hundred dollars.

 

[AAslag]

It's not personal. But a product of AMR corporate culture that was not raised in Texas or the "fly over states." AMR hates their own.

Just call it malicious obediance. The harvard MBA's know what that is.

At TWA you would have been upgraded and spoiled, unless you ran afoul of one the many cat ranchers with 30+ years of seniority.

 

[Palomino]

At TWA you would have been upgraded and spoiled, unless you ran afoul of one the many cat ranchers with 30+ years of seniority.

cat ranchers...haha. great phrase! :laugh:

 

[Lollypop]

Being bumped up is a company No No. Correct me if I'm wrong but the AA pilot's were not to put a JS in F/C untill a few years ago. I see a lot of headset's, Liq, and BOB's being droped into JS laps.

 

[Falcon Jet 1]

my wife and i id90 last year to costa rica, and we were upgraded 3 of 4 legs. the one we weren't the fa apologized because it at the last minute filled up

 

[Midnight Flyer]

Kind of off the subject, but this is a funny little story that happened to me recently.
I was riding on a major airline as a passenger with a FULL FARE paid ticket. I wore my uniform for the sole purpose of getting through security with my liquids, etc.. After I was on the other side of security, I went into a bathroom and removed my tie, shoulder boards, wings, badge, and put it in my bag. Basically, I was wearing black shoes, blue slacks, and a white pilot shirt with absolutely nothing to identify me as anything other than a regular passenger.

Anyway, during the beverage service, I was totally skipped. Half of the time when I fly in the back, I deny the drinks, because I know they are usually busy. But this time, since I was simply "skipped over", and I was a paying passenger, I spoke up. The flight attendant gave me attitude on a major scale. She basically said that "jumpseaters like me are lucky just to get on and fly free, and I'm in no position to ask for a beverage". Ha ha, I told her I was a regular full fare paying passenger and I don't know what made her think I was anything else. She quickly humbled, and the male f/a she was working with quickly poured me a water. Little do I know, he probably spit in it and now I've been infected with the HIV virus. :erm:

like I said, a little off the subject, but it seems like certain employee groups do seem to dislike other employee groups for whatever reasons..

 

[aa73]

It's not personal. But a product of AMR corporate culture that was not raised in Texas or the "fly over states." AMR hates their own.

Just call it malicious obediance. The harvard MBA's know what that is.

At TWA you would have been upgraded and spoiled, unless you ran afoul of one the many cat ranchers with 30+ years of seniority.

Slag, without a doubt the TWA non rev experience was the finest there was. But in almost 7 years at AA, I have only been treated with the utmost respect from my fellow coworkers, save for one or two grouchy gate agents. Granted, we come from a long culture of management clashing, but I think this culture is slowly changing for the better. Case in point, AA was the only "legacy" to sign an F/A jumpseat agreement with Jetblue. The F/As can now jumpseat on each others' airlines for free. This would have been unheard of at AA a few years ago.

73

 

[pylut]

Cardenal,

You (and anyone who ever posts any question about AA) involuntary set yourself up for the typical barrage of idiocies coming from bitter TWA folks. No matter how innocent you try and make the question seem, you will always get the usual predictable garbage from the red peanut gallery. (This obviously does not include my very good friends from TWA who represent the professionalism from the majority of that group.)

73

Actually aa, if you re-read this......

Yeah, there's a policy. From the FOM 1.1.1 - "Each employee group will, at all times, hate all other employee groups. This section shall be applied to AA, its subsidiaries, and to all other airlines with hatred levels in descending order".

You might be able to recognize this as a little thing called humor. It is in actuality funny, but also sad at the same time because it seems so accurate of the situation at aa. None the less, funny all the same.

 

[aa73]

Actually aa, if you re-read this......

You might be able to recognize this as a little thing called humor. It is in actuality funny, but also sad at the same time because it seems so accurate of the situation at aa. None the less, funny all the same.

Funny it was. Accurate... not quite. This is where you AA haters like to over-dramatize, but that's just because of the unfortunate treatment you guys got from a lot of my coworkers, which (understandably) skews your view. In reality, as I mentioned above, I have never been treated disrespectfully at AA, whether non reving or working. Most of my coworkers treat everyone respectfully. I guess ripping on AA and its culture makes for entertaining reading on Flightinfo, but the reality is that we are no different than any other big-a$$ airline. You can claim differently, but I've been here long enough to realize that all my buds at other airlines have the same exact stories I have.

Like I said, I do understand why it happens, though.

cheers, 73

 

[AAslag]

Slag, without a doubt the TWA non rev experience was the finest there was. But in almost 7 years at AA, I have only been treated with the utmost respect from my fellow coworkers, save for one or two grouchy gate agents. Granted, we come from a long culture of management clashing, but I think this culture is slowly changing for the better. Case in point, AA was the only "legacy" to sign an F/A jumpseat agreement with Jetblue. The F/As can now jumpseat on each others' airlines for free. This would have been unheard of at AA a few years ago.

73

I'm truly glad to here that, and I probably overgeneralized (except for the cat rancher thing). I've been out of the loop.

 

[C-150ETOPS]

It's an FA problem.

I've never been upgraded or given a better seat from a FA during my 15+ years at AA. At AA, I'd guess that 30%-40% of the FA's have a major "harhd-on" about the upgrading issue. Another 20%-30% don't care, and the few that have their head on straight are bulled over by the riled up "cat-ranchers".

The treatment doesn't extend to other AA FA's and their friends. Friends from our kids school rode AA once, (FA knew them since GF's kid attends too). F/C came right away along with a bottle of vino, drinks like having a personal bartender, plus more bottles of vino for the road. Our friends think thats the same treatment a non-rev pilot+family gets :laugh:

A not small percentage are a F-ing embarrassment to commercial aviation.

Best chance is to bring some worthless catnip kitty toy trinket as a gift. At AA, that will probably work the best. Whatever you do, don't tell them you're a pilot

 

[AA717driver]

I think part of the problem is that AA is a massive company. You have nice people working there and you have real a$$holes there. Some days you run into one type, other days you run into the other type.

I know some of the angst toward pilots was generated by some of the mid-80's hires thinking they were God's gift to aviation because they upgraded quickly. This attitude pi$$ed off many of the agents and FA's.

Some of the ill feelings come from the fact that AMR is just not employee-friendly. Agents get pressure. FA's get pressure. Look at someone crosswise and you get written up and it's assumed by the company that you are guilty even if you are proven innocent. It's the antithesis of the SWA culture.

It is changing but it takes a LONG time to change such an intrenched, large bureaucracy like AMR.

BTW, no one knows cat ranchers like AA Slag. TC

 

[Angus Khan]

[At TWA you would have been upgraded and spoiled, unless you ran afoul of one the many cat ranchers with 30+ years of seniority.[/quote]


Man, I really laughed at that one. Most were great to work with but the "cat ranchers" tag is appropriate. TW was so easy and pleasant to commute/work on. Miss it dearly.

 

[amt]

Next time, try bringing a bag of good chocolates and handling to the lead FA, it works for me everytime !

 

[aa73]

Next time, try bringing a bag of good chocolates and handling to the lead FA, it works for me everytime !

I did that on CAL coming back from Europe last month... man that seat in BusinessFirst was sweet!

Thanks CAL!
73

 

[accinelli]

Next time, try bringing a bag of good chocolates and handling to the lead FA, it works for me everytime !

Yeah. Just what the world needs. More "large" FA's. It would be interesting to see how much these FAs cost us in additional fuel burn. 250lbs of skin followed by another 200 lbs of carry on.

 

[EA6BDriver]

Yeah. Just what the world needs. More "large" FA's. It would be interesting to see how much these FAs cost us in additional fuel burn. 250lbs of skin followed by another 200 lbs of carry on.

Amen, brother...

 

[B6Driver]

Fight it if you wish but a little sucking up goes a long way.
The sweets really take the sour out of their puss.

 

[aa73]

Fight it if you wish but a little sucking up goes a long way.
The sweets really take the sour out of their puss.

Hear, hear!

Works like a charm. If they don't want the extra calories, they'll politely decline while falling over themselves thanking you for your kind gesture.