A veteran United Airlines flight attendant has slammed colleagues hired during a rush by the Chicago-based carrier to bolster its inflight workforce as travel demand quickly bounced back from the doldrums of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling them lazy and lacking in class, etiquette, and professionalism.
The frustrated crew member made the allegations in response to a complaint from a United passenger who claimed the flight attendants on a recent flight were rowdy and yelling profanities at one another for the duration of the service.
“These are the post-covid symptoms of hiring people from the workers-release program,” the veteran flight attendant said in response to the complaint posted on the social media platform Reddit.
At the height of the pandemic, many senior flight attendant took up ‘early out’ offers from United, permanently hanging up their wings over fears that the aviation industry would never be the same again.
But when passengers started to return to the skies in their droves, airlines were left on the back foot and had to hire fresh new workers as quickly as possible to keep up with the demand.
“Standards went out the window, 100%,” the veteran crew member said of the recruitment campaigns run by many airlines, not just United, who found themselves in the same situation.
“The new hires we’ve been getting the last few years are, for the most part, unanimously hated amongst the entire workgroup,” the disgruntled crew member continued. “You can’t generalize every single one, of course, but for every good one, there are 10 awful, embarrassing godawful ones.”
“They aren’t hired for their attention to class, etiquette, professionalism, service, etc. like it once was. A scary amount of these people only have Taco Bell and McDonald’s as prior work experience on their resume.”
The flight attendant alleges that their new hire colleagues have no sense of decorum, find any passenger request an inconvenience, and “cannot manage to get through a flight without an airpod in their ear.”
“Getting paid nearly $70/hr to hand out drinks with a smile is easy f**king work. They do nothing but undermine the rest of the professionals in the workgroup.”
This kind of complaint is certainly not unique to United Airlines and rivals like Delta, who once boasted that it was easier to get into an Ivy League School than score a job as one of its flight attendants, went on massive hiring sprees in the years after 2020.
Customers and veteran flight attendants at Delta have also complained of declining standards amongst some crew members hired during this period.
Interestingly, both Delta and United ran flight attendant recruitment campaigns late last year and were reportedly far more willing to reject candidates than during the post-pandemic hiring rounds.
That being said, Delta did have to send an email to interviewees that they must wear “proper undergarments” during their assessment day. The email also instructed candidates to “maintain their personal cleanliness and hygiene” and ensure their fingernails were clean.
It’s not just US-based carriers that have faced concerns about new hire cabin crew, with some passengers also making complaints about flight attendants at famously strict Gulf-based carriers like Emirates and even Qatar Airways.
In the case of United Airlines, however, allegations of declining service standards could also be linked to a contract dispute that is rumbling on between the carrier and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA).
After more than three years of bargaining, little progress has been made in securing an updated contract, and while it’s illegal for flight attendants to take so-called ‘self-help’ action until released to do so by the independent National Mediation Board, there’s the perception that morale has been seriously impacted by the feud.
Why would anyone need more than Taco Bell or McDonald’s as prior experience to be a flight attendant? You guys hand out drinks and bag up trash. A child could do your jobs and probably without the typical whining from flight attendants who have such easy jobs.
Simply because McDonald’s or Taco Bell won’t teach you how to groom yourself or tie a necktie or apply makeup or speak like you have sort of education or how to safely deplane 300 plus passengers several times these are the things you want when you spend $400 or more on a plane ticket and not $8 for a happy meal
Hope one of these flight attendants don’t have to save you in case of an emergency! They are trained rigorously to evacuate the plane in case of an emergency! They serve you food or beverage simply as a courtesy! Someone nds like you don’t travel much!!!
No, these would jump first while complaining about conditions. Trust. I work with them.
If that’s what you think the job is — and ignore this clown, as they don’t know either — you don’t know much about flying.
Remind me of that when you have a medical emergency on one of my flights or a terror threat or emergency landing
Actually, they do more than that. They even save lives. Take your arrogant ignorance and catch a bus next time your sorry ass needs a lift.
Tommy, maybe you should look at the current news out of ATL as a crew of Delta FA successfully evacuated a plane with an engine fire on takeoff. You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.
You Sir, are the problem of today. You are totally ignorant of what a Flight Attendants function really is. They are not your wait staff.
They are Required safety personnel for air travel, used secondary for customer service. The original F/As had to be registered nurses.
Today people think they are there just to serve their ridiculous requests, and put up with a plane full of Karen’s.
Go take a bus, even a bus is above your class.
Well, if you have a heart attack at McDonalds or Taco Bell, you will have to wait until paramedics arrive. Flight attendants are aviation’s first responders; trained for all types of medical emergencies. They also have training for high jackings, building bomb stacks in case a bomb is found on board. They inform you of all safety procedures, know how to open the doors of all aircraft. They know how to make rafts from aircraft slides should you crash in water , keep you alive and operate a host of rescue equipment.
You say that until there is an emergency🙄 It’s passengers with disrespectful attitudes like you that also make things harder for the fight attendants and fellow passengers.
Over the course of 35 years, I’ve had pilots watch me persuade, calm, and control passengers. Several have told me they wouldn’t last two weeks in my job.
One captain said my job was unskilled labor. Sort of like you. I told him he could watch me say goodbye as passengers disembarked. Which goodbye did he want me to get paid for: goodbye, come back soon, or fxxck you?
I doubt you wouldn’t be one of the first to ask them to move heaven and earth in case of a disruption of you flight plan – not to speak about the requeat you would have to them to save your *ss in case of an emergency.
Just saying after having observed passengers an their behaviour during countless flight legs and thousands of flight hours over the past 40 + years. (I’m quite happy that these days I (have to) fly only a few times a year as there are more and more people aboard with your attitude.
You didn’t get hired, so you’re disgruntled. When you need to evacuate, or need medical attention during the flight, you’ll appreciate the flight attendant helping you.
Not just United and not just the Flight Attendant group.
Yeah, this sounds about right.
When you’re “broadening your talent pool” and encouraging your employees to bring “their whole selves to work”, this is what you get.
Self entitled woke garbage in the job pool market
This is 100% a DEI situation. I watched in horror at CLT as a gate agent crew yelled disgusting obscenities at each other laughing the whole time. Like “B, I dun told dat MF he betta not come in high ASF but did he listen, hell naw.” I’m looking around like “is this our flight crew???” It’s disgusting and unacceptable.
This is 100% a racist comment.
Shame on you, Diane.
Who said they were black? The fact you think that makes you the racist Ryan…
Hmmm… why is it racist if that’s what was said?
She’s simply repeating what she observed. Don’t like it? Nobody cares.
She’s highlighting a 100% direct quote. Call it whatever you like, but she’s not wrong to point out that the language and attitude demonstrated by the employees she was observing was indeed disgusting and unacceptable. The end.
Puhleeze..stop!
Why is it racist if it is a factual statement. …if it was actually said.
I’m AA and I would find the behavior and language disgustingly unprofessional as well.
I totallly agree with you & they act as if this behavior is normal. It’s not, it’s tacky and ghetto!
It’s not just flight attendants experiencing this. Ramp ops are seeing the same. An entire generation of “adults” with zero accountability or work ethic.
On an AA flight last week I was in 1B and could hear the two F/As talking. Both had been with AA since the 1980s and were counting down to retirement. One of them said to the other that she takes one look at the seniority on her trips and drops if they are newer hires.
These two plus their colleague managed a full beverage service to an Airbus on a 1 hour intraTexas flight including multiple refills in First. Don’t often see that with new hires. “Short duration reasons”
You lost me….these F/A have 30+ years of service and they are doing short haul 1 hour intra Texas flights?? Thar speaks volumes for their seniority.
Maybe they’re doing revenue service to their home base?
People often choose short haul for the lifestyle later in their career.
Former Flight Attendant here; MANY senior flight attendants CHOOSE short hauls so they can sleep in their OWN beds at night and be with their loved ones. When we were young we wanted to “see the world”, but later, “the world” became less enticing. Your ignorance of the job makes you unqualified to be commenting.
NedsKid. You are spot on. It is a problem at AA, UA, DL and every other US carrier.
The industry boasts about their vetting process and compare it to “Harvard” which is a big fat lie. Also, it is an insult to academia.
The real issue is that they will not admit ithe labor pool is tapped out. No qualified applicants and no vetting. The starting pay scale is a joke. It is doubtful that they even do background checks anymore.
The “work rekease” description is very accurate and DEI has gotten out of hand. No hose, no underwear, no uniform standards, bizarre hairdoos, nose rings, claw like nails and no etiquette are the new normal. They want to be Tik Tok stars and most violate social media rules. The managers cannot keep up with it and many have given up trying to enforce the rules.
I hate flying with then as well because they are defiant, rude, lazy, mouthy, ill mannered and disrespectful to the passengers and senior group. Management refuses to address it. 90% would be an accurate number. 10% are wonderful and compliant.
I have never seen such appreciative passengers whenever they get a seasoned, senior, professional cabin crew who want to provide the service, respect and dignity that they so deserve.
This falls directly on the CEO”s and their incompetent VP’s. They do not care. Pure greed.
The inmates are running the asylum.
AMEN TO THE AMEN!! 33 yr AA here. Our managers are usually giggling & laughing figuring out what to have for dinner. It’s a f’ing shit show. Management 200 percent responsible!! 😤😤😤
Yep, 100% true!
$70 an hour? Better do some research. New hires don’t make anywhere near that amount. This “veteran” sounds disgruntled to me.
This is 100% true. I work for an airline and these new hires in all the fields are so lazy. They call in sick and often have dependability problems and many are on termination notice. They refuse to work together as a team and go even an extra inch let alone an extra mile to help a paying passenger or even their workgroup or the team trying to get the flight out on time. They are all about themselves and what they think is owed to them. You can definitely tell who’s a senior employee and who isn’t by their work ethic or lack of work ethic. The focus in the customer is not there at all. This a laziness on the airlines behalf to hire qualified and company oriented people and a direct result of DEI. Sorry not sorry.
Blaming shit like this on DEI is racism, flat out.
No, it’s not. it’s an inconvenient truth. DEI has done severe damage to our society. Also, it’s the lack of work ethic and accountability. Not to mention the lack of family structure.
I guess we need to go back to Jim Crow daysand have a segergated society for folks like you. Woke and DEI is a just racist prejorative and a maga way to say the n word in 2024. How in he hell has getting rid of jim crow and whites only made america bad? Funny hiw when we werr working for free anf buikding thw whutr hiuse it was okay. Now when we get jobs is All DEI. Yall.racist as hell! And proud of it.
Overplayed your race card, buddy. It’s fking O V E R.
I’m 10 years in at United and, sadly, this is very true. Earpods in their ears nearly at all times. Unwillingness to answer FA call buttons. Visual disgust doing required duties. Limited customer interactions where possible. Not communicating well with crew.
We had a major hiring spree after COVID. And major turnaround rate following another hiring boom.
Here we are, now. We all started off flying some of the worst paying trips with longest duty days and shortest layovers. With seniority comes choice. We have all gone through it. Though, this new flight attendant expects the world and high pay to come immediately. There comes an understanding of how to maintain composure when constantly at your limits of fatigue or lack of rest from those terrible trips. Something that changes your mentality to handle those international trips that throw your sleep schedule off due to time zone changes. We had serving jackets and cotton gloves for first class service when I started. There was a lot more expected of us. For a lot less pay. $1400 a month after taxes the first two years was extremely common back in 2015.
Boston turns out of Newark required a bar cart service. Not sure what it is now, but if it’s anything like an LA turn out of Vegas, nothing is really happening.
Our service standards and procedures have been watered way down over these years.
Still find it disgusting
Starting to sound like a 7 mile up hill each way, to and from school, kind of person now….
Really, though.. our services have really tanked. I also remember small touches like passing out mini pies to the whole aircraft, domestic, during Thanksgiving week and Christmas week.
Because I lived off those things being so broke. 5 of us renting a 2 bedroom apartment. That was life. Some people even made the crew room their home in some of our bases. Company made that pretty difficult after a couple years.
People don’t want to put up with that shit anymore. Why should they? Why did you? “That was life.” Until you say “no, it isn’t.”
People like you should be hidden away. You want to act like street thugs? Go run the streets then. Stay off of airplanes. You shant be missed.
There is not a single new hire at united making $70 an hour. In fact, top out pay for the current, 3 years and counting expired, contract isn’t even $70. So the distraught, senior f/a is talking out their rear end. A lot, if not leaning towards most, newhires (and several years in), flight attendants actually qualify for food stamps and government assistance. Are there lazy f/as? Definitely they come in all shapes and sizes, ages, races, and seniority. This coworker made a disgusting statement and claim that was not even factual. Our contract is not a hidden mystery. You can find it easily online, along with the payscale. Please do the slightest bit of research before spreading false information.
Well said. Matt has a history of sensationalizing his posts, writing misleading and even flat-out false information, (presumably to get more readers/followers to boost his advertising income).
I have definitely noticed a decline he last couple years. The first time I flew 1st class was wonderful and the service outstanding. Now except for the leg room the service is about the same. Even allowing passengers from coach to put carry ons in what is clearly marked business class only. I’m just glad they are trying to do something about everyone rushing the gate.
I agree.
I fly FC all the time domestic and international and the FC service domestically is a hit or miss. It does appear to be a “hit” with the more appearing senior FA. And a “miss” with the ones who appear younger.
The more appearing senior FA will perform frequent customer rounds even during shot trips. The younger appearing ones will provide service at the beginning after takeoff and you will be lucky if you physically see them again. …. except to “prepare the cabin for landing” You WILL DEFINITELY hear them as they sit in their seats tell their life stories without using their “inside voices”. Totally
unprofessional. And instead of paying attention to customers.
Um, excuse me, where are my $70/hour after working 8 years in company? What a lies, UA pay scale is open for public, why you wouldn’t check facts before posting this “article”? New hires are getting $26 something and guaranteed for 78h a month-do your math, you can barely live on it. $70 is top pay after 13 or something years.
I’m not going to mention about medicals and other emergencies, that public forgets to remember, when judging this profession
We had to be weighed in 1989 before being interviewed at Delta and American. The current crop really doesn’t dress in a manner that exudes class and refinement.
Love when they have to turn sideways to get down the alleyway. Their uniforms are stained and do not fit. And They demand respect all the while they talk ghetto to you. No class and professionalism.
Kelly, you are absolutely right! Cannot understand why many new hires are hired knowing that they Cannot safely do the job ( walking the aisle sideways). Geez, I question can they quickly exit an over wing exit?
And you think that was a better time, do you, weighing flight attendants?
For numerous reasons it was much better.
An article coming out like this during negotiations makes me curious about the timing, source and resolve about the Flight attendant who made these comments in the first place
She is absolutely correct. Going through training 26 years ago, we were educated on the standards of the airline and told we were lucky to be there. Trainers explained that they would hold up the hoops, resting on high and educated standards and it was our obligation to clear them, unassisted, while sounding bright and articulate and making it look easy with our impeccable appearance in tact. Now, they struggle to finish a simple declarative sentence that isn’t riddled with emotional indulgence and self righteous excuses. If these are the best applicants for the position, we are in trouble. I am embarrassed by them while they know no shame.
lol this is comical. I’m topped out at UA and I don’t even make $70 an hour. I’d just save yourself the embarrassment and delete this article. Do your research next time.
Omg! I was just thinking the same !
Liar
As retired FA during the Covid year I have to agree. Having friends that are still working and hearing their stories about the new hires I am glad I am retired. I loved my job and miss it. I took pride in my job and would probably get fired if I had to work with the new breed of FAs.
Hey just a heads up they all get paid close to poverty level income so keep your expectations low. K thx
Yeah, sorry, that $70/hr quote is disingenuous at best. My brother’s daughter is a FA, has been for over 7 years. She gets shit-for-pay based on actual hours, and can barely afford an apartment. Those hours don’t include time on site, time in aircraft before departure, time after landing, time on hold, time hanging around actually waiting for the aircraft and crews, etc etc etc. they don’t get paid for anything near the actual time they are truly working on site. Just another BS article.
Wrong again. I know someone with 30 yrs and gets $70/hr. Seven yrs ain’t jack.
No new hire is making $70/hr. And the working conditions they’re subjected to these days are awful. Trips are built using algorithms that squeeze blood from turnips. There are some bad junior FAs and some bad senior people. Every company has a percentage of employees that suck. Always been that way. United has a CEO that got a 90% raise and did $1.5b stock buyback. A lot of this $$ comes from major cuts to staffing. This article is a clickbait.
Say it LOUD!!!
D.E.I. It’s that simple.
FYI, they do not get paid $70 per hour except maybe the most senior FAs. The new hires are paid about $26 minus deductions for insurance, tax and uniforms.
And they fired good employees for anything not matter how hard they work o the time they been in the company . The show like they care a lot about the employees but that’s not true . They only care about money
Now THAT’S true!
Agree. Loved my job for over 50 years but when I saw that they lowered the hiring standards I left and am happy I did!
Do I perceive that this is a DEI issue?
You’re a hammer, so everything you “perceive” is a nail.
As a retired gate agent (45yrs) I was able to experience the airline’s at their hey day and now. This article is spot on. But I must also say the passengers are much different also. To the guy who said all they do is serve meals and pick up trash, I’d like you to go through the training that flight attendants do for your safety and in emergency’s. I bet you couldn’t work a job not being home every night and holidays and your kids birthdays etc etc. Working god awful hours, going through heart stopping turbulence and scary maintenance problems.
I feel compelled to comment as my sister was a FA with a major airline for 20 plus years when standards were still high. I have noticed MANY issues with the older FA’s with the seniority. Many in this group are the ones that do not care about their appearance or make any effort in THEIR presentation relying on seniority to do what they please! This is the group that I have had difficulty getting service with! After paying for First Class I shouldn’t have to get up anytime I wanted something… like water. Many have entitled attitudes and do not feel the need to focus on customer service as they are “untouchable”.
I will happily fly with FA’s with the “hairdo’s and claw nails” that someone mentioned as these are the ones that are doing the hard work on the flight. They don’t have the luxury of sitting back counting days until retirement.
I read a lot about a “DEI” issue here but that’s not it — it’s a generation of workers, regardless of ethnicity/race, where they simply cannot cope and understand how to de-escalate onboard situations and deliver a premium and gracious service without making it all about them. Proviso: there are some amazing gems out there, for sure, and they’re the jewels in the skies. It’s the others who have a job where they feel they’re not being directly supervised because they don’t realize that our customers are our “supervisors”. You deliver a gracious service and act like you want to be there and that goes so far for our customers. When left to their own devices (sans direct supervision), a lot of these younger ones will do the absolute bare minimum and think that’s sufficient and that they’ll get their “gold star”. This is true across all types of carriers and even throughout most of the western world.
New hires at UA make $28.88/hr.
Full-time is 78 hr/month.
Full-time at a regular job is 160hr/month.
This means new hire FAs at UA make $14.07/hr.
$14.07/hr
Any competent journalist who would print a quote like “Getting paid nearly $70/hr…” would also include the disclaimer that newly hired crew are paid closer to $25/hr.
In the past, I’ve seen a lot of inconsistencies in this blog, and quite a few flat-out falsehoods. The author, Matt, seems more interested in sensationalism to grab readers than in disseminating facts.
I’ve attempted to become a FA with Delta, denied! I have no idea why but what I can tell you about me is that I would never treat a customer the way that I’ve see some of these new hires treat the customer. When I see the attitude of not wanting to be bothered coming I simply wait until another happier looking attendant is available before I request something. This truly makes me wonder how did these persons get the job that I would love to have?
I have been flying every other week since May from Wisconsin to Houston on a few different airlines…
I have to agree with a few of these comments.
The new flight attendants are not dressed professionally. One in particular was wearing yellow clogs!!
They talk between themselves very loudly about their weekend plans and who said what or who did that and laugh loudly.
It’s truly unprofessional.
It’s a shame to see the veteran attendants working and representing their company by following dress code and being friendly and professional…and then having to work with someone who looks like they just crawled out of bed and unfortunately has an attitude that shows the same.
I haven’t even received a smile and welcome hello many times upon getting into the plane. And I have mentioned it a few times.
It’s very disappointing. I “feel” the disheartened veterans concerns.