A Southwest Airlines flight attendant has filed a lawsuit against the Dallas-based carrier because crew do not get paid for boarding and deplaning or other ground-based duties – a long-established pay structure at US airlines that is now starting to end.
Matthew Lanclos has worked for Southwest Airlines for nearly 20 years, and since 2013, he has been based at the carrier’s hub in Denver. Lanclos argues that Colorado’s ‘Wage and Hour Law’ should guarantee him the right to be paid for all the time he spends at work.
The lawsuit is likely to prove highly contentious as Southwest flight attendants only approved a new contract last year, which maintained the status quo in which crew members only start getting paid from the time the plane pushes back from the gate to the moment it arrives at its destination.
In fact, Southwest’s flight attendants don’t get paid a traditional hourly rate but earn money through a Trips for Pay’ system. One TFP is equivalent to flying a certain distance, which is around 243 miles or 55 minutes of flight time.
Lanclos argues that this system disadvantages flight attendants because they spend a lot of time effectively working for free.
In a recently filed lawsuit, Lanclos claims the unpaid work starts up to 75 minutes before a flight when crew members first arrive at the aircraft to complete mandatory pre-flight tasks and start boarding passengers.
Unpaid work then resumes once the aircraft arrives at its destination, when flight attendants deplane passengers and then clean the cabin before new passengers board the airplane.
Lanclos also claims flight attendants should be paid for ground delays when crew members are still required to look after passengers but the plane hasn’t pushed back from the gate.
In addition, the lawsuit argues that getting through the TSA security checkpoint is a necessary part of the workday, so it should be included as paid time. So, too, walking from one plane to the next between flights.
Under the Colorado ‘Wage and Hour Law,’ employers are required to pay workers for time that they are required to be on the employer’s premises or on duty.
“As a result of Southwest’s conduct, Lanclos and the similarity situated workers are owed significant unpaid minimum wages and unpaid overtime compensation for the time they worked in Colorado without pay,” the legal complaint against the airline argues.
“Non-flying hours that Lanclos and similarly situated workers were required to work resulted in more than 40 hours per workweek, 12 hours per workday, and 12 hours per shift,” the complaint alleges.
Southwest is still preparing its response to the lawsuit but expect a robust defense that will argue that the airline’s collective bargaining agreement with flight attendants supersedes any state law.
This isn’t, however, the first time that Southwest has fallen foul of Colorado’s worker protection laws. Since 2021, Southwest has been accused of violating the state’s paid sick leave law, resulting in the carrier being slapped with a $1.3 million fine.
Like a growing number of states and local districts, Colorado created its ‘Healthy Families and Workplaces Act’ to give workers the right to earn sick leave that they could use without fear of future disciplinary action.
Under the union contract, however, flight attendants accrue points whenever they go sick, and collecting too many points could result in disciplinary action and even termination.
Although Southwest flight attendants only recently ratified a new contract that doesn’t include boarding pay, the trend is moving towards including boarding pay as an element of the total wage deal.
Last year, flight attendants at American Airlines approved a new contract that includes boarding pay, joining their peers at Delta Air Lines, who have been earning boarding pay for several years.
Alaska Airlines has also offered flight attendants a wage deal that includes boarding pay, although United Airlines is so far refusing to concede to union demands to include boarding pay in an updated collective bargaining agreement.
Of your not happy then find another position. You accepted the job, the pay didn’t change.
More importanty… WHO is the victim when Southwest gets fined and WHO gets the million dollar fines???
Not the passengers…
So thank your government when the airlines raises their rates to cover these FINES the government keeps.
Bottom line – YOU PAY
YOU can walk to your next destination or take a bus. Without flight attendants you could kiss air travel goodbye as well as seeing the price of good go up due to cargo agreements. Educate yourself or sit down.
If your not happy then find another position. You accepted the job, the pay didn’t change.
More importanty… WHO is the victim when Southwest gets fined and WHO gets the million dollar fines???
Not the passengers…
So thank your government when the airlines raises their rates to cover these FINES the government keeps.
Bottom line – YOU PAY
I was a flight attendant back in the early 90’s. We had to show up for work, but the clock didn’t start ticking for pay until we were in the air. I think we had to show up an hour before a flight, but it could have been more. If it was a ferry flight, we got paid at the time of leaving the gate. But if it was a passenger flight, we would board, secure the cabin, then sit tight… all without pay until we left the gate – but I was still expected to tend to any passengers needs during that time. Once we got to the arrival gate, I was no longer paid. If there was a sick passenger, I had to clean up after them. I had to clean the cabin, including crossing the seat belts, and sticking my hands into the seat pockets (lord only knew what might be in there), but I was no longer being paid. Then, I would receive the new passengers, settle them, and their baggage in, and wait to leave the gate. Sometimes, it could take an hour to leave the gate – still not being paid, bbubt there would be passengers who needed something, maybe a drink to take a pill. Many of our passengers were from international flights, and were exhausted and hungry/thirsty. There were times when I would hand out drinks, usually juices, to 50 passengers. I was the only flight attendant on board. I could not do nothing for these tired passengers, but I was not being paid for this. There were other times when a disabled passenger would pre-board, so it would be up to me to settle them – unpaid. When we got to the destination, I had to wait quite a while until the passenger was deplaned – still not paid. Why did I do this? Back then, I could fly for free most of the time, so I visited European cities, Russia (when it was safe), South America, Africa…. That was my pay…. That is no longer true. I wish them well, as they deserve to be paid for their work. Would the CEO do anything for the company without being paid???????????????
Did you fly for ExpressJet by any chance? I flew for them for 10 years and can relate to everything you have said. We really worked hard as the only FA. But like you, I had flight benefits on a major airline and flew to the UK and Europe when I had time off. And many times, it was First Class 🙂
Did anybody else notice that they weren’t complaining about their current rate of pay, only when paid work started and stopped? That’s because they’re compensated pretty well for the time they are paid. The collective bargaining process reached an agreement both parties were happy with, but then this person decides to sue. “Block time” has been used for decades as the standard for compensation of airline crews, and it’s usually reached through the collective bargaining process.
Just because something has been done a certain way doesn’t mean it is right and should continue being adone that same way. When you are at work and you work over the time don’t you expect to get paid for the work you do? Don’t YOU get paid overtime?? WELL SO SHOULD THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS!!!!
No, they’re not. The reason they’re not complaining about their pay is because ultimately the minimum wage in the United States is still less than $10. So they’re not going to complain regardless of how ineffective it is to afford decent housing and simple human rights with that pay. What they are complaining aboutit’s slavery. Working without being paid anything. Is illegal. Servers make at least 213 an hour and tip. Flight attendants don’t get tipped. If they just sat there while everyone boarded and did not provide any drinks, answer any questions, or do any safety checks then passengers might complain. So why can’t they complain when they’re not getting paid to do those things.
Block time is fine on a good day, but on days with extended delays (passengers on board, but door open) it certainly doesn’t. Our pilot contract guarantees a min pay of four hours regardless of what happens in a day – our flight attendants not so.
I became a flight attendant in SUMMER 2024. It was not until my 2nd week of ACADEMY that we learned that we don’t get paid until the MCD closes. It was not mentioned during my interview process or else I would have declined the position.
My first week was my ONLY week as I quit on Day 6. My week was full delays and SITTING. Due to the craziness, I would not have been able to work a 2nd job because as we all know with TRAVEL, expect your plans to NOT always stay ON PLAN🤨 During my last shift (my last straw), I was UBERED, at 5 am, two hours to Orlando to work a flight to FT LAUDERDALE, FT LAUD to the Bahamas, Bahamas to FT LAUD, and then deadhead (catch a ride 🛩️ UNPAID) to my TAMPA base. My DEADHEAD was scheduled too close to my last flight and had it not been delayed, I would have missed it and then had to wait until 9 pm… getting me back to BASE around 11:30. All in all, it ended-up being a 14 HOUR DAY with only THREE paid hours. My pay rate was around $21.65 an hour but with DILUTED PAY, it dropped to $4.63 an hour. Again, it took me 14 hours to make $65😅
I wouldn’t trade the learning experience for anything! I got to hangout with my heroes… pilots! I got to learn something totally crazy and exciting! I managed an AC all by myself! However, I know my value. I’m worth more and I don’t hangout in LOW PLACES—so I professionally emailed my boss, the one who hired me. I asked her to not tell my classmates that I was quitting , but to instead, advise them that I had a family emergency that would leave me OUT OF TOWN for months as I did not want to negatively impact them. I’m in my FORTIES, they are all (there was 7 of us), in their twenties or barely 30.
The boss did not reply to me. I merely received alerts that my scheduled flights had been unscheduled. I emailed her around 8 am on a Sunday. By 5 am, the next day, a classmate kicked me out of our WHATS APP group chat, and then another classmate texted wanting to know what was up. Again, no reply from the “boss” yet. Around 8 am, a supervisor texted to let me know I needed to bring her my credentials. Again, nothing from the “boss” until after I told the other supervisor it would be about a week. I definitely could have returned the items sooner but since we don’t want to respect my privacy, I’m in no rush, and now I also have to explain to a young mind why the PAY is garbage versus him figuring-it-out on his own. Anyway, “boss” apparently didn’t like my answer to the supervisor so she FINALLY sent an email explaining my options for returning my credentials (wings, uniforms, handbook, KCM badge) … I gave her the same answer that I gave the SUPERVISOR. I’m sure she loved that lol
Fast forward to January 2025, and this airline is filing bankruptcy and also made headlines for NOT picking-up passengers at one of the islands because they’re no longer allowed to fly-in due to over $100,000 in unpaid dues. All of those PAX had to find flights home. Meanwhile, the airline, via a NOW REMOVED social media post, blamed the airport.
For anyone reading…. NEVER SETTLE! Know your worth! I know flying is fun but BEING BROKE is not. I wish my classmates, and anyone in the industry, the best! For the guy suing… I don’t really have an opinion because I know the frustration but I’m also not dumb enough to work FOR FREE past 6 days lol and you’ve been doing it for 20 years, but maybe you’ll shake things up in the industry but it could cause rates to be too expensive for travelers. Either way… again, I’m very blessed for the experience 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I became a flight attendant in SUMMER 2024. It was not until my 2nd week of ACADEMY that we learned that we don’t get paid until the MCD closes. It was not mentioned during my interview process or else I would have declined the position.
My first week was my ONLY week as I quit on Day 6. My week was full of delays and SITTING. Due to the craziness, I would not have been able to work a 2nd job because as we all know with TRAVEL, expect your plans to NOT always stay ON PLAN🤨 During my last shift (my last straw), I was UBERED, at 5 am, two hours to Orlando to work a flight to FT LAUDERDALE, FT LAUD to the Bahamas, Bahamas to FT LAUD, and then deadhead (catch a ride 🛩️ UNPAID) to my TAMPA base. My DEADHEAD was scheduled too close to my last flight and had it not been delayed, I would have missed it and then had to wait until 9 pm… getting me back to BASE around 11:30. All in all, it ended-up being a 14 HOUR DAY with only THREE paid hours. My pay rate was around $21.65 an hour but with DILUTED PAY, it dropped to $4.63 an hour. Again, it took me 14 hours to make $65😅
I wouldn’t trade the learning experience for anything! I got to hangout with my heroes… pilots! I got to learn something totally crazy and exciting! I managed an AC all by myself! However, I know my value. I’m worth more and I don’t hangout in LOW PLACES—so I professionally emailed my boss, the one who hired me. I asked her to not tell my classmates that I was quitting , but to instead, advise them that I had a family emergency that would leave me OUT OF TOWN for months as I did not want to negatively impact them. I’m in my FORTIES, they are all (there was 7 of us), in their twenties or barely 30.
The boss did not reply to me. I merely received alerts that my scheduled flights had been unscheduled. I emailed her around 8 am on a Sunday. By 5 am, the next day, a classmate kicked me out of our WHATS APP group chat, and then another classmate texted wanting to know what was up. Again, no reply from the “boss” yet. Around 8 am, a supervisor texted to let me know I needed to bring her my credentials. Again, nothing from the “boss” until after I told the other supervisor it would be about a week. I definitely could have returned the items sooner but since we don’t want to respect my privacy, I’m in no rush, and now I also have to explain to a young mind why the PAY is garbage versus him figuring-it-out on his own. Anyway, “boss” apparently didn’t like my answer to the supervisor so she FINALLY sent an email explaining my options for returning my credentials (wings, uniforms, handbook, KCM badge) … I gave her the same answer that I gave the SUPERVISOR. I’m sure she loved that lol
Fast forward to January 2025, and this airline is filing bankruptcy and also made headlines for NOT picking-up passengers at one of the islands because they’re no longer allowed to fly-in due to over $100,000 in unpaid dues. All of those PAX had to find flights home. Meanwhile, the airline, via a NOW REMOVED social media post, blamed the airport.
For anyone reading…. NEVER SETTLE! Know your worth! I know flying is fun but BEING BROKE is not. I wish my classmates, and anyone in the industry, the best! For the guy suing… I don’t really have an opinion because I know the frustration but I’m also not dumb enough to work FOR FREE past 6 days lol and you’ve been doing it for 20 years, but maybe you’ll shake things up in the industry but it could cause rates to be too expensive for travelers. Either way… again, I’m very blessed for the experience 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Flight attendants aren’t paid jack. 28 dollars an hour on average but you only get paid for 75-100 hours a month. It’s not 40 hours a week 4 weeks a month . They know the job is a dead end skillless job and they take it and then complain. No one made you do it. Some companies only require a ged to become a flight attendant. They will never paid an exuberant amount of money for a job that requires no education or special training. If you don’t like it don’t take the job in the first place.
Oh Geez…apparently you have no idea what the FA training is about. In 1 word, : Safety ” . Boarding is as important as any other phase of flight. Again, I won’t go into the many things that FA s have to do and be aware of during Boarding. I invite you to research the job and duties of the FA. You might be surprised to see that it’s definitely Not about ” coffee, tea or me “
You’re an idiot and your comment isn’t based on anything but lies and FAKE news. Keep that same energy the next time there’s an emergency on the aircraft. We go through a very tough and rigorous training to prepare us to deal with saving people’s lives. We’re not only there to provide you snacks and drinks. Sometimes we have to turn into nurses, therapists, fire fighters, etc. Working sometimes for 16hrs or more a day and only getting paid for 6 or 7 of those hours is ridiculous. You have no idea what the life of a fly attendant is like so just STFU and pray that on your next flight your flight attendant is in a good mood. We can make your flight smooth and as comfortable as possible and we can also make it the worse experience you ever had so you might want to check your attitude before stepping on your next flight.
No special training? Do you knw anything at all about being an FA? It takes upwards of 8 weeks of training 6 days a week sometimes 12 hours a day. Your life is in their hands in case of emergency and you think there is no special training for that?
I’m not happy with the notion that a court — any court — can stick its nose into a negotiated contract among civilians. If the court makes changes, it effectively rewrites an agreement in which it was never a participant.
I’m guessing this suit will fail. The contract was negotiated on the basis of the assumption of no boarding pay. Furthermore, the contract was negotiated on a national scale and I’m guessing that any Colorado laws will be unenforceable, being superseded by the federal Railway Labor Act, which governs labor relations for both railroads and airlines. Lawsuit will most likely be dismissed before trial, in my opinion.
Also, willingly negotiating a contract and then claiming one of its key provisions isn’t enforceable on which the others are based is not negotiating in good faith.