American Airlines pilots union has rejected the company’s offer of as much as double pay for working trips around the holidays, a measure aimed at avoiding a repeat of recent mass flight cancellations. The Allied Pilots Association’s board of directors voted against the premium pay of at least 150% and double pay for picking up open holiday trips. The union said late Tuesday that it wants more permanent changes to how the airline builds its schedule. The labor union is in the middle of contract negotiations with the airline. Some airlines have struggled to balance the return of travel demand and understaffing. American canceled more than 2,000 flights in late October and early November after bad weather and a cascade of staffing shortages. Southwest and Spirit have faced similar issues that have cost them $75m and $50m, respectively. Vowing not to repeat the disruptions, American has reached deals for bonus holiday pay throughout the airline, which employs more than 100,000 workers. The carrier will pay flight attendants triple for trips between Nov. 23 and Nov. 29 and Dec. 22 and Jan. 2, and also for perfect attendance between mid-November and Jan. 2. At minimum, flight attendants who work trips over those periods will get 150% of their pay. “We are, of course, disappointed, especially since we have holiday pay programs in place for all other frontline groups at the company,” wrote Kimball Stone, American’s senior VP of flight operations, and Chip Long, VP of flight operations. “But we will continue to look for opportunities to work with APA to support you during the holidays, as well as explore our options to maximize availability of existing premiums” under the collective bargaining agreement. The pilots’ contract still allows for the company to assign 150% pay to certain trips when staffing is tight. American is also offering $1,000 holiday attendance bonuses to ramp workers, mechanics, dispatchers and others. Staff at its wholly owned subsidiary airlines Envoy, PSA and Piedmont are also eligible for $1,000 bonuses.<br/>
oneworld
“You’re always sure of a seat on the AIR-SHUTTLE,” an Eastern Air Lines ad said about its Boston-New York-Washington shuttle service in 1967. Travelers could “just show and go” — no reservations needed — for as little as $13 one-way between Boston and New York. But by 2021, travel has changed a lot. Not only do travelers need reservations, walk-up fares start at $109 for the Boston-New York LaGuardia route — though that is remarkably close to the $107 that $13 fare would be when adjusted for inflation. American Airlines, which acquired the legacy assets of the Eastern Air Shuttle when it merged with US Airways in 2013, will end service between Boston and New York LaGuardia by summer 2022, the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier told staff in an internal communiqué on November 9. Northeast Alliance partner JetBlue Airways will operate the route for both carriers. “We are revamping the high-frequency travel experience to meet the needs of today’s business customers,” American Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja told staff. That includes dropping American-operated Boston-LaGuardia flights — Boston to New York JFK and Washington Reagan National service continues — and the American Shuttle brand entirely, as well as launching a new fare product dubbed “Main Select” that targets business travelers.<br/>