JetBlue has simply revealed that it expects it’s going to want considerably fewer flight attendants for this upcoming winter, as flagged by @xJonNYC. The airline is now providing flight attendants unpaid depart, and is warning that those that stick round could get lowered hours.
JetBlue lowering flying schedule for winter
JetBlue has simply had a gathering with TWU Native 579, the union representing roughly 7,000 JetBlue flight attendants. This comes because the airline is finalizing its schedule for the IATA winter season (which matches from late October via late March).
The airline has revealed that it has considerably lowered demand for flight attendants throughout that interval, and expects that the month-to-month want for flight attendants can be lowered by roughly 39,000 hours systemwide.
The union is warning that this might impression the work-life steadiness of flight attendants, and likewise pose challenges. The union states the next:
- Flight attendants are being provided unpaid depart starting from one to 6 months; this might kick in as quickly as September 2024, and will go so far as February 2025
- The corporate states that these flight attendants who do stick round may even see lowered hours, and since flight attendants are paid hourly, which means their earnings may very well be lowered
- There will even be extra flight attendants on reserve, which is considered as undesirable, since you could have little management over your schedule and the place you fly
We’re seeing this lowered flying for a few causes. For one, the airline plans to trim its schedule, given the final trade overcapacity we’re seeing. Past that, JetBlue additionally plans to scale back staffing on all transatlantic flight, to simply 4 flight attendants.
Traditionally these flights have had 5 flight attendants, so anticipate that this might impression service ranges. Nonetheless, we partly already knew about this alteration, as JetBlue is locking the doorways of Mint enterprise class seats on Airbus A321neos, so as to have the ability to cut back staffing.
To do some very tough math right here on how large these reductions are, JetBlue flight attendants work a mean of possibly 80-100 hours monthly. So in the event you cut back flight attendant hours by 39,000 monthly, that’s the equal of ~390-490 flight attendants, give or take. That’s someplace within the vary of 5-10% of general flight attendant hours (let me once more emphasize that that is very tough math).
These adjustments are in all probability obligatory
The airline trade over the previous couple of years has been completely wild:
- After the pandemic, airways couldn’t rent quick sufficient to maintain up with demand
- Whereas the “large three” US carriers have executed fairly properly due to sturdy lengthy haul and premium leisure demand, plus sturdy loyalty applications, it has been a distinct story for different airways, together with JetBlue
- After not having the ability to rent quick sufficient, airways are actually largely coping with having too many employees
- Regardless of many airline executives complaining about not having the ability to get sufficient plane as a consequence of Boeing supply delays and Airbus Pratt & Whitney engine points, they’re additionally now beginning to complain about trade overcapacity
These adjustments from JetBlue are in all probability clever. For one, many airline executives have signaled plans to chop capability this winter, in hopes of bettering yields. That applies to JetBlue as properly.
Moreover, JetBlue is in main value chopping mode, as the corporate’s new administration group is attempting to show across the airline, and return to profitability (which is not any small process).
In all honesty, I believe JetBlue is heading in the right direction. The airline must deal with operational reliability, controlling prices, and introducing extra premium buy-up choices for patrons.
JetBlue has traditionally tried to supply a fantastic passenger expertise for everybody, however hasn’t been in a position to command a income premium for that. Whereas it will be good if that enterprise mannequin labored, it simply doesn’t, which is why JetBlue is now making some tough and obligatory adjustments.
Backside line
JetBlue has warned of lowered demand for flight attendants this winter, as a consequence of a mixture of a lowered schedule, plus lowered staffing on transatlantic flights. The airline is now providing as much as six months of unpaid depart flight attendants. Those that stick round could discover themselves with lowered hours, or on reserve greater than they’d have in any other case been.
What do you make of JetBlue’s flight attendant staffing state of affairs?
