American Airlines is allegedly initiating a program to evaluate flight attendants based on multiple criteria. While I theoretically support having flight attendants assessed under a performance-focused framework, I believe this will likely lead to negative outcomes.
In this post:
American introducing Me@Work program for flight attendants
JonNYC has reported that American is implementing what’s termed the Me@Work program, where flight attendants will receive scores from management. These assessments are intended to be grounded in the data from the past year, covering aspects such as:
– Customer satisfaction, derived from de-identified net promoter score surveys sent to passengers
– Contributions to operations (what this will specifically include is still unclear)
– Delays attributed to flight attendants
These are the details available at this moment, although I anticipate further insights will emerge soon, likely from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), representing American flight attendants, which will probably have some opinions on this matter.
Moreover, it remains uncertain how these scores will impact flight attendants’ careers, regardless of whether their scores are favorable or unfavorable. Will there really be consequences for those who don’t perform well, or incentives for those who excel? Or is this merely intended to provide feedback to flight attendants, perhaps fostering competition among them, etc.?
American intends to commence evaluation of flight attendants
I fully support increased accountability for flight attendants, but…
In previous writings, I’ve discussed the reasons behind inconsistent and often poor service on US airlines. Among other points, I highlighted how US airlines typically do not employ genuine onboard managers to assess their colleagues, along with a general lack of performance-based evaluations.
So, on the surface, it is positive to see some form of evaluation system being introduced for flight attendants. Nevertheless, I suspect significant challenges will arise.
Firstly, one might question if this is indeed the proper system for assessing flight attendants. They will be evaluated based on overall passenger impressions and delays? These factors may not accurately represent the individual performance of a specific flight attendant on a flight.
It’s possible that the average net promoter score varies for a flight attendant who mainly works business class on American’s new Boeing 787-9s on transatlantic routes compared to one who predominantly operates 737s domestically, as passenger perceptions are likely influenced by the overall travel experience.
Secondly, I can only assume that there will be substantial resistance from unions and flight attendants, as most will not favor programs of this nature. I’m interested to know if there have been any discussions with the union yet, because if not…
Lastly (and somewhat related to this point), the timing of this initiative appears less than ideal, especially considering the current strained relations between management and the union. Recently, flight attendants expressed no confidence in CEO Robert Isom, and I’m certain they would appreciate a Me@Work score calculated for Isom. 😉
In any case, I’m eager to observe how this situation develops, and I find it hard to believe it will be put into action without considerable resistance…
I can only assume this program will face pushback
Bottom line
American is reportedly launching a new scheme in which flight attendants will be evaluated based on several criteria, such as net promoter scores on flights, delays they create, etc. Although there is a genuine need for greater accountability among flight attendants, this will surely not be well accepted, particularly given the significant discontent that a vast majority of American flight attendants hold toward top management.
What are your thoughts on how this flight attendant evaluation system will unfold?