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US Airways Aircraft Turn Into Flying Vending Machines

Written by thomas · Filed Under Commercial 

July 31, 2008

thomas

WASHINGTON, July 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — As the airline industry
continues to be dominated by high fuel prices and passengers face a
multitude of fees and extra charges, US Airways management recently made
the announcement to charge for non-alcoholic beverages in flight. Beginning
Friday, August 1, US Airways will start charging passengers $2 for soft
drinks and $1 for coffee and hot tea. Flight attendants at US Airways and
America West, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
(AFA-CWA), are adamantly opposed to this unprecedented decision due to lack
of proper planning and poor notification to passengers.

“Rather than charge the fare necessary to produce their product,
management has chosen to resort to the tactics of ultra low fare carriers
such as Allegiant Airlines and Irish carrier Ryanair,” said US Airways
AFA-CWA President Mike Flores. “This model resorts to a nickel and dime
approach to the airlines most valuable asset — the passengers. Flight
attendants are trained and certified safety professionals, not cashiers to
be used in management’s futile attempt to bolster US Airways bottom line.”

Exempt from the charge will be passengers traveling on transatlantic
flights and on the US Airways Shuttle. Unaccompanied minors will also be
exempt and those with medical conditions will be assessed by flight
attendants and offered a free soft drink under what the airline calls “the
good judgment of our flight attendants.”

Lisa LeCarre, America West AFA-CWA President representing the
Phoenix-based flight attendants of US Airways, reiterated the concerns
brought forward to management saying, “Selling these items detracts from
the focus on safety for both passengers and crew. While we understand
management’s intent to add revenue, this program will put both flight
attendants and passengers in a ‘no win’ situation proven by the myriad of
problems arising from the Buy-Onboard program currently in place.”

The carrier’s current onboard purchasing has already been plagued by
issues such as of lack of inventory, inadequate money change and an
unsatisfactory product selection for passengers, adding to additional
frustration from an already irritated traveling public. Management plans to
install handheld credit card readers sometime in 2009.

“In the current industry of customer frustration, the last thing flight
attendants want to do is add fuel to the fire,” said LeCarre.

For over 60 years, the Association of Flight Attendants has been
serving as the voice for flight attendants in the workplace, in the
aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill. More than 55,000
flight attendants at 20 airlines come together to form AFA-CWA, the world’s
largest flight attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000-member strong
Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at
http://www.afanet.org.

SOURCE Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO

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