A retired flight attendant is on an inspiring journey to honor the flight crews who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Paul Veneto, who worked at United Airlines starting in 1997 and retired in 2013, began “Paulie’s Push” in 2021 to celebrate the spirit of the airline crews. The push consists of Veneto pushing an airline cart between two cities as a tribute to the airline crews lost during the tragic events. “The outpouring of support from my airline crew family has been heartwarming, to say the least. I’ve been met out on the road by a number of flight crews, both current and retired.” Veneto shared in a statement to Travel + Leisure while currently on his latest route, from Newark Liberty International Airport to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, Pennsylvania. “A friend I went to United training school with came out to see me for the third straight Push.” The first «Paulie's Push» took place when Veneto pushed the beverage cart from Boston Logan International Airport to the 9/11 National Memorial in New York City in 2021, in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the tragedy. The second push took place from Boston Logan International Airport to the Pentagon National Memorial in 2022.
Largest Flight Attendants Union Backs JetBlue-Spirit Merger
25.08.2023 - 14:03 / skift.com / Spirit Airlines / Robin Hayes / Edward Russell / Spirit Merger / Sara Nelson
The largest flight attendants union, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, is backing the proposed $3.8 billion merger of JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines as part of a new agreement with the latter carrier.
“The JetBlue-Spirit merger adds competition to the airline industry that creates more power for workers, along with choice and comfort that benefits consumers,” AFA President Sara Nelson said Tuesday. “We urge regulators to work diligently to ensure the financial merger closing occurs in the near term so that flight attendants, other workers, and consumers can access the benefits of the merger as soon as possible.”
AFA represents the roughly 5,600 flight attendants at Spirit. JetBlue’s more than 4,800 flight attendants are represented by the Transport Workers Union, or TWU.
Labor support for the merger is not a guarantee that the U.S. Department of Justice, which handles antitrust matters, will approve the deal. Reports indicate that the regulator intends to block the JetBlue-Spirit combination, and JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said Tuesday that the carrier was ready “to go to court” if it had too to get the deal done.
However, labor backing of a merger can make the integration process go more smoothly once the deal closes.
AFA’s support for the merger came as part of a new two-year accord with Spirit. The tentative agreement, which flight attendants still must vote on, also includes pay raises of 10-27 percent upon ratification.
An American Airlines flight attendant was reportedly led off the plane by police after a passenger told people there was a camera in the bathroom
The FBI and Massachusetts State Police are investigating a "potential criminal act" onboard an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to Boston on Saturday, the police announced.
This athlete says a Southwest flight attendant called her basic athleisure outfit 'too revealing'
Maggi Thorne boarded her Southwest Airlines flight wearing Nike joggers and a crop top.
I've been a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines for 18 years. I commute from Houston to Los Angeles because I don't get paid enough to live there.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kelese Richardson, the local vice president for Alaska AFA LAX and an Alaska Airlines flight attendant. It has been edited for length and clarity.
American Airlines Flight Attendants Vote to Strike
American Airlines‘ flight attendants voted to authorize a strike if the company refuses to agree to “reasonable” contract terms, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) said on Wednesday.
Forget Customer Experience: Lawsuit Challenges JetBlue-Spirit Merger
In a private lawsuit challenging JetBlue’s proposed merger with Spirit Airlines, the plaintiffs have filed documentation with the court suggesting that the combined airline would increase fares could by 24 to 40%. This revelation came from documents that were improperly redacted before being published.
This video of a Southwest Airlines flight attendant rapping the inflight instructions is such a mood
A Southwest Airlines flight attendant broke into a rap when giving an announcement on board the plane, and people are living for it.
Fact check: Will Mexico’s new army-run airline feature soldiers as flight attendants?
Mexico is launching its army-run 'Mexicana' airline in September.
Delta Boosts Pay 5 Percent for Flight Attendants, Most Staff
Delta Air Lines will give its non-union staff, including flight attendants but not pilots, a 5 percent pay raise this April. The move, as CEO Ed Bastian put it in a memo Tuesday, was “well earned” by staff after a challenging 2022.
U.S. Expected to Block JetBlue-Spirit Merger: Report
The U.S. Department of Justice is expected to sue to block the proposed merger of JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines, Politico reported late Friday.
Flight Attendants Union Boss Sara Nelson Being Considered for U.S. Labor Secretary Job
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the most influential flight attendant union in the U.S., is in the running to be the U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Feds Ground the JetBlue-Spirit Merger
Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, March 8. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.