Not everyone is happy with American Airlines. Picture: Cory W. Watts
IT RAKES in billions of dollars and is the world’s largest airline, but it turns out that all is not well behind the scenes at American Airlines.
A scathing open letter addressed to chief executive Doug Parker from its own union, the Allied Pilots Association, has been circulated slamming the airline as an “embarrassment”.
It outlines several concerns about the state of the carrier, which is two years into a merger with US Airways, a process scheduled to take a further three years and which officially makes it the biggest airline group in the world. It has been quite the turnaround, seeing that American Airlines filed for bankruptcy back in 2011.
Among the allegations made by the union are that the company fosters a “toxic culture” and that staff are tired of making endless apologies to passengers about the poor experience. It also points to violations of the pilots’ contract terms, including around the issue of payment.
“Candidly, the new American Airlines product is outright embarrassing and we’re tired of apologising to our passengers,” the letter states.
“We hear from many valuable corporate clients and premier status passengers that the product is not what they’ve come to expect from American Airlines. The often-repeated excuse that ‘we need more time’ won’t cut it. Our pilots and passengers deserve better.
“The pilots of American Airlines will not remain silent as we witness the rebirth of the toxic culture we fought so hard to eradicate.
“We must see meaningful and immediate culture change. Without it, American Airlines will never be restored to a position of industry leadership and our legacy will be one of opportunity lost.
“The clock is ticking ...”
The full version of the letter can be read here.
The airline is making changes.
In a response to the Dallas Morning News, a spokesman for American Airlines said they “fully understand” the position of the union and were working to improve labour conditions.
“It’s important to realise we are two years into a five-year integration process,” spokesman Casey Norton said. “Everyone wants it to go fast, faster than it is, but we’re also committed to getting it right.”
The airline claims they are in the midst of a $US10.5 billion ($14 billion) investment, including dedicating $US4.7 billion to raise salaries.
news.com.au has contacted American Airlines for further comment.
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