I am just a little curious why AA is so secretive about how many people accept recall. They told us about the very first recall that started in Dec., 2010, but have been silent since. I am hoping someone on here can shed some light on the subject. Thanks.
FA Recalls
- Thread starter IORFA
- Start date
I think the lack of information is probably due to what they perceive as a lack of interest. Those on the furlough list are eager to find out how fast they're moving up the list to be recalled and all of us want our friends to come back. I can see why the average FA on the line isn't that interested in the exact percentages - I certainly wasn't until I became one of the furloughed.
Without spending a lot of time looking up exact figures, roughly 96-97% of those of us who had been recalled and trained on the AA certificate in the past chose to come back, although a handful who initially accepted later decided not to return after all. The first group of so called "never recalled" showed 127 of 147 electing to return, which is 86%. We should know the numbers of the later groups before too long. Many, myself included, thought people who had been out eight or nine years would have moved on, but a surprising percentage are leaving their furlough jobs to return to AA. This includes people with seven or eight years at Eagle and other airlines. I know a nurse who's quitting to return, and have a good friend who's making over 50k per year working ten minutes from his house who's coming back to a commuter pad and reserve so he can fly again. He hates his old job, and would rather fly.
MK
I think AA is in shock at how many are coming back especially those that have been gone 8+ and never were AA metal trained. We are a strubborn "never say never" group of people.
I just hope AA has a grip on all these numbers and does not react negatively , thats all we need !!!
And what if F/As dont take the required leaves to reduce headcount??.....
- Thread Starter
- #5
Then AA offers Overage Leaves. Also, Mark, is there a portion of the recalls that can't pass medical? I heard that a few haven't.
jersey777
Veteran
- May 24, 2006
- 627
- 73
Plus, if you look at the retirement page, there have already been 6 ex TWA that have left already up to this day in March. Looks like several are coming back and instantly retiring.
Those that were not 50 when furloughed are being required to come back and attend training. THEN they can retire. As for medical, that is established prior to coming to training.
I hope everyone on the recall list comes back asap and AA starts hiring. It's just mind bugging that they are offering up to 300 six months leaves and recalling at the same time. Let's hope the retirements keep up at the rate they have for the last few months
The company is committed to recalling those promised. In the event a furlough becomes necessary, they have to offer OVL's. They never have a problem getting a few hundred of those, which are more flexible than PLOA's.
The situation in Japan won't last forever, and fuel always has had its ups and downs. Also, I think attrition will remain higher than usual. After that, they have the normal headcount mitigating tricks I mentioned earlier.
MK
I've seen a similar statement before. What are you basing that on? According to the attrition summary posted on the Flight Service website, so far this year the attrition rate is lower than last year and much lower than the 4 years prior to that. The summary posted on the website is ALL attrition--quit, died, retired, and fired. (As they just updated the current year attrition a couple of days ago showing some March retirees, I used 2.5 months for this year.)
Year...Total...Avg. mth
2011---- 95 ----- 38
2010--- 591 ---- 49.25
2009-- 1290 ---107.5
2008--- 855 ---- 71.25
2007-- 1202 --- 100
2006-- 1859 --- 155
The reason for that is simple -RETRO-Normally you have to be on the clock DOS to get retro and now its up to three years worth. We see the same thing in Maint, many started saying to themselves two years ago that they would stick around to see what they would get. Once the contracts are settled we will likely see a surge in retirements and also resignations as guys decide their other job pays better and doesnt demand as much.
I think if you guys get a contract before the year is out your yearly amount of attrition will surpass 2006 by a wide margin.
In Maint we saw the opposite as far as recalls, an 80 to 90% refusal. Perhaps thats because we didnt staple TWA and those furloughed weren't coming back with 20 to 30 years of company time. In NY we got around 17 out of 298 and in Boston we got 5(with three transferring to MIA right away) out of 80. In some cases the people said they were coming back and simply didnt show, in others they did like some are doing with the FAs, report and retire.
Find it amazing that someone would quit being an RN to become an FA, they must have a spouse who makes plenty of money and love being away from them.
I don't trust the figures on the Flight Service website. For one thing, 2009's numbers show furloughs. My figures show 337 attrition for 2009 which is 28 per month.
Private me your email and I'll send you a spreadsheet.
MK
Bob, I happen to know the RN in question as to why he would be leaving his job to return to AA. I have a friend who works in the ER and it can be very grueling and pulling double shifts. Being a f/a is not brain surgery and I have been one for over 25 years. The former TWA f/a that you speak of can make the same money flying without all the stress working as an RN in a busy hospital.
My wife is an RN and her starting pay was $3/hr more than mine after 30 years as an A&P and she works at one of the lowest paying hospitals on Long Island, she chooses to stay because its convienient. (Within walking distance.) There are plenty of places besides the ER in a Hospital, they are all usually busy because Hospitals tend to understaff but probably less stressfull (Nurses, like airline workers, have yet to get their act together when it comes to organizing, my wife belongs to a Teachers union). In this area nurses pull down between $75 to $100k, more if they work extra shifts which are always available due to understaffing and attrition. Do you pull down that much?
For one thing, you can always go back to being an RN, but this is the only opportunity to be a FA (except for starting over at another carrier, which is not practical for us oldies). It isn't all about money. People actually like this job.
MK
