New International Route

[MAH4546]

There is no real need for Hindi speakers on flights to New Delhi.

[post="281846"][/post]​

It is very true that English is very widely spoken in India. In fact, in many middle and upper class nieghbourhoods in Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata, English is far more commonly heard than Hindi, Marathi, or Bengali, respectively.

However, out of common courtesy and customer service, not offering Hindi speakers on this flight is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.

Haiti is a similar situation - if you can afford to fly in Haiti, you speak English. That doesn't stop AA from having a plethora of Creole speakers.

 

[kirkpatrick]

I agree that we absolutely should have Hindi speakers on the flight. But there is certainly no need to hire new FN's for that purpose.

MK

 

[kirkpatrick]

and already people are whinging about weather some Foreign nationals may be hired....

[post="281815"][/post]​

Hiring foreign nationals really isn't the issue. Plenty of foreign nationals will benefit from the new service. Indians will work the ticket counters, gates, baggage handling, catering, cleaning, and sales. But there is absolutely no need to hire them to crew the aircraft.

MK

 

[IORFA]

Folks we already see this kind of traffic into and out of LHR on a daily basis. We manage very well with NO Hindi speakers. My biggest concern at this point is the large amounts of special meals that might be requested.

 

[kirkpatrick]

If they're smart they'll put on about 30% chicken and 70% vegetarian, or whatever ratio assures that all who want vegetarian get them.

MK

 

[FWAAA]

If they're smart they'll put on about 30% chicken and 70% vegetarian, or whatever ratio assures that all who want vegetarian get them.

MK

[post="282006"][/post]​

I take it that BEEF isn't a real popular menu choice to/from India? 😀

 

[s80dude]

:down: unbeliveable, at last some good news (a new route which should turn a profit) and already people are whinging about weather some Foreign nationals may be hired....if i can remind you AA employees outside the USA are all foreign nationals.  It would make perfect sense to hire Indians with green cards to help with language probs etc if the requirement cannot be filled internally.....I think its time some of you union people took a step back and looked at the big picture instead of your own little back garden plot.  I'm LHR based, while this new route will not affect me i see it as a forward step.  It's been proven we can't make money on the domestic market, so why not concentrate on something that may help our job security.....if this works and new routes open we will have to buy more long range aircraft which will mean more recalls.

[post="281815"][/post]​

Easy for you to say since you are currently employed.... some of our co-workers are going on 4 years on the street. Let's focus on recalling, rather than hiring new people off the street. The company can grow and expand, but if they were to continue to crew these new routes with foreign nationals, there will be no more recalls.

If you re-read the original post, my concern was the hiring of foriegn nationals as FLIGHT ATTENDANTS. I fully expect and understand that AA will employ Indian citizens to work on the ground in DEL, but as far as I am concerned, the only flight attendants to work ORD-DEL should be APFA flight attendants, and there are 4500 people on furlough and about 19000 on the line who agree with me....

 

[okoge1027]

Easy for you to say since you are currently employed.... some of our co-workers are going on 4 years on the street. Let's focus on recalling, rather than hiring new people off the street. The company can grow and expand, but if they were to continue to crew these new routes with foreign nationals, there will be no more recalls.

If you re-read the original post, my concern was the hiring of foriegn nationals as FLIGHT ATTENDANTS. I fully expect and understand that AA will employ Indian citizens to work on the ground in DEL, but as far as I am concerned, the only flight attendants to work ORD-DEL should be APFA flight attendants, and there are 4500 people on furlough and about 19000 on the line who agree with me....

[post="282066"][/post]​

AA can hire flight directors just like they do on Haiti flights. Someone to do forms and translate etc, but they're not flight attendants. That way we won't have to hire anyone off the street who speak Hindi.

 

[s80dude]

AA can hire flight directors just like they do on Haiti flights. Someone to do forms and translate etc, but they're not flight attendants. That way we won't have to hire anyone off the street who speak Hindi.

[post="282217"][/post]​

That would appear to be the most acceptable option since the FSDs are over and above the crew compliment and not a bid position.

 

[czerny]

That would appear to be the most acceptable option since the FSDs are over and above the crew compliment and not a bid position.

[post="282240"][/post]​

I want to have faith in APFA but lately, the flurry of "side letters" being signed is most dissapointing, and I hope against hope that we will be recalled, but as long as international fas are allowed to pick up domestic trips and are assigned to them, and vice versa, I don't see a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Furloughees, wether you are AA or TWA/AA, we need to have our voices heard. Email THB, call the APFA headquarters, and tell them that we are out here. If nothing else, on a practical level, that's 4000 union dues checks that are available to them. Why is anyone letting these "side letters" being signed without membership vote is beyond me.

 

[Imagolfer]

Does anyone know when this is going to be loaded in Sabre?

 

[MiAAmi]

I want to have faith in APFA but lately, the flurry of "side letters" being signed is most dissapointing, and I hope against hope that we will be recalled, but as long as international fas are allowed to pick up domestic trips and are assigned to them, and vice versa, I don't see a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Furloughees, wether you are AA or TWA/AA, we need to have our voices heard. Email THB, call the APFA headquarters, and tell them that we are out here. If nothing else, on a practical level, that's 4000 union dues checks that are available to them. Why is anyone letting these "side letters" being signed without membership vote is beyond me.

[post="282306"][/post]​

I think you will find that these side letters will make life for you much more flexible when you do get recalled. I didn't vote for Tommy but applaud her achievements in the short term she has taken helm. Believe me everyone would like to see you recalled, but until then making life easier for the people on the line is much appreciated. Recalls will happen, hopefully before the end of the year.