Delta starts unionization voting among flight attendants
Delta Airlines this week will begin votes to determine whether or not Delta’s flight attendants will be unionized. The airline, which was largely non-union, merged with Northwest that had an antagonistic union/management relationship. Plus, this vote takes place under new rules that say a majority of voters determines whether the union get to organize the flight attendants rather than a majority of the workforce.
About 20,000 flight attendants will start voting on September 29, while 14,000 ramp and cargo employees are to vote for or against representation by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, beginning October 14.
The machinists union is also seeking elections for 16,000 reservation and gate agents at Atlanta-based Delta.
Bruce Kaufman, a professor at Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies who specialises in labour economics and human resource management, says union wins could be a negative not just in terms of costs, but could disrupt a team culture Delta has sought to build.
U.S. airlines required to check Japanese-made seats for safety defects
In an FAA ruling that has airlines steaming, the airlines will be required to check 278 planes with seats manufactured by a Japanese company to insure that they meet safety standards and remove those that don’t.
Koito may have to fix as many as 150,000 seats in about 1,000 aircraft owned by 32 airlines after falsifying tests and making unauthorized design changes, Japan’s transport ministry said Feb. 8. The European Aviation Safety Agency last year withdrew approval for the Yokohama, Japan-based company’s seats.
Airbus and Boeing have said some aircraft deliveries were delayed because of the need to make safety checks of the seats.
Carriers must replace seats, or parts of them, within either six years or two to three years, depending on the types of flaws found in inspections, according to the FAA order.
How to score a travel upgrade
Here is another in the never-ending series of stories about how to get into the front of the plane. This USAToday piece includes tips for scoring upgrades on planes, with rental cars and in hotels. The basics: have plenty of frequent flier miles and money or both sometimes. Here are two of the article’s suggestions.
…be familiar with your airline’s policies. First and foremost, if you’re interested in potentially upgrading, make sure to buy a coach ticket that actually qualifies for whatever kind of upgrade you’re trying to get. If you’re not sure about ticket classes and upgrading eligibility, ask an airline customer service representative before handing over your credit card number.
…use frequent flier miles is for upgrades. It’s often the case that a “free” seat isn’t available for cashing in miles, but upgrades are. Given the often-prohibitive cost of first- and business-class seats, using miles to upgrade to that front-of-the-plane seat will (dollar for dollar) give you the best value. A mileage-earning credit card that delivers points and credits for everyday purchases can help you rack up miles faster. But mileage upgrades come with two caveats: First, some airlines now require a cash co-pay to upgrade their cheapest coach tickets; second, even when you buy a ticket that qualifies for an upgrade, you may not be able to lock in that upgrade in advance.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
