Dallas, TX – Pilots’ Union Says AA Is Leaving Standby Passengers Behind

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    Air travelers stand at an American Airlines check-in gate at LaGuardia Airport in New York, U.S., March 14, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon StapletonDallas, TX – The head of the pilots’ union said Thursday that American Airlines is leaving thousands of standby passengers at the gate to make sure that flights depart on time.

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    Nearly 20,000 passengers were denied boarding in February even though there were empty seats, Dan Carey, president of the Allied Pilots Association, said. He called it intolerable.

    American carried more than 14 million passengers last month.

    The airline has been trying to improve its on-time performance. It ranked eighth among the nation’s largest 12 airlines at on-time arrivals in 2016, but rose to third in January, the latest month for which government figures are available.

    American did not immediately comment.

    Carey said standby passengers are left behind on about one in six flights, and he blames the airline’s policy of closing the door from the gate area to the jet bridge 10 minutes before scheduled departure. He says gate agents are under extraordinary pressure to close the door no matter what, but that passengers should not be left behind if there are empty seats.


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    2 Comments
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    Sam23
    Sam23
    7 years ago

    What kind if baloney is this? Is the union trying to get more overtime work & delayed flights work well for them? The airline makes a business decision to leave on time its their right lol.

    Butterfly
    Butterfly
    7 years ago

    The last time we flew AA their service was so bad that we had to wait hours until we got back to NYC from LA. In fact there were so many people in LA, that there no seats so we had to sit on the floor! They gave us nothing for this kind of trouble and expected us with a smile to fly them AGAIN!!