Flight delays and cancellations are an unavoidable part of air travel that can be frustrating for both passengers and airline employees. Flight attendants, in particular, are directly impacted when flights are delayed or cancelled. This raises an important question – do flight attendants get paid if a flight is delayed?
The Basics of Flight Attendant Pay
To understand if and how flight delays impact pay for flight attendants, it’s important to first understand how flight attendant pay works in general:
- Flight attendant pay is based on hourly wages plus per diem (a daily allowance for expenses when working away from home).
- Wages are only paid for time spent actively working on flights. Time spent commuting, in hotel rooms, etc. is unpaid.
- Flight attendants are only paid for the hours they are in the air on flights. Pre and post-flight duties on the ground are unpaid.
- The hourly wage depends on the flight attendant’s airline, experience level, and other factors. The national average is around $56 per flight hour.
- Per diem allowances are provided for every day a flight attendant is working away from their home base. This is around $2 per hour.
With this pay structure in mind, the impact of flight delays on a flight attendant’s pay depends on the specifics of the delay situation.
Pay for Delays Before Takeoff
If a flight is delayed before leaving the gate and taking off, flight attendants continue to be paid their hourly wage throughout the delay. Once a flight attendant has checked in and started their pre-flight duties, they are considered to be “on the clock” and earn their hourly wage rate regardless of aircraft movement.
However, most airlines do set maximum duty days of around 14 hours for flight attendants. If a lengthy tarmac delay means a flight attendant exceeds their scheduled duty day, they may stop getting paid due to contractual daily limits.
Pay for Mid-Flight Diversions
Sometimes flights are diverted or forced to land somewhere other than the scheduled destination due to weather, maintenance issues, medical diversions, or other operational factors. When this happens:
- Flight attendants continue to get paid their hourly flight wage for the full diverted flight.
- They are also paid for the time spent on the ground during the diversion until they reach their maximum duty day limits.
- Per diem payments are adjusted to reflect the new location the flight attendant ends up in.
In short, pay is not impacted by diverted or changed destinations – flight attendants get paid the full flight hours plus ground time up to duty day limits.
Pay for Delays After Landing
Once a flight has reached its destination, flight attendants are generally no longer paid their hourly wage even if they are delayed on the ground. Post-landing duties like greeting passengers as they deplane are unpaid.
However, flight attendants may still receive per diem payments and compensation for additional hours if a major delay prevents them from checking into their hotel or returning home. This compensation can vary based on factors like:
- If the delay was within the airline’s control
- Whether the delay qualifies for compensation under passenger rights rules
- How many extra hours the flight attendant is forced to remain on duty
So in summary, flight attendants may be able to get some compensation for long delays after arriving at the destination, but they do not earn their normal hourly wage after landing.
Pay During Flight Cancellations
When flights are cancelled altogether, flight attendant pay depends on the timing of the cancellation:
- Cancellations at home base: If flights are cancelled before attendants have reported for duty, they receive no compensation.
- Cancellations at outstation airports: If attendants are stranded away from home overnight due to a cancellation, they receive per diem and minimum duty period guarantees.
- Cancellations after reporting for duty: Attendants receive 4-5 hours of pay as a duty period minimum if the flight is cancelled after they have reported for duty.
So in the cancellation scenario, flight attendants do not get their full pay as if the flight had operated normally. But they do get some degree of wage protection if they have already reported for duty.
Factors That Impact Delay Pay
While the general rules around delays and cancellations provide some compensation for flight attendants, there are a number of factors that can impact their pay in irregular operations:
- Type of delay: Mechanical and weather delays are usually treated as unpaid for attendants, while operational delays under airline control require compensation.
- Length of delay: Short delays may not trigger minimum duty period pay, while long delays can hit duty time limits.
- Status of flight: Whether the delay occurs before takeoff, mid-flight, or after landing changes pay implications.
- Work rules: Each airline has different collective bargaining agreements that outline delay pay practices.
- Trip trades: Attendants may lose pay if they had traded a delay trip for a different flight.
There are many possibilities based on these factors, but in general flight attendants receive some degree of wage protection. Very lengthy delays or cancellations can still result in lost income versus originally scheduled flights.
Other Impacts of Delays on Flight Attendants
Beyond direct pay considerations, flight delays and cancellations can impact attendants in other ways:
- Schedule disruptions: Attendants may miss later flight segments or lose planned days off due to unplanned extensions from delays.
- Fatigue: Long unplanned duty periods can contribute to fatigue, especially if attendants get poor quality rest at outstations.
- Stress and morale: Dealing with angry passengers in delay situations can be stressful and lower job satisfaction.
- Lost commuting time: Attendants trying to commute to start a trip may have that travel time go unpaid if their flight is cancelled.
So while some basic delay pay protections exist, attendants can still face challenging working conditions when flights do not go as originally scheduled.
Steps Flight Attendants Can Take
Given the potential for lower income, quality of life impacts, and other issues caused by delays, flight attendants do have some options to consider:
- Learn the contract provisions about delay pay, duty time, and cancellations to assert compensation rights.
- Keep detailed records of all delays, cancellations, and extended duties.
- File timely grievances for contract violations through the union.
- Report long duty days, lack of rest, and fatigue issues to the airline.
- Advocate through the union for improved work rules regarding delays and cancellations.
- Plan personal finances conservatively to account for lost income from cancellations.
While some delay challenges are inevitable, being informed about options and rights can help flight attendants secure fair compensation and work toward improvements.
Conclusion
Flight delays and cancellations directly impact the pay flight attendants receive. While attendants do get some wage protection, lengthy delays or cancellations before takeoff can still potentially result in lost income versus originally scheduled flights.
Pay impacts depend on the specifics of each situation, like the cause of the delay, its length, the flight’s status, and applicable union work rules. Steps like learning contractual rights, tracking delays, and advocating for improvements can help flight attendants maximize their pay and address quality of life issues.
Delays are an unavoidable part of aviation that pose challenges for both airlines and their employees. Understanding the pay implications for flight attendants and pursuing options to mitigate negative effects can help lead to fairer outcomes.
