Getting onto a plane is one of the most stressful pieces of travel. Between attempting to find your ticket, elbowing your way through the groups, and discovering overhead space it can get pretty intense. Along these lines, obviously you might be tempted to approach a crew member for a little help, particularly with lifting your bags into that last piece of open space. Yet, the airline world is asking you to resist. What’s more, the motivation behind the ask may frighten you.
In an recent conversation with Inside Edition, airline steward Jamela Hardwick spilled the tea on a couple of privileged insights you might want to think about. In any case, the greatest one is (you ready?) that airline stewards don’t in fact start getting paid until boarding closes. What’s more, that implies, on the off chance that they help you lift your bags and hurt themselves in the process they might be in a tough (un-insured) situation.
“We do not get paid until the boarding door is closed,” she explained. “If we get hurt while putting that bag in the overhead bin, we do not get to write it off as an on-job injury.”
Reconsider this — the staff who help you securely load up, get you water before the flight takes off, help parents take care of their kids, compassionately welcome you, and ensure everybody is in their correct seat (and doing numerous other things) aren’t being paid to do all that. Goodness, and they additionally aren’t paid during connecting flights and delays either.
While this may appear to be crazy it’s really been like this for quite a while. As we recently clarified, it’s because of the Railway Labor Act, which occurred in 1926 and was last changed in 1936 to incorporate aircrafts. The statement diagrams the guidelines for bargaining among associations and the executives. It basically disallows associations or the executives from rolling out any improvements in the present state of affairs without approval from the board.
“Airlines are adamant about not changing this method of calculating time for pay purposes,” one pilot and union negotiator explained on Quora.
“We’re only paid for time in the air. That flight attendant greeting you at the boarding door, helping you find a place for your bag, guitar, crutches, wedding gown, emotional support pig? They’re not being paid,” a flight attendant representative previously reported.
Along these lines, next time you get onto a plane possibly don’t request help except if you truly need it. Furthermore, for the love of all that is pure and holy, say thank you as you land.
