Cranky Weekly Review Presented by Oakland International Airport: Frontier FAs Have Beef, UA Pilots Asked to Take a Break

Froniter’s FAs Don’t Like New Schedule Format

As Frontier shifts its scheduling model to have more out-and-back turns to improve its shaky operational reliability, its flight attendants are voicing their concerns over how it’s affecting their bottom line.

With the carrier’s new scheduling model, there are far fewer multi-day trips for FAs, leaving same day turns which can be less profitable. If an FA wants to work 12 days per month, and previously worked four separate three day trips, that meant just four commutes to and from the airport (whether by air or locally by car). But the new scheduling model would require as many as 12 commutes to complete 12 same day turns to get the same amount of work. FAs will also lose out on per diem (which is tax-free on overnight trips) and hotel nights.

The flight attendants have a point, but so does the airline. Who’s right? That probably depends on your perspective. Someone who flies Frontier with any regularity probably would appreciate the shift to a more reliable operation, while others may feel for the FAs. Regardless of who’s right, the most important thing is that we recognize the awesomeness that is Forest the Northern Spotted Owl.

United Brings One Back from Pandemic Playbook

United Airlines is asking its pilots to take unpaid time off in May due to delays in aircraft deliveries from Boeing. The carrier is concerned about excess staffing in the near-future and decided May would be the best month to offer the unpaid leave as springtime in Chicago is really unmatched.

It’s been a rough few months for United, with the FAA increasing its oversight of the carrier due to a series of non-fatal incidents. Late last year, United said it intended to receive 107 new aircraft deliveries in 2024, including 31 B737-9 MAXs, but at this point, any airplane delivery would feel like a win.

While it’s currently asking its pilots to accept some unpaid leave in May, United’s ask could extend through the summer. The carrier already said it would pause any new pilot hiring through the spring as it looks to limit overstaffing. As a last resort, United’s senior leadership has a plan to put any pilots who are not on leave — but don’t have anywhere to fly — in charge of Basic Economy passengers. The carrier has always felt that Basic Economy customers need a babysitter on board, and its now considering putting a pilot in the back, similar to an air marshal, but their only job will be to keep the Basic customers in check.

Spirit Adds Seven

Spirit added seven new routes today, including one from Boston and two from each of Newark, Baltimore, and San Jose. The Boston and Newark flights will begin in July, with the rest launching in June.

Boston: Kansas City (daily, launches July 10) Newark: Chicago/ORD (daily, begins July 10), Kansas City (daily, begins July 10) Baltimore: Sacramento (3x weekly, begins June 6), San Jose (CA) (4x weekly, begins June 5) San Jose (CA): Portland (OR) (daily, begins June 5), Los Angeles (2x daily, begins June 5)

The new flights are on sale now for anyone willing to pay the carrier’s new route fee. For an extra $12 per segment, customers can buy seats on these routes for the first week after being announced. The fee is waived after the first week.

Boeing Opens Door to Compensate Alaska

Alaska Airlines reported in an SEC filing Thursday that its Seattle neighbor Boeing paid it $160 million in initial compensation to cover its losses after the carrier was forced to ground its B737-9 MAX fleet in January. The grounding came after an incident on Alaska Flight 1282 on January 5 — although in the chaos following the incident, Boeing isn’t getting enough credit for what went right on the flight: no one is pointing out that nine of then 10 doors stayed attached to the aircraft for the entire flight.

This payment will cover some of the “financial damages incurred as a result of Flight 1282 and the 737-9 MAX groundings”, but it won’t be the last payment. Boeing is expected to pay compensation to other MAX 9 operators including United. It is rumored that Spirit will be buying one MAX 9 so that it can get in on that sweet, sweet compensation too.

JetBlue Pilots Ready for Spirited Return to the Bargaining Table

Following the ending of JetBlue’s purchase of Spirit, its pilots smell blood and sent notice to the carrier of their intention to begin discussions for a new collective bargaining agreement.

The two parties came to an interim agreement during JetBlue’s attempted takeover of Spirit, as that was seen as the best-case scenario to help push the merger along. But that two-year interim agreement is not enough for the pilots union who believe they sacrificed their right to a new CBA to help the now-failed merger.

This will be an early test for new JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty’s pledge to return the carrier to profitability. Then again, any new CEO who didn’t pledge to return their company to profitability probably wouldn’t be hired as the new CEO. So who knows.

Air France pilots are considering a strike later this month over the fact the French government is considering a new restriction that would prevent them from striking. Air Malta, it’s been real. Air New Zealand is updating some long-haul business class meals. Avelo is the latest to enter the criminally underserved market between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area. Brussels Airlines has turned an eye towards Africa. Canada Jetlines is considering listing on the NYSE. China Southern is growing. Probably. FlyArystan received its AOC. iAero will wrap things up tomorrow. JAL flight 694 to Tokyo/Haneda on Tuesday proved that sometimes lightning does strike twice. JetBlue operated its first flight between Boston and Paris this week, and marked the occasion by announcing its adding a second daily flight between New York/JFK and Paris on June 20. LATAM is locked in a battle with the Chilean government over slots. Oman Air‘s A330 era ended, and we’re all a little worse off because of it. Philippine Airlines will begin serving Seattle on October 2 with 3x weekly flights to Manila. Ryanair will resume flying to Israel on June 1. Saudia is beginning a stopover program, allowing a 96-hour stay in Saudi Arabia on the way to Europe. Some groups are encouraged to not necessarily take advantage of this offer Singapore will resume flying to three Chinese cities later this month: Chongqing, Chengdu, and Xiamen. SpiceJet shows thyme and thyme again it can’t get out of its own way. Spirit entered into a monthly credit agreement with International Aero Engines, an affiliate of Pratt & Whitney to compensate the carrier for grounded aircraft due to engine issues. TAP reported a €177.3 million profit for 2023. Turkish is canceling all of its flights to Israel until March 2025. But it is flying to Denver now. WestJet Encore pilots voted to strike as soon as April 17. But they did so very politely.

If we agree the earth is about 71% water — which it is — and that water isn’t carbonated, couldn’t one say that — technically — the earth is flat.