By Soo KimShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberAn American Airlines flight upgrade policy for deadheading pilots has sparked debate on Threads.
Deadheading pilots are those who travel as passengers on a flight to be repositioned for another work schedule.
American Airlines has reportedly introduced a policy whereby deadheading pilots are prioritized over customers for upgrades to first class, placing them above the airline’s Executive Platinum and ConciergeKey members on the upgrade list.
The policy was said to have been part of the airline’s latest pilot contract. American Airlines pilots secured a new four-year agreement with the carrier in August 2023. The new contract was expected to offer “more than $9 billion of compensation and quality-of-life benefits” to 15,000 pilots, American Airlines said in a press release at the time.
As per an internal Airport Excellence Advisory, the airline’s new agreement automatically places deadheading pilots at the top of the upgrade list at check-in. The pilots’ passenger name records (PNRs) are created with either A1DP or A3DP priority codes and tagged with a new “Upgrade Priority Code UPG0,” according to the Aviation A2Z news and blog website.
...The policy has faced backlash but several on Threads defended it, including one flight attendant who noted that it provides pilots “an opportunity for rest” before their next work schedule.
In a Threads post shared on November 17, which has since received 54,600 views, Kaili McCracken (@kawaii.kaili): “As a flight attendant, I’m sorry but this whole American Airlines drama is ridiculous. First of all, the pilot is not bumping someone out of first class, they just take priority for upgrades over people who PAID FOR COACH. No one is entitled to a free upgrade. You should not buy a ticket in coach with the expectation of a first class upgrade.”
She continued: “Second, pilots (more than any other person) are responsible for planes taking off and landing safely. They work long hours at 35,000 ft, which puts a lot of strain on the human body. In this case, the pilot is deadheading which LIKELY means the airline is flying them somewhere to work a flight that, for one reason or another, does not currently have a pilot.”
McCracken explained: “Often times, deadheading provides an opportunity for rest before a long day/trip ahead. If you have a problem with the airline taking care of its people, frankly you better HATE when your employer takes care of you.”
McCracken's concerns for pilot health are valid, as “fatigue surveys have shown that pilot fatigue is widespread,” noted a February 2023 study in Frontiers in Public Health.
The researchers in the study warned that fatigue can lead to drops in pilots' alertness, cognitive ability, judgment, decision-making ability, memory and attention, as well as cause “memory omissions, operating errors, decision-making errors, mistakes, and other safety hazards, or it can lead to unconscious drowsiness, resulting in the occurrence of ‘sleeping-in-working’ events and other unsafe events…”
The study noted: “In addition, fatigue affects the communication, cooperation and cooperation among crew members, and in severe cases, accidents can occur.”
The new policy has received backlash from some people on Threads, while others supported the move.
User gb3 wrote: “Sorry. Pilots are paid to fly. I’m a million miler with status earned by paying for hundreds of flights. Upgrades for paying customers >> pilots deadheading.”
Threads user leymanai recalled: “Honestly, when I worked at Swissport in Miami, we had a case with several canceled flights on EW. I was shocked to deal with business passengers who were locked out of their seats to accommodate 12 FA and 2 pilots. 14 seats in total. People were rerouted to BA, Swiss and American, and I still had to hear an earful of b*******.”
User gdaybarb wrote: “I would prefer any pilot to always be well rested and alert. How selfish and entitled are these idiots?”
User anitam86 noted: “I genuinely rather have a pilot in first class than some whiny passenger.”
User thejanennis wrote: “Am all in on Pilots having a First Class seat when available. And furthermore—IF there were any need for their assistance—they are a step away!”
Newsweek has contacted American Airlines via email and Kaili McCracken via Threads for comment.
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