Key Takeaways
• American Airlines enforces crackdown on flight attendants selling premium trip assignments since May 30, 2025.
• Trip trading undermines seniority-based bidding, causing workplace tension and risking legal disputes.
• Violators risk losing trading privileges or termination under new 2024 contract rules and monitoring software.
American Airlines Flight Attendants Face Crackdown Over Trip Trading Scheme
American Airlines has launched a new crackdown on a long-running scheme involving its flight attendants, where senior crew members sell their premium flight assignments to junior colleagues. The airline’s latest enforcement measures, announced on May 30, 2025, mark a serious escalation in efforts to stop this practice, which both American Airlines and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) have agreed is a problem that needs to be fixed.
This issue is not just about workplace rules—it affects how flight attendants are scheduled, how much money they can earn, and the overall fairness of the system. Here’s what’s happening, why it matters, and what it means for everyone involved.
What’s Happening: The Trip Trading Scheme
At the heart of the controversy is the way American Airlines assigns flight schedules to its flight attendants. Like most major airlines in the United States 🇺🇸, American Airlines uses a seniority-based bidding system. This means that the longer someone has worked as a flight attendant, the more likely they are to get the best flight assignments. These premium assignments often include long-haul international flights to places like Rome, Paris, Sydney, or Buenos Aires. These trips are highly sought after because they:
- Allow flight attendants to rack up more flight hours in a short time
- Offer longer layovers in exciting destinations
- Often include stays at better hotels
- Sometimes result in schedules with weeks off between trips
However, some senior flight attendants have been using their position to bid on these desirable trips with no intention of flying them. Instead, they sell these assignments to junior colleagues—usually for about $200 per trip. This practice is strictly against company policy and union rules, but it has become a lucrative side business for some.
How the Scheme Works
Here’s a simple breakdown of how the unauthorized trip trading scheme operates:
- Senior flight attendants use their high rank to secure the best international routes during the monthly bidding process.
- Instead of working these flights, they offer to trade them to junior flight attendants.
- In exchange, the junior flight attendants pay around $200 per trip or sometimes offer other favors.
- The junior flight attendants get to work trips they normally wouldn’t qualify for, while the seniors make extra money without flying.
This arrangement has been especially common among former US Airways flight attendants who joined American Airlines after the two companies merged. The group involved has even been nicknamed “The Cartel” because of how organized the scheme has become.
Why American Airlines Is Cracking Down
American Airlines management sees this practice as a direct threat to the integrity of their scheduling system. The seniority-based bidding system is supposed to be fair, giving everyone a clear path to better assignments as they gain experience. When senior flight attendants sell their trips, it:
- Undermines the fairness of the system
- Creates tension among flight attendants, especially those in the middle of the seniority list who miss out on good trips
- Leads to complaints from staff who feel the rules are being broken
- Puts the airline at risk of legal and contract disputes
To stop the problem, American Airlines has started using software to flag suspicious trip trades and is investigating reports of violations. The company has also issued several rounds of warnings, the latest being on May 30, 2025, making it clear that anyone caught selling trips could lose their trading privileges or even be fired.
The Union’s Complicated Role
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), the union representing American Airlines flight attendants, has a tricky position in this situation. On one hand, the union has agreed to help stop the practice, but only if they have a say in how violations are identified. In the past, the union accused the airline of using “strongarm tactics” and warned against a “witch hunt” targeting flight attendants.
By 2023, the union admitted that the problem was being discussed at high levels and was worse at some airline bases than others. The current APFA president, Julie Hedrick, has even faced accusations from some union members of running a “trip trade service” in San Francisco, allegedly helping coordinate the selling of trips.
How the Seniority System Works
To understand why this issue is so important, it helps to know how the seniority system works at American Airlines:
- Every month, flight attendants submit their preferences for which trips they want to work.
- A computer system assigns trips based on these preferences, starting with the most senior flight attendants.
- Once the schedules are set, flight attendants can trade trips within certain limits.
This system is designed to reward loyalty and experience. Senior flight attendants get first pick, while junior staff often have to take less desirable routes. However, the ability to trade trips is meant to give everyone some flexibility—not to create a black market for premium assignments.
Official Actions and Policy Changes
American Airlines has taken several steps to fight the unauthorized selling of trips:
- 2018: The airline issued its first warnings, threatening to take away bidding privileges and possibly fire those involved.
- 2023: American Airlines and the APFA agreed to work together to stop the practice.
- 2024: The new flight attendant contract included specific language to address the issue.
- May 30, 2025: The airline sent out another round of warnings to flight attendants.
The 2024 contract was especially important. American Airlines wanted the power to decide who was breaking the rules, but the final agreement said the airline and the union would “mutually agree upon a process to address seniority abuse through an objective metric.” This means both sides have to agree on how to spot and punish violations.
The contract now includes a section (Section 10.V) that deals directly with these “cartel issues.” It says that anyone caught breaking the rules can be restricted from using the Trip Trade System (TTS), Unsuccessful Bidders List (UBL), and Electronic Trade Board (ETB). In serious cases, flight attendants can be fired.
For more details on labor contracts and worker rights, readers can visit the official U.S. Department of Labor page.
What Flight Attendants Think
Not all flight attendants agree on whether the trip trading scheme is wrong. The workforce is divided:
- Some senior flight attendants believe they should be able to do what they want with their assigned trips, seeing them as a kind of property right.
- Middle-seniority flight attendants often feel cheated, since they miss out on trips they should have a chance to get.
- Junior flight attendants who buy trips get access to better routes and can earn more money by working longer flights.
This split has led to tension among the crew. Some senior flight attendants have reportedly made negative comments about junior colleagues working premium routes, adding to the stress and division.
Impact on American Airlines Operations
The unauthorized trip trading scheme has several big effects on the airline:
1. Weakening the Seniority System:
The whole point of the seniority system is to reward experience and loyalty. When trips are sold, it breaks this promise and makes the system unfair.
2. Workplace Tension:
The scheme has caused arguments and bad feelings among flight attendants. Some have even reported conflicts during flights, which can affect the work environment and passenger experience.
3. Operational Challenges:
American Airlines started offering de-escalation training in January 2025 to help flight attendants handle conflicts, some of which may be linked to the trip trading issue.
4. Contract Negotiations:
The problem was serious enough to be included in the 2024 flight attendant contract, showing how important it is to both the airline and the union.
5. Financial Impact:
For those involved, the scheme is a way to make extra money (for senior staff) or to get better, higher-paying trips (for junior staff).
The Bigger Picture: 2024-2025 Contract Changes
The trip trading controversy is just one part of a larger set of changes at American Airlines. The 2024-2025 contract included:
- A 20% pay raise for flight attendants, starting in April 2025
- Rules allowing flight attendants to keep credit card commissions
- Priority bidding rights for international routes after 10 years of service
- Pay increases that favored senior staff ($13.99/hour) over new hires ($5.47/hour)
- New work rules that require junior flight attendants to work “straight reserve,” giving senior staff even better schedules
These changes have made the gap between junior and senior flight attendants even wider, and the trip trading scheme is just one example of how these differences play out in real life.
What’s Next: The Future of Trip Trading at American Airlines
American Airlines is determined to stop the unauthorized selling of trips. The latest warnings, issued on May 30, 2025, show that the company is serious about enforcing its rules. The new contract gives both the airline and the union a clear process for dealing with violations, with penalties ranging from losing trading privileges to being fired.
As American Airlines and the APFA work together to create fair and objective ways to spot rule-breakers, flight attendants who continue to sell or buy trips will face more scrutiny and possible punishment. However, it remains to be seen how effective these new measures will be, especially since the practice is so deeply rooted among some groups of flight attendants.
What This Means for Stakeholders
For American Airlines:
The company wants to protect the fairness of its scheduling system and avoid legal or contract problems. By cracking down on unauthorized trip trading, American Airlines hopes to create a more equal workplace and reduce complaints from staff.
For the Union (APFA):
The union must balance protecting its members with making sure the rules are followed. By working with the airline on fair enforcement, the APFA can help restore trust in the system.
For Flight Attendants:
– Senior staff may lose a source of extra income and face stricter rules.
– Middle-seniority staff may finally get a fair shot at better trips.
– Junior staff may lose access to premium routes they could previously buy, but will benefit from a more honest system.
For Passengers:
A fairer, less divided crew is likely to provide better service and a more positive flying experience.
Practical Guidance for Flight Attendants
If you’re a flight attendant at American Airlines, here’s what you need to know:
- Do not buy or sell trips—it’s against company policy and union rules.
- If you’re unsure about the rules, check your contract or talk to your union representative.
- Be aware that the airline is using software to monitor trip trading and is actively investigating reports of violations.
- Penalties can be severe, including losing your ability to trade trips or even losing your job.
For more information on your rights and responsibilities, you can review the latest contract language or visit the APFA official website.
Conclusion
The crackdown on unauthorized trip trading at American Airlines is a major development for the airline, its flight attendants, and the union. By enforcing stricter rules and working together, both the company and the APFA hope to restore fairness to the scheduling system and reduce workplace tension. As reported by VisaVerge.com, the outcome of these efforts will shape the future of flight attendant scheduling and could serve as a model for other airlines facing similar challenges.
Flight attendants, union leaders, and airline managers all have a stake in making sure the system works fairly for everyone. By following the rules and working together, they can help create a better, more equal workplace for all.
Key Takeaways:
– American Airlines is cracking down on the unauthorized selling of flight assignments.
– The practice undermines the seniority system and creates tension among staff.
– New contract rules and enforcement measures are now in place.
– Flight attendants should avoid buying or selling trips to protect their jobs and the integrity of the system.
For official information on labor rights and workplace rules, visit the U.S. Department of Labor.
Learn Today
Seniority-based bidding system → Flight assignment process where employees select trips based on their length of service and rank.
Trip trading → The unauthorized buying or selling of assigned flight trips between flight attendants.
APFA → Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the union representing American Airlines flight attendants.
Trip Trade System (TTS) → The official platform for authorized flight attendants to exchange flight assignments within company rules.
Electronic Trade Board (ETB) → A digital forum where flight attendants post and accept trip trades formally approved by the airline.
This Article in a Nutshell
American Airlines targets unauthorized trip sales by flight attendants, threatening penalties to protect fairness. New contract and software aim to stop this lucrative, unfair practice splitting crews and risking legal conflicts within the airline’s seniority system.
— By VisaVerge.com
