Expert: D. Norkus - 5/29/2008

Question
Mrs. Dottie
I am curious, I checked the link you provide (cabincrews.com) and it showed the highest paid flight attendant in the airline business is $44K Delta, 2001 data.  So how does the department of labor come up with the average salary of 53K?  I am sure there are a few FA's working in the Corporate world who make more, I am sure the total number of FA's making this money is very small compared to the number of FA's in the Airline Industry and I am sure it could not skew the average that much.  Additionally, FA's have taken pay cuts since 2001 due to bankrupcy etc.  I just read another article  http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-america_s_surprising_six_figure_jobs-40...  which talks about how high FA pay is, I find it stange that a profession which has been taking huge pay cuts could be advertised in this manner?

Answer
Brian

F/A pay (or any other airline unionized position for that matter) is based only upon the agreed rate per hour in that F/A groups union contract. While 'pay cuts' may have made headlines, any cuts must first be passed through the F/A union as such changes to their pay scale must be agreed upon between the union and airline as their contract is legally binding.

The average hourly rate is calculated by airline by taking the mean wage between max and starting pay, multiplied by the minimum hours per month a flight attendant will be paid (every airline guarantees an minimum number of hours monthly regardless of amount flown). I assume the Dept of Labor would use the same formula. To get specific pay rates, you would need a specific airlines union negotiated pay scale by tenure or year of "seniority". For example, under American Airlines' top pay scale, pay for their most senior flight attendants is about $46,000 to $50,000 annually. Here are the United F/A rates: http://www.unitedafa.org/res/cba/new_rates.asp

Even when pay cuts have been negotiated, a very senior F/A/ group will have a higher average pay rate simply due to their tenure.

Regarding contract F/A pay rates I have had friends who made $250-300 per day.

Dottie