I can’t say I’m used to seeing an airline make seating changes to benefit flight attendants, but that’s what Delta is doing. The airline is removing 3 seats from its new A320/A321 configurations and 2 from the MD-90. Apparently those so-called “space saving” galleys aren’t allowing flight attendants to do their jobs. Any flight attendants out there want to comment on this?
15 comments on “Topic of the Week: Delta Removes Seats to Benefit Flight Attendants”
Takes courage to realize and correct one’s errors ! Kuddos …
I think the customers would have loved seeing their flight attendant sitting next to or in front of the lavatory door and then serving them food or drink.
The new 320/321 rear galleys went over like a huge thud so they had to do something, despite cries from
the accounting department. I just hope others like jetBlue don’t follow in the same path with their “reconfiguration.”
I really don’t see why anyone would care where the flight attendants sit in relation to the lavatories. How is the area next to the lavatory any less hygienic than the rest of the plane?
In some of the new configurations there is a flight attendant jump seat in front of the lavatory door… The door handles are used by many people on a plane and many don’t wash their hands…
Snap!
http://www.runwaygirlnetwork.com/2015/08/16/airline-reveals-its-concerns-about-new-airbus-lavatorygalley-option/
For a minute there I thought they were being forced to stand.
There’s a reason, but more then lightly not the reason DL is saying. It would only be done if it will save them money somewhere today or down the road.
I must admit this is a new one for me, & I’ve been reading this blog for several years now. If it works for the FA’s then who cares what the eggheads in revenue management think.
The shareholders do.
I’m going to vent here, so please roll with me hehe. The Bloomberg article implies that pax suffer while FAs will enjoy chez lounge chairs and a massage table. That implication is rediculous.
The current “space saving” galley is an ergonomic mess. Service carts have to be parked in a manner that puts FAs & pax at risk in unexpected turbulence. Access to FA jumpseats is impossible on some aircraft when carts are out and people are going to the lav. It is not a matter of your FA having a seat to do crossword puzzles…it’s a matter of being able to buckle up when a smooth ride unexpectedly turns into code 3 turbulence.
This decision corrects an overreach and addresses legitimate service (carts blocking lavs) and safety (the jumpseat issue) concerns. It is not coddling.
Excellent answer. Factual and honest
I don’t really care about the seats, but I just wanted to make this post to say that I love the MD-90 and I’m going to be sad when it stops flying. I’m glad Delta is still investing in it.
I think the FAs dont have anywhere to sit for the whole flight and the jumpseats are not comfortable compared to the pax seats overall. In the current Delta A320s, the FAs were complaining quite allot and they dreaded working in the galleys bc of the small area where all the carts were. They were stacked one behind the other, 2 or 3 deep and for different parts of service you have to constantly remove things back and forth. The carts have varying weights so it could be annoying if a pax asks for a drinks during snack service, a meal during a down period, etc. and then preparing the galley for departure and landing and having to keep it clean and ready for the next crew, its just allot of work.
Whereas on the jetblue A320, there are 7 carts across and several smaller bins for snacks. the blue js actually are just there in the open so its nice to be able to sit down during rough turbulence or even to seat extra FAs bc they have more than the required number of seats. It helps FAs get to work or be put in position.
Ill tell you, if a FA is prohibited from moving carts around, esp if they have to do it 2/3/4 times a day (carts weigh more during ascent and descent)…..I dont think either FA or pax could be happy.
jetblue says they are testing carts with the FAs but they are more than likely going to go with a model that one of the manufacturers have already with the agreement of a few test FAs. And yes, when several carts are pulled out at once and theres a limited counter space to conduct work activities…..
Runway Girl Network, see link above, showed a few diagrams on the new config and who the heck came up with this stupid layout. Carts three deep, if a pax is in the loo and service begins I bet they won’t see the light of day until it is over. Just no way to put that many things and people in a broom closet. I know the airline bean counters all get happy thinking of the millions by adding three or six more seats to an aircraft over its lifetime. But I wonder how safe it would be.
I was on a 757 that landed hard and we had several beers escape the rear area. It hit one guy in the back of the head, one narrowly missed the top of my head and hit the screen in the seat ahead of me. If there was a real emergency I doubt anyone could move around in this new config. Glad to see Delta come to their senses now!