Flight attendant freak out

The only thing surprising about the Steven Slater meltdown is that it doesn't happen more often. Did you know that flight attendants make an average of $35,000 a year? Such a deal. Time's Allie Townsend spoke to Corey Caldwell of the Association of Flight Attendants.

AT: Could you talk a little about the stress that flight attendants face on the job?

CC: Flight attendants are working more now for less money due to recent concessions pretty much across the industry that took place because of bankruptcies and high oil prices. Professionally, there's quite a lot of factors that increase stress levels. Not only are flight attendants having to deal with more and more stressors in the cabin, like the carry-on crunch that's going on, in the summer time, you've got summer storm delays that add to the stress level. So, you've got a group of people who are working more for less, and they're away from their families for more time. Unlike you and I, they don't get to go home every night. They go and stay in hotels and it's a different hotel each night. There are a lot of factors outside of the cabin that are stressful for flight attendants that passengers don't see.

AT: What was a typical workload like ten years ago versus now?

CC: Flight attendants are paid per flight hour. The average flight attendant today is working 80 to 90 flight hours per month. Sometimes, even more, just depending on where they are. That does not mean 80 to 90 hours away from home. That means 80 to 90 hours in flight. That can mean anywhere from two weeks to a full month of working. Ten years ago, we saw the average of about 70 flight hours per month. We've worked very hard at AFA to ensure that our flight attendants have a contract that best protects their work life, that gives them ample time at home to have a family but also makes sure they have a stable income to provide for that family. And today, that work/home life has really diminished because flight attendants who took concessions in order for their airlines to emerge from bankruptcy are working more hours for less pay.

Photo: Steven Slater in quieter times