Gailen David, the Florida-based flight attendant who appears to have upset management with his video parodies, has started a petition drive calling for the replacement of top American Airlines executives.
And he's got backing from Kate Hanni, the California resident who started FlyersRights.org after she and her family were stuck on an American jet five years ago.
"We proudly support the efforts of the flight attendants to return dignity to the skies by overturning this failed management in favor of management that will understand and care for their employees...which in turn will be a good thing for the flying public," Hanni confirmed in an email Friday evening.
The "sAAve American Airlines" petition at change.org is seeking 250,000 signatures calling on U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane to replace the carrier's top management. The effort, just launched, had 520 signers as of about 6:30 p.m. Friday. We'll see over the weekend if it catches fire.
On the other hand, we can't recall other instances in which bankruptcy judges made decisions based on petition drives.
Says the petition:
"Help us reinvent American Airllnes and make it an airline people love to fly!"The employees of American Airlines have endured deteriorating working conditions for over a decade and are now facing devastating pay cuts and unprecedented layoffs. Loyal American Airlines passengers have been forced to look elsewhere as AA's overall customer experience has failed to significantly improve and innovation at the airline has fallen behind the competition."
It cites the examples of General Motors and J.C. Penney as companies reinvigorated with new leadership.
"We must put American Airlines on a new flight plan with a new leadership team made up of individuals with a proven track record of winning rather than years of compounded failures."The workers of American are ready to stand with the right leadership to turn this airline around through ingenuity not suffering.
"Let's make American Airlines an airline that people love to fly once again!"
David, who authors the Sky Stewart blog, has put together several creative videos poking fun at the airline, including (as readers will remember, because I put it on the blog and then took it off after I had second thoughts) a video in which he dressed up as Lauri Curtis, American's vice president of onboard services.
As for Hanni, she was so incensed at the long hours that her family was kept on an American jet grounded at the Austin airport on Dec. 29, 2006, that she launched a consumer movement to bar airlines from keeping passengers on the tarmac indefinitely.
Largely because of the efforts of Hanni and the group she formed, FlyersRights.org, the U.S. Department of Transportation now requires airlines to give passengers the option of getting off a flight if it's been held on the ground for three hours or more. The potential penalty is $27,500 per passenger on such a flight.
The federal rule was expanded last year to put a four-hour limit on international flights.
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About This Blog
Terry Maxon writes about items of interest to travelers and the aviation community.
Categories
AMR and American Airlines bankruptcy
Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association
Association of Flight Attendants
Association of Professional Flight Attendants
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