Oh great..just when I thought it was safe to fly again...

[dixiegrrrrl]

Mechanics sue American Airlines, say managers were pressuring them to cut corners on safety, ‘commit maintenance fraud’
A union local representing American Airlines mechanics is alleging in a lawsuit that American Airlines managers are pressuring them to send out airplanes that need repairs and are unsafe.

“In order to improperly keep airplanes in revenue service, Aviation Maintenance Technicians (“AMTs”) at stations throughout the AA system have been subject to ongoing pressure from AA management representatives to commit maintenance fraud, disregard maintenance discrepancies, deviate from federally-mandated maintenance procedures, abstain from required lightning strike and bird strike inspections, and otherwise violate federal aviation standards,” the union alleged.

http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2015/01/mechanics-sue-american-airlines-say-managers-were-cutting-maintenance-corners.html/

I had read a few years ago the unions were complaining airlines were outsourcing repairs/inspections to other countries, unskilled workders.

[RKP5637]

1. Money is always #1 priority, people not so much, what are lives as long as you make money.

It's revolting! I'm so glad I don't have to fly anymore. For years I had to fly all over the world for my Job, but not anymore, and I'm so glad.

[Unknown Beatle]

20. You're right about money being #1.

What the airlines don't realize, in their attempt to save money, is that if one of their airplanes crash as a result of cutting corners, they're going to be sued for mucho dinero. So it makes good economic sense for them to maintain their fleet.

[RKP5637]

21. Definitely! And as well as basic human decency! n/t

[Scuba]

2. Q: What about the write-up? A: Pencil-whip it.

[mnhtnbb]

3. Oh, great. We have an AA flight booked in March.

[frazzled]

7. We just got back from an AA flight

round-trip to SoCal and back. We obviously survived.

Is there a reason AA can't even give you one of those teeny bags of pretzels that couldn't cost them more than 5 or 10 cents on a four-hour flight?

I found flying on American very "unfriendly" on many levels.

[Michigan-Arizona]

8. The last time hubby & I flew

they started giving 3 & 4 items to each passenger which I was very surprised.. I asked hubby do you think the plane is going to crash & they want to get rid of it, LOL

This was on Southwest

[Enthusiast]

4. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

[yortsed snacilbuper]

15. "This post should have hundreds of recommendations!"

If it was an under inflated football, it probably would

[JaneyVee]

5. First SkyMall goes bankrupt, now this!

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. I KNOW! Can't catch a break, right?

[treestar]

9. I guess Ayn Rand was wrong, as they would not know their own self interest

a crashed plane must be a big economic loss. How dumb it would be not to service them properly.

[malaise]

10. The 1% don't even use the same airports as we peons

let alone the same planes. Plueeeeeeeeeeeez!
Insurance covers their losses.

[dixiegrrrrl]

23. 17 private jets at Davos!

Says John Stewart.

[malaise]

24. Precisely

[obxhead]

11. They have formulas on loss/profit margins.

If they can even make one penny on the death of hundreds they will do it.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

14. you've heard of insurance? n/t

[treestar]

29. It's still going to be a loss, and their reputation

would be damaged as crashes always get full media coverage.

You really think they can profit more by allowing a few crashes?

[2naSalit]

30. Sure...

It gives them all the more reason to jack up the cost to the consumer.

[treestar]

33. They'll get sued

and their insurance rates go up. They will have costs due to the lawsuits. So I'd have to see the math to determine if it's a Pinto-type case.

Just seems a lot bigger for them, as the vehicle is larger, more expensive, and has a lot more people in it who can sue.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

31. I find the airlines to be seriously non-transparent

I know they have insurance and any highly regulated line of business for profit works to interpret the regulations to their own best benefit, profit or greatest control. Having worked in aerospace many times and being a current frequent flier, I see things a bit differently.

I don't dismiss the investigation but having management at odds with a union isn't an exceptionally rare thing.

Most FAA compliant procedures, systems and standards are not only deliberately designed with safety and an extra margin of error but generally with backups and redundancy. Last Tuesday the 20th I flew American to Chicago and then to Atlanta. Next week I'll be flying Delta and then USAir.

American has financially merged with USAir but they still operate as two airlines. Later this year they will become one known as American. A crash, an accident or even a mishap or an investigation where the operator is fined may all impact business but likely not as much as we may suspect. This whole situation begs for continued attention.

I find the pricing of flights totally bizarre and I'm suspicious of that as well. For example, flights from Phoenix to Chicago next Friday start at $138. (Flight #168 on Spirit) The same Spirit flight #168 and Spirit flight #731 which goes from Chicago to Los Angeles may be bought for $100. A flight from LAX to JFK sells next Friday sells for a minimum of $437 but that same flight when purchased with a second leg going to Bermuda costs $145. Personally I just think something is a bit wrong here.

[treestar]

34. All informative

The market would seem to mean more flying means more money, true. Maybe Bermuda kicks in to get the tourists there? Very roundabout things could be in play.

Insurance generally doesn't cover everything, which is the usual DU position on insurance companies! Now I find myself in a thread where it covers all!

It's a good thing we have the FAA, instead of the libertarian way of letting the market take care of it. Their loss of reputation will make them be really safe! The gubmint just causes problems! lol

[demigoddess]

12. I haven't wanted to fly in decades.

I last flew in 2000 and it was a nightmare. And when you hear they are firing union workers and hiring really low wage workers with no experience, it doesn't make you feel confident. Especially if you see that the skies are full of airplanes with thousands of people flying every day, and they can't make a decent profit? something is wrong.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. That is horrifying. I like to fly; who can I trust?

Shame on AA. I am appalled beyond belief.

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. Not just AA, Peggy.

This has been a reported issue with other airlines, even SouthWest.

[malaise]

25. Don't rule out ReTHUGs gutting airline regulations

They are owned by corporate interests

[smirkymonkey]

16. I have always hated flying. This is the reason why.

The airlines are corporations. They will cut corners wherever they can. Often at our peril.

[DeSwiss]

17. K&R

- Some days you eat the fish, some days the fish eat you.

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. You found the Asia Airlines logo, I see.

[rock]

28. And some days the flight gets canceled

[mnhtnbb]

22. I got caught in the major cancellation some years ago of MD-80's pulled

out of service by AA for inspection of wire bundles in wheel wells.

OMG. What a disaster. I was in Rome--traveling with a girlfriend on her frequent flyer miles--
and when we checked in to return to the US discovered my connecting flight in Chicago
had been cancelled because of pulling so many planes out of service--but hers was not.

I ended up paying the walk up fare--and it wasn't cheap--at another airline in order to get home.
NOBODY in Rome at AA would help me get another flight--they all said wait until I got to Chicago.
No way! I would have been the LAST person they'd put on any flight--traveling on someone else's
miles and she wouldn't even be with me--and I was so pissed. I had to get home--no way I could
wait around Chicago for a couple of days to get put on a flight.


"Apr. 10 news conference to discuss the airline's 2,500 flight cancellations this week."

http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-04-10/whys-the-md-80-still-flying-businessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice

[tblue]

26. I hope this story is reported beyond this one blog.

Good grief! AA mgt & brass should go to jail for this.

[Coventina]

27. Great, I'm flying American in less than a month.

And I'm terrified of flying as it is.

*sigh*

[FLPanhandle]

32. I board over 150 flights per year.

I'm not worried.

The mechanics notifying the FAA the proper action. The FAA grounding a fleet would open American Airlines eyes faster than a lawsuit.

To those concerned about flying, with all the scrutiny AA is getting, now is probably the safest time to fly them.