The coronavirus pandemic has seen the demand for air travel reduced due to border restrictions and lockdowns around the world. As a result, the jobs of many flight attendants hang in the balance.
Some of these flight attendants have taken to YouTube to discuss the future of their jobs. Most of them seek new careers if the airlines decide to furlough them in a few months.
The Wall Street Journal reported that American Airlines could potentially furlough 25 000 workers after federal aid expires on October 1. Southwest Airlines may follow in its footsteps. Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly allegedly revealed in an internal podcast that furloughs and layoffs are still a possibility unless it can triple its number of passengers by the end of 2020, Chicago Tribune reported.
United Airlines also revealed that it would reduce staff in the coming months. It is unclear for now whether South African airlines will implement the same as people can only travel for business travel. With airlines only now starting operations, flight attendants are scrambling to find a backup plan. YouTuber Fly With Stella said she had flown three or four times since March.
“The airline industry is super sketch right now. My airline has also announced that there will be some furloughs. There’s going to be some sizing down of the airline, so I am right on the edge of I might get furloughed or I might not. I am right on the cusp, so it has been a little stressful for me because I am like, what else would I do?” (sic). She said she loved being a flight attendant, and asked her followers for career recommendations if she got furloughed.
Life By Francesco, another flight attendant, also addressed the situation on his channel.
“There is a big chance that I would probably be getting furloughed come October. My prediction is that I would be furloughed for at least a year,” he said on his channel.
Flight attendant Megan Mae also spoke about the aviation industry changes due to Covid-19. “It is not a good time in aviation,” she said in her video.