Travelers dealing with panic attacks, fewer flight attendants than you’d think, too many…and a problematic seat.
Polls have shown that Americans are in the minority when it comes to hiring a flight attendant as a flight attendant. On average, Americans choose not to work for an airline.
However, seat back mattresses are loaded with safety devices, allowing flight attendants to detect signs of drug and alcohol use before there’s any further problem.
Airline’s have been filling up seats: This summer, there are more flights planned than ever before, and more than 2,500 aircraft are in use. That’s up from roughly 2,350 last summer.
But, in recent weeks, U.S. airlines have announced they will hire 4,300 additional flight attendants to help them meet passenger demand.
Several U.S. airlines have had to cancel or delay flights because of staffing shortages.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, more than 12 million people flew on U.S. airlines in April 2018, the most recent month for which that data is available. There were 19.2 million passengers in June of last year.
International airlines operating in the U.S. showed increases, too. In April 2018, compared to April 2017, passengers worldwide on U.S. airlines increased by 6.9 percent, or 628 million passengers. In June 2018, compared to June 2017, passengers worldwide on U.S. airlines increased by 3.8 percent, or 489 million passengers.
For additional information, read The Wall Street Journal’s Experts: Unhappy with air travel on Cramer’s Deadline, the paper’s lifestyle newsletter.
Republished with permission from Thrillist.