There are a myriad of reasons why an airline might postpone a flight, ranging from aircraft mechanical issues to severe weather. However, United Airlines was forced to delay a flight on Monday due to an unusual cause: a fight between two flight attendants.
The 90-minute service from Des Moines, Iowa to Chicago O’Hare International Airport was delayed by just under four hours as the carrier scrambled to find an entirely new cabin crew. One can only hope that no passengers had tight connections waiting for them in the Windy City.
United Flight 2138 was originally scheduled to depart at 11:26 a.m. However, the passengers were deplaned at 12:08 p.m. According to One Mile at a Time, the airline’s internal system listed the delay’s cause as:
“Crew Availability Flight Attendant: Disagreement on 2 of the FAs. IFDM pulling all crew and will need to recrew flight.”
The In-Flight Duty Manager (IFDM), who is responsible for assigning flight crews and overseeing flight attendants, pulled the entire crew and had to assign a new one. This explanation, however, was not displayed publicly on United’s website or mobile app.
Details about the altercation remain unclear, as there was no blow-by-blow report on what happened before passengers were deplaned. Ultimately, the United Airlines Airbus A320 landed in Chicago at 5:09 p.m.—a frustrating outcome for passengers who expected to arrive four hours earlier.
Typically, when flight attendants have disagreements, it’s with passengers rather than each other. Yet, in 2024, Air Canada faced a different kind of incident. On a long-haul flight between Casablanca, Morocco and Montreal, a passenger requested a blanket while the plane was taxiing to the runway. A flight attendant responded by screaming at the passenger, yelling, “You will behave or we will get off!” The plane returned to the gate, and the police removed the attendant. In solidarity, the rest of the passengers disembarked as well, leading Air Canada to cancel the flight.
Being a flight attendant is far from an easy or relaxing job. They are tasked with serving the public with a smile while ensuring safety during the flight. Adding to the challenge is that flight attendants are often severely underpaid. For example, last year American Airlines cabin crew earned as little as $27,315 annually, despite requirements to live in major cities that host the airline’s hubs.
These situations highlight the high-pressure environment flight attendants operate in, and the complex dynamics that can sometimes lead to unexpected disruptions in air travel.
https://www.jalopnik.com/2013213/flight-attendant-fight-delays-united-flight/