This Airlines Is Making Attendants Sleep Next To Passengers On Long Flights

by Vaishalee Kalvankar
This Airlines Is Making Attendants Sleep Next To Passengers On Long Flights

The Australian flag carrier Qantas is alleged to have forced flight attendants working 12-hour flights to sleep in the cabin with passengers due to its use of aircraft without special crew bunks. Because of the length of the flights, it is mandatory to allow the attendants to get some rest. Recently, some photos revealed how attendants slept across a row of four Economy Class seats.

Crews Should Have Dedicated Facility

Qantas’ Airbus 330 aircraft between Los Angeles and Brisbane use the temporary crew rest facilities on some flights. A flight on this route takes around 12 and a half hours with a time difference of 17 hours. Crew members must rest in a designated area or, if that is not possible, in a seat that is separated by a curtain in Business Class.

 

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Regulators Gave All-Clear

 

Qantas has received approval for flight attendants to rest in Economy Class seats, but it should have installed a privacy curtain to keep the light out. Supply chain issues due to the pandemic have delayed the installation of the privacy curtain. In recent weeks, Qantas has been criticized for its treatment of passengers and employees in the past. The company has applied to the Fair Work Commission to terminate its Long Haul Cabin Crew agreement. 

 

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Massive Recruitment Drive By Qantas

Qantas was accused of offshoring jobs as well. In an unprecedented recruitment drive, it is seeking flight attendants in the UK who can fly between Europe and Australia. On some long-haul routes, Qantas also uses lower-paid New Zealand flight attendants. Because of the ongoing contract dispute, Qantas has had to use New Zealand-based cabin crew on some long-haul flights with a limited number of aircraft that Australian long-haul crew can work on. 

Qantas Executive Explained Difficulty. 

 

Because the union was not willing to support Australian crews working on longer routes with their A330 aircraft, including their Brisbane to Los Angeles route, there is only small flying being done by the New Zealand crew is what Rachel Yangoyan, the executive manager for cabin crew in Qantas said. 

 

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