1.31.26 – APFA LGA Base Brief – The Cycle of Operational Failures of American Airlines

Saturday, January 31, 2026

The Cycle of Operational Failures of American Airlines

As the LGA Base President, representing nearly 3,400 New York–based Flight Attendants, I want to be clear: what occurred during and after Winter Storm Fern was not an unavoidable weather event, it was a preventable operational failure by American Airlines management.

Flight Attendants were left without hotels, stranded for hours, sleeping in unsafe and unacceptable conditions, unable to reach Crew Scheduling, disconnected after hours on hold, and forced to navigate a collapsing operation with little to no support. We continue to receive accounts that placed Flight Attendants in unsafe situations and, in some cases, put lives at risk. This was the result of poor planning, inadequate preparation, and a failure to staff and resource known problem areas, despite years of data and repeated warnings.

Like you, we read the message sent by senior leadership following this event. Once again, it thanked Flight Attendants for their “resilience,” praised “teamwork,” referenced “creative solutions,” and assured us that leadership is “accountable” and will “learn” from this disruption. We have heard this exact message after every major irregular operation. The words change slightly; the outcome never does.

I have served as Base President for five years. During that time, this base has endured approximately eight major irregular operations, each followed by nearly identical assurances that the next one would be different. It never is. At some point, apologies without action stop being apologies. They become deflection.

Management continues to characterize these events as “unforeseen” and “not normal days.” That claim is simply false. Irregular operations are not rare. They are predictable. Winter weather, system strain, hotel shortages, staffing failures, and call center overload are not surprises. They are recurring events that management has repeatedly chosen not to adequately plan for.

As the LGA Base President, I am committing to every Flight Attendant in New York that I will use the full authority you have entrusted to me, and every tool available to me as a member of the APFA Board of Directors, to force an end to this cycle. American Airlines must be required to invest in secured hotel contracts, adequate staffing, functional communication systems, and a real operational plan for irregular operations, one that includes APFA as a required partner and provides real-time transparency during system failures.

Because while management is allowed endless “learning opportunities,” Flight Attendants are not.

Flight Attendants are disciplined when they are late to the gate. They are issued Late Reports when they are late to sign in. They are penalized for calling in sick. Missing a trip—even for reasons that can happen to anyone, results in two attendance points. Taking a rightful medical leave of absence of five, ten, fifteen, or under twenty-one days still results in attendance points.

Customer accusations stain performance records even when the Flight Attendant is later cleared. Missing training and needing to reschedule within five days results in a performance infraction. Missing an online lesson results in a performance infraction. Failing to meet commitments discussed in management meetings results in repeated discipline. Over time, these cumulative penalties end careers.

So, the question Flight Attendants are rightfully asking is this:
Why is accountability absolute for Flight Attendants, but optional for management?

Why are managers who repeatedly fail to meet their own publicly stated commitments allowed to remain in place, promoted, and empowered to continue making decisions that harm employees, customers, and the airline itself?

Flight Attendants do not get infinite chances. Neither should management.

This base will no longer accept recycled statements, hollow apologies, or promises of future conversations after the damage is already done. There must be real accountability, real investment, and real change, because your safety, dignity, and ability to do your job cannot depend on resilience alone.

Now more than ever, our Unity is the most important strength we have. Please continue to take care of one another and fly safe.

In Unity,

Christian M. Santana
APFA LGA Base President
[email protected]

Megan Blanchard
APFA LGA Base Vice President
[email protected]