American Airlines flight attendants to picket as frustrations grow
American Airlines The flight attendants’ union plans to stage a strike outside company headquarters on Thursday for new leadership at the airline that has outperformed its rivals Delta Airlines And United Airlines in terms of profitability and punctuality.
Ahead of the strike on Wednesday night, American CEO Robert Isom tried to calm angry employees and outlined improvements the carrier expected this year, including a jump in profits as well as improvements to schedules and new cabins.
“We look forward to working with all of you to make this happen,” Isom said in a video message filmed at the airline’s Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters.
The strike came just days after the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents America’s 28,000 cabin crew members, issued a vote of no confidence in Isom, which the union said was the first such move. The chief executive was also criticized by the pilots’ union, which wanted a meeting with the airline’s board of directors, of which Isom is a member, to discuss the issues. Unions for pilots, flight attendants and technicians recently said the company must do better to improve reliability and financial results.
The protest is an unusual move outside of contract negotiations.
Signals from labor groups have increased pressure on Isom, who took the helm nearly four years ago, and American’s leadership team, which has invested in cabin upgrades, larger airport lounges and other inflight products.
Last month, American forecast stronger revenue and profits for 2026, saying it expected to report adjusted earnings per share of up to $2.70, up from 36 cents adjusted last year.
America is in the midst of a revamp that it hopes will help revive profits with more modern aircraft cabins that command higher fares; This is especially important as bus class fares are falling. It also built larger halls and added free Wi-Fi for customers.
According to the Department of Transportation, through the first 11 months of the year Americans ranked eighth in terms of punctuality, with an on-time delivery rate of 73.7%. He’s now adjusting his schedules, including to the massive Dallas-Fort Worth International hub, where he’s spreading out flights further throughout the day.
But he has a long way to go. In 2025, American generated $111 million in net income, compared to Delta’s $5 billion and United’s more than $3.3 billion. Lower profits meant a smaller profit-sharing pool for employees, and staff complained about this.
At an employee town hall last month, Isom noted that American pilots, flight attendants and other groups had recently signed new employment contracts that meant higher pay compared to their counterparts at rival United. But he said he was disappointed with the profit sharing.
Flight attendants also said they were disappointed with Americans’ recovery efforts after major winter storms that left some crew members without a place to sleep.
“This airline is heading down a path that puts our careers at risk,” the flight attendants union said in an announcement about the strike. “Now is the time for Flight Attendants to come together and protest. American Airlines needs real accountability, decisive action and leadership that will put this airline back on the competitive path.”
Isom is also trying to not only gain the support of front-line teams, but also bring together senior teams. Last week at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Isom spoke to nearly 6,000 executives about the years ahead as the airline turns 100 years old.
“We filled the entire Major League Baseball field with this proud and talented team. The best in the business,” he said, according to a transcript of his speech seen by CNBC. “It is incumbent on all of us to build on our progress and increase our profitability to ensure America remains viable for the next 100 years.”
