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An American Airlines flight attendant based at Philadelphia International Airport has filed a lawsuit alleging the carrier does not compensate cabin crew for all time spent working.
The complaint was brought by flight attendant Christopher John, who filed the case in Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in October before moving it to federal court in Philadelphia. John is seeking to represent himself and other American Airlines flight attendants based at PHL dating back to October 2022.
The lawsuit claims that flight attendants are required to report to the airport well before departure, assist with boarding and deplaning passengers, and complete additional duties tied to stopovers. According to the complaint, much of that time is not included in payroll calculations and does not count toward overtime.
The airline “generally does not credit or pay” flight attendants for one to two hours before scheduled departure, time spent boarding and deplaning passengers, or time spent traveling on shuttles to and from hotels during layovers, the filing states. These activities, the complaint argues, “fall squarely within their day-to-day job duties.”
Union contracts and overtime exemptions
American Airlines has moved to dismiss the case, arguing that Pennsylvania’s Minimum Wage Act does not apply because flight attendants’ pay is governed by a collective bargaining agreement.
In court filings, the airline said the state law explicitly exempts employees of an air carrier from overtime requirements when hours, wages and overtime compensation are covered by a union contract. American Airlines flight attendants are represented by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants.
The current union agreement took effect in September 2024 and runs through September 2029. As of last year, the union represented about 28,000 American Airlines flight attendants.
An attorney for John declined to comment on the case. Lawyers representing American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
How flight attendant pay is structured
Historically, most airlines have not paid flight attendants for time worked before an aircraft’s doors close, including boarding. Airlines have argued that ground time is offset by pay structures that guarantee at least one hour of paid flight time for every two hours of duty.
Some changes have emerged across the industry. Last year, American Airlines flight attendants ratified a contract that includes compensation for boarding time. Delta began partially paying for boarding duties in 2022.
Labor tensions over unpaid ground time have also surfaced elsewhere. In August, Air Canada flight attendants went on strike for three days during contract negotiations focused in part on compensation for pre- and post-flight work. In the US, flight attendants must receive federal approval before striking.
American Airlines is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and was the largest carrier at PHL in 2024, carrying nearly 20 million passengers through the airport. The company is the ninth largest employer in Philadelphia County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
The airline employs more than 10,000 people in the Philadelphia area, including 2,567 flight attendants. Median pay for US flight attendants was $67,130 last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
