United Airlines Faces Controversy Over Deployment of Blonde White Female Flight Attendants on Sports Team Charter Flights

Two Female Flight Attendants Sue Company
United Airlines "Assign Based on Performance and Flight Frequency"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] United Airlines in the United States has been sued for damages by employees after assigning young, blonde white female flight attendants to charter flights carrying sports players.

According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 14th (local time), two female flight attendants who have worked at United Airlines for over 30 years reportedly filed a complaint containing these details with the California Superior Court.

According to the complaint, they claimed that the company "illegally implemented procedures to ensure that primarily young, blonde white female flight attendants provide service on charter flights carrying players from the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and others, creating a despicable situation."

Among the two female flight attendants who filed the lawsuit, one is Black and the other is Jewish. They said they were told that their names were not on the priority list for boarding charter flights, and argued that senior, Black, and Jewish employees are excluded from boarding sports team charter flights, demanding monetary damages from the company.

Sports team charter flights are known to be highly preferred among flight attendants as they typically receive higher allowances and perks such as prime tickets.

United Airlines responded by stating that the crew assigned to sports team charter flights have an average racial composition and a diverse age range similar to regular commercial flights, disputing their claims.

Additionally, United Airlines said that the average age of flight attendants on sports charter flights is 46 years, with an average tenure of 19 years, and that the proportion of Black employees is relatively high.

In an email statement sent to WP, United Airlines stated, "Eligibility for charter flight boarding is based solely on performance and number of flights, and is unrelated to age, race, or gender."

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