JetBlue is to offer flight attendants up to six months of unpaid leave and trim the number of crew members working on transatlantic flights as part of an ongoing effort to reduce costs at the loss-making carrier, according to a message from the Transport Workers Union (TWU).
The memo, which was first shared by aviation insider xJonNYC on X, warns flight attendants that flying schedules are set to be “significantly reduced” as the airline enters the traditionally quieter winter season, which runs from October to March for the airline industry.
Flight attendants have been told to expect a lot more time sitting on reserve, although they will be able to take an unpaid leave of absence rather than ending up without a schedule.
JetBlue says it is willing to offer flight attendants one to six months of unpaid leave starting in September 2024.
The memo also says that JetBlue plans to reduce the number of flight attendants working on transatlantic flights from the current five to just four for “the foreseeable future”.
Last month, it also emerged that JetBlue would disable personal privacy doors in its Mint Business Class on some planes in order to reduce the number of flight attendants that work on these planes.
JetBlue had been required to roster five crew members on planes fitted with these seats because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) came to the conclusion that it was too much work for four crew members to lock and unlock the doors for taxi, takeoff and landing.
By disabling the doors, JetBlue is able to bypass the FAA safety rule and assign just four crew members to work on some of its longest international flights.
JetBlue has yet to release its financial performance for the second quarter of 2024, but in the first three months of the year, the New York-based carrier reported a loss of $716 million.
In the same period, operating revenue fell 5.1% year on year, while expenses had risen 14% to $2.9 billion.
The carrier says it has already implemented $100 million in cost savings, while flight attendants are just the latest group of employees to have been offered unpaid leave.
CEO Joanna Geraghty said in April that the company would be “launching additional revenue initiatives,” including a new peak pricing policy for checked-in luggage.
