Flight attendants at American Airlines Group Inc. announced plans to stage a protest outside American Airlines headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday, the Professional Flight Attendant Association, which represents 28,000 flight attendants, said in a statement.
It follows Monday’s vote of no confidence in CEO Robert Isom.
The union warned that the apology period is over and that flight attendants, union allies and supporters will soon come together to demand accountability, better operational support and change in American Airlines leadership, starting with the top management.
Why the call for protest and the demand to overthrow Isoma?
The flight attendants are seeking Isom’s resignation as the airline faces operational and financial problems. The planned demonstration increases pressure on Isom, which faces growing employee discontent across the company.
Last week, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents about 16,000 pilots, requested a meeting with the airline’s board to discuss concerns about management and the airline’s overall performance.
In a video message to employees on Wednesday, Isom highlighted the airline’s revamped strategy to strengthen its competitive position, pointing to investments in premium services and a partnership with Citi on co-branded credit cards as key areas of focus.
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In the video, he said, “Last year was tough — there’s no doubt about that. I know we’re going to do better financially and operationally. We’re going to regain American’s reputation as the world’s premium global airline,” according to a Bloomberg report.
The pilots and flight attendants are holding the airline’s management responsible for what they called a lack of preparation for last month’s winter storm, as well as a lack of financial performance. They described these shortcomings as part of a continuing trend of poor execution and poor decision-making.
The airline is also struggling to win back the trust of corporate travelers who were frustrated by a controversial sales and distribution strategy, later retracted, that encouraged customers to book directly through American’s website or app instead of through third-party agencies.
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“This failed corporate sales strategy was approved at the highest levels of management through CEO Robert Isom, and all employees are still paying a high price for it today,” the flight attendants union said.
Impact of winter storm on AA
American Airlines said the recent winter storm led to the cancellation of more than 9,000 flights. CEO Robert Isom noted that the airline was hit harder than some competitors as the storm hit the core of its network.
Persistent ice around the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the airline’s largest hub and home to nearly a third of its employees, made it difficult for employees to get to the airport.
A Boeing 737-800 operated by American Airlines at Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) in Hebron, Kentucky, USA, on Friday, February 6, 2026 (Bloomberg)
Severe storms often disrupt crew schedules and extend hotel availability across the airline industry, but unions say the storm highlighted the difficulties American Airlines faced in reassigning crews as cancellations piled up.
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Julie Hedrick, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, told Reuters that some crew members had to spend the night in airport terminals. She added that the flight attendants waited six to 11 hours before contacting the departments responsible for adjusting flight schedules and arranging hotels and transportation, the Reuters report noted.
The union shared that crews experienced long delays in receiving updated assignments after the cancellation, followed by additional waits for hotel accommodations and transportation. In some cases, flight attendants were not provided with any hotel arrangements at all.
American Airlines did not directly respond to the union’s allegations. In a memo to staff sent last week in January, Seymour said teams are working to reposition planes and open gates at Dallas-Fort Worth to help keep flights on schedule.
The airline estimates the storm-related outages will reduce revenue by $150 million to $200 million. American was among the worst-hit carriers, canceling thousands of flights within days.
Internal reports to pilots reviewed by Reuters reveal that American Airlines is offering additional incentive pay to encourage employees to cover unassigned flights while the airline overhauls its schedule. According to reports on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27, the chief operating officer informed the pilots that the airline had activated a special pay rule that provides the equivalent of an extra five hours and 15 minutes on certain days in addition to their regular earnings.
Meanwhile, American’s main competitors, United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc., have reported higher profit margins for several years.
AA expects strong year amid premium expansion
After reporting fourth-quarter results that fell short of expectations last month, Isom said the airline was well positioned for significant growth in 2026, the report said. American Airlines Group Inc. said it expects a strong year as it expands its premium offerings to remain competitive with major rivals.
The Texas-based carrier forecast full-year adjusted earnings per share of between $1.70 and $2.70, compared with analysts’ estimates of $2.01. The airline also forecast cash flow to top $2 billion for the year, beating expectations. The company reported record fourth-quarter revenue of $14 billion, bringing total revenue for the year to $54.6 billion — the highest ever.
“American Airlines is positioned for significant growth in 2026 and beyond. We have built a strong foundation and look forward to leveraging the investments we have made in our customer experience, network, fleet, partnerships and loyalty program,” Isom said.
This plan consists of introducing free Wi-Fi, upgrading cabins and increasing investment in a new terminal at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The company also projected sales growth of 7 to 10% in the first quarter.
(With input from agencies)