A recent experience by a flight attendant based out of Minneapolis has highlighted the extra lengths cabin crew are asked to go, even unpaid. A recent medical emergency on what is believed to be a Sun Country Airlines flight saw the flight delayed as paramedics were required on board.

As posted on Threads by rpalm08, Rachel Palm posted that yesterday (Sunday, December 29), she was operating as the lead flight attendant on a flight when the boarding door had just closed, and the flight bridge was being retracted, when it was identified that a female passenger was unresponsive and believed to be suffering from cardiac arrest.

Cardiac Arrest Oboard

Palm noted that the flight was fully booked. Briefly after the boarding door was closed, a male passenger was seen frantically waving on board and looking for the attention of a flight attendant. He then claimed that his wife was unresponsive.

Two nurses who happened to be onboard assisted the crew with supporting the unresponsive woman, where her shirt was cut open, and an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) was prepared, and additional oxygen was at the ready. Eventually, paramedics arrived as the women came responsive, and she was removed on a stretcher for further assistance off the aircraft.

While it was commendable for the flight attendants’ actions, Palm has expressed that after such an experience, she was met with a challenging crew scheduling individual after she needed to be replaced on the flight as she had become covered in vomit. Allegedly, Palm was to be unpaid for this flight as it would be classed as a sick call, but eventually the airline came to the party and paid her as if she operated the flight.

It’s worth noting that Palm has expressed her immense joy in the role of being a flight attendant, and especially working with her crew and, in this instance, contributing to saving someone’s life. A final update from her Threads account below:

« After emailing my manager and director of inflight, I got pay protected for the hours I was supposed to fly!!! Very thankful for that, however.. this post is still meant to highlight the fact that most flight crew don’t get paid for boarding (or weather delays, mechanical issues, etc.) »

Not Paid While On The Ground

It is common practice for most airlines to only pay flight attendants and pilots for the time they spend in the air, once the boarding door is closed. This means the time to arrive at the airport, make their way to the gate, and board all passengers onto the aircraft is unpaid, and this has become a bone of contention for many crew members.

While airlines usually will take into consideration special circumstances, they will widely pay ‘guaranteed minimum pay‘, which translates to one hour of paid flight time for every two hours that they are on duty. This means that if a flight attendant arrives at the airport at 6:00 am and finishes at 6:00 pm (a total of 12 hours), they will be paid for six hours, even if they are only in the air, actually flying for less than that.

Many flight attendants want this changed, as they believe there are many more hours put in, which include the time taken when at the airport, the boarding of passengers, and other actions required. Airlines have argued this through pay mechanisms that have been previously negotiated in union contract cycles.

Sun Country Airlines

Sun Country Airlines is based out of Minneapolis and is an American Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier that focuses on leisure routes across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. It was first founded in 1982 and has been operating since 1983 (42 years). According to ch-aviation, the airline operates a total of 66 Boeing 737 aircraft made up of:

The airline also has an additional 20 Boeing 737-300BCF that operate all cargo for Amazon Air.

From its hub at primary hub at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), it operates to a total of 91 destinations made up of 18 year-round and 72 seasonal services (seasonal services will increase to 73 soon, when its nonstop service to Tulsa takes off on May 21).