[greenyoda]

"There are thousands of flight attendants based in NYC alone. It's not uncommon for the flight leader to never lead a particular team member a second time."

Just because this is the way that flight crews are scheduled today doesn't mean that it's the only way it can be done. Why can't the schedule be arranged so that the same crew and leader stay together (as much as possible) on subsequent flights? Of course, there's no reason for the airlines to try any new approaches as long as unions won't budge on seniority.

[snprbob86]

We're now way off topic into the details of a particular industry, but I'll entertain your comment anyway. I just want to stress again: These problems generalize to many many many other industries.

> Why can't the schedule be arranged so that the same crew and leader stay together (as much as possible)

Because...

1) Flights get delayed or canceled

2) Crew member get sick or stuck elsewhere around the world

3) Planes are of varying size with varying size crews

4) Destinations change seasonally

5) Holidays and events alter flight schedules

6) People quit

7) People move and transfer bases

Never mind that flexibility to travel is the #1 job perk that they have to offer as career bait. Flight attendants trade flights, full trips, and destinations all the time. They are in that line of work so that they can go to interesting locations, if only for a short while. You could half their pay and they would still complain much more loudly if you halved their destination flexibility.