As the government shutdown crossed the 40-day mark, Americans are feeling its ramifications. Airports have been hit hard, with many major airline employees, including Delta flight attendants, speaking out. As more take to their platforms, another flight attendant in Houston spoke up about the harsh reality of air travel.
“I am a flight attendant with a very major airport. And I need to tell you to stop flying,” she said in her video. “Everybody! These people are not getting paid. You’re just casually booking a trip to Pensacola, Florida, and all of this and that, just to hang out and frolic about. These people are not getting paid.” She goes on, encouraging people to “get in their pockets” and force the government to take action.
As the video continues, she reiterates that airline employees are not being paid during the government shutdown. After encouraging everyone watching to stop spending money on flights, she flips the camera around to show the lines at the Houston Airport. “It’s awful in Houston,” she says. “The line is wrapped around the building three times, because they don’t have employees to work.”
Many viewers on Reddit echoed her statement with their support. “They are not discounting these flights. Certainly not now. And they haven’t since the advent of dynamic pricing,” one user said. “She’s right, the only way to make an impact is to stay home en masse unless you have to travel.” With the holidays coming up, others expressed frustration over being unable to cancel their flight, but agreed with the sentiment.
Others disagreed, saying her anger was aimed at the wrong party. “Misdirected anger. It’s not the passenger’s fault that the government is shut down. For all she knows, those people are flying b/c their SNAP benefits are exhausted and they need to go stay with family who can better assist them,” one Reddit user commented. “This is the same as getting angry at people for driving cars when we’re in an environmental crisis. We get it, but your anger is misdirected. You’re not ranting to and hating on people who have any power to change. “If you just sit out the flight and get in their pockets,” then someone else will come along and see ‘Oh nice! Discounted flight to Pensacola, Florida.'”
