The confirmed seats in Business Class for the airlines’s pilots are over. Aerolíneas Argentinas has decided to downgrade the category of those free seats, which both the company’s pilots and their families had access to.
The decision was announced today, and the Airline Pilots Association (APLA), one of the groups in conflict with the company due to a demand for wage adjustments, expressed its discontent.
According to company sources, “There is no such benefit for pilots in the entire industry. The general rule is that they have a confirmed seat in Economy and can request an upgrade to Business only if there is space available.”
Up until now, pilots had the “right” to have a confirmed seat in Business Class, both for themselves and their families, and this is the rule that has now been changed.
The main argument from the state-owned company is that Business Class is the most profitable product on the plane, with a short purchase lead time. Pilots had the ability to book their seats up to 45 days in advance, forcing the company to confirm a seat in Business for them and their families within 3 days of the request.
With this system, pilots blocked the entire Business Class, thus preventing sales and causing the company to lose several million dollars.
From now on, the company will continue to provide free tickets for employees and their families in Economy Class, and they will be able to request an upgrade to Business Class at the airport, subject to availability.
APLA considered that this measure constitutes a breach of their Collective Bargaining Agreement, stating that “Aerolíneas Argentinas has decided to further violate our CBA: unilaterally, it no longer confirms vacation tickets in Business, instead doing so in Economy, with upgrades only available at the airport if space permits.”
They also noted that this is “a new provocation aimed at escalating the conflict, once again violating the CBA. Beyond filing the relevant complaints, we will continue to fight for the defense of our rights, our CBA, and fair compensation for our work.”
See also: Privatization of Aerolíneas Argentinas back on the table with new bill
Full occupancy
Sources from Aerolíneas Argentinas indicated that recently, on a flight, 10 pilots and their families traveled in Business Class, occupying nearly all 18 seats available on that flight. Depending on the aircraft type, Aerolíneas’ Business Class on international flights has 18, 22, or 24 seats.
They explained that this represents approximately 5,000 tickets per year, with an average value of $4,000 per ticket; that is, 20 million dollars a year that the company loses.
The company’s announcement came on the same day that pilots, along with flight attendants and Intercargo workers, declared a 24-hour strike starting next Friday at noon.
