American Airlines Desperately Asks Employees to Volunteer to Help Keep up With Busy Summer Travel Season The airline is asking for help during the months of June through August and will not be offering any bonus compensation.

By Emily Rella

Steve Parsons - PA Images | Getty Images

The travel industry is set to a see a major boost in a post-pandemic world, with vaccinations allowing for travel bans and restrictions to be lifted and many eager to take long-awaited trips and vacations.

However, many travel industry workers and employees were either laid off or furloughed during the pandemic, making operating at a normal level of efficiency and capacity a difficult adjustment for companies.

This is especially true of the airline industry, which saw a staggering loss of $370 billion in the year 2020.

Related: JetBlue Founder Launches Airline With $39 Flights

Airlines are coming up with new and desperate ways to staff employees to meet current travel demand, and sometimes that means using the the old-fashioned method of simply asking for volunteers.

American Airlines has opted to adopt this strategy by asking employees staffed in Texas to help volunteer this summer for operations at Dallas-Fort Worth airport, a major hub for the airlines which is also headquartered in the same city.

The airline is asking for help during the months of June through August and will not be offering any bonus compensation to employees who choose to participate in the six-hour shifts.

"As we look forward to welcoming back more of our customers this summer, we know they're counting on us to deliver a reliable operation and help them feel comfortable as they return after many months away from traveling," said American Airlines spokeswoman Sarah Jantz.

Related: American Airlines Will Let Travelers Use Digital Vaccine Passports

The request for help was sent through an internal memo to employees, obtained by The Dallas Morning News.

Employees who volunteer will have to sign up for a minimum of three shifts, with each volunteer shift counting towards their weekly hours.

Dallas-Fort Worth has unofficially become to be considered American Airlines' primary hub, with over 900 daily flights on the airline leaving the airport as of 2019.

The airline is facing a tough comeback after losing nearly 30% of its workforce (40,000 workers) due to pandemic-related cuts and voluntary leave last October.

American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) was back up about 0.23% year over year as of Tuesday morning after a devastating past year and a half of market volatility due to the pandemic.

Related: Delta Air Lines CEO: New hires must be vaccinated for COVID-19

Wavy Line
Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Editor's Pick

She's Been Coding Since Age 7 and Presented Her Life-Saving App to Tim Cook Last Year. Now 17, She's on Track to Solve Even Bigger Problems.
Lock
I Helped Grow 4 Unicorns Over 10 Years That Generated $18 Billion in Online Revenues. Here's What I've Learned.
Lock
Want to Break Bad Habits and Supercharge Your Business? Use This Technique.
Lock
Don't Have Any Clients But Need Customer Testimonials? Follow These 3 Tricks To Boost Your Rep.
Why Are Some Wines More Expensive Than Others? A Top Winemaker Gives a Full-Bodied Explanation.

Related Topics

Business News

Oscar Mayer Is Changing the Name of Its Iconic Wienermobile

The company is slamming the brakes on its wiener on wheels and rolling out a new meaty ride.

Health & Wellness

Sleep Better, Snore Less, and Stay Cool with This Tech-Packed Pillow, Now $49.99

Let technology help you sleep better with this 8-in-1 cooling pillow.

Business News

'All Hell Is Going to Break Loose': Barbara Corcoran Issues Warning About Real Estate Market, Interest Rates

The "Shark Tank" star appeared on FOX Business' "The Claman Countdown" this week.

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Leadership

The Real Reason Why The Return to Office Movement is Failing is Revealed in New Study

There is a vivid sign of the disconnect between employees and their workplace, a glaring indication that companies need to revise their scripts to improve their hybrid and remote work policies.