Monthly operational bulletin, Vol. 18, Issue 1, January 1988

              
Monthly Operational Bulletin
To: All Pan Am Flight Attendants From: In-Flight Service Headquarters - MIA
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VOLUME XVIII, Issue 1 January 1988;ORpORATE LIBRARY
FEB 1 0 1988
Dear Fellow Employees:	pAR AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS
We have been through some difficult times. Difficult because of staffing shortages and the uncertainty of Pan Am’s future. The overwhelming majority of you have responded superbly; you have overcome the problems, set aside the rumors and dealt with providing our passengers with the highest level of service possible.
Our staffing problems are not over, nor will they be for a few more months (at least until the recruiting and training program gets back into full swing). Some of the adverse press we have been receiving is having a negative impact on our ability to attract qualified candidates.
Our medical rates are still very high. Over the last month, one out of every seven Flight Attendants has called in sick, severely adding to our shortage problem and creating a greater burden for the rest of us. We recognize that some of those increased medicals are the result of the stress associated with the staffing situation; unfortunately, others are just a lack of professionalism and concern for the people that have to pick up the burden. This minority is hurting the rest of the group. They have lost sight of the fact that the Company’s future suffers when we do not perform to the best of our abilities. To those of you who have done the very best that you are able to do, we are all appreciative.
We continue our efforts to remove the difficulties we can and minimize the effects of those that remain. We plan to continue hiring an adequate number of Flight Attendants to correctly staff the airline. There is a program under way that will be completed in 1988 moving Lower Galleys on our United Airlines aircraft to the Main Deck. All 747 interiors will be upgraded to the new design scheme and the A300 interiors will also be improved. Funds are budgeted to upgrade the service in Economy Class and restore those items in First and Clipper Class that were eliminated in the last half of 1987. We are moving ahead with the automation of some of the Crew Scheduling functions to help eliminate many of the problems you have encountered with busy telephones, recordings that are difficult to understand, etc. In short, we are addressing many of the problems you have identified, and while we will not be able to solve all our problems this year, progress is being made.
While we are pursuing these improvements we need to continue our efforts to present the best possible service. I ask each of you to refuse to be satisfied with inferior service. We need to hear about all the problems you are experiencing in order to focus our efforts on solving those which have the greatest impact on service.
I am sure that with your continued support and professionalism we will succeed. Regardless of what management changes may occur, our individual professionalism towards our job and the passengers we serve is the key to our future.