Delta Flight Attendants Caught Playing Sick Day Standby Like It’s Avengers: Endgame
KEY POINTS
- •Delta’s Endeavor Air union warned members on February 17, 2026, about abusing free standby travel during sick leave.
- •The union explained some sick-day travel is allowed only with managerial pre-approval, citing policy violations lead to warnings or suspensions.
- •United Airlines also increased sick leave monitoring using tech to detect suspicious PTO and illness overlaps among flight attendants.
Endeavor Air, Delta’s regional cousin, just realized their flight attendants updated sick leave tactics to “vacation meets free travel hack” by flying standby while supposedly down with the flu. The Association of Flight Attendants flagged a spike in pass-travel violations last Wednesday, February 2026, warning that union docs specify no joyrides during sick or family leave—unless you’re cleverly returning home post-illness with manager’s written nod. Meanwhile, United’s not amused, employing tech to sniff out sick leave saboteurs by cross-referencing vacation/PTO combos while quietly judging those mysteriously stranded on vacay with tummy aches. Delta dodged comment; the drama continues at 35,000 feet and email threads nationwide.
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When your sick day means “free jet lag exploration,” no wonder Endeavor Air needed a union memo. Next up: sick day cabin crew commercial breaks?
Delta’s flight attendants treating sick days like an all-you-can-fly buffet while bosses scramble to invent a ‘virtuous coughing app.’
Sick leave abuse? More like ‘I’m too lazy to pay $300 for a ticket but healthy enough to board for free’ syndrome.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 2/25/2026 | Author: Pete Syme
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