A Los Angeles-based flight attendant is suing Avelo Airlines Inc., alleging multiple state Labor Code violations, including not being paid for work done off-the-clock and a denial of meal and rest breaks.
Selina Curtis’ proposed Los Angeles Superior Court class-action lawsuit was filed Friday and seeks restitution, compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees. An Avelo representative said Monday that Avelo is reviewing the suit, but had no immediate comment.
Curtis was hired by Avelo in March 2022 and often flies out of Hollywood Burbank Airport. Avelo also has flights out of Palm Springs International Airport as well as two Northern California airports. The proposed class consists of about 75 flight attendants who worked for Avelo dating back four years before Curtis sued.
Avelo flight attendants are unable to take an uninterrupted 30-minute meal break which they are entitled to because they must go through security and walk to their departure gate to ensure that they arrive exactly one hour before departure, the suit alleges. The flight attendants also are not paid for such pre-boarding tasks as inspecting safety equipment and restrooms, stocking supplies and ensuring the cabin is ready for passenger boarding, according to Curtis’ complaint.
“Avelo starts paying flight attendants their hourly wage only once the aircraft doors close and the plane pushes back from the gate,” according to the suit, which further states that the period an aircraft is away from a gate is known as “block time.”
After a flight lands, Avelo does not pay flight attendants for time spent helping passengers deplane, which can take 20 or more minutes, the suit states.
Avelo also does not compensate flight attendants for time spent writing reports on such issues as ill or unruly passengers as well as mechanical issues with the plane, the suit further states.
Overtime is paid at a straight-time hourly rate and flight attendants are not compensated for time taken for mandatory drug testing, the suit alleges.