A memo circulating among regional flight attendants for Delta Air Lines’ subsidiary Endeavor Air has drawn attention after the union instructed crew members to “act your wage” and avoid arguing with passengers, even over rule enforcement.

Delta Regional Flight Attendants Told: “You Don’t Get Paid To Argue With Passengers”

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) memo, first reported by PYOK, tells Endeavor Air flight attendants that they should inform passengers of rules but not engage in disputes. “We do not get paid to argue. Just stop. There’s absolutely no need to be extra,” the memo reads. The phrase “act your wage” is used to emphasize restraint and highlight pay disparities between regional and mainline flight attendants. Endeavor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta, but unlike Delta mainline, its flight attendants are unionized.

“We do not get paid to argue. Just stop. There’s absolutely no need to be extra. This is not within your job scope. Act your wage. You’re a Flight Attendant, not a Red Coat.”

(“Red coats” are Delta’s customer service lead agents on the ground…who wear red coats)

The union’s note points to a compensation gap between Endeavor crews and those flying for Delta mainline, even though Endeavor operates under Delta branding and uniform standards. The memo positions the message as a boundary, reminding attendants that they are not compensated to handle confrontational enforcement situations that go beyond their job scope.

The “Inform, Not Enforce” Rule

The document also clarifies that when a passenger refuses to comply after being informed, the flight attendant’s role is to escalate the issue to the captain and file a report rather than challenge the passenger directly. “The primary focus on all of the rules and regulations…is to inform, not enforce,” the memo reportedly states.

According to the union, the intent is to protect crew from unnecessary conflict, minimize disciplinary risk, and de-escalate tense onboard situations. This approach also mirrors post-pandemic policy shifts at airlines where confrontation fatigue and staff shortages have changed how enforcement is handled.

That’s all fine…in the post David Dao era, that’s exactly where we should be. But then why say, “Act your wage?” I have to agree with One Mile At A Time, who said, “Like, if Delta mainline flight attendants are ‘acting their wage’ and are paid more, does that mean they should argue with passengers?”

It also doesn’t make sense to me why this is being tied into a wage battle…

CONCLUSION

The “act your wage” memo is more than an internal reminder, it captures the tension between responsibility and compensation that defines much of the regional airline world. Endeavor’s crews fly Delta passengers, in Delta uniforms, under Delta policies, but are paid far less. That perpetual gripe seems to be the root of this memo, even though the advice itself (inform, not enforce) is sound…and applies equally to mainline flight attendants too.

image: Delta