‘We’re just robots’: US airline workers stranded amid staff shortages

Flight attendants report sleeping on airport floors when employers fail to find them hotel rooms

US airlines are still experiencing staffing shortages as air travel rebounded after initial Covid-19 shutdowns in 2020 when many airline workers were encouraged to go on furlough, resign, or retire early.

The phenomenon promises to disrupt travel for flyers even as Americans largely seek to return to many pre-pandemic habits, including air travel for work and tourism.