American Airlines (AA) appears to be taking a cue from British Airways by recruiting management to serve as cabin crew should its flight attendants walk off the job this summer.  When and if the strike will happen is anyone’s guess; the union needs agreement from the National Mediation Board and a 30-day “cooling-off” period before it can legally leave the job.

But American Airlines isn’t hedging any bets—it’s asking 4,000 managers to go through 17 days of flight-attendant training at Fort Worth’s American’s Flagship University and Flight Academy.  In a memo to leadership, American stated the job would be “demanding and at times unpredictable, and flexibility and patience are a must.”

Business traveler should watch the negotiations and prepare for a strike as early as mid-July. They should also know that “flexibility and patience” will be a must.