Sin City...

Last night I flew on a "stand-up" - an overnight flight where you get less than 8 hours of sleep between flights. We flew to Sacramento - I swapped positions with the "C" flight attendant, and got to joke around with the passengers as they boarded the plane. We got to the hotel around midnight, and the hotel shuttle picked us up at 5:15AM...

I've been hanging out at my "crash pad" this afternoon - it's a lot quieter than the crewroom, and I've got access to the tv controller!

I have a fun trip lined up for this weekend...I "deadhead" (ride as a passenger) to Las Vegas tonight - we arrive at around 11PM. Then I have free time until around 4:45PM when I have to take a shuttle back to the airport. Once there, I have been assigned to a charter flight to take the NASCAR owners, drivers, and team members back to Charlotte, NC. We'll work our butts off keeping them supplied with snacks and beer, and will arrive in CLT at around 1:30AM. Once everyone is gone, the crew will fly the plane back to DEN, arriving at around 4AM...at least I can sleep on this last leg!

It's going to be a tiring trip, but it should be a lot of fun! I know nothing about NASCAR, so I won't be starstruck in the least...

Kill 'em With Kindness

Last night's flight went well - The captain and first officer were the same as last week's flight to Nashville (she's the one who gives a candy and a personal note to all frequent fliers) - they are good people to work with. Very positive and very funny. The flight attendants were different than the ones last week, and this whole group was continuing on to Chicago for an overnight after our return from Detroit. I would have loved to continue on with them.

The hotel was another outstanding one...they even had a special "crew room" stocked with snacks, beverages, a microwave, fridge, etc. I encountered a "drunk" on the way to my room... I was talking on the cell phone to Greg as I was in the lobby/hallway area. A guy came out of the bar and walked in the direction of the rooms. I followed later, and actually caught up to him. There was a step ladder in one of the hallways with a worker on it, and the drunk almost took out the ladder! I stepped out of the way, as the drunk hit the floor. He had another guy with him, so I let him and the worker take care of things.

This morning we had to catch our shuttle bus to the airport at 5AM (3AM Denver time - no wonder I'm pooped!), and before the passengers boarded, the gate agent came to warn me about a passenger traveling with a toddler, two cats, a carseat and a bunch of luggage. Let's just say, before she boarded the plane she created quite a stink. She was upset that she had to pay $50 because her suitcase weighed 73 pounds, she also had to pay to carry her two cats on the plane, and she was appalled that there was no one to help her carry all her carry-ons! Evidently, she was very, very vocal about all these demands. So they boarded this woman first, complete with a special cart for all her carry-ons. She walked on with her toddler, not carrying anything, and expected everyone else to carry her things. She had been assigned an aisle and middle seat, but per FAA regs, the car seat couldn't block any other passenger's egress - she refused to move over. So we ended up moving the passenger in the window seat to another seat. I had the captain call ahead to Denver for a "Meet and Greet" - and when we arrived, a person was there to help her. But again, as she left the plane, she had one of the flight attendants carry her carseat. We decided to help her as much as we could to avoid her wrath - good decision for so early in the morning!

All that leads me to ask the question...Aren't you supposed to carry-on your own carry-ons? The woman wasn't at all what I expected...she was in her 20s, looked normal (i.e. wasn't a Barbie doll)...all we could surmise is that she was ticked off that she was having to make this trip alone. Oh well.

In my first row, I had a family traveling from Canada to Mazatlan, and they had a 7 month old with them. When the baby got fussy, I asked to hold her and stood at the front of the plane carrying her around for a few minutes. What memories! They even took a picture of us - it was the little girl's first airplane flight. So sweet.

When I got back to DEN, I called crew scheduling and they put me on 10 hour rest. So I drove home, and will be back on duty at around 6PM or so. I just looked at my schedule and I have to be back at the airport by 8:45PM for an overnight to Sacramento. We'll have a return flight tomorrow morning at 6:15AM (at least that'll be 7:15AM Denver time), and when I return I will probably be put on 10 hours rest again. There was only one open job on the board for tomorrow night...a deadhead (ride as a passenger) to Vegas, spend 17 hours there, and then work a charter to Charlotte, NC and then ferry the plane back to Denver - it's on our new A320, and rumor has it that it is a NASCAR charter. I'll know in a couple hours if I got it...

On the Road Again!

Yesterday, I spent the day at home doing my taxes and sorting through all kinds of miscellaneous paperwork. I was "on duty" but never received a call - but I was all ready to go! My uniform and all its pieces were hung by the back door, my suitcase, lunchbox and tote bag were all packed! It wasn't so bad this time being "on duty" - I knew I was ready, so I relaxed and focused on the tasks at hand.

During yesterday's aggressive bid period, I applied for a 4-day trip, but I had 5 days remaining so I didn't get it. Instead, they gave me a 2-day trip. Go figure. I have to be at the airport at 1PM for a flight to Detroit. It will be my first visit to Motor City with Frontier, and I can't even remember the last time I was there as a civilian. We get in around 7PM and then leave at around 6AM - pretty close to being a "stand up" - a flight with a layover of 10 hours or less. All there's time to do is grab a quick bite, get some sleep and then hit the road again.

I have a sneaky feeling, though, that once I'm back tomorrow morning my schedule will have additional trips...maybe they'll send me back to LGA to see Jen, or maybe DCA to see my Mom and sister?!? Or maybe to TPA to see the Reese's, or maybe any other FL destination where it is nice and warm. Or maybe I might even score another 48 hours in Costa Rica...a girl can dream, can't she?

Grounded!

We left Chicago yesterday and arrived back in DEN at around 9PM...For the first time, I dropped the oxygen mask during the demonstration and the FA making the announcements stated laughing and pointed it out to everyone. That is the first time that EVERYONE has paid attention to me during the demo! We continued having fun on the way home - it was a good group of passengers and a great crew to work with.

Once back in DEN, I had a few hours to take a quick nap in the crewroom then meet up with the rest of my crew going to LGA on the red-eye. They don't call it a red-eye for nothing! I served warm cookies and milk at the start of the flight, and most everyone went to sleep afterwards. The toughest chore was staying awake...

We finally got to the hotel around 7AM and I went right to bed. It was a Crowne Plaza - very, very nice. Robe, sleep well kit (ear plugs, eye mask, linen refresher, music CD), candy, and a very comfortable bed. I woke up around Noon, and then prepared to meet Jen and her boyfriend, Tom. They were coming to the hotel for lunch. I teased her via text messaging that I had a questionnaire to fill out, that her Daddy had created. I said I hoped that Tom brought his passport and latest tax return with him...!

We met in the lobby of the hotel - what a nice looking guy! He and Jen look so good together. We had a very nice lunch, with me asking the important questions that a mother needs to ask, and everything went really well. Then I took them to my room to show off the "poshness" and we talked for a few more minutes and took a quick picture of them. It was a very nice afternoon. But I was sad that I couldn't hang around longer.

Now I'm sitting on the plane - we were supposed to take off almost an hour ago, but a monitor's glass is cracked in the cockpit so we are grounded until it is replaced. Evidently a new piece of glass will arrive in an hour or so and we should be on our way. It's frustrating to be sitting on a plane so close to my little girl (well...okay, it's several miles away, but it's closer than Colorado Springs), but yet so far.

I am off on Sunday and Monday, and then on for SIX DAYS IN A ROW. This current duty was five days - and I was gone for all four nights...Fun, but now I'm tired. Time to go home and rest up.

Where's the Sun?

Today has been a fun, relaxing day so far. Greg took his first non-rev (FREE) flight to DCA this morning to spend a weekend with his parents; Jen woke up to snow in NYC and is ecstatic; and I actually woke up in time to have breakfast in the hotel lounge!

I took the shuttle back to the airport and picked up a really cool car - a Caliber (or at least I think that's what it's called), and drove to the northwest suburbs. I went to my girlfriend Joan's office, and we had lunch together - it was fun catching up with her! Afterwards, I drove back to the hotel, and am seriously considering a nap...

Please wake me up in time to get to the airport!!!

Back to the Windy City!

Last night before I went to bed, I saw that a Chicago trip had been added to my schedule for this evening. I was fortunate enough to be able to reserve a rental car, and to arrange to meet my friend, Joan, for lunch at her office on Friday afternoon! Now all I need to do is Mapquest my trip from the hotel to her office!

This morning came awfully early...but the crew was more animated than any I'd ever seen so early in the morning! It turns out that the two flight attendants went to the restaurant in downtown Nashville right after we checked into the hotel. Then the CPT and FO met at 5PM (or a little before) to go - they thought that I had gone with the other FAs, so they did not wait for me. Just as well. Everyone was very apologetic this morning...

The CPT continued her tradition of writing notes to the frequent fliers, as well as giving them a piece of chocolate. We had a woman and her husband on board - they were coming to Denver for the woman's brother's funeral - 40 years old...lung cancer...never smoked a day in his life. The CPT wrote them a note, too.

When I opened the aircraft door in DEN, there was a supervisor waiting for me...it seems I was "randomly" selected for a breathalizer and pee test! Go figure. I don't really believe it is random. I think it's either because of my medical leave (and they want to make sure I'm off all painkillers), or it's because someone tipped them off. Weird. I was the only one of the crew members who didn't drink last night! I blew a 0.00 and the pee test results will come in a few days. It kind of pisses me off (no pun intended), but I think I'll just let it go.

I am back home for a few hours - I wanted to get my coat and put some warmer clothes in my suitcase...just watch them send me to FL on Friday night!!!

Where the Heck Am I?!?

On the way to the airport this morning, my phone rang at 5AM San Diego time...it was Crew Scheduling, calling to tell me that when I arrive in DEN I am to go to my next assignment - a flight to BNA - Nashville, TN! I haven't been there since Thanksgiving Day!

The crew is crazy. I've flown with the first officer before and I've met one of the flight attendants before, but I don't think I've flown with her. The CPT is great - she writes a quick note on one of her business cards, and then we give it (along with a piece of chocolate) to each of the frequent fliers. What a great idea! I think more pilots should do that. The two other flight attendants are nuts. They're probably in their 30s or 40s and both are single. They're a bit out of my league ... there was dancing in the galleys and a game called "Who Will You Do?" Let's just say that I'm a bit too old...sad, I know. They also told everyone that it was my birthday, so as they deplaned, I got wished "Happy Birthday" over and over. It's funny, but it's not really fair to the passengers. I just hope that none of them are on tomorrow's flight - just in case it's my birthday again!

The hotel, the Millennium Maxwell House is outstanding! There's all kinds of giveaway goodies (emery board, shoe shine stuff, shampoo, conditioner, soaps, comb, razor, etc.) which I've started putting in plastic baggies and taking home - one of these days, I'll drop all my baggies off at the Battered Women's Shelter. There's also a robe and slippers, chocolates on my pillow, and a small box of Milano cookies! All for free. And most importantly, they give you a Goo Goo Cluster when you check in, along with a small bottle of Dasani water. I can hardly wait to go to sleep in the bed - it looks so comfy!

I was planning on going with everyone to dinner tonight in downtown Nashville - but no one was in the lobby at the appointed time. So, either I heard the time wrong or they changed it and I didn't hear. That's okay. It's very cold outside, and my coat is in my closet at home! Also, my clothes are not really conducive to going to a nice place. So I think I'll just order room service ... I've been having trouble staying awake since we got here, so I think I'll just go to bed early!!!

We have an early shuttle back to the airport in the morning - 4:45AM. Yikes!

What a Riot!

Our flight to San Diego was rather uneventful...but my co-workers were great! Fabian (my classmate) and Chris are definitely "team players" and we enjoyed working together.

While on the shuttle to the hotel, it came out that I had a boyfriend in San Diego from 30 years ago...and that I used to hang out at a place called "Crystal T's Emporium" - a dance club. Well, the conversation took many turns for the worse - I have never laughed so hard on a hotel shuttle! The American Airlines flight deck crew probably thought that we hit the bottle already.

After getting settled in the hotel, the CPT, First Officer and I went out to dinner at a German Microbrewery place - the crab cake was out of this world, as was the Apple dessert. OMG. We had good conversation, and tomorrow 5AM is going to come real early (that's the time the shuttle bus will take us back to the airport!!!).

Short Flight on the Couch

I checked in for the couch just before noon, and was told that I am heading to San Diego for the night! I even get to go with one of my classmates, Fabian!

There's No Place Like Home (Except When it Snows)

The PHX turn was a lot of fun - the other crewmembers had just gotten back from the end of an overnight in ATL (Atlanta), which was their 3rd night away from DEN. So they were all ready to go home!

I especially liked the flight attendants - Gloria and Judy. What great attitudes! They were happy, helpful to the passengers, friendly, and really into the "we're a team" thinking. They were also about my age. We talked about how important it is to always stay positive and keep away from the naysayers...in fact, one of them mentioned that she was tired of the new FAs just out of college who moan and groan in the crewroom about how they don't like their company, or they don't like the job, or whatever. She suggested that maybe a prerequisite of being a flight attendant should be that you should have held down a 9 to 5 office job for at least a year! That way you'll fully appreciate the easiness of this job, as well as the generous benefits given to us by Frontier!

We were a bit late leaving DEN and then a bit late flying back. Can you believe that we were #22 in line to take off when we were in PHX? The weather was fine - no storms - evidently, PHX is a real hotspot on President's Day weekend!!!

I'm off Sunday and Monday, and then I hope to be back in the air for the next five days...!

Another Night, Another Hotel Room

After a great day in Chicago, and a fairly good flight back to DEN (I only spilled a little bit of cranapple juice on a passenger...honest!), I checked in with crew scheduling and found out that I had a report time tomorrow morning at 7:20AM.

Seeing as how the key to my "crash pad" is back at home in COS, I decided to drive over to "hotel row" by the main headquarters of Frontier. I stopped at Red Roof Inn first, and fortunately, they have an airline rate! So here I sit - I'm doing a turn to PHX (Phoenix) tomorrow and should be back in DEN by around 1PM. The big question, of course, is whether or not I'll be released after that trip!

Stay tuned...

Fun Time in the Windy City

My cousin, Randy, picked me up in the late morning - our first stop was at a Polish grocery store where we enjoyed a lunch from their self-serve buffet. Delicious!

Next up, we headed over to McCormick Place and visited the Chicago Car Show - the largest car show in the entire USA. How about that?

I really liked the Nissan 350Z (pictured below)...but will instead seriously look at the Pontiac G6 as my "4-Seater sports car.

And I think Randy looks great in the Cadillac sportscar!

After doing a bit of dreaming, we headed back to my hotel, and on the way there, we got a call from Randy's sister, Jacki, who was at a nearby Lithuanian restaurant! So we stopped over for a quick bite to eat (DELICIOUS), and a bit of conversation before I had to head back to the hotel and get ready to fly back to DEN tonight.

What a fun day!

Back on the Road

It was fun getting back in the air!

I was assigned the B position for this trip, so that meant lower passenger interaction and a lot more work...but I remembered what to do and how to do it! Yippee! My brain power is intact.

We did have a run-in (no pun intended) with one passenger. He was a tall man who seemed to have trouble keeping his body out of the aisle. As I passed by him once, my butt/hip brushed his shoulder which was several inches into the aisle. Well...you would have thought that I sliced him with a knife! Then later as we were serving drinks, my partner hit his knee/foot because again, it was in the aisle. Well, let's just say...he was very vocal and not in a good way. He dropped the f-bomb and the s-bomb. My partner felt horrible, but I told her not to worry about it - the guy is a drama queen (and a vulgar one, at that)!

Our flight to Chicago was half-full (unlike our Tuscon flights - they were full), so it was a nice break. I don't think any of the other crew members were planning on doing anything today, but I am looking forward to hanging out with my cousin.

What a Great Company!!!

Last night, I ended up doing a turn to Los Angeles...didn't know that I was going until I stepped on the plane to pre-board. The originally assigned FA was coming in late from Nashville, so they put me in his place to try and keep the plane on time. I got back to DEN around 10:30PM and spent the night at the Geyer's house...one problem though...I didn't have their key! It was on my other key ring that is at home! I realized this when I was a couple blocks from their house, and it was 11:30PM. Luckily, Herb said he was already up when he answered the phone...! I felt so bad!

I left this morning before they were up. I'm driving Jen's car because mine is in the shop, and her car was covered in ICE and snow. And no where was there an ice scraper! I did the best I could with what I had at hand, and drove to the closest service station to buy a scraper. I had to report to the Pepsi Center by 7:30AM, and I just made it!

There was a press conference with the CEO of Frontier, the governor of CO, and the mayors of Colorado Springs and Aspen, as well as about 100 or so Frontier employees. The big announcement is that Frontier was starting service to Colorado Springs, Aspen, Grand Junction and Durango, as well as Bozeman, MT, Missoula, MT, Fargo, ND, and Jackson Hole, WY! All those cities will be serviced by Lynx Aviation, our subsidiary.



To celebrate, we formed a big heart in the lobby of the Pepsi Center, using red, pink, and white balloons - atttached to each balloon was a voucher for a free ticket on Frontier Airlines. After posing for photos, we each took several balloons/vouchers and went to downtown Denver where we gave them away to unsuspecting people! The sent the ABC cameraman with me to film me handing out the vouchers, wishing people a Happy Valentine's Day from Frontier, etc. It was so much fun! I ended up having to ride with the cameraman in his vehicle, when I realized that I had drained Jen's battery by leaving the lights on! Those Infinitis don't have the automatic shut-off of headlights like Subaru does!!!



Anyway, after I played good samaritan in downtown Denver, he took me back to Jen's car and gave me a much-needed jumpstart!

I am now back in the crewroom - I've been assigned a turn to Tuscon, AZ this afternoon, and then I'll be on the late night flight to Chicago. I have called my cousin, and we'll hang out in Chicago tomorrow...I don't leave until the late afternoon to come back to Denver.

Back on the Couch Again

Ahhhhh. It is good to be back among the hustle/bustle of the crewroom...so far all I've had to do is pre-board a flight to Tuscon, and even then we didn't do that! The crew showed up right before the passengers started boarding!

I've caught up with a few classmates, done some reading, updated my flight manuals, reviewed my mail. Doesn't sound like much, but it's a lot of fun!

Tomorrow morning I am taking part in an advertising promotion for Frontier...so I may stay the night in Denver tonight to save myself the drive to/from COS. However, I have heard that lots of snow is expected here in DEN tonight...and wouldn't you know it, my car is in the shop! It seems that it needs a lot of maintenance type things - Happy Valentine's Day to me! There's nothing more warm and fuzzy than knowing your car won't break down on the highway!!! In the meantime, I'm driving Jen's car...It should be fun to see how it handles the snow!

Healthy, Not-so-Wealthy, and Wise!

I get to go back to work tomorrow! Yippee and halleluiah!

I aggressively bid for a couple trips, but knew I would not be picked (I have four duty days, and the trips were three days each). Instead, I got the Noon-6PM CPD (couch potato duty) shift. It will be so good to be back on the line and in the crewroom. I've missed it!

Tomorrow, there is a celebration in the Frontier hangar to welcome the new Airbus 320 - I would like to attend it, but I doubt that I will be allowed to leave the concourse. But that's okay - I am sure that I will see the new plane soon - it is being put on the DEN-DCA (Washington, DC) line for most flights, as well as a couple turns to LAS (Las Vegas).