Seeing the Future

I just finished another block of six duty days...this time I got to sit on that sexy black leather couch twice, got to sit at home waiting for that phone to ring twice, and then got sent out to Seattle for an 11 hour layover, followed by a Dallas turn.

The biggest challenge through all of this was staying positive. No one knows what the future is for our "branding" (i.e. Frontier Airlines) and all our animals! I've heard a rumor that we'll have an official announcement by March 1, but I've seen nothing in writing from management. There are tons of rumors floating around that the our planes will no longer have DirecTV, that we'll have DirecTV and WiFi, that the Airbus aircraft will be phased out, that we'll be furloughed, that we'll be cross-trained on the Republic planes...the list goes on and on. I heard that there were 11,000 applicants for the flight attendant positions in Frontier's Milwaukee base, and that they'll be hiring 60-80 at this time. I heard that the opening of our base in Milwaukee has been postponed to May 1, instead of the announced April 1. I've heard that a decision by the National Mediation Board could come as early as last week, and that we'll all be Teamsters soon...or maybe AFA Workers soon. NO ONE seems to know ANYTHING.

So, in the meantime, all I can do is to do my best. I will smile at the passengers, welcome them aboard our aircraft, I will serve them their beverages with a flair (trying not to spill on them as I do so), I will address their concerns about delays, assuring them that if we're delayed due to weather that most likely ALL the other flights will also be delayed due to weather, and I will keep a smile on my face...even when I want to strangle that woman in 15D who has rung her call button one too many times! Not to mention the ladies who brought on board what appeared to be a 5 foot long African Fertility stick, complete with feathers and intricate paintings. I was summoned to the front of the plane to give my opinion on whether or not I could fit it into the already filled overhead bins...but I am a miracle worker when it comes to arranging and rearranging those bins. I got it in. But I wanted to scratch some eyes out when one of the ladies commented how she didn't want her stick to be scratched or damaged being in an overhead bin with other items...I have just one word for her - UPS.

I still love this job. But all the uncertainties, innuendos, rumors, changes in procedures, attitudes of co-workers, and pompousness of passengers can get pretty tiresome. But I've now got FIVE DAYS OFF in a row - instead of jumping on a plane and travelling somewhere where there is a sandy beach, palm trees, and a Mai Tai with my name on it, I'll be settling in to do my taxes. Yech. A necessary evil, I admit. These days off will also re-energize my spirit. And maybe someone in management will see fit to answer a few of my questions...