Sunday, August 29, 2010

Days Gone By...Good Things to Come

I was having too good of a time to blog!

Nancy totally spoiled me when I visited. We got fresh quiche and cheese for lunch, had a great time floating in her pool, dinner at the Wharfside Restaurant in Pt. Pleasant, followed by funnelcake on the boardwalk. Awesome.

On Sunday morning, we went to early mass, and then she dropped me off at the train at Bay Head for my trek back to NYC. When I arrived at Penn Station, my original plan was to take a bus to LGA...however, it was raining. The thought of having to change buses three times to get to LGA was overwhelming, so I took a taxi. Big mistake. There was a big accident and we got stuck in traffic, and that meter was creeping up and up and up.

When we finally got to LGA, I found out that the US Airways flight to DCA that I had hoped to catch a ride on was full, AND there were 22 non-revs. Hmmmm. It did not look good for me. The gate agents recommended that I try Delta's commuter flight. Interesting fact - that flight is operated by Shuttle America, a subsidiary of Republic Airways - our parent company. BUT I have no flight benefits on their flights since it's under contract to Delta. But I have Delta flight benefits...go figure. Diane and Mark came to the rescue and gave me a Delta buddy pass, getting it into the computer system within one minute of the flight closing. YAY!


Diane & Mark's new home is absolutely gorgeous! Mom has her own "space" - and it is beautiful! I got to spend a few days hanging out with them and relaxing. Of course, Mom beat me at "65," but I whooped her hide at "Dummy." And then Mark came along and beat us both at "65." Natalie and I also got beat by Mom playing "Scattergories." Oh well...I left with my tail between my legs.

On Wednesday morning, we decided to try out the commuter shuttle bus to get back to DC, and it worked like a charm! I paid $5.75 to go from California, MD to Metro Station (note to self - get off at Le'Fant Plaza next time), and then I took Metro to DCA. I got the last seat on the first Frontier flight back to DEN - a window seat - and I slept for the entire 3 hour 20 minute flight!

I started duty again on Friday, and guess what I did? I got assigned to the C couch - usually from 4PM until 10PM, but it got changed to 2PM until 8PM. When I checked in, though, they told me that I was doing a turn to Orange County, CA and would get back to DEN at 11PM. Lovely. The flight there was almost full, and the flight back had 61 passengers. Fortunately, it went by quickly.

Yesterday, no one called me at home - and that was a good thing. I realized that I had a sinus infection, so all I did was sit on the couch and sleep all day. It was delightful! I watched several of my DVR'ed TV shows and slept through some of them, too.

And as I write this I am once again on the couch at DIA. I got the 4PM until 10PM shift again, and I actually picked-up a three day trip starting tomorrow afternoon! I'll spend Monday night at LGA (with a 19 hour layover!!!) and Tuesday night at SLC (with a 17 hour layover). Nice, huh?

So right now I have a playdate with my new grandpuppy, Liza on Tuesday morning in Central Park! YAY! I am VERY EXCITED to see her (and Jen, too) again!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

All Aboard!

How 2010ish of me - I am blogging on a train from NYC to Bay Head, NJ. Woo hoo!

I have been on vacation/days off since Tuesday, 8/10/10. I spent the first week hanging out around the house, doing odd jobs such as weeding the yard, doing bookwork, lunching with friends, etc. Then on Tuesday, 8/17/10 - my birthday - I treated myself to a trip to NYC to see my little girl, her fiance, and my brand new grandpuppy!

I got on the flight with no problem - I was #1 on the non-rev list, and got assigned to a seat in stretch seating. I SLEPT the entire flight. Ahhhhhh. I think I was tired. Then I took a taxi to Jen's apartment, and the adventure began!

We've gone on short puppy walks, long puppy walks, to the dog park, had lots of delicious lunches and dinners, and lots of just hanging out. It has been delightful!I got Jen to go to the doctor to see what they had to say about her cough and her migrane - it turns out that she has bronchitis! Now, how the doctor knew that is a mystery to her and I, because all the doctor did was look in her ears and nose, listen to her chest, and that was pretty much it! Also, the doctor donned a face mask, complete with a clear plastic eye shield, when she heard that Jen had a cough. It was so weird. But at least she wrote an RX for an antibiotic and a heavy-duty cough syrup so that Jen could get a good night's sleep.

We ended the visit with an awesome pedicure at Dashing Divas, compliments of James (it was my birthday present). Thanks, James! It was a very nice visit, as I continue to get to know James and enjoy watching the both of them handling parenthood with their new puppy!

I am now on my way to Bay Head, NJ, where my sister Nancy will pick me up. We'll spend the day together, she's taking me to dinner for my birthday, and then tomorrow after Church I'll head back to NYC and on to LGA to catch a shuttle flight to DCA - then I'll spend a few days visiting with my Mom, my sister and her family.

From what I hear, things have slowed down a bit at work - I am already at 83 hours credit for the month (which includes my vacation, sick days and actual days worked) - and I've actually worked only 9 days. Nice, huh? It was a grueling 9 days, but I survived!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

To The Flying Public

This about sums it up. I couldn't have said it any better if I'd written it myself.
To the Flying Public: We're sorry
(Author Unknown)

We're sorry we have no pillows.

We're sorry we're out of blankets.

We're sorry the airplane is too cold.

We're sorry the airplane is too hot.

We're sorry the overhead bins are full.

We're sorry we have no closet space for your oversized bag.

We're sorry that's not the seat you wanted.

We're sorry there's a restless toddler/overweight/offensive smelling passenger seated next to you.

We're sorry the plane is full and there's no other seats available.

We're sorry you didn't get your upgrade.

We're sorry that guy makes you uncomfortable because he 'looks like a terrorist'.

We're sorry there's a thunderstorm and we can't take off.

We're sorry we don't know when it will stop.

We're sorry you're crammed into a space so small that if you were an animal PETA would protest.

We're sorry a Super 80 has no music or video entertainment for your 3 hour flight.

We're sorry we ran out of your favorite soda.

We're sorry there's no more sandwiches.

We're sorry that Budweiser costs $6.00.

We're sorry we don't have diapers for your baby.

We're sorry we don't have milk for same baby.

We're sorry you can't hang out by the cockpit door waiting to use the bathroom.

We're sorry you can't hang out at the back of the airplane.

We're sorry you have to sit down and fasten your seatbelt.

We're sorry you have to put your seat up for landing.

We're sorry we don't know when we're going to land.

We're sorry we don't know whether your plane to (substitute any city in the world) will be waiting for you when we land.

We're sorry we've been diverted because we ran out of gas waiting to land.

We're sorry for these and so many other things that we have absolutely no control over but which we are held accountable for EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Please understand. Flight attendants are not the enemy. We share your space. More than anyone – we want to have a nice, pleasant travel experience.

There is a reason behind everything we ask you to do. It may be a FAA Directive. It may be security related. It may be a company procedure.

We don't just make stuff up. We don't spend 8 weeks at the flight academy learning how to pour a Coke. There are many things that flight attendants are watching for constantly on every flight FOR YOUR SAFETY.

It's not because we're bored or so controlling that we just enjoy telling people what to do. I, for one, would like to have one flight where I didn't have to repeatedly tell people to put their seats up for landing. Seriously. Can't you just do what we ask sometimes? Without the glares, eye rolling and disdain? For the record – putting your seat up for landing may not seem that important to your personal safety. However, it is very important for the person sitting BEHIND YOU. If you have ever tried to get out of a row where someone has their seat back you know it can be a challenge. Try grabbing your ankles (emergency brace position) or getting out that row quickly with smoke in the cabin.

Understand a little better now?

Many of the things we ask passengers to comply with are FAA directives. Like carry-on bag stowage and exit row requirements. When we can serve drinks (in the air) and when we can't (after the aircraft door is closed or on an active taxi-way). We are only allowed to move about the cabin during taxi out for safety related duties. We can't get you blankets then, or hang coats, or get you drinks. It's not because we don't want to. It's because we are held personally responsible if we fail to comply with FAA directives. Meaning that the FAA can fine us personally up to $10,000 if we fail to comply or enforce an FAA Directive. Like no bags at the bulkhead. No children in the exit row. No one moving around the cabin during taxi. Perhaps now you know why flight attendants get a little testy when people move about the cabin when they're not supposed to. It's not the company that gets in trouble for that. It's us.

Personally, I wish the airlines would show worst case scenario safety videos. Like what happens if you walk through the cabin during turbulence. There could be a guy who has just fallen and smacked his face on the metal armrest and now has a bloody, gushing broken nose. Or an elderly lady who now has a broken arm because someone walking to the bathroom fell on her. Maybe a passenger with a broken neck because somebody opened an overhead bin during turbulence and a suitcase fell out and onto the person sitting beneath it. These things can easily happen in a fast moving, unstable air environment.

Please just trust that we are looking out for your best interest and stop fighting with us about everything we ask you to do. It is exhausting.

Finally, please, please direct your hostility and frustrations in the direction where they will be most effective: The customer service department. They are the ones equipped to handle your complaint and implement procedures for CHANGE. Think about it. Complaining to the flight crew about all your negative travel experiences is about the same as complaining to the office janitor because your computer isn't working. It may make you feel better to vent about it – but it really won't fix anything. More than anybody we are already aware of the lack of amenities, food, service and comfort on the aircraft. Please share your concerns with the people in the cubicles at corporate who need that information to make better decisions for the flying public.

It's frustrating that so many people are in denial about what the travel industry is about now. The glory days of pillows, blankets, magazines and a hot meal for everyone are long gone. Our job is to get you from point A to point B safely and at the cheapest possible cost to you and the company. So be prepared. If you are hungry – get a sandwich before you get on the plane. If it's a 3 hour flight, anticipate that you may get hungry and bring some snacks. If you are cold natured – bring a wrap. Think for yourself and think ahead. Otherwise, don't complain when you have to pay $3.00 for a cookie and are left with a crusty blanket to keep you warm.

We hear often that the service just isn't what is used to be. Well, the SERVICE we provide now isn't what it used to be.

When I was hired, my job was to serve drinks, meals, ensure that safety requirements were met and tend to in-flight medical issues. Since 9/11 my primary job is to ensure that my airplane will not be compromised by a terrorist. 9/11 may be a distant memory now to many, but be assured that EVER DAY a flight attendant reports to work he or she is constantly thinking about 9/11. We feel a personal responsibility to ensure that something like that never happens again. We can never relax. We can never not be suspicious about someone's intentions. It is difficult to be vigilant and gregarious at the same time. Especially when most of us are working 12 hour days after layovers that only allow 5-6 hours of sleep. Not because we were out partying and having a grand time on the layover – but because the delays that you experience as a passenger also affect us as a crew, so that what was a 10 hour layover is now 8 hours which doesn't leave a lot of time to recover from what has become an increasingly stressful occupation.

Despite everything, I still enjoy being a flight attendant.

I am writing this letter because I do still care about my profession and about the public perception of flight attendants. In the increasingly challenging travel world it is becoming more imperative than ever for people to just be decent to each other. I can go through an entire day without one person saying anything remotely civil. I will stand at the aircraft door and say hello to everyone who enters and maybe 50% will even look at me and even less will say hello back. I will try to serve someone a meal who can't be bothered to take their headsets off long enough for me to ask them what they want. Most of the time the only conversation a passenger has with me is when they are complaining. Is it any wonder why flight attendants have shut down a bit? After suffering the disdain of hundreds of passengers a day it's difficult sometimes to even smile, much less interact. We are human.

We appreciate the same respect and courtesy that passengers do. The next time you fly, try treating the flight attendants the way you would like to be treated. You may be surprised how friendly your flight crew is when they are treated like people.

Friday, August 13, 2010

What Really Happened?

Now that the media circus surrounding Steven Slater's dramatic slide to unemployment has died down a bit, more information is coming out. Passengers who were on the flight are being interviewed, the timeline is being changed, and observations are changing. He may not be the hero that I had hoped he was. Darn.

I'm now officially "on vacation" for seven days - I've already had three days off so far. However, nothing has gone as planned. Originally, I was supposed to be leaving MD to come back to CO right now, but I ended up getting sick and staying home, instead. Then next week, I was going to go to Breck with a fellow flight attendant for a few days, but then Jen changed her plans and was coming into town. But now her flights are getting fuller and fuller, so maybe I'll end up in Breck, after all? Or maybe in NYC? Who knows? And during my last four days off, I'm going to try to go to MD. It's a good thing that I am flexible, huh?

I do know that I have to get my husband's bookkeeping done, weeds pulled in the yard, and assorted other stuff around the house. Fun, fun.

But what I SHOULD DO is chuck it all and head to some warm sunny beach with palm trees! Ahhhh. I can feel myself relaxing already. Does anyone have a friend who has a house on a beach with a spare guestroom?  :)

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Steven Slater


I have had lots of people ask me my opinion of Steven Slater, the (soon-to-be-former) jetBlue flight attendant who blew a slide, took two beers, and essentially slid right out of his job into unemployment.

He is my hero.

I say this because he did what lots of us would LOVE to do. Granted, he did go too far...and for that, he'll most likely lose his job. I don't think he should go to jail, though.

What about the female passenger who assaulted him? Why isn't anything being said about her? She deliberately injured a flight attendant! We've been told that is a federal offense! She should be held accountable, and she, too should be subject to the media attention being given to Steven.

Fortunately, passengers like that are a definite minority. If it was otherwise, I don't think I would have lasted in this job as long as I have (almost three years now!). Here's a sampling of what I've experienced:

1. Bags set on the ground and the passenger tells me it's too heavy for them to lift and put in the overhead. My response - "You bring it, you sling it. Maybe some nice gentleman would be happy to help you." Usually followed up with, "My company doesn't allow me to pick up passenger bags any longer. We've experienced to many OJI claims because the bags are too heavy and there is a weight limit of 35 pounds for carry-on bags. If you lift it, I'll be happy to assist you by guiding it into the overhead."

2. Seatbacks and tray tables down as we prepare for take-off and/or landing. Eyes roll when I ask for them to comply. My response, "In case of an emergency evacuation, your seatback and/or tray table will prevent those behind you and/or next to you from being able to get off the aircraft." Usually the passengers around the eye-roller will ensure that he keeps his seat forward and/or his tray table stowed.

3. Passengers needing to get up to go potty, but the seatbelt sign is still illuminated. I am not allowed to give permission. All I am allowed to say is "The seatbelt sign is still illuminated, and federal regulation requires that passengers remain in their seats until the captain turns off the fasten seatbelt sign." One guy just wouldn't let it go recently, so I told him, "Maybe you should have gone before you got on the plane." His wife hit him and said, "That's what I told him!" The guy seemed to take the harassment well, so I went on to say, "Maybe you should consider wearing Depends!" Again, the wife hits him and says, "That's what I told him!"
 
4. Passengers who come on board with more than the allowed number of carry-on bags (2). First of all, the gate personnel should not allow them to board the aircraft without checking bags to reach the allowed number. Then, when I tell them that the larger bag may be placed in the overhead, but all the other items must be placed under the seat in front of them, I inevitably hear, "Well, I can place this, this, and this on top of one another and take up the same amount of space as a roller bag!" My response, "That's not the point. You are allowed one bag up and one bag down." Followed, of course, by, "but I paid for this overhead space!" My favorite flights are those that the gate personnel check ALL the large bags - the boarding process is a breeze, no one fights over bin space, and everyone is happy! One of these days, I'm tempted to take the flight attendant duct tape and seal all the overhead bins.
 
5. Passengers who don't want to take care of their kids. There are those that don't bring enough food, drink and/or toys and expect us to have everything on board to entertain their child. We charge for our food, we do not usually have milk, and we have a very limited supply of crayons. When I was recently scolded by an irate mother at the end of the flight that, "back in the day flight attendants used to do whatever was necessary to help mothers of crying babies," I responded, "back in the day when I was a mother, I brought my own food/drink/toys to keep my child entertained." I could've added that I did not allow my child to tear up the in-flight magazines, the Safety Information Card and/or the Cabin Services Guide, and either throw the pieces on the floor or hide them in the seatback pocket. Also, I cleaned up any mess that my child made in my row before I left the aircraft...we've had to scrape stickers off of the seats/walls/traytables, vacuum smashed cookies, and disinfect seats that are used as changing tables. I wonder what these peoples' homes look like.
 
6. Speaking of trash, it's not just kids that are offenders. Gum-chewers love to put their chewed gum on the underside of their armrests, between the pages of the in-flight magazine, and on the back of the seat in front of them and then they press the Safety Information Card against it. It happens an average of once or twice PER FLIGHT that I've been on! I cannot count the number of times that we go up and down the aisles during each flight, either pushing the trashcart or carrying trashbags, and there's always one or two people who give us NOTHING. Then when we have to clean the plane to fly back out, we find their food wrappers, cups (still filled with liquid), AND their newspapers stuffed into the seatback pocket. Really?
 
7. How about showing some respect, and take the time to get dressed before you come on my plane? Guys...pull up your pants so that your whitey tidies (or Spongebob Squarepants boxers) aren't on my seats. Ladies, cover up the cleavage. Do I really need to see everything you've got? Keep your pajamas and slippers at home in your bedroom, and please please please be sure to shower! It's not pleasant when people with BO come onboard, and everyone around them has to hold their breath for a 2-hour flight.
 
These are only seven examples of things that I've personally experienced. I haven't mentioned the passengers that call us names (some are obscene), poke us with their fingers, hit us trying to get our attention, or yell for us. Fortunately, if it's a really bad situation we have the ability to get the passenger taken off the plane, but if we've already taken off, there's not much you can do.
 
And as for the other 98% of the flying public, they're happy to assist in writing witness statements to support our actions, to subdue unruly passengers by sitting on them while taping their hands and feet together, and sometimes they even cheer when a jerk passenger exits the aircraft! There's always someone coming up to us after an "incident," commending us on our handling of the situation and thanking us for removing the offending party or for "putting them in their place."
 
This is an addicting job. The great things that happen far outweigh the negative. But I can see how a little too much of the negative can cause a flight attendant to temporarily "lose it," especially when they've worked the job for 20 years. And, as for those who say that flight attendants shouldn't be "losing it," - then please come onto our aircraft as our guests, treat us with respect, and we will be happy to treat you the same. Keep in mind, we ARE only human.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Counting the Days...

I had a really fun day off - even though I actually drove up to Denver! Three of the flight attendants from the class ahead of me are pregnant and are all due in September, and we held a triple baby shower for them - it was SO NICE to hang out with some of my FA friends outside of work. The girls are all so beautiful!

Also, I heard back from the CEO of my company regarding my concerns about being worked to death. He actually said that NO ONE ELSE had contacted him regarding the reserves being worked nonstop. I had told him that as a result, I was now sick, and was probably going to add to the understaffing problem. So I sent out the word to the other reserve FAs to contact the CEO and let him know that what we're going through is wrong.

At 3:30PM on the day of the shower, I aggressively bid on a three-day trip, and even though I have TONS of hours already, and I didn't bid until 2 1/2 hours after the bidding opened, I got awarded the trip! Go figure.

So off I went on Saturday afternoon to DIA - and as I've come to expect, the drive to DEN was horrendous. I've learned that I have to leave extra time for my commute - but this time the highway was BEAUTIFUL until I got north of Castle Rock. After that, the traffic came to a standstill. Unfortunately, the roads in the area had been built since my map had been published...so I had no idea how to get from point A to point B. But I did it anyway! I followed cars as they left the highway by going up the entrance ramp and then heading west. Then I headed north. I figured that as long as I kept the mountains to my left, I should eventually get to where I needed to go...and it worked! In the process, I saw some beautiful homes in the Castle Pines area. Nice!

Eventually, I made it to DIA, with about a 1/2 hour to spare. It sure is a good thing that I give myself extra time! When I checked in, I saw that the A flight attendant had changed since I was awarded the trip - I was disappointed, because I wanted to chat with her about her habit of calling in sick so close to the show time. But she had called in sick again! Hmmmmm. Maybe this is one of the ladies that should think about retiring... Instead, I got to fly with Jon - a really nice guy in the class ahead of me.

As I prepared for our departure, I saw that I missed a call from the Director of Inflight. She left me her cellphone number and said that I should call her if I wanted to talk...it'd have to wait until we arrived in Tucson for the night!

I had a great crew, the time flew by fast, and before we knew it, we were in our hotel rooms and I made "the call." All is well. Rosie called me to let me vent, and to let me know that she's seen my schedule and it really is horrible. She gave me some insight - it turns out that our new parent company likes to keep the staffing levels fairly low, so junior assigning is a very common thing (where crew scheduling calls you, and if you answer the phone, you HAVE to take the trip - so we've learned to NEVER answer our phones if we don't recognize the number). Knowing this new situation makes me sad...

We had an early show this morning to fly back to DEN, with only 37 passengers. Then we switched planes and flew a full boatload to St. Louis for the night. We got in in the early afternoon, and I got to go up to Bandanas, a nice BBQ restaurant up the street from our hotel. They have an awesome baked potato topped with BBQ...so good!

Then I went back to my room and pretty much passed out!!! But now it's time to put my jammies on and go to bed! We have another early show in the morning when we go back to DEN and then on to Orange County, CA for a 45 minute layover. I'm hoping that when I get back to DEN in the early afternoon, that I will be told those magic words, "You are released to your days off!" Woo hoo! Rest and relaxation, here I come!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Who, What, and Where Am I?

After spending three nice days at home, the poop hit the fan.

I have been flying, driving, sleeping and crying during the last five days. Fortunately, not all at the same time. I am exhausted, as are my fellow reserve flight attendants. Normally, we have 106 reserves and we usually work an average of 75 duty hours each month. Due to flight attendant retirements, maternity leaves, and OJIs, we have 76 reserves. As of yesterday, my fifth day on duty, I have 51 DUTY HOURS. Of those hours, 35 have been FLYING.

Fortunately, the crews have been great. Everyone has worked well as a team, we're keeping the atmosphere light and happy, and things have been going well. My flights/destinations have been too numerous to mention, but there have been some memorable moments.

On our flight from Denver to Tampa yesterday, we were delayed due to a broken airplane. So we were moved to a new gate and a different airplane. During boarding, the CPT got all excited and told me that he just saw a celebrity get on the plane! Woo hoo! I couldn't figure out how I missed seeing Dwayne Johnson or Sandra Bullock boarding the plane! When I asked who it was, passengers coming onboard told me that it was Edgar Hansen! Who? The deckboss of the Northwestern, from the Discovery Channel's show, "The Deadliest Catch." Who? He slept the entire way, and was traveling with his wife and son.

I told the CPT that I would get him a celebrity "meet and greet" at the end of the flight. And I did! First, I asked his son if it'd be okay, and then later I asked his wife. Edgar slept through the ENTIRE flight, so I never could ask him directly. However, as he was walking up the aisle, I asked him if the CPT could have a picture with him. He was very gracious, shook the CPT's hand, and posed for a cellphone picture. The CPT about peed his pants! Unfortunately, the picture is in the CPT's phone, and I didn't ask him to send it to me. But here's a picture of Edgar on his boat...

Edgar Hansen from the Discovery Channel's "The Deadliest Catch"
Our return flight to DEN, we experienced bad weather - a common occurrence in the summer. The CPT had us clean up the cabin early, and then made an announcement for the flight attendants to be seated IMMEDIATELY. Well...Gloria and I were in mid-cabin as the plane dropped. I had been holding onto the overhead bin railing, so my feet stayed on the floor, but I went down onto the floor to prevent getting thrown around. The passenger to my right was freaking out. She grabbed my arm and was rubbing it. I softly talked to her as we rode this "roller coaster." Unlike anything I had ever experienced. People were screaming, but it was strangely fascinating to me. I really wasn't scared. After about 5 minutes, all was clear and we made it up to the forward galley and sat down.

 And...of course, instead of being released from duty, I got sent on another trip - this time to Houston. We got in after midnight and I went straight to bed! We'll leave the hotel in an hour, so I guess I'd better get out of bed and get ready to go back to work. I know that they can't work me tomorrow, because that'd make 7 days in a row, and the FAA allows only 6 days at a time. But, there is a chance that they'll send me on another turn that gets back before midnight.

Keep your fingers crossed that I get to enjoy my day off.