Flight Attendant Express turnover can be high, due to the fact
that many new flight attendants
are disillusioned about and unaware of the unusual lifestyle
of a flight attendant
– it can be quite different from what they expected. However,
many people are applying for these positions, hoping that it
is glamorous and exciting, with the anticipation that they will
be meeting many personable and interesting people. With the
expectation that a sea of friendly faces will be greeting them
when they board and airplane, they are in for a rude awakening
the first time they realize that the grumpy passenger is a frequent
flyer these days. The glamour of the flight
attendant life is a common fallacy, so, in an
effort to educate the unsuspecting flight
attendant “wannabe”, there will
be an attempt to paint a more realistic picture here.
Flight
Attendant
Sandy Stewart is awakened out of a dreamy reverie at 4 in the
morning (0400) by crew scheduling, rewarding her with an all-expense
paid trip to Baltimore, MD, from her home base of Dallas. The
flight departs at 0650. She scurries into the shower, dons her
uniform and grabs a quick bowl of cereal while applying her
make-up – she must still look professional and cheerful
despite the early hour. Grabbing her pre-packed flight bag,
she heads for the airport – she must live within one hour
of the airport. That’s just about all the time she has
– she must check-in one hour before the scheduled flight
time, which is at 0550!
When
Sandy arrives at the airport, she must check in with crew scheduling.
If she is even 5 minutes late, she will be written-up and replaced
with another flight attendant.
It is very crucial for a flight
attendant to be on time for her flight, as the
flight will be delayed if the number of flight
attendants specified by the FAA are not onboard
each flight. Sandy and her co-workers will attend a pre-flight
briefing, going over emergency procedures before boarding the
aircraft. Once onboard, they walk through the aircraft, checking
all the emergency equipment for the right gauge readings, seals
and proper storage. About 20 minutes before departure, the boarding
process begins.
Her
first flight is going to Baltimore. Passengers arrive bringing
carry-on baggage and heavy, bulky coats, as the weather in Baltimore
is cold. These bags and coats must be stowed in the overhead
bins and under passenger seats before the flight is allowed
to take off. Failing to comply with these strict regulations
can result in heavy penalties for the airlines, so it is the
flight attendants
responsibility to ensure that these items are properly stowed.
The passenger in seat 12B is arguing vehemently with one of
the flight attendants
about holding onto his oversized duffle bag, which clearly will
not fit under the seat and must be checked in the cargo hold
below. After a generous amount of coaxing and diplomacy on behalf
of the flight attendant,
the passenger finally agrees to let the bag go.
Sandy’s flight this morning to Baltimore
arrives at 0855, and continues on to Hartford. Peanuts and 2
rounds of beverages are served to a packed airplane on the first
leg, and on the short leg from Baltimore to Hartford, an entire
plane of 115 passengers must be served. Screaming kids and brusque
businessmen round out the experience, with a demanding woman
in 36A asking for everything under the sun and not appreciating
any of Sandy’s efforts! Upon arriving in each city, there
is an aircraft swap, so all the crew must gather their belongings
and scramble to get to the gate of their next flight, which
is at the other end of their airline’s concourse. Then
the whole process begins again, ending with a layover Hartford.
That is the first day of the trip.
The second day of her sequence departs Hartford
at 0755 am and arrives back at Baltimore at 0905 am. Her next
flight departs for Orlando at 1020. Even though Sandy is now
at her home base, she cannot go home – she only has time
to get off the plane and make a quick phone call home. Her next
flight goes on to Houston, laying over in Houston for 11 hours.
All the flights are full of cranky travelers, weary of Disney
World and anxious to get home. The third day of the trip goes
from Houston to Cleveland, is on the ground for 3 hours and
then departs for Salt Lake City, with a layover for 20 hours.
The fourth day of the trip (think you’d be tired of this
yet - if you do, the job of flight attendant may not be the
one for you!) Sandy departs Salt Lake City for Seattle, then
on to Ft. Lauderdale. Because of thunderstorms coming into Ft.
Lauderdale, the flight is extremely turbulent. It is so bumpy
that the final round of drinks must be served quickly. Several
passengers have become airsick and the stench in the cabin is
overwhelming - enough to make anyone nauseous! To make matters
worse, the flight is delayed coming into Ft. Lauderdale and
delayed again for 2 hours before they are able to depart, giving
Sandy a duty day of 14 total hours before arriving in Orlando,
her home base! Whew! She is off for 2 days before going back
on-all again.
The
next week, Sandy is just finishing up her 4 days on reserve.
She had several flights the first three days, but on the fourth
day she has not been called, and she spends the day at home
catching up. She is glad she is scheduled off tomorrow –
she is planning to go to a BonJovi concert with that special
guy she met a couple of months ago. Things are really going
well with their budding relationship and she is very much looking
forward to the date. The phone rings. Sandy must answer it –
she is still on call until midnight, but she’s not worried
– it’s already noon, so they probably won’t
need her today. The thinks it is probably a friend or maybe
her Mom asking her not to forget about her brother’s birthday
on Tuesday, and grabs the phone. OH NOOOOOOOOO! IT’S CREW
SCHEDULING! A flight attendant
on a three-day trip that departs tonight has called in sick
and crew scheduling is calling to change Sandy’s days
around. They promise her two extra days next week, but that
doesn’t help Sandy very much – her concert plans
for tomorrow have just gone up in smoke!
These
are just some of the things that can and WILL
happen when you are a flight attendant.
However, there are many things that make this job a positive
and very exciting experience, if you are flexible enough to
withstand the craziness of it. You will most assuredly meet
many interesting and important people during your flight career.
I have met many celebrities, athletes and musicians, and have
explored many parts of the globe that most folks never see.
There is nothing that compares to an African safari,
a tour of the L’ouvre or the Catacombs, the Pyramids or
Stonehenge, not to mention seeing the wonderful US of A! You
can go see your Aunt Sarah in Wyoming or your best friend Linda
in New Jersey. All courtesy of your airline. You get complimentary
or discounted travel on your own airline, and reciprocal discounts
on other carriers. I once went to England for $150 round trip!
You also have more time off than most other full-time jobs,
and the salary goes up rather quickly with seniority. Most airlines
also offer full benefit packages, complete with paid days off,
insurance and 401K plans.
But
the biggest benefit of all is walking through the airport terminal
in uniform, with your wings on, head held high, pulling your
wheeled flight bag, and having people look admiringly at you.
Little girls will stare and tell their mothers, “That’s
what I want to be when I grow up!” just as you once did!
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