In defense of Flight Attendants

Do any of you remember back when commercial flying was considered glamorous?  For us it meant looking forward to going on vacation and NOT having to drive daaaaays to get there.  Flying was a special event.  Flying was actually fun!  A window seat was prized....there's nothing to compare with looking down on terra firma from 30,000 feet!  And since it was expensive, it was a rare treat for us commoners.

My, how times have changed.  Today air travel is a dreaded chore.  With the introduction of low-cost airlines, everyone can now afford to fly....and they do.  The roads to the airport are congested, the parking lot is overflowing, and the lines inside the terminal are loooooooong everywhere you turn.  And then you come face-to-face with the infamous TSA, where they strip search you and feel you up, just to make sure you don't have more than 3 ounces of toothpaste on you.  Oh, and maybe a bomb.

My point is, your nerves are usually frazzled and your snarl is out before you even board your plane.  And this is what flight attendants have to deal with every day.

And back in the day, in the prospective flight attendant's imagination at least, there could be nothing more glamorous than traveling the world, visiting exotic places, meeting the rich and famous, and actually being paid to do it!  *dream job*  They were just conveniently not told that before you could do all that you first had to spend years flying the quick turnarounds to Lubbock or Tulsa or Des Moines.  Once you acquired some seniority, THEN you might could bid for a glamour destination with an overnight.  In reality it was and still is a hard job.

This brings us to where we are today, namely highly publicized violent maulings on aircraft, and just this weekend, a near fistfight between an offended passenger and an American Airlines flight attendant.  When I first saw the cellphone video of the confrontation my gast was totally flabbered!

I've had the privilege of personally knowing many flight attendants over the years, a few very well, and I can tell you that what was shown on that video is NOT the way 99.999% of flight attendants behave.  In the American Airlines incident, the (male) F/A was very recklessly handling a stroller belonging to a traveling mother with her child, who was almost struck.  Strike 1.  Then another passenger, outraged by what he saw, got up out of his seat and aggressively threatened the F/A.  Strike 2.  Finally the F/A freaked out and got right back in it with his finger in customer #2's face.  Strike 3!

But did you also notice the other flight attendants getting the crazed(?) F/A out of the way, pushing him behind the bulkhead away from the situation, and trying to calm things?  (On a related note, did you notice the pilot come out of his hidyhole with his thumb still firmly inserted up his posterior, NOT [noticeably] taking control of the situation?  He should have....it was HIS aircraft!)   Flight attendants regularly have to deal with upset passengers, and I know for a fact they calmly, tactfully, but quite firmly take control and bring order back to their cabin.  They're well trained and very professional.

If you don't like paying $25 for checking an extra bag, don't blame the F/A.  She isn't getting a dime of it.  If you don't like the crappy food they serve, don't blame the F/A.  She didn't prepare it.  If you don't like being told to turn off your electronic devices, don't blame the F/A.  She didn't make the rule.

Flight attendants can have bad days just like the rest of us.  They go through divorces, family sicknesses, financial problems, etc, just like we do.  Life isn't easy in "the tube".  Yet in virtually every instance they still put on a smile, come to work, and serve us.  And the few who crack under the pressure, well, I guess they're just in the wrong line of work.

IMO American Airlines, no doubt learning from the earlier United Airlines fiasco, responded perfectly to this situation.  They apologized immediately and publicly, and even upgraded their mistreated passenger and her family to First Class for the rest of their international travel.

Wanna have a nice flight?  Try this:  Discretely give your flight attendant a small (still factory wrapped*) box of Andie's Candies (delicious chocolate mints), or something similar, and invite her to share them with the rest of the flight crew.  After all they put up with, it's a gesture they'll appreciate, and I promise they'll respond with the best TLC you could ever imagine. 

S

*  so they'll know it hasn't been tampered with....you can't be too careful these days

    

How American Airlines inspired the first Airbus

You've come a long way, baby!

I've always been an aviation enthusiast, sopping up all I could about the subject, from the first manned ascent by the Montgolfier brothers in a hot air balloon in 1783 to the almost-science-fiction-like aircraft of today.

Until the late 1960's-early 1970's American commercial airplane makers Boeing, Lockheed, and Douglas were the big players, with the Europeans lagging far behind.  That's when the French, Germans, Brits (and later the Spanish) joined together in a consortium to form what we know today as Airbus.

I like Airbus, mainly because I think it pushed the Americans into being more competitive and innovative, benefiting us all.  What I didn't know until recently was that it was the most American of airlines, American Airlines, that goaded Airbus into business.

Until then long-distance aircraft that flew over tall mountains or open stretches of ocean were 3 or 4 engined per FAA regulation (although it wasn't called the FAA back then).

That's because back in the days of piston engined aircraft it wasn't uncommon for one or even two engines to be shut down in flight due to malfunction.  Hence most long range aircraft aircraft of the day....DC-6 & 7, Lockheed Constellation, etc....had 4 engines for safety. (Smaller twin-engine aircraft like the DC-3 had to hug coastlines or fly thru mountain valleys.)

Engines are expensive, both to buy and service.  After jet engines came into common use on the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 it became obvious that jets were much more reliable, and therefore aircraft could safely fly with only 3 engines.  This was the heyday of the tri-motored Boeing 727 and later the wide-bodied Lockheed L1011, and Douglas DC-10.  (The mammoth 747 still retained 4 engines.)

Across the pond the Europeans knew they would have to pool their resources and talent to produce a world class aircraft alternative to the Americans or give up entirely and cede it all to the Yanks.  (Their existing programs, even the vaunted Concord, were not economically successful.) That would mean the loss of lots of jobs, and their technical aerospace talent would just waste away forever.

Always looking for ways to be more efficient, it was a VP at American Airlines who began pushing for a twin-engined airliner.  Remember, fewer engines = lower costs.  The big American plane builders said no thanks, they were committed to their tri-motors.

This was their big chance.  The Europeans took up American Airlines challenge and began work on the first wide-body, long-range, twin-engine jet, the Airbus A300.  It was quite a gamble.  We can see now it was a rather crude aircraft, but it was a start.  

Airbus' next game changer was the A300B, which pushed the Flight Engineer out of the cockpit due to increased automation and efficiency.  Now with only a pilot and co-pilot on the flight deck, payroll was reduced considerably.  One less engine and one less crew member meant more $$$$ for the airline.

The rest is history.  American Airlines and Airbus were right about having just two engines, and now most of the biggest, longest range aircraft (Boeing 767, 777, 787, Airbus A330, A350) and shorter range aircraft (Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families) are twins.

I love how one guy pushing for something different stood the status quo on its head.  :)

To quote the great Paul Harvey, "Now you know the rest of the story."

S

They're at it again....

The Arab world is rioting again.  Well, as they're always pissed off about something, I guess this isn't really breaking news.  

Now things seem to be boiling over in Egypt, a "strategic American ally".  Really?  How so?  They hate us.  Except on the day our $1.5B foreign aid check arrives in the mail.  Then we're big buds.  But then the check clears and they go back to hating our guts again.

Even more ridiculous is the $3.5B we give to Pakistan every year.  Are there varying degrees of how much you can hate America?  If so, the Pakistanis would be at the top of that bar chart.  Except on the day our foreign aid check arrives in the mail.  Then we're big buds.

We also give $3.1B a year to Israel, but at least they share with us some of the world-class R&D they're doing.  Considering how much we shovel their way you'd think Pakistan and Egypt would share, too, since they're world leaders in....ummm....ahhhh.....somebody help me out here.  (Rock chucking doesn't count.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early this morning a UPS Airbus A300 cargo jet crashed on its approach into Birmingham, Alabama, killing the two crew members.  Tragic.  :(

This somehow brings to mind something I've wondered about for a long time:  Why do commercial pilots make so much money? *  (Smooth segue, huh?  Yes, my mind works in strange ways.)

Don't get me wrong, I don't want some slovenly bus driver up there hauling me and my family all over the sky.  It's a tough job, with terrible pay and long hours for newbies, but they eventually cash in big a few years later, while there are (or at least there used to be) hundreds of very competent high-hour pilots leaving the military every year who are turned away by the airlines.  (Many are now being soaked up by new foreign air carriers, but this is a fairly recent phenomenon.)  

What happened to supply and demand?  I always thought a shortage of a particular job skill = higher pay for those who had it, while an overabundance moderated wages. Apparently not so for commercial pilots.

Pilots I've asked about this say the public can't imagine the huge responsibility they have to care for the 200...300...400 or more passengers strapped to their back.  OK, fair enough.  But why then does a senior FedEx pilot make MORE than a senior Delta, American, or United Captain?  All they have strapped to their back are letters and packages.

*I wish someone would pay me for thinking of weird stuff like this.  I'd be rich!*

Oh well.  Just another of life's mysteries.  Have a great day everyone.  :)

S

* Why does a Boeing 747 have that big bulge on top of the fuselage at the front of the plane?  So the pilot can sit on his wallet.  :)

Those were the days my friend....

Remember the days when the airline industry was considered "glamorous"?  Pilots were almost worshiped by the public, cutting a most dashing image in their double-breasted uniforms.  And the flight attendants, or "stewardesses" as we called them back then, were so gorgeous they put movie stars and fashion models to shame. 

Even the food was good.  Of course, they were catering to a most discriminating customer back then, too.  Flying was expensive, and when you flew it was an "occasion" and you dressed in your Sunday finest.

As with everything, times have changed, and this time for the worse.  Now pilots are sniffed as they get on board looking for evidence of alcohol.  Flight attendants fly into their 60's and even their 70's, and customers routinely show up in gym shorts, T-shirts, and flip flops. (Git er done!)

Airline food ceased being edible years ago, and today on most flights ceases to even exist at all. They'll sell you a cold, hard sandwich at the gate, but the smart traveler buys their own and brings it on board with them. While our posteriors have gotten larger and we've grown taller, seat width and legroom has shrunk.  Today it's "coffee?", "tea?", "seat belt extender?"

I've even heard some of the lowest cost "low cost carriers" are considering bringing back pay toilets.  ("Hey buddy....can you spare a quarter?" takes on a whole new meaning.)  Even getting on the plane is an ordeal today, thanks to the TSA. 

Now it seems you're advised to bring your own tool kit on board with you, too.  That's so you can make sure your seat is properly bolted to the floor.   Apparently, on American Airlines at least, that's something you can't take for granted anymore as three of their planes had to make emergency landings yesterday after entire rows of occupied seats just flopped over.  (Labor strife / sabotage?)  

What's next?  How low can they go?

Just a thought:  If you see your pilot board wearing a parachute, de-plane and take the bus instead!

S

"Get in, sit down, shut up, and hold on"

Just when we thought the economy might be stabilizing somewhat we hear this:  Foat Wuth-based American Airlines, already in bankruptcy, announced yesterday they were laying off 13,000 employees. OUCH!  Those are 13,000 people, presumably with about as many families depending on them.  


We Americans have been criticized for years for "living beyond our means", but how do you know what your "means" are these days? How do you make any long-term plans or purchases without knowing if you're going to have a job several years in the future, regardless of how vital your job is or how skilled you are?  I know a great many airline employees, both current and retired, from my 20 years of volunteering alongside them with the Commemorative Air Force.  (Formerly the Confederate Air Force, it's a group that buys, restores, and flies vintage WWII aircraft.  "Lowandslow"....get it?)  Many of them will be devastated by this layoff. 


Over 8,000 mechanics will soon be on the streets. How many do you think will lose their homes to foreclosure in Ft. Worth and Tulsa, American's two largest maintenance bases?  What about property values in general in those areas?  And unless they speak a foreign language and are willing to relocate to Turkey, China, or Latin American and work for 50% less, they're screwed.  American A&P mechanics are dinosaurs these days.  Three cheers for globalization!


Over a thousand flight attendants will be out of work soon, too.  They took a HUGE pay cut after 9/11 and haven't recovered since.  (My girlfriend before K was a flight attendant.)  Same for baggage handlers, provisioners, and some mid-managers.  But here's what gets me....millions of dollars are still paid out to senior executives as "retention bonuses".  They say if they don't pay these bonuses they'll lose their smartest, most valuable people.  I say that based on results, they're not worth a damn anyway.  (Have you ever noticed the same group of senior executives just bounces around from airline to airline?  Have you ever noticed almost all the major carriers have been bankrupt at least once?  Do you see a pattern?)


Over 400 pilots will soon be on the streets, too, but with their substantial incomes I would hope they would have put some $$$ away and can afford to stay in their homes and maintain their lifestyles. But what about when the survivors retire?  Are there replacements working their way up the ladder?  The commuter airlines (think of them as major airline farm teams) say the quality of their applicants is at an all-time low.  The appeal of an airline job just isn't there any longer.  This certainly won't help.


Yep, the glamor of flying is definitely gone.  Has been for years. "Get in, sit down, shut up, and hold on."  Sad.


S

Just sayin'

I read in the New York Times that the British government is going to tighten up their anti-squatting laws making it easier for property owners to evict squatters on their property.  I know many countries have "squatters rights" laws, but the concept just does not compute in my feeble little mind.  A squatter is like a burglar except after he breaks in he just stays.  Why can't you just say, "Hey, you, get out"?


Looks like American Airlines is on financial life support....again.  They're the only major airline that didn't make money last year.  In fact, they've made a profit only once or twice in the past 10 years.  Here's what gets me:  They still justify paying their senior executives huge bonuses, saying if they don't they'll lose their "top talent".  Here's a news flash for ya, American:  You're delusional.  You don't have any "top talent".  They all left a long time ago.  


Just sayin'.


S