Well, it was bound to happen at some point.

Imagine the following scenario (if you are a frequent airline traveler, this won’t be a stretch!):

You are seated at the window seat on a full airplane—there is not one available empty seat.  The plane was delayed due to weather, and now the aircraft that you have just boarded has run into a mechanical issue, that will need the care of a ground mechanic there at your gate.  The temperature is warm in the cabin and there is very little air circulating.

Seated next to you is a young woman, about 26 or 27.  She looks haggard at best—hair disheveled, clothes somewhat rumpled and her faced is pretty flushed with frustration and agony.  Why?  Seated in her lap is a 14 month old infant who, despite all attempts by the mother to calm her, is screaming profusely.  The uncomfortable temperature in the cabin is exacerbating the problem.  The child’s voice is somewhat hoarse and the sobs have entered that all-to-common phase of stuttered heaves.

The mother, noticing your icy glances periodically, has apologized many times to you and the other surrounding passengers, explaining that little Suzie has an ear infection and is currently on anti-biotics which, she believes, is upsetting her stomach.  Claustrophobia, which you don’t suffer from under normal conditions, is beginning to set in and you can feel your pulse quickening, your temper bubbling up, and you just want to go all “Steven Slater” on the child, imagining that you would feel SO much better!

Although this fictitious scene is very extreme, there are times when even a much calmer, similar situation feels like it could escalate into this very story.  But is there a practical solution to this frequently increasing setting?  Should the airline be getting involved?  Are your rights as a passenger being violated?

The fact of the matter is pretty simple: this is one of the many realities of airline travel today and finding a solution to it seems much more elusive than it feels it should.

Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News reported last night that there is a growing opinion among frequent flyers, especially business travelers who either do not have children or whose children are well past this stage and are fairly well-behaved on airplanes, that families should be segregated into a special section of the cabin (most opinions say the extreme aft of the plane) similar to the “smoking sections” that were common in airplanes of yesteryear.

The idea, which seems simple at first, becomes much more complex when you factor in a whole host of mitigating factors, like status of the passenger, ticket pricing, the rights of the parents or the child and a myriad of other topics.  While it’s easy to suggest that people traveling with their family should be segregated to a certain section of the airplane, enforcement of such an idea become nearly impossible.

As a flight attendant, I already can tell you that this “idea” won’t hold water in today’s airline world.  We, as the safety professionals onboard, can barely get some folks to comply with Federal Air Regulations as currently written—I couldn’t imagine seeing my flying partners trying to contain families in a restricted section of the cabin.

In the past, I have fielded requests from annoyed business men and women who try to intimidate me with their own personal status or the price of their ticket because another passenger decided to travel in first class or business class with their infant and the child is being less than cooperative.  In cases such as this, my hands are pretty much tied.  I usually make an effort to assist the parent of the child to see if there is something they might need in an effort to calm the infant, but this may not always work.

For us adults, airline travel is already stressful enough—most of it self-inflicted—but for a small child, there are other factors that most grown-ups fail to think about:

• Cabin pressurization: most airplanes are pressurized to simulate the atmosphere of approximately 7,000 feet.  Most teens and adults can self-regulate the pressure behind the eardrums to avoid pain in the sensitive areas of the aural cavity and the sinuses.  For small children, this is much more challenging and for newborns and young toddlers, the only method they have to communicate their discomfort is by crying—and even at times screaming.
• Federal Air Regulations: this may sound ridiculous, but at home or out in public, when small kids gotta go, parents are inclined to find a place for them as soon as possible to relieve themselves.  They know that their ability to “hold it” is limited and if they are already out of the diaper phase, it’s important to let them use the facilities as soon as possible.  The challenge on an airplane is that turbulence is usually unpredictable and sometimes a child’s need to go is in direct conflict with the seat belt sign being turned on for their physical protection against injury during rough air.
• Illness: this is very close to the first bullet point regarding the stabilization of pressure in the ears and sinuses, except that if the child is suffering from a cold or sinus infection, there are limited choices a parent has to offer relief.  Small infants are not always able to be given strong enough medications like adults can to gain relief from pain, and if a child is on anti-biotics, many can cause side effects, including stomach discomfort which adds to the problem.
• Restlessness: children are full of energy—they have a natural tendency to move around…a lot!  Airplane cabins offer very limited space for a child to move, and considering all the activity taking place in the aisle, between flight attendant services and other passenger movement, it is nearly impossible for children to release that pent up energy.  Parents need to be prepared for this and find activities that a child can do at their seat to absorb some of that disquiet.
• Behavioral phases: ah yes, the “terrible twos” among many other developmental behavioral stages of a child’s growth can be a disastrous ingredient when mixed in with airline travel.  Parents are often the recipient of the ire of the surrounding passengers and must learn to empathize with those folks who may not understand their situation or appreciate the challenges of parenthood.  A focus on what calms a child (a favorite toy or object, like a blanket), plus actually spending quality time with the child in keeping their attention focused can go a long way towards minimizing emotional outbreaks or temper tantrums.

By no means is this a complete list and I invite feedback and suggestions from readers.  Tell us your suggestions and/or observations regarding traveling with small children, and any tricks or secrets to making the most of a bad situation.

There are also a few great resources that parents can take advantage of before traveling with their children to get tips and pointers on what to do, like AboutBabyTravel.com and BabyGoes2.com.

In a perfect airline world, children would be complete angels and business men and women would be satisfied to get their work done or gain a few extra moments of rest before that very important business meeting.  Unfortunately the only way to avoid the complicated issue of children on airplanes is to charter your own flight or buy your own jet.

Remember, even though you bought a ticket to fly, airline travel is PUBLIC transportation, so your ticket buys you all that goes with it!

Safe travels!

One of the better parts of my position as a purser is our annual Leadership Seminars, where we have the opportunity to catch up with colleagues and friends from all over the world.  Pursers from all over the world—London, San Francisco, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Seattle, and even Chicago, gather together to remember the good ole’ days and share our knowledge and experience with one another.  Some years, the seminars are held in local domiciles, and other years they are held in Chicago, as was the case this year.

The Purser group is an interesting dynamic of people.  I never look at them as ‘better’ than my other flight attendant friends, but these folks are definitely some of the most outspoken people I know.  As the sub-title of this blog suggests, Flight Attendants in general are a very opinionated bunch and they aren’t afraid to express themselves.  Magnify that many times over and you have the Purser group.

One of the advantages of meeting with these people on a yearly basis is that we not only have the chance to rub shoulders with our friends, but we also have the ability to share our ideas and bring up issues to the company that we sometimes feel are lost in a sea of letters, literature and forms.  When a company is as big as our airline is, you quickly realize that it takes a huge amount of effort and persuasion to get the wheels in motion with regard to change.

It gives us an occasion to vent to the company’s leaders who run various departments within the corporation—to truly let them know what is and isn’t working with regards to service, equipment and the tools we are given to do the job, along with procedure that needs fixing.  I don’t believe that change for change’s sake is usually necessary.  But it’s always great when I have the ability to speak to the people who matter, face to face, who have the power in their hands to see change happen.  And when the Purser group speaks in unison, the company tends to stand up and take notice.

For the past two days, I have enjoyed the friendship and camaraderie of people that I have worked together with and admired over the years.  It’s great to get a small feeling that we accomplished something as a collective to bring about really positive change for a company that many of us have invested our hearts and souls into.  The company honored the Purser group by throwing a nice cocktail party and mixer, and took us up to near the top of the Willis Tower (the former Sears Tower) and took our pictures on the Sky Ledge…a glass box that protrudes from the building, giving the illusion of floating over 1,300 feet in the air…don’t look down!

By no means is this group a bunch of Kool-Aid drinkers.  It’s very evident that they hold their leadership accountable for decisions that are made at the corporate level, especially those that have a direct effect on the quality of the service and support that we, in turn, give our passengers every day.  The passion that many of us feel about “upping” our game in the airline business is directly correlated to the support that these Flight Attendant leaders feel they are getting.  When we express our disappointment in not having the tools or resources needed to compete with other airlines, you can see how personal they take it.  That, to me, shows where their hearts are.

Sure, we have the clowns and the uninterested members of the group, but somehow I feel that deep inside, even they really do care and they really want what’s needed to succeed.  Every year, I hope that the decision makers are listening because this one group has a lot more power to influence the customer’s desire to return their business in the future; they have the power to excel beyond expectations, or they can completely turn away from a unified front and “do their own thing,” especially if they feel that their support system has failed them.

As I have said in the past, Flight Attendants are extremely resourceful and talented people.  They are some of the best people I know.  I am proud to be a part of this specialized group of women and men whose life’s desire is to be the very best and do so in a world class fashion.

I want to salute my friends—sisters and brothers—of the Flight Attendant community!  You guys show me each and every day that I know I made the right decision in choosing THIS career path.  I couldn’t be happier or more proud!

Thank you all!

If you are a frequent viewer of the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, then you probably saw the report that was filed recently about how travelers are dealing with the significant increase in supplemental fees the airlines are now charging[1].  Everything from baggage fees, change of flight fees and food on board your flight.  They are even charging additional fees if you book your travel using a human being rather than the Internet.  The list continues to grow!

In that same report, there was a man who was preparing to fly to visit family in Omaha that was shown dumping the contents of his one bag and throwing them in the garbage outside the terminal.  He was quoted as saying “I’m not going to pay $65 to check my bag when my ticket only cost me $167.”  And there is the rub!

In the past few decades airline travelers have been spoiled, to say the least, with the costs of airline tickets.  Of all the things a consumer can spend their money on, airline travel has been consistently below the cost of living increases of the past 30 years.  The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics showed that in the first quarter of 2010, the average price of a domestic, economy class fare was $154.91, which is on par with 1999 average ticket prices[2].  It shows no significant increase in fares over the past 10 years.

Comparatively, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in that same time period went from $1.30/gal to $2.80/gal, a whopping 116% increase in 10 years, the average cost of a jar of baby food went from $0.43 to $0.74 (+72%) and even the admission price to Disneyland went from $41 to $72, an almost 76% increase[3].

The truth is that airline ticket prices have stagnated, while that actual cost of running the airlines has never stopped increasing.  And sadly, the cost disparity has been placed squarely on the back of the employees who work there.  Airline workers, under the guise of “we must run our company more efficiently”, have taken huge losses in salary and benefits, in order to keep their carriers running.  While there is no denying that some efficiencies were inevitable, the bottom line is that the major reason for the mass increases in additional fees from the airlines is that they can’t squeeze anymore $$$ from its workforce.  Doing so would cause mass mutinies among its employees.

The reality of today’s airline employee is one of being required to take on additional duties and responsibilities, while seeing minimal or zero growth in their salaries.  And along with that, the public still has the perception that airline workers are still overpaid for their work, yet they demand better and high quality service for little or fewer dollars paid.

A prime example is the man in the NBC News report, who would rather throw away his belongings than pay the additional $65 to have them transported.  It’s kind of a strange expectation in my mind.  It’s like going to FedEx and sending a package from Los Angeles to New York for $100, then telling the clerk, “Well, since I paid for this package to go, you should let me ship this other package for free!”  That’s not going to happen!

The reality is that the expectation that luggage brought with them should fly at no cost is one that was originated with the airlines themselves.  Yes, back in the day, you could bring with you one, two and sometimes three additional pieces of luggage to accompany you on your travels and it was included in the price of your ticket.  No additional fees, unless the bag went over the weight limit set by the carrier.

Today’s passenger, however, isn’t interested in the simple fact that for each additional pound that is put on an aircraft, additional fuel is required to transport it.  There is also another dynamic that, while the average consumer may not think about it, the airline must: the average weight of the flying public itself!

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the average American male weighed 168 pounds in 1968; in 2008, the average had climbed to just under 190 pounds, a 13% increase[4].  Similar averages were found in women and children.  Again, for every pound that the airplane has to transport, additional fuel is required—simple physics—thus costing additional revenue to operate—simple economics.

The reality for the airline industry is that it physically and economically cost MORE to operate than it did in 1980 or 1990. Yet for whatever reason, the public and the media report with disgust and contempt that they are being gouged and squeezed for every dollar to fly.  This isn’t to say that the airlines aren’t culpable in any of this either.  Over the course of my career, I have lost track of the number of times it was reported in the news that one or two airlines would raise fares, followed shortly by a reversal due to a significant drop in reservations following the announcement.

What makes no sense to me is that the airlines forget that there is a finite number of seats to get from various point As to point Bs and at some point, demand for those seats would force those needing them to pay the price rather than not go at all.  Apparently, the gurus who understand the economics of the airline industry know something that I don’t see or understand.  I wouldn’t be alone, since neither do the public at large nor the media in general.  And until someone explains it to all of us in a clear manner, then we will continue to see the media sensationalize reports of people throwing away their luggage, rather than pay to have it checked.

A paradigm shift needs to occur if the average Joe is going to understand that, at some point, even the cost of flying HAS to increase.  The public has enjoyed the “cheapness” of flying for far too long and at the direct cost of the airline workers.

Reality check, please!

Images courtesy of NBC Nightly News

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[1] NBC Nightly News, August 20, 2010, “Airline passengers fight sky-high fees”; http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#38792519

[2] Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT), July 28, 2010; “1st-Quarter 2010 Air Fare Data: Average 1st-Quarter Domestic Air Fares Increased 4.7% from 1st Quarter 2009; Top 100 Airports: Highest Fare in Huntsville, Lowest Fare in Atlantic City”

[3] “Then vs. now: How prices have changed since 1999,”  WalletPop.com: http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/12/29/then-vs-now-how-prices-have-changed-since-1999/

[4] Centers for Disease Control. 2009. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm

Commuting is not as pleasant as it probably could or should be for me.  It’s tough when your office is almost 600 miles from your home.

As an airline employee, especially one who works aboard the plane every day, it’s not a delight for me to get on one to go to work, but it’s a means to an end so I tolerate it.  And by tolerate it, I mean that I have my iPod Touch and my noise reduction headphones to help drown out the droning of the engines, the screaming child two rows behind me and that well-intentioned seat mate who wants to talk shop when all I want to do is nap (airline people NEVER get enough sleep!).

Last night, as I boarded the last flight to San Francisco, I had been assigned a window seat near the back of the plane—this is not a complaint…it’s better than a center seat between two tight ends from a football team!  When I got to my seat, there was a somewhat petite couple seated in the aisle and center seats (no, not midgets or dwarfs—but I’ll bet you thought that’s what I was implying!).

As I pointed to the window seat, they both grinned at me and the man asked me, in a very distinct European accent, “Would you like to sit in the window seat?”  I had to chuckle because I had already pointed out the seat, implying that this is where my behind was going to plant itself, but I knew inside that the woman (who was in the center seat) was anxious for me to offer it to her instead.  I didn’t really care…I was going to work and was glad to have a seat at all.  I motioned for them to move over and I would accept the aisle seat.

They nearly bounced over one seat in unison, and it was clear that the woman was quite pleased.  Then the man turned to me and said, “Oh, thank you very much!  We are from Denmark and this is our first visit to America.  We are going to San Francisco!  It is our favorite city!”  I sort of toyed with him a bit and replied, “If you’ve never been to America before, then why is San Francisco your favorite city?”  He grinned even bigger and said, “Because it is so beautiful and colorful (you got THAT right!) and we love to see pictures and movies with San Francisco in it!

Now, I have to admit that San Francisco is one of MY favorite cities in the world too.  There is much to see and do there, not to mention the “colorfulness” of it all!  It’s got great restaurants, fantastic arts and music, amazing architecture and it’s very easy to get around.  There’s the Golden Gate Park (and Bridge), Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, the Ghirardelli factory, Coit Tower, the Castro, Haight-Ashbury, Chinatown…the list seems endless.

When the captain announced that we were on our decent into the Bay Area, I could see my two Danish compadres were ready to explode with excitement.  The woman got out her camera, and as we crossed over Monte Vista and Skyline Ridge into the south Bay Area, the lights of the city shining below us, the Danish woman started frantically taking pictures.  Several times, she forgot to turn off her flash, and the picture she ended up with was nothing but flash reflection on the lens.  But she continued to take lots of pictures, and the man turned to me, again with a huge grin and pointed towards the window. “San Francisco!”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was probably San Mateo.  Besides, it was 11:45 at night and who in Denmark was going to know that anyhow?

Fare thee well, my little Danishes…make sure to leave your heart in the City by the Bay!

Can you match these airline slogans to its original carrier?

(A) “We’re flying better than ever!”	(1) National Airways
(B) “You’re gonna like us!”	(2) Western Airlines
(C) “We have to earn our wings every day.”	(3) Northwest Airlines (Northwest Orient)
(D) “If you’ve got it, flaunt it!”	(4) Eastern Airlines
(E) “It’s the ONLY way to fly!”	(5) Aloha Airlines
(F) “What we serve is YOU!”	(6) Pacific Southwest Air (PSA)
(G) “The friendliest name in flight.”	(7) America West Airlines
(H) “The world is going our way.”	(8) Braniff Airways
(I) “You’ve got a lot going for you when you fly ME!”	(9) Pan American Airways (PanAm)
(J) “We gotta be tough to make you smile.”	(10) Trans World Airways (TWA)

(Answers at the bottom of this post)

What do all of these slogans have in common?

They belong to airlines that are now defunct.  It’s a sad but true legacy in American history.  According to Wikipedia, since the deregulation of the airline industry in the US in 1978, over 200 airlines have either merged, filed for bankruptcy or gone out of business altogether.  Warren Buffet has even been quoted as saying that the airline industry is the most difficult to manage.

There have been loud calls among politicians to re-regulate the industry, thus placing pricing caps and fare restrictions squarely in the hands of the U.S. government.  As it stand right now, it appears that the suggestion is merely a threat and there doesn’t seem to be any momentum in Congress to move in that direction.  But is re-regulation a good idea?

Some would argue that the mere fact that so many airlines have failed in the past 30+ years indicates a flaw somewhere in the business model that airlines have come to build their business on.  Others point to the low-cost carriers (namely Southwest Airlines and jetBlue Airways) as examples of how the business should be run.  Is that a fair comparison?

When you look at the legacy carriers up against the low-costs, you will see stark differences.  In the case of Southwest, it operates a single aircraft type, the Boeing 737 series.  For an airline like United Airlines, it operates various configurations of six different aircraft models: Boeing’s 747-, 757-, 767-, and 777-series aircraft, along with Airbus’ A-319 and A-320 models.  Immediately you can surmise that United’s cost structure would be significantly higher.

One could argue that United should only operate one or two aircraft types to significantly lower its costs, but is that practical?  For instance, a B-747 cannot land in such places as Jackson, WY or Orange County, CA simply because the runways aren’t long enough to handle the size of the aircraft.  And a B-757 or A-320 certainly cannot fly non-stop from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia.  It’s obvious that the larger, international carriers have larger aircraft needs than those of their low-cost counterparts.

Yet time and again, people insist on comparing these LCCs to the larger carriers and try to make the argument that legacy carriers should be as successful and run as efficiently as LCCs.  Just this example alone should be evidence enough that the comparison is flawed and unsustainable.

In the nearly 100 years of flight, businessmen and women haven’t quite yet figured out the right formula to make an international airline completely successful, both financially or strategically.  The pending merger of United and Continental will be a significant test to see if the future “world’s largest airline” can be the new gold standard of airline travel.  The recent combination of Delta and Northwest has been a decent example of what can go mostly right in an airline merger.  The U.S. Airways/America West Airlines marriage is a prime example of what can go wrong.

Only time will tell which path the NEW United Airlines will take.

Answers to the above quiz:

A-9, B-10, C-4, D-8, E-2, F-7, G-5, H-3, I-1, J-6

Recently a passenger on a jetBlue flight (what’s going on over there these days—they sure are in the news quite a bit!) was escorted off a flight, in hand-cuffs, for refusing to delete footage she had taken of an altercation between passengers and flight crew about a disruptive toddler.

The passenger, a 56-year old grandmother, had videotaped an argument that was taking place a few rows ahead of her between two passengers regarding a crying child, which allegedly belonged to one of the arguers.  You can few the 50 second video here:

When asked by the flight crew to delete the footage after she showed it to them, she refused.  Soon afterwards, the crew informed her that the Captain was now demanding that the footage be deleted, claiming that she was in violation of Federal Air Regulations, barring passengers from interfering with an inflight crews’ duties and responsibilities. She again refused and was met by police at the arrival gate and taken off the plane in handcuffs.

Later, jetBlue not only apologized, but also verified that she had the right to videotape whatever she wanted.  In the past, federal judges have upheld individuals’ rights to film pretty much anything they desire and demands for deleting the footage could be interpreted as a violation of the passenger’s First and Fourth Amendment rights (see  “The People of the State of Illinois v. Chris Drew”).

What struck me about this incident is that for years, I have often wondered if there are any protections for flight attendants as they do their job, against seeming opportunists or worse yet, scheming troublemakers with ill intent.

I am reminded of how one of my flying partners was brutally murdered while she was on layover in Boise, Idaho (I was not working with her on that trip) [see http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/10/nyregion/victim-in-idaho-river-appears-to-be-missing-flight-attendant-police-say.html].  This is a rare, but stark reminder to inflight crews, who take their jobs very serious and who have had to remain diligent both on the plane (i.e. 9/11, the Richard Reid “Shoebomber”, among others) and off.

In my mind, unlike policemen or firemen, flight attendants and pilots are NOT public servants, although we are public contact workers.  It seems there is a fine line which divides us among those who are employed by local, state and federal workers, and those who are employed by private entities, such as airlines.

What exacerbates the issue is the era in which we live—the high-speed information era.  Within seconds, something taking place in New York City can be seen in the far, remote reaches of Bangladesh or Pakistan or China.  The term “viral” has been applied to YouTube videos and sound bites in the media because of its swift spreading introduction into laptops, PDAs and televisions only moments later.

The point is that many of us in the airline industry are extremely sensitive to someone filming us, video or otherwise, without permission because it is difficult to know what the intended use of that unauthorized medium will be.

The jetBlue passenger was accused of wanting to post the video on YouTube, and although she told them that she didn’t know how to do it, it still ended up there.  To be fair, I didn’t witness anything on that video that could place either of the two cabin crew members in jeopardy (it wasn’t even a very good quality video, as you can see) but to the crew members, with so many others watching, including the companies that we work for, it’s nerve-wracking at best to be worried about what outcome may transpire with a secret and unauthorized tape.

Smile…you’re on Candid Camera!

I glided into the fog that was rolling over the bay area today and I was reminded of an incident not too long ago where a passenger was having a complete meltdown with a gate agent who was obviously working on his last nerve.

The flight that this man wanted to take was delayed due to an air traffic control ground stoppage in San Francisco.  While his tirade continued to escalate, he held a phone in his hand.  Apparently, on the other end of the line was his business associate who, apparently, was giving him the 4-1-1 on the weather in San Francisco: clear and sunny…no fog!

“I don’t understand how you can stand there and lie to me about the REAL reason for this delay…you people are truly incompetent!”  The agent had reached his limit.

“Sir, there is nothing more I can tell you.  Your flight is delayed and yelling at me isn’t going to get the flight going any quicker…”

As the human race has evolved through the information age, the miracle of the cell phone, the iPhone, the Internet, satellite television and the like, we have all become “experts” in what should and should not be, how things should and should not be done, what is or is not the truth.  If it’s on the Internet, it MUST be true!  If it’s blue skies and sunshine in San Francisco, it’s impossible to have a ground stoppage at SFO!

The fact is that ALL airlines are subject to the mercies and whims of the Federal Aviation Administration and its Air Traffic Control system.  There is much speculation in Washington, D.C. these days about who should foot the bill to overhaul a truly antiquated radar and relay system that is currently holding our air traffic together.  Until that day, we are all subjected to the same outdated system that controls every single aircraft over the skies of North America.

To that end, I encourage you to bookmark the one website that has the most up-to-date, REAL TIME information about the 40 busiest airports in the USA, courtesy of the FAA:theAir Traffic Control System Command Center – Flight Delay Information.  By simply moving your cursor over any of the cities shown in the map, you can get the absolute latest information regarding what the Air Traffic Control system is dealing with at these larger airports.

But that’s not all!  There’s more!

By simply typing in the airport code, city name or airport name in the upper-center search box above the map, you can get real time information about any secondary airport in the US as well.  It’s one of the more handy tools you’ll find on the Internet today, and one that is almost always forgotten.

So, if you’re a person who needs to be “in the know,” well…NOW you know!



I’ll take a beer and a slide, to go please!

It has been one hell of a week for Flight Attendants.  The “Steven Slater Incident” has the news media, the blog-o-sphere, and nearly every crew briefing and hair salon abuzz!

I’m amazed as the story unfolded how everyone seems to be an expert on every aspect of this story, from psychologists who can somehow miraculously tell us WHY he did what he did, to airline industry consultants who have condemned his actions with a level of disgust that’s laughable to me.

There have been articles written about how flight attendants are abused, mistreated, disrespected and ignored.  There are some that describe how the airlines (in general) mistreat passengers, which in turn justify mistreatment of crew.  There are those that are still banging that drum about Passenger’s Bill of Rights and even Donald Trump is quoted as saying, “I think, as an employee, he’s horrible…I think he’s a wacko!”

Quite frankly, I think the “15 minutes” has just about come to an end, but there is an underlying issue that is nagging at me.  Whether or not what he did appropriate or not (and in this author’s viewpoint, I do not), what would cause anyone to go to these lengths to make a point?

There are hundreds of thousands of flights that begin and end each year without incident.  There has been a growing problem in airline travel that seems to be showing its ugly head through incidents such as this one: Airline Travel Stress Disorder or “ATSD.”  (Disclaimer: I am NOT a physician and ATSD is NOT a clinically recognized ailment – I just made it up, but it sounds good for this article!).

ATSD is the manifestation of a culmination of a huge number of stressors that is starting to create a sort of “perfect storm” among passengers, airline crew and employees all around.  Passengers are forced to undergo additional screenings at checkpoints, are forced to comply with restrictive security rules, pay additional fees for checked bags, changed itineraries, food, pillows and blankets, headsets, in-flight entertainment, upgraded seating…the list seems to get longer each month.

Airline personnel find themselves on the other side of that line.  Their employer begins to charge for bags, reservation changes, seat upgrades, cancellations and the like, plus are put under increasing pressure to get planes boarded on-time while dealing with the passengers who are making additional demands of their limited time by requesting information, directions, lodging complaints, wanting to make changes to their seat assignments and so on.  Crews must deal with getting carry-on luggage stowed, keeping passengers in check with a whole laundry list of Federal Air Regulations, like exit row qualifications, electronic device restrictions, alcohol regulations, seat belt compliance, and dealing with medical and mechanical emergencies, plus the added burden of selling food, or in-flight entertainment while looking out for their own safety.  And as if that weren’t enough, they are required to enforce a slew of Federal Air Regulations (FARs) but are given no means by which someone who is in violation of those FARs are doled out any sort of consequence, either by the airlines or by the Federal government who drafted the regulations in the first place.

In the end, it seems like two freight trains that are hurling towards each other at a high rate of speed on a singular track.  We can see it happening, but does anyone know how to avoid the inevitable? Is MORE governmental regulation required?  Should there be an Airline Employees Bill of Rights?

As a veteran flight attendant, I can tell you that, although 99% of all my flight segments transpire without so much as a mild complaint, there I times when the stars seem to be aligned just right and everything falls apart, no matter how hard I work to avoid disaster.  Most of my passengers are either mildly satisfied or slightly irritated, and most of it I have ZERO control over either.

Some people come aboard ready to spit nails…but then they are probably like that at the office to, and just as ‘pleasant’ I can imagine.  Others are in decent sprits, no matter what challenges are put in their way – this is all just common human nature.

ATSD is something new…something difficult to diagnose and most definitely impossible to predict.  Anyone can have it, be it passenger or airline personnel.  I’ve seen pilots lose their cool over the smallest thing.  I’ve seen seemingly rational businessmen suddenly lash out at the sweetest flight attendant you’ve ever met.  Who knows what triggers ATSD?

The point is that ATSD is a symptom of a much larger societal problem.  We are finding it increasingly difficult to manage and control the stress in our lives.  The recent recession has brought about levels of stress that many people have never before encountered.  With the massive cuts and reductions in staffing and compensation that airline personnel have had to endure over the past decade, the underlying anxiety and frustration is beginning to wear quite thin.

I have no idea what triggered Steven Slater to lose it on his flight the other day.  His choice of “exit” from his beloved career is one that many have fantasized and dreamed about for years.  It could have gone so much worse for him had someone on the ground been injured or worse from the emergency slide that he deployed.  Was it worth it, really?

Only Slater can answer the nagging question: Why’d you do it?  Everything else is speculation.  I suppose we’ll soon see the slew of television interviews and guest host appearances by Slater soon enough.  People are writing songs about him and offering to pay for his legal defense (he’s being charged with felony reckless endangerment, along with the violation of several Federal Air Regulations).

The passenger with whom he had the scuffle with will not be charged, but should that be the case?  From witness accounts, she was in violation of a few FARs herself and yet nothing is being done about it.  Add to that her alleged rudeness and disregard for another human being, let alone a flight attendant and it’s no wonder the outcome.

For the most part, we flight attendants are a resilient bunch.  We grin and bear it when someone ignores our greeting aboard the plane, or when we just don’t have any more tomato juice and we’re thrown a crusty look or an under-the-breath comment.  It’s part of the territory of working with the public.

How much is too much?  Who knows.

Perhaps in the near future, we’ll see ads for medication developed for the treatment of ATSD!  If you do, remember you saw it here first!

I’m gonna trade in that beer for a nice crisp glass of wine…care to join me?

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It is said that “those who control information are the most powerful people in the world” — whoever did was probably right on target.  And the funny thing is that it can be applied to almost every aspect and microcosm of the world we live in today.

In the travel industry, information is paramount to every businessman and leisure traveler as they navigate through the myriad lines, ticket counters, terminals, gates, airplanes, classes of cabins, seat rows…well, you get the picture.

So being in a position to know the latest and most accurate information is critical to most peoples’ success in getting from point A to point B.  It’s no wonder that the moment the plane’s landing gear touches the runway, almost every passenger races to power-up those Blackberry devices, Smart Phones and PDAs in order to get caught up.

The wave of the future in information processing for airline travel is on-board access to the Internet.  Although my carrier has only outfitted a handful of planes with such capabilities, I feel it in the offing.  The pressure seems to be mounting with each boarding I direct on my flights, as more and more passengers ask the question, “Do you have Web access on this flight?”

There is a sort of withdrawal symptom that we all seem to go through when we aren’t connected.  We are afraid that someone will get the upper hand, will get the ‘scoop’ on something while we wring our hands during that period in the sky when we are literally all in the same “air” boat – out of touch!  We ask ourselves, “Is it fair that only the pilots can stay in touch with the world below us???”

Throughout our fleet, we still have many planes that have seats equipped with “Air Phones.”  Unfortunately, they are pretty much nothing more than conversation PIECES rather than conversation TOOLS.  Originally operated by GTE, then taken over by Verizon, they went silent years ago when Verizon decided to get out of the Air Phone business and no one else was there to take over the reins.

So what is there to do?  I silently laugh when I see frantic businessmen trying desperately to get that email off to the their secretaries at 36,000 feet, hoping against hope that they’ll get lucky enough to transmit it through a passing cell tower (granted, at nearly 7 miles above the ground, it’s a remote possibility).  I’ve actually had it happen to me on accident on occasion.

There are times when despite my OWN announcements about electronic devices being turned off, I neglect my own device and am shocked when my phone beeps in to let me know I have a new voicemail message!  But passing that rogue cell tower at nearly 500 MPH, the signal is lost almost as quickly as it was found.

There is talk of most major airlines offering Internet access.  At present, one of our competitors has already outfitted their entire fleet with GOGO Airline Inflight Internet Services.  So for now, they have the upper hand, and their passengers get to stay on top of the information mountain.  For now.

In the meantime, the rest of us will have to muddle through, knowing that that landslide of queued information will be rushing upon us the moment your flight attendant says, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’d like to welcome you to…”

As a person who has worked in the service industry all of my life, there have been very rare instances that I have ever been accused of providing “POOR” customer service. I have taken pride in providing a “world class” level of customer service for most of my career (I cannot claim to have done this all the time – I AM human after all!).

So I am always fascinated when someone accuses me of less than stellar service, especially when there are people standing around me, witnessing the accusation with as much puzzlement as I have. And such was the case of the woman who boarded one of my flights recently.

I should preface my comments here for the benefit of those who may read this without a working knowledge of what the rules are as a flight attendant and what our limitations may be. Now, just as there are a myriad of airlines in the world, each airline have their own set of rules, regulations and procedures that can be as varied and different as the grains of sand on the beach. In the US, at least, all airlines are bound by a set of Federal Air Regulations (FARs) which cannot be altered except by the government itself. Besides them, it’s each airline for itself in how it approaches various issues that are not so much federally mandated “safety” issues, but are nonetheless still “safety related.”

In this case, the passenger boarded a completely full flight to Chicago, being one of the last to come aboard, toting an over-regulation sized roller-board suitcase (the manufacture of this particular style of suitcase is quite well known for being, shall we say, a very upscale brand name which produces very FEW items that can actually fit in an airplane overhead bin correctly and will usually take up much more space than an actual “regulation” sized carry on).

As purser on this flight, one of my responsibilities on this flight is to greet our passengers at the boarding door, direct them to the proper side of the aircraft for boarding and monitor all activity at this position without leaving the area unattended. I am bound by an actual FAR and unless I find someone on the working crew to cover this position, I cannot leave the area until the boarding door has been closed. This can be somewhat challenging at times, especially on a full flight as I try to monitor bin space, answer questions about downline connections, ensure that the crew has the proper supplies onboard, and deal with issues such as Federal Air Marshals, pilot briefings and customer service demands to close up the flight for an on-time departure.

Despite all the activity that presents itself in a delicate dance of chaos, most often this is accomplished without incident and the flight departs.

Which brings me back to our female passenger. She arrived as one of the last passengers to come aboard the aircraft. By this time, much of the storage space is used up, although miraculously, there is still some available space randomly located throughout the cabin. This passenger’s up-scale, over-sized roller-board bag will probably not fit, but rather than checking the bag at the gate, it’s to the customer’s advantage to try to find a spot before being forced with this option.

As she boards, she asks if there is any chance her bag can still be stored. Looking down the aisle from my vantage point, I can still see openings in the overhead bins and suggest to her that it still looks good.

A few minutes pass. I have made my obligatory announcements regarding those who cannot find proper stowage to bring their items to the jetway so that a waiting Customer Service Agent (CSR) can tag their luggage for proper routing to their final destination. Moments pass and from the other side of the cabin emerges this passenger, bag in tow, and as she passes me, she utters “You just can’t find good help these days!” and storms off to get her bag tagged with the proper forms.

Normally, the passing comment would simply fall away and we’d have forgotten it within a few moments. Such was not the case with her. Upon returning to the boarding door, she approaches me and begins to rail on me about how horrible our service is, how glib I had been in encouraging her to stow her bag, how unhelpful the crew was in being unwilling to lift her bag for her into the overhead space, and so forth, accusing me of having a condescending and curt attitude over the public address system, as well as to her in person.

I responded as calmly and politely as I could, but she cut me off repeatedly, now accusing me of patronizing her and that she would have my job.  At this point, seeing the CSR approach the boarding door, I asked the agent to explain to her what I had been trying to tell her all along.  The CSR was having none of it.  She plainly said, “Ma’am, either check your bags and get on the flight, or get off the plane and take your chances as a stand-by on the next flight.”

Without hesitation, the passenger looks at me and points her finger in my face and says, “You are going to regret having me on your flight today!”  Well, like it or not, those words are really considered a veiled threat, whether or not she had any intentions behind the words, and in my position as a safety professional, I have to weigh her words against the safety and convenience of the remaining 200+ passengers on the plane who are waiting to depart.

So, upon hearing these words to me, I informed the CSR that she would not be traveling with us on that flight and to escort her off the jetway.  Apparently those words called her bluff.  Immediately her tone and demeanor changed.  She began to cry and through her tears began to explain that she was on her way to the funeral of her best friend who had just passed away from breast cancer.

Under most circumstances, I would have stood my ground, however when she produced the obituary and handed it to the CSR, I yielded.  I calmed her down, explained to her how her words were interpreted (which the CSR concurred were threatening), and told her that if she was to get on the flight, there would be no further argument about her bag — it would be checked — and she would take her assigned seat with no further comment to the crew or other passengers.  She tearfully agreed and we let her fly with us that day.  She was a model passenger and thanked me when we arrived for letting her on board.  It’s amazing how stress will cause illogical behavior.

As a service industry employee, it’s tough out there.  People truly believe that we are required to take on the abusiveness and abrasiveness of the traveling public, simply because they purchased a ticket.  It doesn’t surprise me then, when one of us just reaches their limit and goes “postal.”  Take yesterday’s incident on jetBlue in New York.

The flight attendant had to deal with an abusive passenger during and after the flight.  The passenger was uncooperative when told to stay seated while the seat belt sign was on.  When they were leaving the plane, the passenger struck the flight attendant in the head while removing their bag from the overhead bin and refused to acknowledge or apologize.  The flight attendant (a veteran employee who had a long career at several airlines) lost his temper and his senses at that point, cursing out the passenger over the P.A. system, grabbing a couple of beers out of the galley and proceeded to open an armed exit door which deployed the emergency slide, then jumped down the slide and went home.

While this example is extreme, it occurred to me that his actions were not sparked by this one incident.  As a veteran flight attendant, I can relate — it was YEARS of public abuse, YEARS of the public ignoring the flight attendants, of disrespecting our position as the safety professionals on the flight; it was YEARS of the public treating service industry people with contempt and malice, and sadly, getting away with it.  And add to that any personal issues that the HUMAN BEING flight attendant might be dealing with in their personal lives (apparently his mother is dying of cancer and he has been dealing with alcoholism).

The FAA says that passengers can be fined and/or jailed for not complying with the seat belt sign or the directives of the in-flight crew, but in my 14+ year career, I’ve never seen it happen nor have I heard of it happening.

I cannot condone the flight attendant’s actions because it, in and of itself, violated several Federal Air Regulations, but I empathize completely.  And as of now, it seems the public and media are on his side.  But will this amount to anything other than an appearance on Saturday Night Live or Oprah?  Will anything change, or, like most things that need real change, will the public forget and move on to the next headline?

Great customer service is the goal I make for each flight.  But at what cost?  At some point, doesn’t the public have any limitations or do we just condone bad behavior and blame the service professional should anything be less than catering to every whim the public deems they are entitled to with the purchase of their ticket?

Images from “View from the Top” courtesy of Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc.

Times sure have changed when it comes to music!

I have several radio stations pre-programmed on my car stereo. I used to have Sirius Satellite Radio but when my subscription ran out last year, I opted not to renew. So a reprogramming of the car radio was in order.

In the course of the past few years, some major transformations have taken place. To give you some idea from where I speak, let me hurl you back to 1985 when I worked my first job as a radio disc jockey!!!

In 1985:

• The major record labels would send out LPs and 45s to get them played on the air. (If you need an explanation on what LPs or 45s are, click on this link to find out more:  History of LPs & 45s
• The radio stations would either play the records directly from the turntable in the studio onto the air -or- they would transfer the music to Fidelipacs (commonly referred to as “carts”).  These were much more reliable since they couldn’t skip or scratch (although they did get chewed up in the playback machines, from time to time).
• The disc jockey was there primarily to run the station as it broadcasted on the air (some larger stations could afford to supply the DJs with an Engineeer or Producer, who took care of the technical aspects of the broadcast, leaving the DJ to concentrate on the production value and content of the show.).  The DJ was required to sequence music, advertisements, news, traffic and weather reports, and above all else, make the required Station Identifier at the top of each hour, per FCC requirements.
• Some prerecorded shows were produced on LPs and show segments were separated by 2-3 minutes of  “silence.”  Each program was accompanied by a production sheet which informed the Engineer or Producer of the exact “out-cues” for Station Identification, advertisements and other information that could be inserted in-between show segments.  Such shows as “American Top 40 with Casey Kasem” were produced this way on a weekly basis.
• Advertising was the responsibility of the Sales Staff at the station and airtime was sold locally.  Rarely, national advertisers purchased advertisement packages with the station or the conglomerate (like WestwoodOne or Clear Channel Communications) would strike deals with advertisers to buy airtime nationally.

The point of all this is because last night, as I was driving around town, I was feeling a bit restless and wasn’t finding the right music that fit my mood.  My 1st bank of pre-set stations include an Oldies Station (60s & 70s Hits), two Top-40 Stations, a News & Talk Station, an Adult Contemporary Station and a Smooth Jazz Station.

As I drove about, the Adult Contemporary station went to commercial, and as they out-cued, the jingle for the station rang out, “Today’s One-Oh-Six-Point-Five!”  Nothing really unusual about that…except when I flipped to my Oldies Station, they were just going to commercial break and Deja Vu set in, “Oldies Ninety-Four-Point-One!” in the EXACT same tune as the first!  I then switch it up to the other Top-40 Station, which also was just going to commercial break: “Zee-Ninety-Seven-Point-One!” (same jingle!)

It occurred to me that as I had listened to these stations over the past couple of years, the DJs never mention news of the local area, that the extent of their “on-air” banter was limited to national news, celebrity gossip or new music information like concert tours, but they always referred to their website for further details, which I never visited.

As it turns out, all these stations are owned by Clear Channel Communications under the banner of “I-Heart-Radio” and the programming is almost completely automated, much like programming your iPod.  No longer are the days of ‘licorice pizza’, local production studios, or even DJ booths.  Everything is now beamed down to small, conglomerated engineering offices which transmit the signals locally over the airwaves here, which I will assume they are required to do by law in order for the “Emergency Broadcast System” locally to remain intact.

As I came to this realization, I understood that I may never have the opportunity to be-bop on the air again…but oh what fond memories I have of it!