Q.  Are you worried about your job security in light of the rising fuel costs?

A.  Worry probably isn’t the right word.  Since I can’t control any piece of this, worrying is probably the wrong term.  But I am definitely concerned.

My seniority is such that my airline would have to go through a major reduction before I would be in danger of being furloughed (laid off).  I’m talking about a reduction in excess of 50-60%.

However, rising fuel costs without corresponding rise fares, means that airlines will continue to lose money.  Continued financial losses will mean decreases in service, which will involve furloughs.  Furloughs will mean that the quality of my schedule, the type of flying I do, my days off, etc., will likely be adversely impacted.

Hopefully, any reductions in force can be managed through a variety of voluntary leaves (most airlines have these types of programs), but my quality of life will definitely change.

Have a question you’d like answered?  I’m open to nearly any topic from questions about the job of a Flight Attendant to travel in general.  Just email me!

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Q.  Where are you going on vacation this year?

A.  I’ve already managed a couple vacations so far this year — a long weekend in Las Vegas and two and a half weeks in Italy, to name just two.

I tend to stay around Seattle during the summer time, because it’s so darn nice here during this time of year.  I do have a couple long weekend kind of trips planned, one to San Francisco in July and one to Las Vegas in September.

I will probably do a girls getaway weekend in October, probably somewhere warm and relaxing.

My next major vacation time will be around Thanksgiving, and I’m still considering options.  I haven’t ruled out “crossing the pond” and London is on my short list.

That’s where I’m going – how about you?

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Q.  (Asked by a 6′4″ burly looking guy, with two large (and heavy looking) carry on bags in one hand, and a cell phone glued to his ear with the other.)  Hey – put this bag up over ahead for me, will ya?

A.  Uh. . . no!

The two activities that result in the highest number of Flight Attendant injuries are using the beverage cart and lifting bags.

We are not going to jeopardize our safety, and potentially our career, to lift a bag that is heavy.  If a bag is so heavy that it cannot be lifted overhead, it needs to be checked.  Asking someone else to do it, so you won’t get hurt, is not the way to go. 

The bigger issue in the hypothetical scenario (although I’ve seen it all too many times) is someone unwilling to put down the cell phone and attend to the business at hand.  That is not going to convince me to risk injury to help you either.

We jokingly say, “if you can pack it, you can rack it” when we talk about not packing more than can be safely lifted. 

We’re willing to help, but not at the risk of an injury.

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Q.  What do Flight Attendants do during the flight?  I know this depends on many factors like length of flight etc., but what do you guys do after serving the cabin with meals, duty-free, cleaning up the galleys and what not?

A.  I think the focus of this question is on what we do when all the work is done, so that’s the part I’ll share with you.

Once the work is done, Flight Attendants try to stay out of the aisle so that passengers can use the lavatories and move about.  We tend to congregate in the galley (think of it as our office) because we’re out of the way, we have personal space there, and we can have personal items close at hand.

We use this time to have a meal of our own (whether provided by the airline or brought from home), a cup of coffee, and just take a moment to get off of our feet.  We chat with one another, talk about layover plans, and visit with passengers.

While most of our bosses don’t want to hear this, we also use this time to complain about what’s happening at the airlines and not getting the tools we need to do our job.  We may flip through a magazine or read a book (again things our bosses wouldn’t want to hear).  We may work on our monthly bids (the process by which we get our work schedule), clean out our tote bag, pay bills and balance the checkbook, sneak a peak at the movie, or other things that just come under the activity of goofing off.

Of course, then we have to rally to be ready to perform the requisite descent duties.

Really — it’s pretty much the kind of things everyone does to pass the time until it’s quitting time.

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Q.  Are there height and weight restrictions for getting hired as a Flight Attendant?

A.  At one time there were very strict height and weight requirements for the job.  Of course, there were also restrictions about age, gender, and marital status, too. 

Those days are gone.  Primarily because of law suits, and court rulings that held those restrictions were discriminatory and had not bona fide relationship to performing the safety functions of the job.

To get hired today, you probably need to meet a height and weight proportionate standard.  And while I can’t give exact numbers, it’s probable that we all know what it is when we see it.

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Q.  What do you do on layovers?

A.  It depends, of course, on the destination and the length of time of the layover.  Here are some typical choices:

• Slam Click.  Slamming the hotel door, clicking the lock, and enjoying time alone in the room, away from people.  It’s time to read, sleep, watch television, relax, blog, whatever.
• Go out with co-workers.  If I’m flying with friends or other fun people, it’s a great time to share a favorite place or to discover a new one.
• Meet up with friends.  Whether it’s friends who live where I’m traveling, or who may be traveling to a destination themselves, it’s always fun to connect.  Sharing experiences with friends and loved ones always makes for an enjoyable layover.
• Wander by myself.  Sometimes I enjoy exploring a city all by myself.  It’s occasionally nice not to have to accommodate other people and their preferences and time schedules and just be selfish.
• Shop.  I’m a girl.  It’s in my DNA.  Nothing more to say.
• Walk, bike, hike, swim.  A little physical activity is good for the soul.  And for the body.
• Lay on the beach.  Or by the pool, or on the balcony of the room or where ever I can grab a little sun.  Even better if it’s a peaceful location.
• Eat and drink.  I love discovering fun places to eat and drink.  Whether it’s a restaurant, a picnic, or just sitting and watching the sunset with good conversation, one of the joys of life is food and friends.

Basically, the things that I do on a layover are the same kinds of things that any business traveler does — enjoy our personal time.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re traveling?  I’m always looking for new ideas on how to make the most of time on the road.

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Q.  Why is the Flight Attendant safety manual I’ve seen them carrying so big?

A.  The Flight Attendant Manual (FAM) is our “bible” containing information regarding the various aircraft we work on, the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR’s), company policies, first aid information, service guidelines and policies, emergency procedures, and a variety of other things that vary from airline to airline.

The FAM is our reference guide.  The place we go to look up something that we don’t remember, or to double check on a policy or procedure.  It’s big because there’s so much in it.

By the way, the FAM is a private and secured document, so it is not something that is shown to passengers or anyone who hasn’t been qualified to see it.  When customers say “show me the rule that says that” we are not going to dig out the FAM to show them. 

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Q.  How early do you have to check in for your flight?

A.  While it varies from carrier to carrier, and is usually a negotiated part of the collective bargaining agreement, most Flight Attendants are required to check in one hour before the scheduled departure of their first flight of the day.  Flight Attendants usually have a special crew area at the airport where they check in, review any current bulletins and company information, and take care of other employee duties.

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Q.  Have you ever dated a pilot?  Isn’t that pretty common?

A.  No. 

I don’t know that the pilot/flight attendant dating scene is any different than any other work environment.  Sure, it happens – both short and long term, but probably no more than lawyers dating lawyers, or teachers dating other teachers, or geeks dating other geeks.

I know that people think it is far more interesting and clandestine.  But it’s not.

Is there some question about the life of a Flight Attendant that you’ve always wanted to know about?  Email me directly, or leave your question in the comments and I’ll answer it in a future Flight Attendant Friday.

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Q:  Do you get airsick?

A:  Remarkably, no.  I say “remarkably” because I do get car sick. 

I don’t recall having this problem as a child, so I’m not sure when it started happening.  While it doesn’t happen all the time, and it hasn’t been a problem on the last few car trips I’ve taken, I’ve been fortunate that the problem has not carried over to the airplane.

There have been a couple of times when I’ve been sick on the plane, and there is truly nothing worse, but it was never a result of motion sickness.

I’ve flown with people who have problems with airsickness, and after a few months, they seem to “grow out of it.”  I’m not sure if it’s a matter of acclimation, mind over matter, or medication, but I don’t think I’ve seen it continue for much longer than that.  The occasional flyer, however, likely has a harder time overcoming it.

Photo credit:  flickr

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