I am constantly reading all the other great travel posts, both for information and inspiration.  Sometimes, these posts expose me to new places or things that I put down on my must-see list.  Other times, they convey the emotions of travel, a destination, or experience.  Sometimes they’re fun and just downright silly.
Whatever the reasons a post catches my eye, it makes me feel part of a very special group of people – travel bloggers.
Here are some great reads from this past week:
My Bella Vita explains her theory on how to learn Italian – an entire month without speaking anything but …read more

When someone that I meet finds out that I’m a Flight Attendant, there often follows a discussion about how much that person, their daughter, sister, neighbor has always wanted to be one, too.  And shortly after that, I get asked how they should go about getting the job.
In today’s economic times, with airlines cutting back routes and furloughing employees, it’s often hard to get excited about entering an industry that has such a tough road ahead of it.  Which all leads to today’s question —
Q.  Are any airlines hiring?
A.  Remarkably, yes.
The only major carrier that is hiring is Continental, …read more

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a Flight Attendant Friday.  Sometimes questions come in fast and furious, and other times it’s pretty sparse in between. 
The question today, though, is one that I’ve gotten asked a lot over these past few weeks. 
Q.  Are any airlines hiring Flight Attendants right now?
A.  Not that I know of.  Most of the major carriers, and many of the regional and commuter airlines has furloughed Flight Attendants.  Furlough means layoff. 
Everyone is trying to ride out what looks like a very bumpy year, and that means cutting back on routes.  When you cut …read more

I am frequently asked what Flight Attendant training is like, so today I’ll give you a little peek at what goes on.  There are variations among the different airlines, but this is generally what happens.
Depending on the company, training usually lasts 4-6 weeks.  It includes classroom and hands on training, and may be at a variety of odd hours of the day or night.  Classroom training usually occurs during business hours, but time spent on the plane has to be scheduled when the plane isn’t flying – and that’s often in the middle of the night.
Most training starts of …read more

With my hectic schedule the past few weeks, I’ve neglected to answer some reader emails.  And I have lots of questions waiting.
Today’s questions comes from Ariana:
 
Q.  How many hours do you work each day?  How many flights?
A.  The work day of a Flight Attendant is set by the contract they work under, having been negotiated by the Flight Attendants (or the union representing them) and the airline. 
It typically begins one hour prior to the scheduled departure of the first flight of the day, and ends one half hour after the aircraft arrives at the crew’s final destination for …read more

It is not really like this at work:
 

 
 
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Q.  What do you do when you have a delay and are stuck at an airport?
A.  What a great question!
No one likes a delay, least of all your flight crew, but they are rarely within our control.  So, we’re pretty much in the same boat as everyone else.
What I do depends on when the delay occurs.
If we’re already boarded and ready to go, we hang out along with you guys.  Generally speaking, in this situation the delay is what we call a “creeping delay.”  This means that every ten minutes or so we’re supposed to get an update.  It …read more

Q.  I know that Flight Attendants hate it when passengers ring the call button.  But is there a time when it’s okay to use it?  It’s there, after all.
 
A.  Yeah, the ringing call button can really be an annoyance to us, and it’s for a couple of reasons.
Most important of all, however, is that if you have an emergency, use it.  Do not hesitate!
That said, there are differing opinions about what constitutes an emergency.
During certain phases of flight, specifically the take off and landing sequence, emergency should be interpreted very strictly.  This is a time when we are buckled …read more

There’s a lot of humor in our jobs as Flight Attendants, and most of us enjoy a good comedy routine about what it’s like working in the skies.
One entertainer who has captured the humor of our job is Pam Ann, a character created by Australian comedian Caroline Reid.  Pam Ann, a twist on the name of former airline Pan Am, is part drag routine and part campy humor with a bit of glamour thrown in for good measure.  Her routines play on the stereotypes of airlines, Flight Attendants, and some of the quirkiness of various airline cultures. 
Although much of the …read more

Welcome Aboard Toxic Airlines, a new documentary film by Tristan Loraine, a former British Airways captain, attempts to shed light on serious health and safety concerns from being exposed to unfiltered cabin air.
And who’s to blame?
According to the filmmaker – the airlines – who failed to inform travelers of these problems, despite repeated incidents of passenger and crew exposure to toxic fumes.  In other words, they knew about it and did nothing.

Captain Loraine interviews pilots, Flight Attendants, and passengers, who all share their experiences and incapacitation from toxic exposures.  That’s followed by doctors and scientists who attempt to explain …read more