Heather, The recent incident at Continental in which all passengers got off the plane in spite of the fact that there was fire in the cabin attests to the superior quality of flight attendant preparedness and ability. I, quite frankly, prefer getting off a burning airplane to the availability of playing cards and gourmet food. It should also be noted that the coach and premium seated passengers were evacuated equally, and that the flight attendants were responsible for the passengers' continued lifespan.

Without minimizing the proficiency of the "stewardesses" of yesteryear, I seriously doubt that their training would have prepared them to effectively rescue passengers on today's crowded planes or to deal with the threats to our safety by terrorists.

I applaud you and your fellow flight attendants, and wish you all a happy, productive, employed, and above all, safe new year.

Reply