Continue reading Galley Gossip: Why flight attendants might not open an emergency exit during an evacuation

Galley Gossip: Why flight attendants might not open an emergency exit during an evacuation originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Improve your travel with Bruce Lee

Galley Gossip: Improve your travel with Bruce Lee originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I've been offered a position as a flight attendant. Training hasn't started yet, but I'm freaking out a little. Should I back out? It seems like a fun and exciting job, but the pay is $20/hour with only a 79-hour guarantee of work per month. The first year I would have to be on reserve and would need to live within 20 minutes of the airport. A one bedroom/studio within 30 minutes of the airport averages $1400-$1800 per month! We were told that during our six weeks of training we will be paid $1400, which will be prorated. Huh? How do flight attendants afford to pay for rent and living expenses? I am trying to calculate it and there is no way to make ends meet...even with a roommate! What do you suggest to those of us who have not started? Should we turn around and run for the hills? - Cold Feet

Dear Cold Feet,

I've said it before and I'll say it again, no one becomes a flight attendant for the money! This is why the majority of new flight attendants are either right out of college or looking to make a career change after the kids are grown and out of the house. While $20 an hour may look good on paper, the reality is it doesn't add up to much, not when we're only paid for flight hours. That's strictly time spent in the air. And with so many FAA regulations limiting us to the number of hours and days in a row we can work, most of us average between 80-90 hours a month. Keep in mind flight time does not include boarding, deplaning, delays, scheduled sit time between flights and layovers away from home, even though we're on company time. However we are paid a per diem from sign-in to the time we arrive back to base. It's less than two-dollars an hour.

You've been offered $20 an hour with a 79 hour guarantee. That's roughly $18,000 a year. It's more than most first year flight attendants get paid. The average flight attendant makes between $14,000-$18,000 the first year on the job. Each year we're offered a standard raise. Flight attendants who work international routes, speak a second language, work high time (over 100 hours) and have seniority with a major carrier have the potential to earn up to $80,000 a year, if not more, but this is rare. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Median annual wages of flight attendants were $35,930 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $28,420 and $49,910. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,580, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $65,350."

Continue reading Galley Gossip: How do flight attendants survive on such a small salary?

Galley Gossip: How do flight attendants survive on such a small salary? originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Flight attendant haunted layover hotel ghost stories (and a haunted plane!)

Galley Gossip: Flight attendant haunted layover hotel ghost stories (and a haunted plane!) originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dear Heather, I have to share this with you. I'm a pilot and I was sexually harassed last night. While jump-seating home, the lead flight attendant calls the cockpit and says a passenger thinks one of the flaps is out of position. The captain sends me back to check the wings. I squeeze into the fully occupied exit row to peer out the window. While looking out the window, a female passenger sitting in the middle seat puts her hands on my butt. Her friend then shouts, "Woo, get some!" Passengers nearby all start laughing. Anyway, turns out what the initial passenger saw and thought was a problem were the outboard ailerons on the wings of the Super 80. One was up and the other was down. This is normal while on the ground. Anyway, I returned to the cockpit and told the pilots what just happened and we all had a good laugh. I should mention the Captain was female! Thought you'd find it funny! - Bob (the singing pilot)

My first thought when I read Bob's letter was, wow! What kind of person places their hands on a pilot's you-know-what and yells out, "Woo, get some!"

Just to be fair, later on I found myself yelling out the exact same phrase several times throughout the course of my day. I couldn't help it! And each time my voice become lower and before I knew it I had developed a very southern accent, kind of like that famous redneck comedian I can't remember the name of. Next thing I knew I was visualizing it, only it was I who slapped the pilots, and even a few lucky passengers, as I passed them in the terminal dressed in navy blue with my black bags rolling behind me. Mmm hmm, get it girl!

PLEASE NOTE: I would NEVER do something like that in real life!

Now back to Bob.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Pilot sexually harassed by a passenger!

Galley Gossip: Pilot sexually harassed by a passenger! originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Elbow attacks and armrest wars (the battle continues)

Galley Gossip: Elbow attacks and armrest wars (the battle continues) originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dear Heather, I am hoping to become a flight attendant soon (have a face to face interview next week!) and have a question about reserve status. I speak Japanese fluently and was wondering how different things are for flight attendants who speak a different language. Are they on reserve for the same amount of time? Is anything different? - Natasha

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Flight attendant interview - The pros and cons of speaking a second language and how it affects reserve

Galley Gossip: Flight attendant interview - The pros and cons of speaking a second language and how it affects reserve originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dear Project Runway Producers,

Have I got a challenge for you! With the premiere of the new television show Pan Am airing September 25th on ABC, there's been a lot of talk about airlines in the news lately. One can't help but compare stewardesses of yesterday to flight attendants today, and yet the job rarely resembles what it once was so many years ago. Long gone are the days of glamour when stewardesses had strict age, weight and height requirements, and only averaged 18 months on the job. Nowadays flight attendants are allowed to be married, grow old, and gain weight - just like the rest of society!

Image is important to an airline. This is why most airlines have established very strict grooming standards flight attendants must abide by. I've been told passengers have more confidence in an airline when its employees look good. That makes sense considering when I look good, I feel good, and that in turn has a positive affect on passengers. But in America we come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors, opposed to our foreign counterparts who are hired because they are a specific size, shape and color. This is why it's more difficult for US carriers to design a uniform that looks good on everyone.

Since 9/11 airlines have had to reduce expenses to stay in business. I've been working as a flight attendant for sixteen years, so I've experienced first hand just how much travel has changed in the last decade. Food was the first thing to go, followed by magazines, pillows and blankets. Even a few colleagues and a couple of airlines disappeared. This might explain why our polyester uniforms are no longer quite as impressive as they once were when air travel was considered a luxury and only the wealthy could afford to fly. Needless to say our uniforms have to be cheap enough to outfit tens of thousands of employees.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: A letter to the producers of Project Runway regarding flight attendant uniforms

Galley Gossip: A letter to the producers of Project Runway regarding flight attendant uniforms originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dear Heather, Today I heard an announcement in-flight I'd never heard before and was wondering if you make it often, or ever. After serving drinks, it got a little turbulent and the flight attendants had to sit down. A few minutes later the purser came on and said, "if you're having trouble controlling your drinks, please just dump them on the floor." WHAT? And waste all this good wine, I thought. I just chugged mine and it was not an issue, but wondered if anyone poured theirs on the floor. What do you think of this? - Frequent Flying Ron

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Is it okay for passengers to dump their drinks on the floor during turbulence?

Galley Gossip: Is it okay for passengers to dump their drinks on the floor during turbulence? originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"In this male-dominated world, in that famously openly chauvinistic culture, these women were really taking the reins and running their lives in a way most women didn't," Christina Ricci said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about her upcoming television show, Pan Am, a night time soap opera revolving around the lives of flight attendants and pilots in the 1960's. Think Mad Men at 30,000 feet.

Christina Ricci has been cast to play Maggie, a head stewardess. What's funny about this is Ricci wouldn't have been hired to be a stewardess back in the day. At five foot one, Christina is too short. Pan Am required its stewardesses to be at least five foot two and weigh no more than 130 pounds. They also couldn't be married or have children. On top of that the mandatory retirement age for flight attendants was 32. So even if Ricci had managed to squeak by Pan Am's minimum height requirement, she wouldn't have flown for long. The actress, born in February, is already 31 years old. With Pan Am scheduled to air in September, Christina only has five months to travel the world before being forced to hang up the uniform and retire. That's not enough time to establish oneself as a head stewardess for a major airline. At my airline it takes six months just to get off probation! But back in the 60's stewardesses averaged eighteen months on the job. A year and a half. By those standards, Christina Ricci would already be three-quarters of the way through with her career. Sad, but true.

Thankfully a lot has changed since 1960...

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Age, weight and height requirements for flight attendants (and why Christina Ricci could never be a Pan Am stewardess)

Galley Gossip: Age, weight and height requirements for flight attendants (and why Christina Ricci could never be a Pan Am stewardess) originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When a passenger said to me with a straight face that he had cat-like reflexes, I tried not to laugh. Only it's impossible not to laugh when a person says something like this, and actually means it. FYI: I've been around a lot of passengers and I have yet to meet one with these kind of reflexes. At least not in this day and age of distracted air travel.

How did I meet my funny feline friend? We had just touched down at La Guardia airport in New York. While taxiing to the gate, I spotted him, a business man, sitting in the aisle seat of the last row of coach with a mammoth-sized computer resting on his lap, fingers typing away.

From the back of the airplane over the roar of the engine, I called out, "Sir, excuse me, Sir! "

Either he couldn't hear me or assumed I was speaking to someone else. I unbuckled my belt and gently tapped him on the shoulder. "You're not supposed to be using that right now."

Fingers continued to peck at the keys. Eyes remained glued to the screen. "I thought we were allowed to use electronic devices after landing."

"It's okay to use your cell phone after landing, but not a computer. That should be off and stowed."

On a mission, the fingers kept moving. "I'm....almost...done."

Almost was not soon enough.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Electronic devices & the passenger with the cat-like reflexes

Galley Gossip: Electronic devices & the passenger with the cat-like reflexes originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 05 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Scary flights. International layovers. Old flight attendants. Gay flight attendants. In that order these four topics often arise whenever someone who doesn't work for an airline finds out what I do for a living. I have no problem discussing my job. In fact I love sharing interesting stories and helpful travel tips with those who are interested. While sexual preference has nothing to do with the job, the fact is a majority of male flight attendants are not straight and people want to know why.

I've never felt comfortable writing about coworkers whom I see as colleagues and friends, not gays. But because so many people seem truly curious I asked a few flight attendants who are openly gay if they'd be willing to write something about the subject that I could print here. Without hesitation, they agreed to share their thoughts. Unfortunately I never heard back from them after our flight. So I decided to do the next best thing and contact my friend, and coworker, Brian, author of the blog Straight Guy in the Queer Skies, to hear what his thoughts were on why there are so few straight men in our profession. Here's what he wrote...

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Why are so many male flight attendants gay?

Galley Gossip: Why are so many male flight attendants gay? originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After graduating from flight attendant training, how much time will I get to go back home and take care of things before moving to my crew base? - Lorelei

Two hours after my silver wings were pinned to my blue lapel on stage in front of classmates, family and friends, I hugged and kissed my loved ones goodbye, stepped onto a bus, and headed to the airport with thirty of my classmates. Most of us boarded a flight departing to New York's LaGuardia Airport, my new crew base. It was late at night when we landed and I only had three days to find a place to live before reporting to work for the first time.

Flight attendants hired by major carriers usually have three to four days off before their first trip, but one of those days is spent touring the airport. Therefore it's very important to get all your business taken care of before you go into training because once it begins things will move swiftly.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Flight attendant training - from graduation to the first flight

Galley Gossip: Flight attendant training - from graduation to the first flight originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What do hundreds of flight attendants, thousands of under-age prostitutes and the Super Bowl all have in common? Dallas. On Sunday they're all traveling to Texas. American Airlines, American Eagle, Delta, United, and Qantas hope to help stop human traffickers from pimping out women and children by holding training sessions that will enable flight attendants volunteering their time on the ground to help spot signs of trafficking. According to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot in an article posted by Reuters, the Super Bowl is one of the biggest human trafficking events in the United States. During the previous two Super Bowls fifty girls were rescued. This year with authorities, child welfare advocates, and the airline industry all collaborating to fight under-age sex crimes, even more lives could be saved.

How did the airlines even come to be involved in human trafficking? It all started with Sandra Fiorini, an American Airlines flight attendant based in Chicago. Because of Fiorini flight attendants now know what to look for and who to call if they see something suspicious on board a flight. This after Fiorini tried to report a situation and no one responded. It involved an eighteen year-old boy on a six-hour flight carrying a newborn infant with its umbilical cord still attached. No wife. Just one bottle of milk and two diapers stuck inside his pocket. In 2007 Fiorini met Deborah Sigmund, founder of the organization Innocents at Risk, and soon they began working together with airline employees to become the first line of defense against human trafficking.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Flight attendants trained to spot human traffickers at the Super Bowl

Galley Gossip: Flight attendants trained to spot human traffickers at the Super Bowl originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Next week I'm to start flight attendant training for American Eagle. But today I got a call from Delta and they want me to go for a face to face interview two days after I'm to start training! If I go to the Delta interview, I'll forfeit American Eagle completely and won't ever be able to reapply, as this is my second chance to go to training with them. I'm giving up my good paying but burned out retail management job and changing my life to do my long lived dream job as a flight attendant. I've been waiting to get a call back for over a year due to training cancellations last year. American Eagle training is three weeks long, but doesn't pay, while Delta pays for six weeks of training. I'm afraid to give up American Eagle to go to a Delta interview and possibly not make it and then I'm out both! What should I do? - Laura

Dear Laura,

Have you tried to delay your training class with Eagle? If not, give the airline a call and see if you can push it back a few days, meaning you'd like to start in the next available training class. I'm sure they have a couple of them lined up. This way you can go to the Delta interview without forfeiting a shot at Eagle. Most airlines hire on the spot, so you'll know the day of the interview if Delta is interested or not. If they send you to "medical", congratulations, you made it! If they say they'll contact you soon, that's code for thanks but no thanks. Move on. And

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Flight attendant training - which airline to pick?

Galley Gossip: Flight attendant training - which airline to pick? originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I graduated from flight attendant training on the 8th of December in 1995. Two weeks later, on Christmas Eve, my roommate and I were called out to work a trip - together. The crew scheduling God's must have been smiling down on us that day because it's not often a flight attendant gets to work with their roommate who also happens to be their best friend on reserve. Although we were scheduled to layover in Buffalo, or maybe it was Albany (I can't remember), we knew we were lucky. By the way, that's us in the photograph.

What I remember most is glancing out the window and seeing rooftops and - Oh. My. God! - we were seconds from landing and I still had first class meal trays out in the cabin! I ran like crazy to collect everything and lock it up in the galley before we touched ground, barely making it to my jump seat in time. The Captain never made the prepare for landing PA, even though he swore he did when I called him on it later, which is why I had no idea how close we were to landing. As if that weren't stressful enough for a new-hire, things went from bad to worse (at least in my head it did) real quick.

As we taxied to the gate, I began to make an announcement, you know the one. "Ladies and gentleman, welcome to....to....to -" Oh no...where the heck are we?! For the life of me I could not remember. My brain was shot after having flown to so many cities in just two weeks on the job. With my heart pounding like crazy, I frantically searched my pockets for the flight itinerary.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: A flight attendant Christmas story

Galley Gossip: A flight attendant Christmas story originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 25 Dec 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Snow globes, gifts, packing - just a few tips for travelers this Christmas

Galley Gossip: Snow globes, gifts, packing - just a few tips for travelers this Christmas originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Gifts for flight attendants (and travelers)

Galley Gossip: Gifts for flight attendants (and travelers) originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The following video was created for parents traveling with small kids who might be a little nervous about subjecting their children to the new TSA procedures. Regardless of how you may feel about the new enhanced security measures, there's no need for children to be scared. My son will explain to them what a pat down is and even share a few tips. But first a few things the TSA would like you to know about going through airport security with children...

• TSA will screen everyone, regardless of age, including babies.
• NEVER leave babies in an infant carrier while it goes through the X-ray.
• All children must be removed from strollers and slings when passing through the machine.
• All children's items must go through the X-ray; diaper bags, toys, strollers, slings, etc.
• If any of your items do not fit through the X-ray, a TSA officer will physically and visually inspect it.
• If your child can walk through the metal detector unassisted, TSA recommends you and your child walk through separately.
• Do not pass your baby to a TSA officer to hold as you walk through the X-ray machine.
• If you choose to carry a child through and the alarm sounds, TSA will check both of you.
• Medication, baby formula, food and breast milk, and juice are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding 3.4 ounces, and are not required to be in a zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint.
• Children under 12 who require extra screening will be subjected to a "modified" pat down. It's less intrusive than what an adult might receive.
• Click the link for information regarding children travelers with special needs or medical conditions.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Four year-old kid discusses airport security & TSA pat downs

Galley Gossip: Four year-old kid discusses airport security & TSA pat downs originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

My name is Stephanie and I am thinking of becoming a flight attendant. My only concern is my two boys ages 5 and almost 2. How can I have time to be a mom and work? I love to travel and I hear benefits are good. Can I work flights after bedtime? But when will I come back?

The most difficult thing for a flight attendant, Stephanie, is being flexible in terms of scheduling. Making long term plans is next to impossible when you never know what you'll be working month to month - or even day to day if you're on reserve! Even if you are able to hold a schedule, that schedule can always change at the last minute and the only thing you can do about it is continue on with the trip or quit! Keep in mind if you do quit mid-sequence, you'll have to figure out how to get home as you'll no longer have travel benefits.

Two years ago I had a trip that was scheduled to land on Christmas Eve. With thirteen years as a flight attendant, I was finally able to hold Christmas off! I couldn't believe my luck. But on Christmas Eve the final leg of our trip canceled. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the entire crew got reassigned, which meant none of us would make it back in time to celebrate the holiday! I wound up in Toronto at an airport hotel when I should have been at home with my family eating turkey and dressing like everyone else.

Unless you have an amazing support system twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for the kids, this may not be the job for you - at least not right now! It's why so many flight attendants start working at an early age or later on in life after the kids are grown. Trust me it ain't easy juggling the job with family, especially when you're brand spankin new with little to no seniority.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Can a mother of two young kids become a flight attendant?

Galley Gossip: Can a mother of two young kids become a flight attendant? originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.