Well said Sharonstoneseat...
WCT, thank you for your post as well. I've met some great west crews, and have some east friends that are in PHX now. I've had a fair bit of interaction with west crews in lobbies, vans, bars etc. It varies as much as interaction with crews from other airlines.
The major difference I see, and this is generalizing, is experience. I've overheard west F/As rolling their eyes and claiming the east F/As are bitter. Have you ever talked to any of them? Sit down with one. If you talk to someone around my seniority you'd probably be shocked at what we've endured. Have you ever been furloughed? Displaced? Worked for the company while they claimed you didn't? That's folks with less than ten years. How about PSA flight attendants? Imagine if PHX and LAS were shuttered tomorrow. What would you do? Have you ever been ready to strike? How many aircraft types have you worked? I can count fourteen. How many bases have you been in, how many unexpected moves or commutes have you been through? How many years have you put in? We range from 7 years minimum to 50.
The "get used to it" to "learn to change" comments don't do much for the already smaller and less protected west F/As. In fact, it portrays extreme ignorance. With all due respect, if any of us had wanted to work for America West, we would have applied. The high turnover means they were always hiring. Depending on the generation, we expected to work for a major airline. We once considered the other majors our peers, not the Spirits or AirTrans of the industry. This way of operating is just not something we will get used to or can have any pride in. Please don't put us down for wanting and fighting for better. I've outlasted three CEOs and will probably outlast this one. My co-workers have outlasted countless managements. We know this ugly phase will pass too. We have been through more changes than Joan Rivers' face, and that is something to be respected.
Talk to us. We might be sharing a contract and a galley. We can learn from each other. Just don't come in with an attitude that you somehow 'saved' us or that we need to lower our standards. Alot of the things we are loud about, be it a contract item or a cart set-up, come from 70 years of experience and countless mergers. This isn't our first time at the rodeo... we know how to work together, and know what works for what we do. That doesn't mean we can't learn from you as well... allow yourselves to integrate into the larger group bringing your knowlege, and join us in aspiring to a higher standard, not a lower one.
