EAST FA's

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Im blessed by the mishaps of prior management.

I thought all the people who had "other" things to do had left by now.
OK, this is why you want this job for a long period of time.

-You become addicted to the lifestyle. It begins when you are younger. I was once 25 and I can hold my own still.

-You meet girls/guys. I have been married to 2 beautiful women over the years(seperatly?).

-It is incredibly easy work-the hardest part is getting to work. When I first was hired by another airline I remember telling them it is "better than digging a ditch with a bunch of sweaty guys".


Hey-those lawyer ,accountant, wallmart greeter(no offense)wannabes should explore their options. It's not so easy on the other side. I've heard this from returning F/As who have tried a new career. Undoubtedly,some have progressed on to bigger and better things(ex.PitBull).
For those of us who like what we do and are not ashamed of it(unlike some, who seem to imply with the "I'm going to get a REAL job." Please, get that real job.
To each thier own. It suits some better than others. Someone once told me that PIT had been "defreaked".
I thought this airline had been defreaked by now.

We were once your age and we liked it-you will too.

 

[700IAM]

Your longevity is no longer admired, it's despised.

only stating opinions.

==================================================

I see this as well where I am at. Old farts that look 85 sticking around and doing 50 percent at best of what the younger workers are. They are afraid to retire believing they will die. IMO they already are dead.

And yes they as despised, actually hated is a better term.

Personally I don’t care if they work until they drop but to me it’s extremely foolish especially when many of them have over a million dollars in their retirement fund, yes a million real dollars, plus life does end and working that long means your retirement years will be very short.

Funny watching your fellow man and how insane they behave, especially airlines workers who have had their psyche twisted and contorted by CEO’s taking everything and awarding themselves ransoms at every employee’s expense.

 

[EMBFA]

Hmm. Well and good, sure there's the ones that still enjoy it, do a great job, and are an asset to thier customers and co-workers. But I'm sorry to say there are also those who passionatly hate the job and either think they are too stupid or are too stupid to do anything else. These are the types who never saved a dime even when times were good. Sadly they seem to be the ones who stuck around while alot of the great ones left.

We all know that there are lots of people out there who are surly and lazy to the point of comedy. Flight attending has always been an unsupervised job, and US especially in the last few years does not hold anyone accountable for service. These folks never developed even basic customer service skills, because they never had to. And flame away, but there is no way in hell that some of these people are going to be opening doors and evacuating anyone. Again, no expectations, no accountability- where else can you find that. And work as much or as little as you want, why wouldn't they hang onto it.

Alot of those people act like they are stuck, although you are never really stuck. Presented the right way years of F/A experience can be a very marketable asset. Face it, it doesn't take much to make even the topped out scale doing something else, without having to even leave your city. However, whether you work for yourself or someone else, you'll be expected to perform. More will be expected of you than showing up and copying the answers in a book and sitting through, oh my god, ONE day of training a year. They aren't ready for that so they'll stay and attempt to make everyone elses life as miserable as thier own.

I just flew with one of these, and in all honesty, she should have just been taken to the vet and put down. I love complaining and venting in moderation but not ALLLLL DAAAY. We were all over her by the first leg. Her life is awful, she can't afford to live at top of scale, but only flies 40 hours a month, she tells us $21 an hour F/As. The commute is awful, the company put RJs on her route apparently not realizing that there are non-revs unable to get on! Our insurance is terrible and doctors are stupid so she must work out of the back and serve only four rows because her back hurts. She cant SAP or TWOP or MOP the floor or whatever and this is apparently quite a hardship, she tells my friend (who is a single mom on reserve and was quick called for the trip at 430 am). The company is "bothering" her to attend training she was expected to complete months ago. The hotel in somewhere in Europe barely spits out air conditioning and she cant sleep. After awhile we were just ignoring her while she droned on and on and on... then she sees a friend of hers on the jetway and we overhear her saying shes got at least another 15 years... we all just looked at each other...

 

[SKY HIGH]

Hmm. Well and good, sure there's the ones that still enjoy it, do a great job, and are an asset to thier customers and co-workers. But I'm sorry to say there are also those who passionatly hate the job and either think they are too stupid or are too stupid to do anything else. These are the types who never saved a dime even when times were good. Sadly they seem to be the ones who stuck around while alot of the great ones left.

.......then she sees a friend of hers on the jetway and we overhear her saying shes got at least another 15 years... we all just looked at each other...

sky high states: Shouldnt you include yourself in this statement? EMBFA. In your short, 8 years here, you have been dumped on, sold down the river with MDA, and yet you stay. WHY?????? I'm NOT implying that your one of those bitter F/A's, but there is a growing number of F/A's who DISLIKE WHO THEY WORK FOR, but still LOVE/LIKE the job. That's my impression from you.
Arent we all complaining these days? Have YOU had a day that's gone smooth lately? I dont know about you but most of my trips are filled with drama, late departures/arrivals, highly stressed people with connections, a sea of carry on's........you know the drill. I'm literally wiped out by the time I get to the hotel or home. It's been a ritual for years to vent on the hotel van. No one's venting at each other (most of the time), we're venting to each other, BECAUSE that's who understands what we've dealt with throughout the day!!!! That short ride to the hotel allows us to get it out of our system.....get a good night sleep (hopefully) and face the next day with a better attitude (most of us).

Until this company is better run, labor issues solved, customers will NOT be the only people who have the RIGHT TO COMPLAIN.


ONLY stating opinions

 

[EMBFA]

I'd never include myself in that group. Yes I dislike who I work for but would never share that with a passenger. I love being a F/A and do my best with the limited tools I'm given. My dad always says if you're going to do something do it as good as you can or don't bother, and I'm a damm good stewardess!

Here's the difference. I have choices, or rather I KNOW that I have choices. I have another source of income. I have other things I enjoy, and skills and education that could be used elsewhere. I don't feel I'm 'stuck' with this career- rather I think it is stuck with me because despite all the drama (maybe because of lol?) I really love it.

Again- your never stuck. I'm obviously here because I want to be for my own reasons. Might not be much longer, it's a big decision right now because I really do enjoy it, but without some fundamental changes it will not be feasible much longer. Hoping for and trying to affect the best.

I complain, but honestly, mostly on here... and hopefully with a sense of humor most of the time. And there's usually a point behind it, in hopes of inspiring change. It may be stretching, but this is a pretty widely viewed forum and can be influential. My non-airline friends (which are important to have) have no time to hear complaints about my job of going on vacation and getting paid for it. My airline friends and I #### but we still see positives and have fun with it, otherwise why bother? And the bad things we try to change or at least fight, which is different than idle griping.

I'm all about a good #### session in the van, armchair CEO in the galley, or roundtable OPR debate. Like most of us are. Its healthy.

This chick was beyond. It was a 75 trip, two reserves, this wet rag, and a blockholder senior to her. We were all over her. She was nonstop from beginning to end with passengers, the crew, whoever was in earshot. We saw her talking at Cibo and assumed she was probably telling the Cibo girl how she couldnt SAP or maybe talking about cancer, who knows. You could have told this lady she won the lottery and she'd moan about the taxes. ANYTHING even remotely positive, no matter what it was about, generated a flowing river of negativity from her mouth. It was really as if she was physically incapable of humor or joy, and this was the sole fault of the company. She didn't speak of any relatives or friends, so maybe this is it for her. She didnt seem to have anything else but this job and that is very very sad. I know you've flown with people like this. We can't pretend there are not people who should go, at every seniority. They would be much happier if they moved on, or realized that they can.

 

[SKY HIGH]

and I'm a damm good stewardess!

sky high states: <high five> I butted heads with you months ago because you gave me the impression that you were all about denigrating the profession/coworkers. The above comment/s have earned you my respect. I, finally, see my values, in your statement. (understand?)

I owe you an apology...sincerely.


only stating opinions

 

[IMisstheAladdinTrays]

sky high states: <high five> I butted heads with you months ago because you gave me the impression that you were all about denigrating the profession/coworkers. The above comment/s have earned you my respect. I, finally, see my values, in your statement. (understand?)

I owe you an apology...sincerely.
only stating opinions

Well, that was sweet!

 

[songbirdstew]

You could have told this lady she won the lottery and she'd moan about the taxes. ANYTHING even remotely positive, no matter what it was about, generated a flowing river of negativity from her mouth. It was really as if she was physically incapable of humor or joy, and this was the sole fault of the company. She didn't speak of any relatives or friends, so maybe this is it for her. She didnt seem to have anything else but this job and that is very very sad. I know you've flown with people like this. We can't pretend there are not people who should go, at every seniority. They would be much happier if they moved on, or realized that they can.

Wow...are you compassionate---NOT. This job can be a very lonely place for some who have made it their world. In addition ,there are people here that hate it but do not have the confidence to do something else. You know, depending on where she commutes from, there may not be good paying jobs available. She may have to stay here because she never got a formal education other than high school. She may need to stay here because she needs the flying benefits to go visit her ailing mother. So, she complained a lot---we all have days like that, heck we all have months/years like that especially as we keep getting knocked down by management decision after management decision. I know you just came on here to vent and I have felt the same as you about the person you described but give her a break. never judge someone else unless you are walking in their shoes or by their side.
Heck maybe she keeps this job because she wouldn't want to work in an office all the time with the same people. Maybe she works here so she only has to spend 1-2-3-4 day trip with someone with no compassion like you.

 

[safety stud]

Wow...are you compassionate---NOT. This job can be a very lonely place for some who have made it their world. In addition ,there are people here that hate it but do not have the confidence to do something else. You know, depending on where she commutes from, there may not be good paying jobs available. She may have to stay here because she never got a formal education other than high school. She may need to stay here because she needs the flying benefits to go visit her ailing mother. So, she complained a lot---we all have days like that, heck we all have months/years like that especially as we keep getting knocked down by management decision after management decision. I know you just came on here to vent and I have felt the same as you about the person you described but give her a break. never judge someone else unless you are walking in their shoes or by their side.
Heck maybe she keeps this job because she wouldn't want to work in an office all the time with the same people. Maybe she works here so she only has to spend 1-2-3-4 day trip with someone with no compassion like you.

Well said songbird...
I second that emotion...

Just my opinion

 

[beachboy]

"She cant SAP or TWOP or MOP the floor or whatever and this is apparently quite a hardship, she tells my friend (who is a single mom on reserve and was quick called for the trip at 430 am). The company is "bothering" her to attend training she was expected to complete months ago."

How come the blockholders get all the cute acronyms? Let see what Carol got us reserves? Instead of SAP we got SOL.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Not a F/A, but haven't seen one factor mentioned - the DB pension turned over to the PBGC. A F/A "retiring" before a certain age (50 for pilots, don't know about other groups) won't get a dime from the PBGC. It's not a fortune, but worth hanging around for.

Jim

 

[safety stud]

Not a F/A, but haven't seen one factor mentioned - the DB pension turned over to the PBGC. A F/A "retiring" before a certain age (50 for pilots, don't know about other groups) won't get a dime from the PBGC. It's not a fortune, but worth hanging around for.

Jim

It' 55 for F/A's, and yes it's worth hanging around for. Also...If you love this job and want to stick around till say 67 and 8 months you can triple dip.

Full Pension, Full Social Security, and a nice paycheck from LCC.

Not bad when you add it all up...

Just my opinion...

 

[BoeingBoy]

Full Pension, Full Social Security, and a nice paycheck from LCC.

Not bad when you add it all up...

Absolutely - I didn't mean to imply (and hope I didn't) that F/A's were hanging around only long enough to get the PBGC check. The reasons people remain are as varied as the people themselves.

Jim

 

[SKY HIGH]

If you love this job and want to stick around till say 67 and 8 months you can triple dip.

sky high states: OMG, age 67? I dont think I'll be able to get my walker down the aisle. <EG>.....much else SEE OVER THE STEERING WHEEL on the way to work===> http://youtube.com/watch?v=mvXhj0WFloM

.......and, dont cut me OFF!


only stating opinions

 

[flyguy121]

This chick was beyond. It was a 75 trip, two reserves, this wet rag, and a blockholder senior to her. We were all over her. She was nonstop from beginning to end with passengers, the crew, whoever was in earshot. We saw her talking at Cibo and assumed she was probably telling the Cibo girl how she couldnt SAP or maybe talking about cancer, who knows. You could have told this lady she won the lottery and she'd moan about the taxes. ANYTHING even remotely positive, no matter what it was about, generated a flowing river of negativity from her mouth. It was really as if she was physically incapable of humor or joy, and this was the sole fault of the company. She didn't speak of any relatives or friends, so maybe this is it for her. She didnt seem to have anything else but this job and that is very very sad. I know you've flown with people like this. We can't pretend there are not people who should go, at every seniority. They would be much happier if they moved on, or realized that they can.

EMBFA -

Sounds like Debbie Downer! Were you flying with this woman by any chance?



Waahhh... Waaaahhhhhhhh......

"You're enjoying your day
Everything's going your way
Then along comes Debbie Downer.

Always there to tell you 'bout a new disease
A car accident or killer bees
You'll beg her to spare you, "Debbie, Please!"
But you can't stop Debbie Downer!"