Held Hostage in an US AIRWAYS Fortress Hub (Comedy)

YVINTERN

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Jun 28, 2007
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The Potomac
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Okay - - here's the disclaimer - - LONG POST - it was a long night. I am letting Intern post this so that I don't get fired for this insane rant. Also, this doesnt happen EVERY time, and I am NOT making generalizations about ANY department. I am ranting. Get over it. Dont read it. Whatever.
HEEERES a day in the life..
420pm - - get to the bus stop - - I barely missed the last of three buses running a few yards apart. barely clock in on time at 458 :shock:
500 bust into the international breakroom only to be greeted by some weird fishy smell coming from the microwave - - the breakroom is like 10 X 10 for like 30 people. And everyone's food stinks.
The briefing is going on - - and the shift manager is glaring at me because I interrupted the "on time every time" briefing. I walked in on the part where they said unless the ramp is loading bags. Then we still let pax on. I know the ramp has been told if the agents have people, keep loading the bags.
And if the tower calls, then we can hold it for connections. Or MTC. Or Pos Bag Match.. Or, Or, Or.
I am about to point out the irony to my coworker, but a supervisor asks me if I can go meet XXX international inbound.
Sure. Where is it?
It's in range.
Okay, what gate? X13 :up:
I go to X13 and there's a freaking plane sitting there staring at me. Damn you, ACARS! I go down , get the doors converted to international and run to pull the bridge up. The bridge is totally jacked up and the wheels are opposite of what the guage says. There are buttons missing. I speed the bridge up and line it up with the door, which is already halfway open and the bridge is still 3 feet away.
I have to readjust. :censored: !!! The ramp just pulled ground power!! WAIT!! WAIT!! Now the jetway won't work.
Door is still halfway open, I can already tell I'm going to be greeted with love.
I yell at the ramp, but they cant hear me. I call the tower, and ask them to reconnect. two agonizing minutes later someone reconnects it. I pull the bridge the rest of the way.
FA is clearly pissed, I ask her about wheelchairs and she says no, just a LOT of really tight connections who would have appreciated a waiting jetbridge.
The words come like a pile of bricks, but no time to feel bad, the passengers want the :censored: up out of that plane like yesterday!!
As the plane is almost completely deplaned , I try to apologize , I was just told when I walked in to come get it - - I dont know who was supposed to meet it, but they don't care, they snatch the vessel report and go down to customs together.
They all talk to each other and not one tells me goodbye, hello, see you, all I get from the last guy, a flight attendant, is that it's clear.
I go onboard to make sure it's empty and clear it so that I can convert to domestics again. I go up the jetbridge and the crew for the domestic outbound wants onboard the aircraft.
It just got here from XXX. It hasnt cleared.
Well, when can we go down?
Their departure is in 40 minutes and because of the late arrival there is no way it's going out on time. It's going to Fort Lauderdale. It's oversold. :censored: it's 625!! I'm supposed to be working FRA!!
I hightail it over to that gate where the shift manager wants to know where I have been.
Meeting XXX on X13 like I was told.
You werent scheduled to meet that flight, you were scheduled here to work this flight. You should have taken the initiative to point that out.
OW!! Everyone hates me today!
Manager walks off and lets those sweet nothings linger while I scramble to get in place to check in the flt.

We have to check documents prior to boarding because it helps us board faster and catch passport problems early on and cut down on fines. however, if one person makes a mistake on the document verification, the entire staff on that flight gets written up. Even though it is impossible to check behind every-single-pax that every-other-agent on the flight has checked in.
None of the passengers want to check in again. Here comes the crew!! Did we block the back row for you? It's oversold. No, I'm sorry I couldn't. No okay. No nothing. No response. (again, not generalizing...)
Yes. The paperwork is already down.
Here comes some more crew. Half of them don't match the gendecs.
Can I see your ID please? No, really. I'm sorry that pisses you off, but can you just please?
Wow, you really shove that lanyard at me with such gusto!!
No, Im sorry, we couldnt block the last row. I know. I'm sorry. Oversold.
(make checkin announcement in english and then german)
four people respond
18 other people show up because they want free upgrades or the bulkhead or the bassinet seat. Or the seat next to them empty. Or a pony. Or a million dollars.
Can't, full. I'm sorry
Can't, full.
Can't, full. I'm really sorry.
Yeah you are. (how rude!)
Thank you, have a nice flight.
We start boarding about ten minutes late, but everyone tries to shove through the door at the same time and most of them don't have the stamp saying they have checked in. They throw hissyfits and say we stupid Americans have stupid policies. They toss their passport across at me and want to know why they have to show it so much. They say things in another language to each other.
Even though we've been making these announcements for two hours. I do not sprecken ze deutsch. But I know the announcements. So I make them. It helps, but you always get the confused ones who start spreckening ze deutsch all over the place and I helplessly look at them because I haven't memorized how to say "I only make announcements". Last time I asked, someone tricked me into saying that I was a can of soda.
Ha ha! Stupid American!! Stupid American who just tried to help hides behind the door when she makes announcements in other languages now.

All the pax that were in the club come to board. They werent told they have to check in. Now they are at the end of the line to check in. They're livid when they get to me. The club didn't tell them.
I specifically told the club three times, but it doesn't matter so I apologize and quickly process them.
You can board now.
Are you sure? You don't need a blood sample?
Uh, no, you're good.
Flight leaves, barely on time because some pax forgot what time it was, and strolled up as we were frantically trying to find the bags to pull.
**This similar situation has happened before, only to end up in 1) MX or 2) crew demanding an open seat count - - twice - - and the captain insisting on lighted cones even though it was still light outside. After all demands are met - - oh guess what? You lose. WE TIME OUT!! Here come 29/259 people who can't get out for three days cuz we're O-VER-SOLD!! oh, PS, it's race week, so even though we provide a hotel , there aren't any in CLT.

Thank God that wasn't today. Today it left. Rebooked some misconnects. Passed supervisor.
HEY!! Whatcha doing right now?
I was going to eat.
I need you to meet a flight.
Ok.
Flight is met. Im starving!!
Go to the breakroom. :censored: :censored: some :censored: is cooking :censored: salmon again!!
I can't eat. I'm going to die. I'm starving and I can't eat.
The breakroom phone rings. JETWAY DRIVER ON GATE XX
Fine, I'm the only damn one in here not eating, Why the crap not?
I go meet the plane and the flight attendant very politely tells me there are 6 chairs.
6 FREAKING CHAIRS!! DAMMIT!! DAMN YOU FLORIDA!!
No wheelchairs anywhere.
I spot two across the little cul de sac at the end of the concourse, not far from my gate. I run up and snatch them.
Gate Agent Jane, you left the door open.
Oh, hi shift mgr!! I was watching it (I was!)
Yeah, well I hope we don't get fined. You're really having a hard time complying today. By the way, you need to replace your nail polish, it looks trashy chipped like that.
Great, thanks.
I deplane the flight and all of my break time is gone. No break. No food. I'm diabetic. I don't feel good.
I ask the shift manager for a break.
You have a flight in 5 minutes, you are responsible for making sure you get your break, not us.
There is NO food on my concourse.
I sadly walk over to my flight, and the crew is waiting to go down. The passengers are lined up at the counter because they dont want middle seats. Everyone is staring at me.
I let the crew down to the plane and they say they'll let me know when it's time to board. Boarding time passes. I'm working by myself, and I have a line of people, so I call the jetway. No answer. I let it ring and ring.
Nothing.
I have to walk down. I stand there for an eternity waiting to be noticed. I know they just got on. I know they just got off of like SFO or something. I know they're tired. But I really need to board because my manager is up my you know what ALREADY. He's called twice to ask why Im not boarding and why I havent documented the GFAR (yep we use that here)
They want to leave ASAP because they're tired and have to be up at 5am.

I board and board and board. All the chairmen wanna know if they got their upgrade. I say it's full. I'm sorry. Im sorry.
I pulled the tickets in a hurry and the gate reader wouldnt read them one at a time. So I pulled and decided to on them in the computer when I had a spare second, the flight needed to GO!!
I notice that many of them say flight coupon attatched and then say POC on them , which means they are usually ETKTs that just need adjusted.
Well, whoever booked these people didnt do it right because there were ten tickets that came through that wouldnt ON in the computer. I went into each record and the segment wasn't there. I recheck the people in and the seats are different.
I go down to deliver the correct seat assignments and the fa is very annoyed and the pax , who all wanted NOT middles are annoyed because they're all middles. They want to talk to the agent.
What did you do?
Nothing!! How the heck am I supposed to know if the reservation has fallen out!! The tools I am given to fix this and the department that was in place to back me up both fell through!! I'm all alone here! I want to go home too! I'm getting migrain-ey and dizzy.
The tower calls. They want to hold for ten people coming from XXX.
I call shift manager, he says no at first.
I dont know what to do, I'm damned either way so I say nothing.
He says ONLY TEN MINS!!
I go tell the crew about the hold and the FA lets me know there were more dupe seats and when is this ever going to be fixed because she's SO over it.
ME TOO!! ME TOO!!
The lead FA says oh great. Well we are due here at 600am, just so you know. If it makes any difference to you.
The tower called the hold.
I tell the CA. he and the FO laugh and say, do what you have to do.
What is THIS? Crew HATES me day? Seriously!! I never get this!! What is going ON?
I get off the plane and wait 5 more minutes. The conx never show up. They are stuck waiting for a gate and got on the ground and in ten mins ago on a gate ten mins away.
Shift manager wants to know WHY WHY WHY IS THIS PLANE HERE WHY???? PUSH IT!!!
Ok!! I take the count down and the FA points out no connections got on. I concur.
She says "That was a pointless ten minutes I'll never get back"
My brain hurts and Im hungry and I'm frustrated and I'm sorry and I want you to leave, damn plane, leave!!
Door shuts. The damn latch she makes me push pinches. Im not supposed to push that latch. My finger hurts and my brain hurts and Im frustrated and sorry and I look up and through the terminal window there are the misconnects stomping up and down and banging on the door.
Defeated, the plane pushes and I trudge up to the inevitable verbal a$$ whooping that awaits.
ITS RIGHT THERE!!
YOU COULDNT WAIT ONE MORE MINUTE!!
TYPICAL OF YOUR AIRLINE!!
I WANT A HOTEL! I WANT THE WESTIN! I WANT FIRST CLASS! I WANT A SUPERVISOR! I WANT YOUR NAME!! I WANT A HOTEL AND FIRST CLASS AND PARKING FEES!!
Somehow I rebook them all, somehow they leave with seats, hotels, and anger, but they still leave. And I am so sorry, and they don't believe me, and I feel bad, but they leave.
One of the passengers has called the chairman's desk or something. They're on the phone with the shift manager who calls me into the office and wants to know why I didnt want for those connections that the hold was for. We were already late anyway. He asks me this while the other person is listening on speaker.
You told me to push it !
You didn't tell me it was those connections!
You said ONLY TEN MINUTES!! ONLY TEN.
It was already late, you should have been proactive and thought about the customer instead of going home. I'm disappointed, Gate agent Jane.
Beep. clock out. late. bus is full. have to stand up. I am not tall enough to reach the bars to hang on and I'm so tired that I just lean on the bag rack. It's raining and I can't find my car because i ran like a psycho on the way in and forgot where I parked. Im soaking wet and freezing and my all weather jacket isnt warm
And that was a day in the life of a csa in a hub. None of my frustrations were taken personally, and I'll be able to sleep and start over again tomorrow....sometimes it is hard though and it seems as if no one really understands the stress that we face - - I dont want to quit and get another job - - I love my job - - but there are good days and then there are these days....

HOLY CHIT...After reading this I decided I don't want to work in the "aforementioned us airways fortress prison...I mean...hub
 
Wow, what a great post. I am glad I work the ramp in an outstation. I think what bothers me the most is how the crews treat you. I am a former flight attendant and I would never belittle or question a gate agents credibility. But, also, having worked in many departments I can see how an employee can't grasp the big picture.

Keep up the great work!
 
Wow, what a great post. I am glad I work the ramp in an outstation. I think what bothers me the most is how the crews treat you. I am a former flight attendant and I would never belittle or question a gate agents credibility. But, also, having worked in many departments I can see how an employee can't grasp the big picture.

Keep up the great work!
It's not really the crews being rude, but sometimes it seems like everyone is having a bad day at the same time. They are probably as frustrated with the dupe seats and the jetwayless drivers as well - I do not really understand how the FA's do what they do either, but I think it's important to treat each other with respect, always, and make every effort to keep your emotions in check and not throw coworkers under the bus. And if they make the first crappy remark, i just try really hard to ignore it - - it's not just crews it's also ramp vs gate, crew vs gate, ramp vs crew, crew vs scheduling, everyone and management, EVERYONE needs an attitude adjustment

It's funny how the employee off the clock wants to be your best friend when they want to go overseas with their family - - like Oriole pointed out in the other thread. LOL....
 
Wow! You guys and gals are incredible. I don't know how the heck you do it day in and out. Thanks for the great work. No way, I could deal with the stress, I would have a nervous breakdown!! The only time it really gets tough for us fa's is when you are stranded with the pax's on a diversion, or sitting on the runway for hours. But there is no way I could deal with that kind of abuse. You are a saint. :)
 
It's not really the crews being rude, but sometimes it seems like everyone is having a bad day at the same time. They are probably as frustrated with the dupe seats and the jetwayless drivers as well - I do not really understand how the FA's do what they do either, but I think it's important to treat each other with respect, always, and make every effort to keep your emotions in check and not throw coworkers under the bus. And if they make the first crappy remark, i just try really hard to ignore it - - it's not just crews it's also ramp vs gate, crew vs gate, ramp vs crew, crew vs scheduling, everyone and management, EVERYONE needs an attitude adjustment

It's funny how the employee off the clock wants to be your best friend when they want to go overseas with their family - - like Oriole pointed out in the other thread. LOL....

Shannon,

I feel for you. From a crew perspective, it's tough to understand why there are not any rampers for push/arrival. It's tough to understand why there isn't a jetway driver. It is tough to understand why we can't get MEL's fixed prior to the last possible day. It's tough to understand why we can't get basic supplies for the airplane. However, having a ramp/mx background prior to becoming flight crew I always remind the ones that complain that most of the time these folks are working with what the company has given them. We may not realize that an agent or a baggage handler is working 2 or even 3 gates. We may not realize it is shift change and the company hasn't scheduled any overlap. We may not realize that the company hasn't restocked supplies, so the mechanic or cleaner is having to find another aircraft to rob. I try to remind the complainers that the company gives no incentive to the people behind the scenes to go over and above. In fact I would say they try to squash moral rather than build it. It's very sad. I remember much better times in the past. A time where we all worked together for the customer. As a side note Shannon....if we are the last flight of the night and there are connections.....tell the captain......sometimes we have a "glitch in a system" that we need to query MX about. If we can take the heat off of you and help our passengers then at least we have made someone happy in our little corner of the world.
 
That's pretty nice, Gunther!

I can't imagine not getting any sleep as a reserve. Those FA's have it rough too.
Me without sleep one day = cranky
Me without sleep two days = irrational
Me without sleep, all the time = incomprehensible......I'd never make it.
 
A CSA job? No thanks!



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CALGON please take me away .. !!!!! Intern .. I had just stopped drinking until I read your
post . oh well better have one for the poor C/S agent getting there a** handed to them..


where's a good shop steward when you need one / Management needs to chill.