Time To Retire
- Thread starter AAStew
- Start date
Ida Staggers was her real name. If my memory serves me correctly, I last flew with her on MAC-PAC where she was a great hit with the soldiers.
This is an old Ual story, told to me by some retired pilots.
A man gets on the plane with a feeling of self importance, and is complaining to one of the Fa's about something minor. He finally blurts out " do you know who I am"?
The F/a goes to the intercom and announces there is a gentleman sitting in first who does not know who he is.
Can anyone identify him?
A man gets on the plane with a feeling of self importance, and is complaining to one of the Fa's about something minor. He finally blurts out " do you know who I am"?
The F/a goes to the intercom and announces there is a gentleman sitting in first who does not know who he is.
Can anyone identify him?
Not that it really matters, but to set the record straight:
On the Paris-Miami flight the crews do run pretty senior. I flew it for 9 years straight as a speaker and it was the second most senior route in Miami-I after Madrid. The crew in question that had Richard Reid on board is a great group of people. Christina, who had her hand bitten, is about a year senior to me so she has about 18 years seniority at AA ( I hope she doesn't read the post that guesses her seniority to be 30 years; she'd seek revenge!). Letty, the lady with long brown hair who was blocking access to the cockpit (as she stated in the interviews) had about 33 years seniority and she subsequently retired (our loss). Carol, the purser, has about 36 years, I believe. Again, not that this matters but the thread began about very senior people and their ability to "hang in there" with this job. Miami does not have the quantity of mega-senior people like Chicago-I or LAX-I have (we have a few very, very senior people but they are the exception), so it is difficult for me to add anything to this subject. I have not flown with anyone with 40 years or more since I was based in Chicago-I a long time ago. However, I would agree that if one's physical shape limits his/her ability to perform the required task, it is time to move on. There is the element of safety and the need to be quick on one's toes if any emergency arises. Having said this, I do not mean to take away from the wealth of experience and knowledge that senior people contribute to this job. The Reid flight is a beautiful example of how many cumulative years on the job allowed this crew to remain cool and to think out of the box and do things that are not "by the book" in order the ensure the safety of the passengers on board. They were simply brilliant. Also, I must say the senior crews have given me the biggest laughs over the years. They can be very crusty yet hysterical at the same time. They have been there and done that and they say it like it is.
Art in Mia
On the Paris-Miami flight the crews do run pretty senior. I flew it for 9 years straight as a speaker and it was the second most senior route in Miami-I after Madrid. The crew in question that had Richard Reid on board is a great group of people. Christina, who had her hand bitten, is about a year senior to me so she has about 18 years seniority at AA ( I hope she doesn't read the post that guesses her seniority to be 30 years; she'd seek revenge!). Letty, the lady with long brown hair who was blocking access to the cockpit (as she stated in the interviews) had about 33 years seniority and she subsequently retired (our loss). Carol, the purser, has about 36 years, I believe. Again, not that this matters but the thread began about very senior people and their ability to "hang in there" with this job. Miami does not have the quantity of mega-senior people like Chicago-I or LAX-I have (we have a few very, very senior people but they are the exception), so it is difficult for me to add anything to this subject. I have not flown with anyone with 40 years or more since I was based in Chicago-I a long time ago. However, I would agree that if one's physical shape limits his/her ability to perform the required task, it is time to move on. There is the element of safety and the need to be quick on one's toes if any emergency arises. Having said this, I do not mean to take away from the wealth of experience and knowledge that senior people contribute to this job. The Reid flight is a beautiful example of how many cumulative years on the job allowed this crew to remain cool and to think out of the box and do things that are not "by the book" in order the ensure the safety of the passengers on board. They were simply brilliant. Also, I must say the senior crews have given me the biggest laughs over the years. They can be very crusty yet hysterical at the same time. They have been there and done that and they say it like it is.
Art in Mia
- Thread Starter
- #20
Art,
I am in total agreement, if you can perform the job, go for it. I was just expressing shock at the seniority date on the CRAF list. I really think we have to start testing at EPT's. I know you have worked some of those flights where you find yourself pushing and pulling the cart by yourself even though there appears to be someone at the other end. Or when you have served 5 passengers and your work partner is still on their first. I love (most) of the old gals (and guys). But I really think they need to evaluate (and maybe the company and the union)when it is time to retire. Being seventy something is just a little too old I feel to be a f/a. I am truly sorry if it offends anyone.
I am in total agreement, if you can perform the job, go for it. I was just expressing shock at the seniority date on the CRAF list. I really think we have to start testing at EPT's. I know you have worked some of those flights where you find yourself pushing and pulling the cart by yourself even though there appears to be someone at the other end. Or when you have served 5 passengers and your work partner is still on their first. I love (most) of the old gals (and guys). But I really think they need to evaluate (and maybe the company and the union)when it is time to retire. Being seventy something is just a little too old I feel to be a f/a. I am truly sorry if it offends anyone.
As a middle-aged worker (41) I can see both sides of this argument. The younger worker wants the older worker to retire so he/she will not get laid off. Lay-offs are temporary, and even if its not, a young worker with experience will likely find reemployment. If the old worker retires, their prospects for employment are not as good and they cannot return to where they were when the economy recovers. So the young worker wants the old worker to make a permanent decision based upon the temporary situation that the young worker faces. Is this fair?
Clearly we do need a new process to deal with the cyclical phenomena of a surplus of labor. Perhaps instead of a layoff we could come up with a system where the redundant weeks are put up for bid and are bid for in seniority order as a week off without pay. If there are no bidders, then the junior workers are assigned those weeks off. In effect it would be a voluntary shared layoff. The workers benefit by not seeing their coworkers hit the street and the company benefits by keeping its lower paid workers on the payroll an the statistical probability of less sick calls.
Either way, its not fair for younger workers to criticize older workers for not taking the bullet for them.
Clearly we do need a new process to deal with the cyclical phenomena of a surplus of labor. Perhaps instead of a layoff we could come up with a system where the redundant weeks are put up for bid and are bid for in seniority order as a week off without pay. If there are no bidders, then the junior workers are assigned those weeks off. In effect it would be a voluntary shared layoff. The workers benefit by not seeing their coworkers hit the street and the company benefits by keeping its lower paid workers on the payroll an the statistical probability of less sick calls.
Either way, its not fair for younger workers to criticize older workers for not taking the bullet for them.
AAStew,
These are my observations as an AA FO who has flown with very junior, (domestic US reserve), and very senior, (MIA-Europe), flight attendants.
Although some of the LHR very senior types may seem a little jaded and push the physical standards, I would always pick them to fly with. I would be willing to bet the terrorist Reid would have been jumped on by the majority of the "senior momma's" and "senior dad's". If this flight was staffed by a bunch of new-hire FA's, I have no doubt that Reid would have succeeded and AA would have been liquidated due to passengers avoiding AA.
Go ahead, cry about their cart pushing skills, but thank them for their quick thinking. Without them, the U.S Navy might still be pulling 767 parts off the deck of the Titanic today.
These are my observations as an AA FO who has flown with very junior, (domestic US reserve), and very senior, (MIA-Europe), flight attendants.
Although some of the LHR very senior types may seem a little jaded and push the physical standards, I would always pick them to fly with. I would be willing to bet the terrorist Reid would have been jumped on by the majority of the "senior momma's" and "senior dad's". If this flight was staffed by a bunch of new-hire FA's, I have no doubt that Reid would have succeeded and AA would have been liquidated due to passengers avoiding AA.
Go ahead, cry about their cart pushing skills, but thank them for their quick thinking. Without them, the U.S Navy might still be pulling 767 parts off the deck of the Titanic today.
- Thread Starter
- #23
These last two posters don't get it. I am not talking about anyone leaving to save my job! And yes more mature f/'s have alot to offer and I quickly becoming one of them! What I am talking about folks is pushing a cart down the aisle at ages 70 plus! Granted some may be able to, but most can't!
If you had read all the posts, You would have known that I am not saying anything maliciously! I would not have taken a year off so one of my coworkers could keep his job if I felt that way! Why take something lighthearted and twist it to your view of things?
If you had read all the posts, You would have known that I am not saying anything maliciously! I would not have taken a year off so one of my coworkers could keep his job if I felt that way! Why take something lighthearted and twist it to your view of things?
AAStew,
I re-read your earlier posts. I would have to agree about someone that appears to need a walker or a 3-wheel electric cart working as a flight attendant
I re-read your earlier posts. I would have to agree about someone that appears to need a walker or a 3-wheel electric cart working as a flight attendant
Art,
Hey, it's Coop. I wasn't implying that Christina looked like she had 30yrs! I just assumed (and you know what they say about assuming) that she did because of the normal seniority of those trips.
I started flying in BOS and flew with many 30-40yr F/As and never doubted their abilities. I don't think I've flown with a 30-40yr F/A in my nearly 2yrs flying MIA domestic.
Personally, I don't appreciate the posting by the F/O expressing his lack of faith in the abilities of junior F/As. Granted, I don't have the experience of the AA63 crew. However, I lost one of my best friends on AA11 and trust me, I would use anything and everything at my disposal to stop a Richard Reid.
Hey, it's Coop. I wasn't implying that Christina looked like she had 30yrs! I just assumed (and you know what they say about assuming) that she did because of the normal seniority of those trips.
I started flying in BOS and flew with many 30-40yr F/As and never doubted their abilities. I don't think I've flown with a 30-40yr F/A in my nearly 2yrs flying MIA domestic.
Personally, I don't appreciate the posting by the F/O expressing his lack of faith in the abilities of junior F/As. Granted, I don't have the experience of the AA63 crew. However, I lost one of my best friends on AA11 and trust me, I would use anything and everything at my disposal to stop a Richard Reid.
Hi Coop! I agree...after 9-11 all crewmembers are on heightened alert. The Richard Reid flight had a wide range of seniority in the cabin crew and they all performed admirably.
Art
Art
[blockquote]
----------------
On 3/9/2003 6:42:08 AM L1011Ret wrote:
Ida Staggers was her real name. If my memory serves me correctly, I last flew with her on MAC-PAC where she was a great hit with the soldiers.
----------------
[/blockquote]
Ida Staggers was invited to speak to my graduating class in 1972. It was so unheard of for a FA to fly over 30 years she was actually invited to be on the Johnny Carson show!
Nowadays, I'm number 1086 in STL and have 31 years.
MK
----------------
On 3/9/2003 6:42:08 AM L1011Ret wrote:
Ida Staggers was her real name. If my memory serves me correctly, I last flew with her on MAC-PAC where she was a great hit with the soldiers.
----------------
[/blockquote]
Ida Staggers was invited to speak to my graduating class in 1972. It was so unheard of for a FA to fly over 30 years she was actually invited to be on the Johnny Carson show!
Nowadays, I'm number 1086 in STL and have 31 years.
MK
