Flight Attendants Work Hard

[usair_begins_with_u]

That was ignorant!! 1 out of 4 flight attendants have had to handle a medical or safety issue in their careers.

2 out of 7 boyscouts have had to handle a a medical or safety issue in their tenure as a boyscout.. I'd like to think F/A's were as tough as boyscouts... sheesh and you dont see boy scouts crying like pansies..

 

[ktflyhome]

2 out of 7 boyscouts have had to handle a a medical or safety issue in their tenure as a boyscout.. I'd like to think F/A's were as tough as boyscouts... sheesh and you dont see boy scouts crying like pansies..

Usair: The more that I am remembering all of your posts, YOU are becoming THE biggest #### stirrer on here. :down:

Hobbes: You made some very valid points. I also questioned the article. There should have been a preface to it and a conclusion. Although it make very accurate statements to the F/A job....many things were left out.

PS: Making $40,000 on this job today, is a topped out Senior who is on a high option.

 

[usair_begins_with_u]

Usair: The more that I am remembering all of your posts, YOU are becoming THE biggest #### stirrer on here.

Give me a break toots... Anyone who whines about his or her job being the hardest in the world is going to get it from all sides... and you know that!!

The boyscout figure is actually true, but hiking camping etc.. are surely more risky than flying on a plane. (Or a least you hope ).

 

[mweiss]

I wonder if a newspaper would be willing to accept a special editorial journal from a flight attendant? Just write about a trip from start to finish, three or four days. Leave out the emotional appeals, etc. and just write about what happens - the delays, sitting on reserve, bad hotels, rude customers, etc.

Well, the San Francisco Chronicle has a columnist like that, except that he's a cabbie. He's good read, too.

 

[hobbes]

RumorS,

Thank you for clarifying. You are correct. I apparently did a poorly job in wording that, because you said it much better than I did.

Please understand, my issue is not with the flight attendant's viewpoint, but rather the way in which it was written. I'm completely sympathetic with flight attendants. I've worked alongside them several times, just to learn their job better in order to do MY job better. What I was trying to say is that I think this article, which seemed to be written to ask for understanding from passengers, could have been done in a different manner that would have better bridged the gap with its audience. I think its tone didn't do much to help the flight attendants' cause.

I still think that if most of our passengers knew what flight attendants dealt with on a daily basis, presented almost like a journal, they would be amazed and much more understanding.

 

[Dea Certe]

I thought the article was excellent. I didn't see it as a complaint about the flight attendant job, but as a reminder to those (management) who would demean the value of the position. A good flight attendant earns every penny we are paid.

We spend the most amount of time with the customers. Customers, by and large will base their opinion of that airline on who they deal with; the Customer Service agents and the Flight Attendants.

If a flight is overbooked, the CSR's face the wrath of those who get bumped, even while they do their best to accommodate or correct the problem. Sit out in the boarding area some busy evening and observe.

Flight attendants are strictly on their own once the door is closed. We have to think fast and make the best decisions on our feet. It can be a very tricky situation. There have been many times flight attendants are confronted with an intoxicated person who has been drinking from his own supply. Or who has taken medication and mixed it up with booze. Or mentally ill and the stress of flying has brought out the psychotic side of their disease. I would bet every flight attendant who has any time with an airline has had a violent drunk or a delusional customer on their hands inflight.

I'd also bet most flight attendants with any time have had medical emergencies inflight and sprang into action to the best of their training.

Flight attendants and the Customer Service Representives catch all the anger of the customers who have been "stuck" with poor mangement decisions, such as overbooking flights or added fees. This is just part of the job and we all know it.

I believe our complaints are not about the job itself, but about being disrespected and undervalued by management. When things go as planned, the job is fine and can be fun. It's when things go wrong (as they frequently do) we prove our full value and then some.

And yes, I've had friends die in the line of duty. You wonder if they were able to calm the customers, what they did, what you might have done. You go to the funerals and cry. And then you put on your uniform and do your job.

I'm worth every penny of my paycheck.

Dea

 

[SKY HIGH]

2 out of 7 boyscouts have had to handle a a medical or safety issue in their tenure as a boyscout..

ANY BOYSCOUT YOU KNOW HANDLE THIS?

............ a FLIGHT ATTENDANT at USAirways in Charlotte, survived the crash and went back into a BURNING AIRCRAFT several times to save 4 passengers?
............ the FLIGHT ATTENDANT at Southern Airways, Sandy Perl, survived the crash and helped rescue workers pull passengers from the wreckage. And she refused medical help until ALL passengers had been taken care of.
.......... a FLIGHT ATTENDANT at Pan Am, during a hijacking, used her body to cover several children when gun fire broke out. They lived, she died.
.........Uli Derickson, a FLIGHT ATTENDANT at TWA who negotiated with the TERRORIST GROUP (Shi'ite Muslims) to release woman and children? You watched in horror (on TV) while FLIGHT ATTENDANTS at TWA survived the ordeal.
........ the FLIGHT ATTENDANTS at Alaska Air dealt with an AIR RAGE passenger who breached the cockpit.
With the HELP of the F/O and other passengers, they subdued him on the galley floor. The FLIGHT ATTENDANT retrieved the CUFFS. Excellent CRM.
........Several FLIGHT ATTENDANTS had to foresight to contact their company and relay important information about the Hijackers to authorities. Did YOU spill blood on 9-11-01?.......FLIGHT ATTENDANTS did!

..............My airline had several EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS last year. Also INFLIGHT FIRES. Many MEDICAL EMERGENCIES. Just WHO has the training to deal with those emergencies?

yeahhhhhhhhhhh, uh-huhhhhhhhhhhhhh, a boyscout?.......LOL!

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Give me a break toots... Anyone who whines about his or her job being the hardest in the world is going to get it from all sides... and you know that!!

The boyscout figure is actually true, but hiking camping etc.. are surely more risky than flying on a plane. (Or a least you hope ).

usair_begins_with_u, as Teresa Heinz-Kerry so eloquently put it to another ignorant person like yourself.... "Shove It."

 

[PITbull]

And least we forget abut the flight victims of 9/11? And what industry employees have been devastated the most???? And still we get verbally brutilized by our own customers and employees.

I am not going to comment on this thread, because of the few on here that just want to stir up the f/as by making assinine, ignorant remarks about the profession, and equating it to boyscout duties. Especially those comments made by employees of U. I guess that would be like me saying flying an airplane as a pilot is like riding a bike built for two with a compass on it?


If I got started on here...i'd CHEW you guys a new one and you'd be limping for weeks!!!! :angry: :angry:

 

[usair_begins_with_u]

Dan Carlock, 45, was left in the ocean off of Orange County by his scuba diving group Sunday. Carlock (pictured, right) drifted for hours about seven miles offshore. Carlock noted the time of day on his small, waterproof writing slate and took photographs of himself to document that he'd made it to the surface.

Five hours later, a 15-year-old crew trainee, Zack Mayberry, stood watch on the stern of the tall ship Argus, which was full of Boy Scouts from Rancho Bernardo who returning to Newport Beach from Santa Catalina Island.

Mayberry saw something in the water and grabbed his binoculars.

The 15 scouts from Rancho Bernardo Troop 681 had drilled the rescue procedure the previous day and the rescue operation began.

"We've always drilled, whenever you go on a ship we always drill man-overboard procedures," scout Tim Carroll told NBC 7/39. "Every crew member on board the ship instantly followed the man-overboard procedures."

"Life rings were flying out, and I saw a speck in the water. I thought, 'This isn't a drill,'" said scout Dan Carroll.

The scouts pulled Carlock aboard the Argus. The diver said that he thought back to his own training in the Boy Scouts "to kind of be aware, alert and think of alternatives, keep those in mind and work through them."

"I just find it amazing that we found him, and that he was still alive, even though he had a wet suit on," scout Tyler Underwood said.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Collin Croft says, "The Scouts definitely saved this man's life."

"I feel like I accomplished something. I'm proud of myself for it," Dan Carroll said. "I just hope this guy is feeling good about being saved by us, too."

Meanwhile, Coast Guard investigators plan to interview employees of the dive company in Marina Del Rey that took Carlock on the dive. They want to find out why Carlock was left behind.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/3247848/detail.html

local boy scout troop was recently involved in an amazing story of heroism that involves a will to survive, teamwork and a remarkable recovery.

Six weeks ago, a Cincinnati State student from Anderson Township suffered severe brain damage after falling 150 feet off a cliff in Kentucky's Red River Gorge State Park.

In the early morning hours of May 22, David Scheller's life changed forever.

The star soccer player free-fell, down a cliff fracturing his skull and vertebrae. Scheller lay there for hours until his brother, John, realized he was missing.

John said he heard moans coming from below the campsite and soon afterwards his worst fears were realized.

Fortunately, the boy scouts from All Saints Church in Kenwood happened to be in the area.

"He'd go in and out of consciousness and when he'd wake up, he'd be groaning in great pain," recounted Dan Teegarden, assistant scoutmaster of the troop.

During the five-hour rescue, some of the troops trekked through the Gorge to get help, leading rescue workers to Scheller, while others put their first aid skills -- learned in scouts -- to the ultimate test until the EMS crew could get Scheller out.

"Not one of us saved his life, but us as a whole saved his life. That's what makes me feel good that we worked as a troop and not individuals," said Shawn Carroll, a boy scout.

Scheller was in a coma for three days and his remarkable recovery has even surprised doctors.

Despite the long and uncertain road ahead he wanted everyone to know what a beautiful place the Gorge still is to him.

The Scheller family said they hope the boy scouts tell their story to anyone who will listen. It's a story they hope will show other young men -- a group most at risk for brain injuries -- that no one is invincible and that alcohol and the Gorge don't mix.

"There's the saying boys will be boys. This can be the result of drinking and having a good time," said Matt Teegarden, a boy scout who was at the scene.

David's parents said they hope to see improved safety measures at the Gorge in the future, like emergency telephones, maps or even a cellular tower -- all features they believe could save someone's life.

"Everybody's learned lessons that we'll keep for the rest of our lives and nobody will ever forget what happened that day," said Bob Carroll, said the troop's scoutmaster.

http://www.wcpo.com/news/2004/local/06/30/gorge.html

Many many more.. dont put down the scouts... Id rather have an eagle scout perform emergency surgery on me than the most tenured FA in the world.. By the way.. all scouts are less than 19 years old...

 

[PITbull]

Let's Begin with U,

So, am I to take your point that flight attendants are just want-a-be-boyscouts?

Or...


Are boy scouts just want-a-be-flight attendants in drag.

Or...

Flight attendants were once boy scouts?

Or....

Flight attendants are trained to be like boy scouts?

Or...

Do flight attendants just need to get boy scout manuls and pass boy scout training?

Or...

Should flight attendants go to the nearest boy scout club and receive their boy scout pins?

Or...

Flight attendants should be less than 19 years old?

What's your point, sir?

 

[700UW]

I don't see boyscouts getting this:

January 18, 2004 - After more than 25 years of aggressive campaigning by Flight Attendant unions, the new FAA reauthorization bill recently signed by President Bush provides for formal FAA certification of Flight Attendants.

“Flight Attendants are the first respondents and the last line of defense for the safety and security of passengers,â€￾ said General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr. “This formal recognition of the critical safety and security functions Flight Attendants perform is long overdue.â€￾

IAM Flight Attendants at Continental Airlines spearheaded a legislative action juggernaut where thousands of Flight Attendants visited, phoned and emailed Congress to urge the passage of this landmark legislation.

 

[700UW]

Is there a law on the books certifying boy scouts?


Sec 814: Flight Attendant Certification
November 24, 2003
(a) IN GENERAL- Chapter 447 is further amended by adding at the end the following:
Sec. 44728. Flight attendant certification

(a) CERTIFICATE REQUIRED-

(1) IN GENERAL- No person may serve as a flight attendant aboard an aircraft of an air carrier unless that person holds a certificate of demonstrated proficiency from the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Upon the request of the Administrator or an authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board or another Federal agency, a person who holds such a certificate shall present the certificate for inspection within a reasonable period of time after the date of the request.

(2) SPECIAL RULE FOR CURRENT FLIGHT ATTENDANTS- An individual serving as a flight attendant on the effective date of this section may continue to serve aboard an aircraft as a flight attendant until completion by that individual of the required recurrent or requalification training and subsequent certification under this section.

(3) TREATMENT OF FLIGHT ATTENDANT AFTER NOTIFICATION- On the date that the Administrator is notified by an air carrier that an individual has the demonstrated proficiency to be a flight attendant, the individual shall be treated for purposes of this section as holding a certificate issued under the section.

(B) ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE- The Administrator shall issue a certificate of demonstrated proficiency under this section to an individual after the Administrator is notified by the air carrier that the individual has successfully completed all the training requirements for flight attendants approved by the Administrator.

DESIGNATION OF PERSON TO DETERMINE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF TRAINING- In accordance with part 183 of chapter 14, Code of Federal Regulation, the director of operations of an air carrier is designated to determine that an individual has successfully completed the training requirements approved by the Administrator for such individual to serve as a flight attendant.

(d) SPECIFICATIONS RELATING TO CERTIFICATES- Each certificate issued under this section shall--

(1) be numbered and recorded by the Administrator;

(2) contain the name, address, and description of the individual to whom the certificate is issued;

(3) is similar in size and appearance to certificates issued to airmen;

(4) contain the airplane group for which the certificate is issued; and

(5) be issued not later than 120 days after the Administrator receives notification from the air carrier of demonstrated proficiency and, in the case of an individual serving as flight attendant on the effective date of this section, not later than 1 year after such effective date.

(e) APPROVAL OF TRAINING PROGRAMS- Air carrier flight attendant training programs shall be subject to approval by the Administrator. All flight attendant training programs approved by the Administrator in the 1-year period ending on the date of enactment of this section shall be treated as providing a demonstrated proficiency for purposes of meeting the certification requirements of this section.

(f) FLIGHT ATTENDANT DEFINED- In this section, the term `flight attendant' means an individual working as a flight attendant in the cabin of an aircraft that has 20 or more seats and is being used by an air carrier to provide air transportation.

CONFORMING AMENDMENT- The analysis for chapter 447 is further amended by adding at the end the following:

44728. Flight attendant certification.

EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by subsections (a) and (B) shall take effect on the 365th day following the date of enactment of this Act.

 

[mweiss]

I don't suppose it has occurred to any of you just how absurd this thread has become.

FAs have a unique job, with unique issues. As PineyBob so inelegantly noted, the same can be said for many other jobs. So what?

FAs are underappreciated. So are the vast majority of other employees, both within and without the airline industry. So what?

The greatest deficit in this nation isn't caused by Congress. It's caused by every one of us. We have a serious deficit in understanding others, manifesting itself in a "me first" attitude in nearly everything we say and do.

I certainly can't make anyone else change this, but I do make it a point to counter this deficit every day. I recently flew from SFO to PIT on NW, and spent a few extra minutes with the ticket agent (I was getting a minor reroute handled), commiserating with her over the difficulties of her job. She had been beaten up by many customers the day prior, because of cascading oversells, and the person right ahead of me had apparently berated her as well.

So I took the couple of extra minutes to lighten things up a bit, and let her unload. By the time I left the counter, her mood had brightened, and she thanked me for listening and understanding.

It's not that hard to do. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort. What it does take is personal responsibility. We are all personally responsible for what happens to everyone with whom we interact, because we influence them in ways big and small. We must all recognize that, because of our greater mobility, we have an influence over a far larger sphere than did our predecessors of decades past. What we don't have is an opportunity to see the longer-term effects of our actions.

So why do I bring this up here? Because this topic has degenerated into yet another "I'm the one with the tough job" contests, and it's beyond old. I'm looking forward to my reentry into the workforce (less than a month away now), and will be grateful to have "the tough job" again. And I will be grateful to those around me who also have "the tough job" and still manage to get it done, and done well.

So, a toast to all who have "the tough job," whether boy scout, mechanic, pilot, garbage collector, flight attendant, manager, agent, engineer, or any of hundreds of other examples.

 

[PITbull]

Mweiss,

Now, point well taken...

Nice job.