I'd like to offer the following account from a co-worker who was able to work one of the relief flights over the labor day weekend. I am offering this to read with her permission to provide a little perspective. Please don't turn it into an AA v TWA issue or visa versa. I just thought you all would want to know what these relief flights are like.
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Yesterday, Sunday 4 September I flew one of AAL's Relief Flights into MSY and out to LBB (Lubbock). It was an experience I won't soon forget for lots and lots of reasons. We were scheduled to fly to MSY, pick up evacuees and take them to CRP (Corpus Christi) and then ferry home. The minute to minute situation was so fluid that by the time the day was over, three AAL flights had taken their passengers to LBB instead of CRP.
We arrived MSY around 1000 AM Sunday. I was lucky to be able to sit in the cockpit for landing, able to see the airport, the smoke rising from the city itself on the horizon, and to smell the swampy water beneath us on final approach. The tremendous amount of helicopter activity all around the airport immediately reminded me of scenes of Viet Nam, and there were airplanes from everywhere waiting for gates. Southwest, ATA, Spirit, United, United States Navy were among the carriers that I recognized. Then there were a multitude of my all time favorite, the C-130 from various ANG units from around the country.
We had a short wait for a gate (yup, some things never change) and then were guided in by volunteer AAL ground people. We were met by an old friend of mine (and my former supervisor), Tom Del Valle, VP U.S./Canada Division, Customer Service and briefed on the current situation. There were *NO* passengers.....the lines from yesterday had disappeared but everyone was hopeful we'd find 100 + people in a few hours and head out. Tom gave us the layout of the airport and told us we were free to enter the terminal. He pointed out that a large part of the terminal was a medical triage and emergency treatment area, and the baggage claim area was a temporary morgue and probably not where we wanted to wander around.
We knew we had time to wander around, so with a few of the AAL volunteer ground folks we all took off. Several of us wanted to see the arrival area, on the other side of the terminal. Walking under the terminal we came upon a scene (and sounds) I will never forget. A helicopter LZ (landing zone) where 3-4 helicopters from all branches of the service were landing at any time, unloading the "walking wounded"..sometimes only 1 or 2 out of each chopper, sometimes groups of 6 or so. Each helicopter was met by it's own medical team and a tug with airline baggage carts in tow. The evacuees were loaded on the baggage carts and taken inside to the Triage area.
Around the corner, just before the Triage area I found Veterinary volunteers with the few stray dogs that had been brought in so far on choppers. We had some dog and cat food on board with us (Thanks to F/A Patty Sinclair), and I offered it, but these wonderful folks said they had been amply supplied by Tulane Vet School and were fine.
Finally after about a 4 hour ground time, we were ready to board. Five FAM's (Federal Air Marshals) came on to brief us. They would travel with us to LBB. They were in civilian clothes with both their badges and weapons on display. They briefed us regarding the security situation in MSY, the fact that few if any of these passengers had identification, there was great concern that we would have actual released convicts on board since the jails had not evacuated their inmates, rather they just released them. When the lines had formed Saturday to get into the airport, many many of these folks had surrendered their weapons before being searched. The line was so long that if people needed to use rest room facilities, they did *not* do so for if they left the line they lost their place, so they urinated and defecated on the ground on in their clothes. There were many women who had no sanitary products so there might be odor or staining from this. The good news was that we would also be taking 22 AAL Volunteers back home to DFW with us, via LBB.
And then we boarded. 5-6 wheelchairs, one 500 lb. man on Oxygen, lots of families, one dog, one cat in the cargo hold, 4 or 5 large folks who needed seatbelt extensions. No one needed just *one* seatbelt extension, most needed 2 and our largest passenger needed 3. (Thankfully we knew in advance back in DFW to ask for extras.) Out of our 100 evacuees, my guess is that only 10 or so had flown before. There were several older couples who were evidently tourists caught up in the "evacuation situation" and all they wanted was to get to a ticket counter anywhere and buy a ticket home. Most of the New Orleanians were in this for the long haul, and many many asked me as we boarded "Where are we going ??" They were so grateful to be out of the horrible conditions in the City, they blindly boarded our Aircraft and trusted us to take them somewhere safe. AMAZING to say the least.
We departed for Lubbock. How far is Lubbock from Houston ?? Austin ?? My family evacuated to San Antonio. And we had no answers for them. We had box lunches and the highlight of my day was having VP Tom Del Valle helping me on the cart with the lunches. We had soft drinks and juices. And then we landed an hour and a half later, and they were gone. And every single person that went past me on their way to the back door and stairs said "Thank You" ~~ Every single one of them ~~ Carried off by medics, unloaded down a belt loader from the front door, helped down the stairs by all of us (and I am ever so grateful for each and every AAL employee who was traveling with us for their overwhelming help).
The plane was then searched by the FAM's. assisted by the AAL volunteers for contraband or weapons left behind. A local Explosive sniffing dog came on board and made sure nothing was left behind. We closed the doors and left. And I am still trying to sort out my feelings about the whole experience. I would not have missed this day and yet, if asked, I am not sure I could do it again.
