Should I stay or should I go?

[Jester]

It has and you're right. If I have to question it, then I shouldn't leave US Airways. I will know when I am ready. I decided to stay. I called the principal. It was very hard to do because a part of me wanted to go, but I think I did the right thing. I will turn down the other offer as well. I'm just not ready to put away my wings. Besides, it's going to get really interesting come August 1st. I wouldn't want to miss the "exciting" changes! Thanks everybody for your advice. You're the best!

I think you just answered your own question, and it would have been the same advice as I would have given. I don't think you are quite ready to give up the "fun" of traveling, meeting new people, and not having a set schedule. As you said yourself, "I will know when I am ready... I'm just not ready to put away my wings."

It isn't as if there is a maximum age to be a new teacher, so what's the hurry? You'll know when it's time to go.

So Counsels Jester.

 

[InternationalShannon]

stay!!!! stay stay stay!!! suck it up son!!! jk...ill miss you

 

[lildutchgrl]

For anyone thinking of leaving US, here is my story.

I have been considering leaving for about a year now. I found something that I liked to do away from the airline and I dabbled in that for awhile until I could decide if that would make me happy. Soon, I dreaded the calls from scheduling and had to force myself to go on crappy trip after crappy trip. I set Labor Day as the day I would make a decision to stay with US or leave for good. Summer came and I actually had the chance to hold a block and fly every single weekend and barely see my husband or be on reserve and hold weekends off. More flight attendants were bidding reserve because they would rather have the weekends off. I was going into summer with the knowledge that this was my last summer and I was going to make the most of it. Then I just had it. First, it was no more snacks in coach. Then it was the 20+ year F/A that I caught throwing my cash cow's in the trash. Pretty sad to try to take money from a reserve who makes guarantee. Then it was a west coast trip where the crew wanted to do one push pull service the entire flight from LAX-PHL. I ended up doing coffee and arrival by myself on the 321. I called off work on my next trip and haven't been back. I sent my paperwork in to my supervisor, she still hasn't called me back, and that was it. I have not been this happy for the past 10 years, that's when I was first hired by USAir, a growing airline which has now become the laughing stock of the industry. I am planning on going to work for a bank nearby, but I am taking the summer off, maybe the rest of the year. Yes, I gave up a fun job, but with the attitudes out there, there was just not that much fun anymore. I cannot even imagine working the day that the beverages start getting sold. They don't pay me enough. That's why I left, I stopped caring, after all, if management doesn't care, then why should I? As I have said before, I miss my friends, but we still keep in touch. Do I miss "the job?" Not at all. It was just my time to go.

 

[FlightChic]

Elevation: You need to stop posting in my thread. You clearly don't know me or my reasons for being here and I won't even explain to you because you won't ever understand. Stop judging me since you don't know who I am. You need to stop stereotyping me and all the other f/as. You are clueless and your remarks just make you look ignorant. You don't get it and you never will so stop making such stupid and judgemental remarks about things of which you have no knowledge. Nobody listens to you and nobody cares. Go away!

 

[Chicken or Beef??]

You need to stop posting in my thread. You clearly don't know me or my reasons for being here and I won't even explain to you because you won't ever understand. Stop judging me since you don't know who I am. You need to stop stereotyping me and all the other f/as. You are clueless and your remarks just make you look ignorant. You don't get it and you never will so stop making such stupid and judgemental remarks about things of which you have no knowledge. Nobody listens to you and nobody cares. Go away!

You have to do what's right for you. Life, just like on this board will always have people waiting to knock you down. You do not have to justify your life or your decisions to anyone. Just remain positive enjoy your decistion and reevalutate it again next year.
Good luck.

 

[jimntx]

As someone who is a f/a for another airline (AA) and who comes from a family of teachers, please let me put in 2 cents worth.

From what I can see, the job of f/a is not ever going to be what it once was. The days of 1 leg to NYC, 24-hour layover, then 1 leg home are gone and they ain't comin' back. I think ALL the airlines have a goal of making the job of f/a so untenable that it will go back to what it once was...A temporary job where young ladies of nice family and good legs do it for 3-5 years until A. they get "travel" out of their system, B. they find a husband and/or a real job, C. they get sick and tired of trying to live on nothing. There will be this notable exception, the airlines also hope the job will appeal to people like me who are near retirement and might want to do it for a few years before they retire fully. I.e., people who have an income; so, they are not totally dependent upon the f/a "earnings" in order to live. In either case, the airline never has to consider pension obligations for its largest single group of employees.

If you are good at teaching (which I bet you are), go do it. American society NEEDS you to teach. There are too many teachers out there today who do it because they couldn't find another job. My Mother taught for over 40 years--my sister for 25. It is an honorable profession.

And, there will be similarities. Instead of having nothing to serve passengers to eat on a 6-hour flight, you will have no chalk or paper for a classroom of 40 kids for half the semester.

 

[FlightChic]

I don't think you are quite ready to give up the "fun" of traveling, meeting new people, and not having a set schedule. As you said yourself, "I will know when I am ready... I'm just not ready to put away my wings."

Or maybe I haven't found the right position. Hmmm. Who knows. I'm not ready to give up my free time I know that. I start grad school in the fall with two classes per semester and it will be sooooo much easier taking classes while flying since I have so much free time whereas if I am teaching I won't have all the free time that I have now. I'll be going non-stop living on pure adrenaline. I did it before and survived though! I can do it again. I know quite a few f/as who attend college while flying. This is a great job for that because of all the free time we get. I've gotten so much work done on my productivity breaks and on those long flights, especially red eyes. Oh, and what else am I going to do on my 32 hour layover in ALB? I can only eat, sleep, take a walk, and watch TV for so long. Where else can you get paid to read and do school work while at work? That's another thing I have to consider. I'm still going to apply for more jobs and see...well, maybe. I'm on A scale now finally and I am not as stressed out as before.

 

[FlightChic]

And, there will be similarities. Instead of having nothing to serve passengers to eat on a 6-hour flight, you will have no chalk or paper for a classroom of 40 kids for half the semester.

You're right! There are a lot of similarities between teaching and flying.

 

[Elevation]

Elevation: You need to stop posting in my thread. You clearly don't know me or my reasons for being here and I won't even explain to you because you won't ever understand. Stop judging me since you don't know who I am.

You post on a web board looking for life advice from strangers and you say I can't give advice because I don't know you who you are? Are you taking sedatives? You ask for honesty, you got it... now you are offended because I didn't give you the Oprah nuzzle. boohoo. Get over yourself.

 

[AIRBORN1]

Go teach and don't look back.

If this helps you make a decision today.. Go TEACH because the price of oil means the airlines probably won't be around.

I don't want to sound harsh here. The airlines stock is at 2.64 and same with the other airlines fallen... So don't loose that teaching job waiting to see the oil drop and the airlines saved... If you are banking on what the airlines do... don't do it.
Go with your mind...

 

[vantheman63]

FlightChic, I have to (finally) weigh in on this...

I have no answers for you, "flying or teaching," but I'll suggest a path to take....

Dig deep and do what makes you the happiest. Take a piece of paper, 8.5 X 11 and draw a line down the middle of it, pros on one side, cons on the other side and just write down the "good things" about flying (and then teaching) and then the bad/not-so-good things. Then attempt to weigh each of those facts on a 1 - 5 scale, one being not terribly important, 5 being VERY important, then add them up...and see what you come up with.

The bottom line is this, I don't think anyone would ever be able to tell you for you what the best option is. EVERYONE has different values. Myself for example, "quality of life" is a 5+ while money is a 1 or a 2. And in my vairous walks in and around life, the money seems to take care of itself the more I enjoy what I'm doing.

Personally speaking, I know a GREAT number of frustrated teachers. And there are a great number of frustrated airline employees...and what do they have in common? They are huge, bureaucracies encumbered by WAY too much tax and regulation...meaning no one is ever really in control of their destiny, nor the destiny of customers/students.

In short, I always appreciate opportunities and options that provide for a little more control.

I know you will make the right decision for you. And I don't believe any of this is anything more then change and sometimes change is painful.

Hang in there!

 

[lildutchgrl]

FlightChic, I have to (finally) weigh in on this...

I have no answers for you, "flying or teaching," but I'll suggest a path to take....

That was very well put. I knew without doubt that it was time for me to leave. There was no questioning it. I think anyone who is doubting whether they should stay or go is really not ready to leave, even if leaving makes the most sense. I think most people will stick around until something big happens in the industry. I can only say that I am truly happy with my decision, as scary as it was to let it all go.

 

[InternationalShannon]

You post on a web board looking for life advice from strangers and you say I can't give advice because I don't know you who you are? Are you taking sedatives? You ask for honesty, you got it... now you are offended because I didn't give you the Oprah nuzzle. boohoo. Get over yourself.

I cant believe you said that!! If you knew flightchic not only would you not act as douchey as you are but you probably would be punching youself in the face because she's the cutest little thing ever made and sweet too.
She doesn't need to get over herself, she's just fine. If you don't like what she has to say, you need to get over yourself and recognize that your so called input just makes you look spiteful and miserable. Be nice!! No picking on her!

 

[jimntx]

You're right! There are a lot of similarities between teaching and flying.

Oh, I forgot. In teaching you have to deal with 6-year olds. In flying you have to deal with those who ACT like they are 6. Same techniques and skills apply.

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> You post on a web board looking for life advice from strangers and you say I can't give advice because I don't know you who you are?

You obviously don’t understand what it’s like being a part of a flight crew.

A short time after meeting someone for the first time on a trip, you have a friend and confidant for the next few days. It may be a decade or longer until the next time you see them, but they are always part of your extended circle of friends somehow.