Butts on the Plane

There are butts on my plane!

Not a commentary on the passengers, but on what they’re doing – smoking! Smint Air is stepping into the breach and offering smokers an option when it comes to travel.

Boy, I’d hate to work in that environment!

Air Gumbo

Here's word of a new airline -- Air Gumbo.

Guess where they're flying out of? That's right -- New Orleans.

Via IAG

It's Normal to Take a Break

I've had to take a bit of time away from the blog to take care of some personal business. I've missed you all, and want to thank all of you who took the time to drop me an email just to make sure that I'm okay.

I'M OKAY!

I understand that it's normal for people to take the occasional break from blogging. Good to know that I'm normal -- I guess. And just in case there was any doubt:

You Are 65% Normal

Otherwise known as the normal amount of normal You're like most people most of the time But you've got those quirks that make you endearing You're unique, yes... but not frighteningly so!

How Normal Are You?

Affluent Flyers

I'm struggling to make sense of a recent article that said inflight magazines are some of the best advertising buys to reach households with over $100,000 in annual income.

Only a handful of other publications can boast this income from their readers (Barron's, Wall Street Journal and The Economist).

It still continues to surprise me that people who have this kind of income can still have some of the poorest manners.

Once again Money does not equal Class!

Technorati Tags : airlines, flight+attendants, travel

Affluent Flyers

I'm struggling to make sense of a recent article that said inflight magazines are some of the best advertising buys to reach households with over $100,000 in annual income.

Only a handful of other publications can boast this income from their readers (Barron's, Wall Street Journal and The Economist).

It still continues to surprise me that people who have this kind of income can still have some of the poorest manners.

Once again Money does not equal Class!

Technorati Tags : airlines, flight+attendants, travel

Clean, Crisp & Pressed

Sometimes when I get home from a trip, I look at my crispy starched, formerly white shirts, and wonder just what happened.

Is it really possible for me to have that many cans of soda explode down the front of me?  Did I spill that much stuff?  Am I really that much of a slob?

Unfortunately, at 40,000 feet, spills are inevitable.  It just goes with the job.

Fortunately, there are fabrics that are stain resistant, and treatments that can help repel stains.

Unfortunately, none of those have been incorporated into a uniform shirt or blouse.

Why is that?

Technorati Tags : flight+attendants

Holiday Weekend

What are your plans for this weekend? 

 

Traveling?  Parties?  Staying home?

 

I'm glad that I'm not flying, and can avoid all the craziness of the airport.  I'll be busy at home with lots of invites for weekend parties.

 

How about you?

 

Technorati Tags : flight+attendants, travel

Are Air Marshals Really Anonymous? Do You Care?

Apparently the air marshals out there are not as anonymous as people would like to think.

 

A report by the House Judiciary Committee cited several policies and practices which work at odds with the stated policy of the air marshals being undercover.

 

As a Flight Attendant, I see air marshals on a near daily basis, and, like many of my regular passengers, there are some I recognize by sight.  But 9 times out of 10, even when I don't know them, I can pick them out in the boarding area.  Perhaps this is what the Judiciary Committee is critical of.  And they should be.

 

Some of the practices under critical review include:

 

Dress code:  It is believed that the fairly strict and conservative dress code actually draws attention to the air marshals, rather than allowing them to blend in with other passengers. I'd say this one is probably an obvious issue -- after all, who dresses up to travel any more?!

 

Hotel:  Evidently the marshals are required to stay at designated hotel, probably much in the same way that flight crews do, and are required to show their credentials at the front desk.  I know how obvious we are in checking in, so I would imagine it is for the marshals as well.  Nothing screams out "here I am" more than flashing credentials.  (Well, maybe flashing a gun.)  It's reported that one hotel (Sheraton Fort Lauderdale - Airport) even designated the air marshal service as the "company of the month" at their hotel.  Oh yeah, that will guarantee anonymity.

 

Boarding:  It's believed that the boarding process gives away the identify of the marshals.  While I'm not in the boarding area to pay attention to this process, I'll grant that it may have validity.

 

I'm not entirely convinced that the success of the air marshal program depends on the marshals eing anonymous.  But, if that's the stated policy, it's a good idea to have practices that support, rather than work against, it. 

 

It will be interesting to see what Congress does with the report, and if any changes are made to the program.

 

Technorati Tags : airlines, flight+attendants

 

Theme Song

There was some catchy music being played during the boarding process yesterday, and I can't seem to get it out of my mind. It's not even that interesting of a tune; it's just stuck on a continuous loop in my head.

I came across this fun little quiz while looking for something to replace the annoying song that I am unable to shake.

Your Theme Song is Beautiful Day by U2

"Sky falls, you feel like It's a beautiful day Don't let it get away" You see the beauty in life, especially in ordinary everyday moments. And if you're feeling down, even that seems a little beautiful too.

What's Your Theme Song?

Kaleidoscope World

When I was a kid, I loved my kaleidoscope.

When I had to be quiet, or stay indoors, the colorful patterns would keep me entertained for hours. It was always by my side when I was sick, my mom knowing that it would give both of us a little relief.

I came across this website, where you can make your own online kaleidoscope. You can see my before picture and my kaleidoscope photo above.

Warning: It's a little addictive!

Jet Blue's Inflight Spa

What's not to like about flying red-eyes when you're treated like this?

Jet Blue has started giving out red-eye flyer kits that contain spa items from Bliss Spa.  Stuff in the kit includes, eye masks, earplugs, moisturizer, and lip balm, along with a promotional offer at the Bliss spas, located in New York City, London, and various W Hotels.

Also on the red-eye filghts, is Jet Blue's "Shut-Eye" service which features passenger access to a self-serve pantry filled with snacks and hot towels.  Of course, I'm wondering what the Flight Attendants' responsibility is during these flights.

I can't wait to check this out!

Technorati Tags : flight+attendant, travel, Bliss, Jet+Blue

 

 

Laptop Battery

I rarely travel without my laptop.

It keeps me connected with my work, my friends, and my family.  It allows me to check on flights, trade my schedule around, and, of course, write for YuHu Stewardess.

I understand that some computer applications are a heavier drain on laptop batteries, so I try to minimize those when I can't get plugged in.  But it still seems that I'm jumping from battery use to A/C adapter and back to battery use with no rhyme or reason.  Now it seems that my battery just doesn't hold the juice like it used to.

I know that I should buy another battery, but so far, I've just not been able to justify the expense.  So I was happy to read about how you can extend the life of your laptop battery by running it through a full discharge/charge cycle.

The way to do this is to let the battery run completely down until the laptop goes to sleep.  Then plug it in and let it recharge completely.  It is recommended that this be done once a month.

I ran it through the cycle this afternoon, and now I'll see how long it lasts.  If you've tried this, I'd like to know if it really does extend the battery life.

 

Technorati Tags : travel, laptop, flight+attendant

 

 

Mandatory Retirement at Age 60

One of the often debated issues in the airline business, is the mandatory retirement age (60) for pilots.

 

There are a variety of arguments on both sides, some more convincing than others.

 

Here's a nice discussion of the issue, written by a pilot, and also infused with a little bit of humor.

 

Where do I weigh in on this issue?  When the mandatory medical exams are truly thorough exams, certifying the health of the captain, I'll discuss the subject further.  Right now, there are too many ways around the medical certification for me to consider raising the age.

 

Let me know what you think.

 

 

Breaking Wind

I've been seeing the Flat D Chair Pad all over this morning.

 

It's a charcoal activated chair pad that's designed to absorb the odors of. . . well, there is no real polite way to say this. . . flatulence.

 

There are some flights where Flight Attendant's should have this to hand out to some passengers.

 

Via Road Gladiator

 

Technorati Tags : travel, flight+attendants, airplanes

POLL RESULTS: United 93

Here are the poll results from the question:  Will you see the movie United 93. 

 

Seen it already:  5%

Going to see it:  22%

No:  50%

Don't see any movies:  3%

Undecided:  20%

 

The "NO" vote overwhelmingly has it!

 

I'm still in the undecided category, although leaning toward a yes.  Most likely, though, I'll wait to see it on DVD.

 

 

I'm Back!

I've had a busy week or so, and have not been able to post.  I'm back now, and have returned to the land of steady computer access.

 

Lots going on in the airline biz these days, so come back soon to catch up on everything!

 

 

Pilot Job Outsourced to U.S.

Apparently someone is hiring pilots --- overseas airlines.

Foreign carriers are outsourcing flying jobs to U.S. pilots:  China, India, and the Emirates have long been options.  Emerging options include:  Bolivia, Qatr, and Vietnam.

Compensation packages include salary, health care, housing alloance, retirement plans, and vacation.  Many of the packages are more than what pilots have been making here at home.

In other parts of the world flight crews are still treated with respect. 

Via Today in the Sky

Movie Review: United 93

Here's a nice review of the movie United 93 written by a pilotat Blogging at FL250.

 

After reading it, I'm getting a little closer to making up my mind about whether I want to see the movie or not.

 

Technorati Tags : airlines, travel, flight+attendants

TSA Jokes replace Post Office Joke

Did you hear the one about the TSA guy who. . . .

Apparently everone has a TSA airport story, and whether deserved or not, they have now become the new post office joke.

Do you have a favorite TSA joke?

 

Via Today in the Sky

Jet Blue Baggage Handlers Want to Unionize

It looks like everything may not be rosy at Jet Blue, as word filters out that the baggage handles have filed a petition with the National Mediation Board to stage a union election.  The certification process, which is the prelude to an election, will likely take at least a month.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union said that it was approach by the Jet Blue baggage handlers, in essence pointing out that this was an inside campaign and not an external organizing one.

Complaints seem to include:  no paid sick leave, no paid vacation, no pension plan.

Jet Blue denies the claims, saying that all Jet Blue employees receive paid time off based on the numbers of years of employment.  Since the company is fairly young, I think that it's safe to say, there's no one around with lots of time on the books.  The company also claims that there is a company matching 401(k) and profit sharing plan.

As always, in these situations both sides are spinning the story to best suit their needs.  The truth lies somewhere middle. 

What this does indicate, however, is that Jet Blue will have to face the same labor issues that other carriers have been facing for years.

Stand by.  I think these issues are just beginning.

Technorati Tags : travel, flight+attendant, airlines, Jet+Blue, unions