The grass really IS always greener on the other side, at least when you're heading to Ireland in a day!
See you on the other side of the Atlantic.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Hey baby, what's your number?
Airline employee's lives are governed by seniority. The most senior crew members get their choice of trips and their positions on the plane. The relative prestige of the flight attendant in comparison to their coworkers is intricately linked to their date of hire.
The junior people get to sit around and hope/not hope that somebody falls ill, has car trouble, or is otherwise incapacitated so they can get back on a plane.
All airlines do reserve slightly different, but it's all the same idea. The airline industry is a beast of unpredictability. As such, all airlines keep a pool of "reserve" flight attendants and pilots who do not carry a regular schedule.
Instead, they get to spend their reserve time at home or in the crashpad, waiting for a two hour call out to head to the airport.
Reserves can also be assigned a special spot in hell called airport reserve, where they spend their time wandering terminals, frequenting airport coffee shops, staring lustfully out the window (at sweet, sweet freedom), or hiding in basement crew rooms watching cartoons (maybe that's just me).
In the interest of fairness, airport reserve isn't all that bad. There are worse things than getting paid to watch TV and play peekaboo with babies over their parent's shoulders. It's the easiest job in the world, though often very boring. I don't think I can ever get tired of airports entirely, but I do get tired of overpriced airport food and coffee. I get tired of pressing my uniform every day just to sit around, wait and read.
But mostly I get tired of having my feet on the ground.
The junior people get to sit around and hope/not hope that somebody falls ill, has car trouble, or is otherwise incapacitated so they can get back on a plane.
All airlines do reserve slightly different, but it's all the same idea. The airline industry is a beast of unpredictability. As such, all airlines keep a pool of "reserve" flight attendants and pilots who do not carry a regular schedule.
Instead, they get to spend their reserve time at home or in the crashpad, waiting for a two hour call out to head to the airport.
Reserves can also be assigned a special spot in hell called airport reserve, where they spend their time wandering terminals, frequenting airport coffee shops, staring lustfully out the window (at sweet, sweet freedom), or hiding in basement crew rooms watching cartoons (maybe that's just me).
In the interest of fairness, airport reserve isn't all that bad. There are worse things than getting paid to watch TV and play peekaboo with babies over their parent's shoulders. It's the easiest job in the world, though often very boring. I don't think I can ever get tired of airports entirely, but I do get tired of overpriced airport food and coffee. I get tired of pressing my uniform every day just to sit around, wait and read.
But mostly I get tired of having my feet on the ground.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Babes in Arms
It's probably a parents' worst nightmare that the comforting grip of their arms might be the most dangerous place for their baby. Most of the young children I see aboard my aircraft are not safe.
According to FAA regulations, it is entirely legal to hold a child in an adult lap aboard an aircraft until the child reaches their second birthday. The FAA simply recommends but does not require that children below the age of two have their own seat and use a child restraint system. They also do not require any specialty devices for children who are too small to safely use the adult sized lap belt equipped by the aircraft.
I understand the appeal of saving a few extra hundred dollars by holding the tot. I would counter that in at least two years you'll have to make the decision to either drive or purchase an extra seat anyway, so it may be a good time to start considering alternate means of transit or start budgeting for all the plane tickets your family requires.
I also understand that most people assume if the plane goes down, the safety belt probably isn't going to do them a lot of good. On the contrary, as pilot Patrick Smith has continuously pointed out in his "Ask the Pilot" column on Salon, plane crashes quite often have survivors. Planes are not designed with aspirations to burn, explode, or otherwise maim their passengers in the event of an accident. Survivors of plane crashes are not miracles, unless you count some of the most brilliant engineering minds in the world as miracles.
Planes are designed with your safety and survival in mind. That being said, most accidents don't happen when a plane suddenly drops from the sky. Rather, most accidents statistically happen during takeoff, meaning you might not even be off the ground when you're in the most danger.
However in either case, if you are not wearing your seat belt or your child is being held in your arms, your chances decrease exponentially, as you'll be splattered on the nearest bulkhead before you have the chance to escape.
Parents can't imagine that they would let their baby go in an accident. What could be safer than nestled in their parents chest? However, as the Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital reports,
Switching gears, it's not just the horrific plane crashes that cause concern, but the everyday occurrence of turbulence. Most turbulence is mild to moderate and at worst prohibits the flight attendant from serving coffee (although in my experience it doesn't prohibit caffeine deprived passengers from asking). Often, the crew is warned prior to the bumps and are able to sit down, secure their workplace, and brief the passengers on the upcoming bumps.
However, while most turbulence is nothing to be concerned about, because turbulence can be rough and can happen so unexpectedly, it can present a danger. On one United flight in July, 30 people were injured during strong unexpected turbulence, flying up from the floor and hitting the ceiling. The people injured were out of their seats or not wearing seat belts.
Again, holding an infant sounds like a safe idea, but they're only as strapped down as their parent. Often, parents don't even keep their kids in their arms for the flight (I find that understandable. Kids are warm, wiggly, and often covered in Teddy Graham crumbs), instead letting them play on the floorspace between their feet or in the aisle. Again, I understand. It's hard to convince most adults to sit still for a few hours on a plane, much less a child. However, in the event of unexpected turbulence, the child is not in the safest position.
In addition, there are many children who are too big for car seats and too small for the lap belt of an aircraft to really protect them. A child perched on their knees and peering out the window with the lap belt buckled but dangling off the edge of the seat may as well not be wearing it at all. In order for a seat belt to protect you and your children, it needs to be pulled tight against the lap (it should probably be noted that this advice goes for adults too).
Solutions
Most hardback car seats for children should also have a sticker indicating their approval for use by the FAA. If you're traveling with an infant and you can spare the hands, bring your car seat. It buckles into the seat just as it does in your vehicle at home. Note that booster seats cannot be used, only the hardback seats with the harness.
You will also have to place the infant in the window seat, as the car seat can block the aisle in the event of an emergency evacuation.
A few things about infant car seats:
1. Call your airline beforehand and ask about their policies on infants. Many airlines will not charge you for an infant if there is a seat available anyway. If you get there with the car seat and no seats are available, most of the time they'll be happy to gate check the car seat for you and as soon as you get off the aircraft, you'll have it back.
2. Try to book flights during low load times, increasing the chances that there will be an open seat on the aircraft.
In addition, there is a fantastic child restraint system called Cares, available for that group too big for a car seat but too small to ride safely with the lap belt alone. It's a great item because it's simply a harness that attaches to the seat belt already installed in the aircraft. It takes seconds, keeps children safe, and most importantly, folds up into a tiny carrying case to be easily thrown into a carry on. You can purchase one at www.kidsflysafe.com .
The airline industry spends a lot of time making sure people know the statistics about their safety in flight, and it's true that flying is incredibly safe. It's true that you're far more likely to be hurt in an accident on the way to the airport than on the flight. However small the chances are though, it's always better to err on the side of caution and buckle up--both you and your children.
According to FAA regulations, it is entirely legal to hold a child in an adult lap aboard an aircraft until the child reaches their second birthday. The FAA simply recommends but does not require that children below the age of two have their own seat and use a child restraint system. They also do not require any specialty devices for children who are too small to safely use the adult sized lap belt equipped by the aircraft.
I understand the appeal of saving a few extra hundred dollars by holding the tot. I would counter that in at least two years you'll have to make the decision to either drive or purchase an extra seat anyway, so it may be a good time to start considering alternate means of transit or start budgeting for all the plane tickets your family requires.
I also understand that most people assume if the plane goes down, the safety belt probably isn't going to do them a lot of good. On the contrary, as pilot Patrick Smith has continuously pointed out in his "Ask the Pilot" column on Salon, plane crashes quite often have survivors. Planes are not designed with aspirations to burn, explode, or otherwise maim their passengers in the event of an accident. Survivors of plane crashes are not miracles, unless you count some of the most brilliant engineering minds in the world as miracles.
Planes are designed with your safety and survival in mind. That being said, most accidents don't happen when a plane suddenly drops from the sky. Rather, most accidents statistically happen during takeoff, meaning you might not even be off the ground when you're in the most danger.
However in either case, if you are not wearing your seat belt or your child is being held in your arms, your chances decrease exponentially, as you'll be splattered on the nearest bulkhead before you have the chance to escape.
Parents can't imagine that they would let their baby go in an accident. What could be safer than nestled in their parents chest? However, as the Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital reports,
Now, let's take that recipe for Baby Pancake, multiply it by AIRPLANE, and you see the concern. There's simply no way that a baby held in their parents arms is safe in the event of an accident. The baby would shoot out of their parents arms, not only harming the baby, but also turning the child into a dangerous projectile to all other passengers.
When traveling in a car, your arms are the most dangerous place for your baby. In a low-speed, 30 mph crash, even a tiny 10-pound infant would be ripped from your arms with a force of almost 300 pounds and crushed between your body and the windshield and dashboard.
Switching gears, it's not just the horrific plane crashes that cause concern, but the everyday occurrence of turbulence. Most turbulence is mild to moderate and at worst prohibits the flight attendant from serving coffee (although in my experience it doesn't prohibit caffeine deprived passengers from asking). Often, the crew is warned prior to the bumps and are able to sit down, secure their workplace, and brief the passengers on the upcoming bumps.
However, while most turbulence is nothing to be concerned about, because turbulence can be rough and can happen so unexpectedly, it can present a danger. On one United flight in July, 30 people were injured during strong unexpected turbulence, flying up from the floor and hitting the ceiling. The people injured were out of their seats or not wearing seat belts.
Again, holding an infant sounds like a safe idea, but they're only as strapped down as their parent. Often, parents don't even keep their kids in their arms for the flight (I find that understandable. Kids are warm, wiggly, and often covered in Teddy Graham crumbs), instead letting them play on the floorspace between their feet or in the aisle. Again, I understand. It's hard to convince most adults to sit still for a few hours on a plane, much less a child. However, in the event of unexpected turbulence, the child is not in the safest position.
In addition, there are many children who are too big for car seats and too small for the lap belt of an aircraft to really protect them. A child perched on their knees and peering out the window with the lap belt buckled but dangling off the edge of the seat may as well not be wearing it at all. In order for a seat belt to protect you and your children, it needs to be pulled tight against the lap (it should probably be noted that this advice goes for adults too).
Solutions
Most hardback car seats for children should also have a sticker indicating their approval for use by the FAA. If you're traveling with an infant and you can spare the hands, bring your car seat. It buckles into the seat just as it does in your vehicle at home. Note that booster seats cannot be used, only the hardback seats with the harness.
You will also have to place the infant in the window seat, as the car seat can block the aisle in the event of an emergency evacuation.
A few things about infant car seats:
1. Call your airline beforehand and ask about their policies on infants. Many airlines will not charge you for an infant if there is a seat available anyway. If you get there with the car seat and no seats are available, most of the time they'll be happy to gate check the car seat for you and as soon as you get off the aircraft, you'll have it back.
2. Try to book flights during low load times, increasing the chances that there will be an open seat on the aircraft.
In addition, there is a fantastic child restraint system called Cares, available for that group too big for a car seat but too small to ride safely with the lap belt alone. It's a great item because it's simply a harness that attaches to the seat belt already installed in the aircraft. It takes seconds, keeps children safe, and most importantly, folds up into a tiny carrying case to be easily thrown into a carry on. You can purchase one at www.kidsflysafe.com .
The airline industry spends a lot of time making sure people know the statistics about their safety in flight, and it's true that flying is incredibly safe. It's true that you're far more likely to be hurt in an accident on the way to the airport than on the flight. However small the chances are though, it's always better to err on the side of caution and buckle up--both you and your children.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Flighty
Among the many benefits to becoming a flight attendant, I told myself, was the immense time I could devote to the craft I'd spent four years at university also completely neglecting: writing. Having become a flight attendant in the spring of 2010, I told myself I would finally do it. I had the inspiration, the time, and of course the endless adoration of the nameless internet fans bound to fall in love with my blog and offer me sponsorship, money, and a book deal to pad my otherwise sparse bank account.
I created this blog in June 2010, wrote one mediocre entry describing my crescendo into the world of airlines, and then promptly forgot it existed at all.
That's one problem with being a flight attendant; sometimes, I just feel well--flighty. I had romantic thoughts of sitting in a cozy terminal corner with my airport-priced coffee in one hand and a pen stuck thoughtfully to my lips with the other. I'd observe the frenzied crowds and discover the next great American novel coded in their chaos.
Instead, after time I found the chaos exhausting, the crowds overwhelming. After hours serving on a plane, I often find myself collapsing into a dark, isolated corner, the quietest spots in the busiest places in the world. I gulp a coffee and forgo my diet completely for the messy embrace of a chocolate muffin, closing my eyes and reminding myself that nobody around knows me well enough to judge. I often just want to close my eyes and hope nobody approaches me in query of the location of their baggage.
However, this is my resolution: fatigue is no longer an excuse. I'm more than just an employee of an airplane and I don't want to lose my thoughts to the sky. This job makes holding relationships difficult, but while it is hard to lose touch with your friends, it is especially sad to have lost touch with yourself.
I created this blog in June 2010, wrote one mediocre entry describing my crescendo into the world of airlines, and then promptly forgot it existed at all.
That's one problem with being a flight attendant; sometimes, I just feel well--flighty. I had romantic thoughts of sitting in a cozy terminal corner with my airport-priced coffee in one hand and a pen stuck thoughtfully to my lips with the other. I'd observe the frenzied crowds and discover the next great American novel coded in their chaos.
Instead, after time I found the chaos exhausting, the crowds overwhelming. After hours serving on a plane, I often find myself collapsing into a dark, isolated corner, the quietest spots in the busiest places in the world. I gulp a coffee and forgo my diet completely for the messy embrace of a chocolate muffin, closing my eyes and reminding myself that nobody around knows me well enough to judge. I often just want to close my eyes and hope nobody approaches me in query of the location of their baggage.
However, this is my resolution: fatigue is no longer an excuse. I'm more than just an employee of an airplane and I don't want to lose my thoughts to the sky. This job makes holding relationships difficult, but while it is hard to lose touch with your friends, it is especially sad to have lost touch with yourself.
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