Comments on: Flight attendants — unsung heroes 8 years later

By: Casey Wallace

Casey Wallace — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:56:45 +0000

Hooray for the article! Nice job and so true.

By: unknown flight attendant

unknown flight attendant — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:55:05 +0000

Thank you so much for reminding everyone of the real reason that flight attendants are on board airplanes. Safety and security. We are now the airlines’ last line of defense against terrorism. We are expected to report to work as usual and perform all of the same job duties that we performed prior to 9/11. But then the world changed. The job that I have now had for over 27 years (with several different airlines) changed with it. We know, and are reminded each time we go to work, of the very real possibility of another terrorist attack. It is always uppermost in our thoughts. Whatever else may be happening on a flight, every flight attendant knows that if a terrorist attack should occur, we are on our own. The pilots can’t help us. That door will stay locked even though there is a real possibility that we would likely have to sacrifice our lives to keep it locked.
The vast majority of us are still smiling, friendly, and enjoying our jobs in spite of huge paycuts and layoffs. The cuts in onboard service that management has chosen to make often make our passengers irate and our jobs more difficult. We are constantly apologizing for things that we had nothing to do with. That’s actually nothing new; just part of the job. To be honest, I’d honestly prefer to serve free food. I used to have much fewer problems when we did.
It never ceases to amaze me though when I’m reminded of what short memories so many people have. Not only are the flight attendants the unsung heroes of 9/11 and in emergencies such as the US Airways crash in the Hudson River, but we are faced daily with any number of other safety-related situations. Medical emergencies are probably the most obvious. Through our initial 7-week unpaid training (and our unpaid annual recurrent training), we have learned CPR, the use of a defibrillator, first aid, and basic medical procedures. Flight attendants are directly responsible for saving the lives of numerous passengers.
Customers tend not to pay much attention to the safety demo. On the few cases when we have had to repeat that exact same demo inflight due to the possibility of an emergency landing, all eyes are suddenly on us watching or every move, listening to our every word, and looking to us for guidance because they know that we are the ones who will save their lives.
I recently had a passenger literally screaming at me because we had run out of pasta! A joke among flight attendants is, “Sir, I said we ran out of pasta, not fuel!”. Let’s put it in perspective, shall we? Try to remember too that flight attendants are not the one who decided how many of each meal would be put on each flight (on those flights where there is still actually a hot meal). By all means, make your feelings known to us (the flight attendants). We will bend over backwards to give you whatever is available. Feel free to talk to us about the best way to get your message heard. Ask for names and addresses of customer service, the CEO, etc. Just keep in mind that screaming and making a scene will not help, and these days will likely get you arrested. You’ve just become a safety threat. I don’t mean the obvious threat of being unruly or violating federal laws… what went through my mind first was, “What if this is a diversion to take my attention away from what’s happening in the rest of the cabin”? It always comes back to the treat of terrorism now.
Everything you said in your article is true. We have suffered paycuts and layoffs. Our executives have given themselves hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses in spite of record losses. Many of us are now in bankruptcy, foreclosure, or unemployed. It’s not a fair world, and it’s not a fair industry. But it’s the career that I chose, and a job I still perform with pride. I may not be happy with the way I’m treated by my company, I may be extremely stressed by the constant threat of extreme violence every time I go to work, but I have a job. Usually a fun and interesting job. THere’s really no other job in the world quite like it. But it would be nice if the public would stop forgetting why we’re really there and maybe even show us the same respect that they would show to anyone who was touched and hurt so very deeply by 9/11. It would be wonderful if our own management would stop lining their own pockets and start paying us a living wage. The amount that I’m paid to cover meals and expenses for each 24 hour period does not even come close to paying for one meal. My salary is so much less today than it was prior to 9/11 that I can no longer afford a place to live. I’m back at mom’s house.
Just a quick comment to those who commented above me… yes, a smile will almost always get you a smile in return. 70 hours per month is a low figure. More realistically, it’s between 85 and 100 hours. But those are FLIGHT hours. From the time the plane starts moving at departure until it stops moving at arrival. The hours of work setting up for a flight, between flights, trying to sleep on a layover for the next day’s flights, getting to the airport extra early, going through US Customs up to 3 or 4 times per day, and going through the same security that all passengers go through 3-4 times per day as well are all unpaid. I can’t think of any other work group that works for free for hours at a time on each shift.
And finally, a huge thank you to all of you who commented above me and to those who DO remember why we’re there. Thank you for that smile. Thank you for making my day at work less stressful, and for putting that smile on my face. It’s because of people like you that I love my job, and in spite of everything, I choose to keep doing it.

By: Louis

Louis — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:19:04 +0000

Thank you. I have been a flight attendant for 22 years. I have seen many changes to our profession. And yes, people forget that it was a flight attendant that was the first to die on 9/11. And that we continue to monitor our aircraft for terrorist.

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:18:00 +0000

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:54:16 +0000

Jose, the Association of Flight Attendants held a “memorial” in Washington Park in New York City on September 11, 2002. It was a sea of blue uniforms, a sea of tears as bagpipes played, white doves released into the air and someone walked onto a stage area holding a picture of a FLIGHT ATTENDANT killed that day. I’ll NEVER FORGET……………I was there (holding a large American Flag).

By: Jose Luis Caldas Jr

Jose Luis Caldas Jr — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:18:47 +0000

As a Retred American Airlines in flight crew member for 35 yrs i was amazed of the lack of recognition Flight attendants received by the Goverment of the World and the Traveling Public. after the 9/11 declaration of war and lost of so many lives.Memorials where held for every heroe involved in such event except the Flight attendants in those downed flights.Since then every time a crew member(F/A) boards an aircraft is left to wonder if their flight will make it safe to its final destination.Cockpit is locked behind a secure door and crew members are to be the defenders of you, the traveling public.As many are concerned of their mineral and color awards upgrades and their selfish ways..Flight Attendants are costantly monitoring without you realizing that all is well in the cabin.Many think that just because you dont see them constantly in the cabin they are not aware of your well being…get over it!! yes they are,and more than what you realized..They were the first to be killed defending you, they were the first in giving the gov. vital information of the highjackers in a professional and calm way,as they are trained to do.Cabin locked down in such event was developed and place in the books because crew members created it to defend you as an aircraft was almost blown out of the sky over the Atlantic.It was a female F/A who stopped this assault.So,while the traveling public disrespect this professionals,they are making sure that you are able to kiss your wife,child and walk in one piece after you reach your destination all over the world 24 hours a day.Who is to blame….first each management aircarrier from top mangement to you,but the worst of all is the goverment where each carriier is from.Management just cares about stealing big bonuses while cut everything else from F/A,you because take for granted this professionals that can save your life one day in more way than just terrorist attack and last the Goverment for allowing aircarriers to treat this unsungheroes like this….. To you Sir I thank you for bringing to the light this matter…..No matter if you are gold,platinum.silver ,zaphire,emerald or any other silly mineral or color when a terrorist attack takes place you will have only one group of ladies and gentleman fighting for you..Flight- attendants.Show respect and appreciate what they do for you.

By: Rachel Monaco

Rachel Monaco — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 23:33:57 +0000

Thank you so much for recognizing the valuable role that flight attendants played on 9/11. As a 19 year AA flight attendant I appreciate your recognition of the hard job that we have protecting the cockpit and the cabin. I say every day I go to work I think of 9/11 and that’s not an exaggeration. We are the front line of defense and take seriously our role in preventing another terrorist attack.

By: Larry Evans

Larry Evans — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 23:30:52 +0000

Thank you Mr. Leocha for your article. As a 25 year F/A with American Airlines I was quite touched by your article and appreciate you bringing to light the responsibility we have as F/A’s in the work place. Kudos to you!!

By: Taylor

Taylor — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 01:49:32 +0000

thanks!

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:46:15 +0000

As highly professional flight attendants, Betty Ong and Amy Sweeney were on their own to defend, and went above and beyond the scope of their duties to save the crew and passengers. With Betty and Amy finding themselves in the middle of the disastrous events on board the aircraft and both their lives in risk, Betty remarkably carried out detailed reports, while taking relayed information from Amy’s accounts of the events. This was occurring in closed surroundings dispensed with mace, lacked oxygen, where chaos was being stirred up by the five highjackers on A.A. Flight 11. Clearly there were many passengers and crewmembers harmed and several lives lost just a short distance away from where they were while on the air-phones with federal authorities, with the possibility they could have been next. Amid the commotion, with little air to breath or room to maneuver, Betty and Amy calmly and professionally reported and rendered aid to passengers in precarious conditions. Nevertheless, they remained smart and calm all the way through to the end, aware of their fate, but never gave up. At the cost of their own lives, their reports on the highjacking proved invaluable to the authorities that led to better preventive measures to avoid another tragedy as on 9/11 for many years to come.

P.S. Those who wish to pay tribute and appreciate Betty and Amy can also find their names inscribed on the 9/11memorial in Grapevine, Texas, where a newly built and beautiful statue is dedicated to the crewmembers on the four flights that were lost. Thanks to all Flight Attendants, for keeping all of us safe when traveling. Lets face it, while having the peace of mind to fall back and retreat is an option for law enforcement at ground level if a crisis escalates; is never an option for flight attendants, however insurmountable the crisis may be. The fact is until the plane reaches its destination, the responsibility and burden falls exclusively to flight attendants for the traveling public to depend on to resolve any conflict or provide medical aid. The duties involved for Flight Attendants makes the risks of their work incalculable. They now effectively are put in the role as the police, doctor, nurse, psychiatrist, bomb squad, and referee.