Full body scanners...would you let them scan you?

There is a growing debate in the United States about fullbody scanners, which the TSA is installing in many airports across the United States. Some of the concerns involve the exposure to radiation, and the amount of radiation that is used to create the images. 
Another objection is that the full body scanner allows a very clear picture of the person that is being scanned, completely and fully showing their genitals in a way that allows for the person reviewing the scan to have a very good idea of the size of the genitals that are seen in the scanner. 
Supposedly, the image cannot be viewed in a way that allows for the reviewer to be able to identify the person, but, that has been dis-proven. All that needs to be done for the person to be able to be identified is to reverse the negative image to positive, and a clear image of the person can be seen. There is now a company that sells patches made of silicon to cover the breasts and genitals of passengers, so that in the event that they are chosen to go through the full body scanner, their private areas are shielded from the eyes of the person reviewing the scan. 
Finally, another objection is that for persons who work in the flight industry, they could be exposed to these machines several times in a day. A pilot recently refused to be scanned by one of these devices, stating that he did not believe that it has been proven to be a safe device. 
Although I am a staunch supporter of doing everything that we can in order to make traveling in the United States safe, I do not think that these machines are necessarily the best way to go. It has already been determined that there have been many pieces of misinformation that have been distributed by the TSA, so I support waiting until further information is out to fully use these machines.
In the event that you are chosen to go through one of these and you do not want to, you have the option of being manually patted down by a person instead of going through it. 
In the event that I am selected, I will go through it once, so that I can have the experience and write about it here. 
Other than going it through one time, I will decline and be manually patted down. 

Frontier Airlines adding Kansas City-Fort Myers to routes

Frontier Airlines is expanding its' line again with a newly announced route Kansas City to Fort Myers. 
The airline has been adding quite a few routes lately, which is very good to create competition in the airline industry, and some of the routes are very interesting, such as this one from Kansas City. 
Frontier says that initially, they will only fly the route once a week, increasing the route to twice a week in the beginning of 2011.

Qantas Airlines to offer iPad as inflight entertainment

Qantas Airlines will be offering the iPad for rent on its' Jetstar flights. The rental fee will be appx. $10.00 US.
I wonder what the deposit will be, as well as how the devices will be tracked so that there is no loss or theft. On the link, it mentions that it will provide a streaming service, presumably for music and videos. I think that it is a nice way to make entertainment without everyone having to watch the same video that is on the main screen at the front of the plane. Plus, I would imagine that everyone gets a set of headphones, so I do not have to listen, which is nicer. 


There are some really nice accessories for the iPad. I have a friend that has a tabletop stand for hers, and she tells me that it makes all the difference in the world between her using it, and it simply sitting on the charger, a useless device. 
A leather carrying case can be had from this vendor for less than $10.00! A great price to protect your very expensive gadget. 






















Finally, the last of the iPad gadgets that I will write about, a screen protector. If you end up using it, why not protect the screen to make it last longer and respond better? 

Fees I object to, and fees I am okay with on the airlines

Airlines are doing everything that they can in order to become more profit making and less red lines in the books. 
People (myself included a few times) have grumbled about all of the fees that are adding up. American has even toyed with adding value to economy seats who want to board first, offering to charge them for this privilege.


Here are some suggestions that I have for all of the airlines to make some money. 

• Charge for any beverage other than water. Soft drinks, juices, milks, included. You will not die if you do not get a soda. Trust me, your kidneys will thank you.
• Increase the charges for drinks with mixers. Want a Rum and Coke? You get to pay for the rum AND the Coke.
•  Charge for cheap, disposable pillows and blankets. You would eliminate the fear of cooties, because every pillow and blanket would be a purchase, not a loan.
• Sell items on the plane such as sanitary napkins, baby diapers, and other toiletries.
• Don't just sell items when you are in Duty-Free. Sell items on every flight. I am sure that Sky Mall would love to stock a few smaller items on board each flight. How many travel neck pillows could you sell per flight?
• Offer lower pricing for the middle seat, higher pricing for the window, and highest pricing for the aisle.
• Charge extra for side checking your luggage. You get your luggage before everyone else, after all.
• Sell weather related items such as jackets, umbrellas, parkas. 
• Pass out those credit card applications on every flight. (To those who are interested)
• Get sponsors for the tray table front and back.
• Get sponsors for power ports on the plane. 
• Get ads on the air sick bags. I have seen some, and some are very clever. 
• Offer usable incentives for smaller mileage amounts to encourage less frequent travelers to still use your brand. (Example..about 10 years ago, a legacy carrier offered to let me convert my modest amount of miles into 6 magazine subscriptions, even making them into gift subscriptions if I wanted to. 6 people in my family got gift subscriptions that year.)
• Offer a pay for play lounge area with internet access available for a fee. (Some miles lounges, like the Admirals' Club offer a $50.00 per day access to their clubs already, but, I was able to use it in one airport, but not the next, where I had a 6 hour layover..GRR!)
• Sell a brand based internet access for a reasonable fee, but offer incentives on the site for miles members, or for making ticket and travel purchases.
• Devise a small GPS unit to attach to pet carriers for pet owners who want to check out the location of their pet in real time. Charge for the service.
• Offer a free basic healthy snack on longer flights, and charge for full meal service, or desserts.
• Free kids means that lap children cannot bring bags without an extra fee. Your lap child, flying for free on your lap should not be able to come with a piece of luggage and a personal item. If you are using your lap as their seat, you should not be able to use more space on the plane by using the kid as a luggage space voucher. I understand that kids need diapers, snacks, etc, but, come on, check some of your things. No one wants to wait behind you when we land and you have to grab your station wagon amount of luggage and miscellaneous,either. By the time that you get off the plane, the luggage will be in baggage claim, and you will be shoving past all of us to get to your rental car. 
• Power charging stations. Yes, we all have electronics, and they all run on batteries that always need to be charged, but it is possible to make every plug in the airport a money maker. For the ones that the cleaning crew use to clean the place at night? A nice lock box cover with a key code or a swipe card would close the access point to the general public. Electricity is not free, and it could generate revenue. Either that, or, in some places, they have large sponsors that host the charging station.

What not to charge for::

• Clean, well maintained restrooms. Some airport lavatories are disgusting, filthy, and vile.
• Great customer service. There is no reason that I should have to bend over backwards to garner the attention of a member of flight crew when I need help with something. (Passenger next to me was air sick.) If I hit the call button, it is because I need something. Hearing you laugh from the galley and "finish your story" does not fill me with happy thoughts. Your primary reason for being on the plane is safety. Also, having you socialize with a fellow flight attendant while serving food and beverages is RUDE. If I was in a restaurant and you were talking across me to fellow wait-staff, I would want an apology. Keep it in the crew lounge. 
• Helpful information. Yes, all of the signs at the airport on the monitor screens tell me when and where the flight was, but, I may have other questions as well. Please be patient with me and let me address all of my concerns. They may not be important to you, but they are important to me.
• Uniform following of the rules. If I can only bring one piece of luggage and a personal item on board, and everyone else is supposed to be made to follow the same rules, why am I seeing so many people come on board the plane with so much stuff? 
• Preferential treatment to armed forces. It would be nice to see a soldier in that seat in first class that no paying customer or frequent flier with extra miles is using instead of "The Honey Mooning couple" who already have plenty to be happy about and look forward to, or "The whiner" who begs for the upgrade when they come to check on something or any other person. Put that soldier up in first class whenever you can. 
• Extra cups of water. Please let us have water!

These are only my ideas, and they do not reflect anyone except me! :)

Comair Reducing fleet and jobs in effort to remain in business

Comair is ridding itself of half of its' fleet in its' latest effort to remain afloat and stay mindful of the bottom line. 
The small regional, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta has been making cuts and has had a hiring freeze in place for certain positions for years. 
I happen to have a very warm place in my heart for Delta Comair. I interviewed with them a few years ago. I was selected to be a flight attendant (trainee, classes, etc)  with them, and had gotten the packet in the mail. Went to get all of the lab work done, and then there was the phone call. There was a hiring freeze. 


That interview is one that I  still cherish, though. Everything was so wonderful. We were treated fairly and well. The people were so very nice. The man who drove me back to the airport visited with me as we rode back in the newly fallen snow, talking about the weather, and how very much I loved Kentucky and the people there. We talked about my having lived in Kentucky as a child, and he knew all of the places that I had lived. We talked about my (now deceased) grandmother who lived in Tennessee, and he said "Well, you can go and see her if you got the job, it would not be forever away." We talked about making buttermilk and mayonnaise, and about what the best dressings were for different types of salads. I felt like I was talking to family. 


When I got the call saying that there was a hiring freeze, my world took a jolt. Seeing this latest news makes me feel really sad for the people there that I got to meet, as well as the people who I never met, because it seems to be a really fine organization. 


I hope that Comair is able to make a better go of it, because I really like them. 

Part one of a series...Fun things to do in towns you may not know about

Of course, we have all been to big cities when we fly, and we have done all of the big city things.
I am going to have an ongoing series for air travelers about fun things to do in smaller cities in the world, and some of the interesting things to see in the air and on the road. 


Going into Tucson? Well, if you are renting a car, there are a good deal of things that you can see just a couple hours away. 
Tombstone, yes the one that the movie is based on, is a very tiny city, but it is still worth a look. There are a lot of things to see and do, and the town is very well preserved. There is the gunfight at the OK Corral, the Crystal Palace, and the Oriental, all still standing. Of course, you can still go to Boot Hill Cemetery, the place where many of Tombstone's famous and infamous are buried. 
In the same area, there are many true ghost towns, look at a map, but be safe, and no trespassing, please.


Down the road from Tombstone is Bisbee. Truly a jewel in the middle of the desert. Where most of Tombstone's buildings were made of wood and did not survive the fires that swept through, Bisbee decided to make theirs stand of stone after fires came through. The result is a town in the middle of mountains that  showcases the beautiful styles and architecture of a time gone by. 
Bisbee is mainly an artists colony now. Hand crafted glass beads are displayed in windows next to restaurants serving some of the finest Mexican food this side of the Mexican border. A dinner recently with my boyfriend found me enjoying diablo shrimp in the most wonderfully flavored sauce. I drank a favorite of mine, horchata, and it was so smooth and creamy, I just know that it had to be homemade. 
The salsa that came with our chips is better than most I have had. When we return, I will ask if they sell a bottled version of it. 


For me, Bisbee is a place that a great grandfather also worked. He worked in the Queen Mine, a copper mine right there. It was really awesome to discover that I have been eating, drinking and going to places that someone in my family went to way before I was even here. It also leads to fun speculation of "Maybe my great grandfather ate here" , which has turned out to be a fun pastime. 



Also in this area of the world are places to play golf, rent horses, and there is even a lake in the Coronado mountains.  Parker Canyon Lake is a beautiful small lake nestled right into the mountains. You would never even suspect that it is there. It is a reservoir lake, so I am pretty certain that swimming is not allowed.  
Parker Canyon Lake was created in 1966, and I cannot express what a wonderful job that was done. It is very pretty. 
The Coronado National Forest is really stunning all on its' own. Perhaps I will write a separate article on how awesome it is.
If you are going to be going into the Coronado National forest, make sure that your car is in good repair, that you have a full tank of gas, drinking water, sturdy shoes, and a working cell phone. Also make sure that someone knows that you are going out there. 


The areas south of Tucson offer many activities and adventurers for travelers in the Tucson area. There are plenty of things to do, the people are generally friendly, and there is a general attitude of being self reliant and that is nice to find. 

How would you help if you were stranded at an airport?

Hurricane Earl has me thinking about something that happened a long time ago in a Dallas airport.
We were at the airport in the wee hours of the morning, taking the first flight by American Airlines into Hawaii. The mood in the airport for everyone that was in the lines was pretty happy. We were all joking and laughing about the fact that we were off to a "terrible time in Hawaii", which was blatant lies and sarcasm, but, it was all in good fun.


None of the shops and stores were open yet, but, it was okay, because we were all packed and ready to head off to Hawaii. In front of us in line, a woman stood with a small young child. They had been bumped the night before from a flight, and missed the last chance connecting flight that was leaving in the middle of the night. When she went back to the ticket counter after the missed flight, there was no one there to help her. 


They had slept on the airport grounds, something I, also have had to do. The child looked tired and miserable, and so did the mother. They had lost the stroller for the child, it had gone onto the destination. She was attempting to get on a flight, any flight, just so that she would have made some progress. Finally, with a few key strokes, the woman at the ticket counter was able to get them a flight to Chicago, and from there, onto her final destination. Everyone was happy. 


We walked with her to her gate, all of us Hawaii bound passengers. A woman who was with a small child offered the stranded woman the use of her umbrella stroller to get to the gate. A second couple managed to fish out snacks from their child's diaper bag. A third set of parents came up with a few clean pull-up diapers for the boy to wear, since he had soiled his last one. 
It was really great to see all of these people with kids pulling together to try and make what must have been horrible situation at least more bearable. 


The best part of all is that these people all did this without being asked. They pulled together for a stranger at an airport. 


I carry a laptop with me pretty much where ever I go. I have a short (30 minutes) video of Sponge Bob, a short video of some music videos from Russia, and a couple of short Mickey Mouse and similar videos all in a folder that I have labeled "Kid Vids". This folder was created when my nieces were small and I was going to take them with me across a few state lines. I figured that there would be places where a little kid entertainment would be needed while I handled paperwork, rental cars, and the like. That little folder has been such a solid hit that whenever I get a new computer, I move that folder over to it.


In Russia, while at an airport with a plug, a group of kids that had a six hour layover sat in front of my computer watching all of the videos, never touching the computer, but applauding after each one was finished. When they were done (the videos) the Russian kids touched my arm and said (via signs and hand gestures) "Play Again?" which I did.


A delayed plane in the Ukraine made me the star of the airport, when no available televisions made for cranky kids. I powered up the laptop, and at least 30 kids all came over, sat cross legged on the floor and watched my videos. I kept the laptop on my lap, as some of the smaller children kept wanting to touch the screen.


Shanghai's layover made me friends of 3 sets of American couples returning home with their new bundles. The children were young, but one of the older ones sat next to me, pointing to the monitor saying "Bob!" Whenever Spongebob would come on.


My contribution to airport situations is small, but, I would never leave home without my laptop. I would also never leave it unattended, but, that is another story entirely. 

Will Hurricane Earl Cause Flight delays to Airline travelers?

Airlines who fly east coast and Atlantic ocean routes are now posting to their sites and informing travelers that Hurricane Earl may cause travel delays. 
Already, cruise lines are rerouting ships around the storm, with as many as 20,000 aboard ships being affected. 
American and other major carriers are waiving the ticket change fees, attempting to avoid problems for travelers. 


If you are someone that has plans along the east coast of the United States, you may want to have a look at the weather and see if you need to change plans. If nothing else, plan out what you would do if you were stranded, and bring things in case you do meet that fate. 

What to do when you get a rejection letter, phone call, or email..

Interviewing for a flight attendant job in an industry where so many people are competing for the same job is something that can be nerve wracking to be mild about it. 
For some companies, there are group interviews, others rely on online forms and telephone interviews. For all, there will come a point where there is the dreaded face to face interview. 
How you can fare throughout this entire process is something that depends a good deal on positive human interactions, some luck, and a private definition of what the company is looking for, as defined by each of the companies that are out there. 


Go to enough interviews, and you will assuredly, get the rejection letter or telephone call. 
How you handle this can determine if you could even get called back, and what type of person that you are. 

This is not reality television. This is not where you are trying to make a memorable exit. This is where you are trying to remind them that you are gracious and poised in the face of adversity. 
What do I advise?
The Thank you letter. 
You should already have written a Thank You letter to everyone that has been involved in your employment screening at this process. 
Here is how that should go. 
When you get the interview, note the name(s) of the people that interviewed you. Write them down in your notebook/legal pad. As soon as you get home, write that letter or card. NOT an email, unless you have no other resource. DON'T send a Thank You Text. It is not professional. Send the card or letter. Use the same name that is listed on your resume. Don't sign the resume as "Sugar" unless that name is on your legal documents. You want them to be able to cross reference that thank you card with your resume. 


After that interview, you may be interviewed with other people on the phone. They may or may not be able to give you their name. Get a name? They get a thank you letter or card. 
I am sure that you are seeing a trend here. Every person that you encounter who helps you in your quest to be a flight attendant (or any job, for that matter) deserves a thank you acknowledgement that they really are helping you. 


But what if you are declined? Do you feel let down that you did not get the job that you really wanted? Do you feel angry or upset? Sure. Perhaps. Maybe. Maybe you learned through the interview process, that the company that declined you was not a good fit for you. 


Send a thank you card or letter. If you do not have an address, then send it email, which is less preferred than a card or letter, but still, send the Thank you. 


Here comes the tricky part. What do you say to the very company that decided against you? 
Here is an example that I have sent out in the past:


Dear X Airline Company, 
CC Jane Smith, HR, John Jones, HR Development, Jill Doe, Recruiting
Thank you for the opportunity to learn more about your people and your company during the interview process that I just completed. 
Although I was not selected as a member of your team, I would like to thank you for taking the opportunity to get to know me, and for me to get to know better, as well. 
I wish you all the very best in your search for employees that fit your company's needs. 
Cordially yours, 
X
I actually got a letter back from the HR department, telling me that if there was going to be another hiring action, they would like to let me know and resubmit my application. You never know where the letter will go, so make sure that all of your contact information is on it, and that it is all current and correct. 

This letter is not the time to critique the staff that interviewed you. They already have a job with the airlines, you do not. Being negative in a letter after you have already been declined sets you apart...in a way that you do not want. If you do have some critiquing to do, it is best done in  a separate letter. 


Best of luck, and I hope that we all see one another at an airport soon. 

Frustrated Ex-Delta Flight Attendant wants her job back

In Atlanta, Georgia, Amber Robillard has expressed sadness over losing her job, and has stated that she would like to have her job back. 
In case you do not recall, Amber is the flight attendant that was found to be carrying a handgun in her luggage. 
She was booked and charged, but the charges were later dropped. She is also appealing her firing from Delta. 
Really? She is appealing her firing? She is lucky that she did not go to jail. 
She is a person that I would not want to have on a flight, after all, she was confused about whether or not a hand gun was on her person. 
 Want to see the video? 

United Airlines Pilot Charged with ferrying marijuana

A United Airlines pilot landed a plane in Shelby, NC, where it was quickly surrounded by law enforcement officials and was found to contain over $200,000 worth of marijuana. 

Delta Airlines Hiring Update

Delta Airlines is hoping to recall all of its' furloughed flight attendants and have new training of flight attendants starting in January of 2011.

The US Justice Department Approves United and Continental Merger

In non-shocking news today, The U.S. Justice Department approved the merger between United Airlines and Continental Airlines. 
Some concessions were made, including leasing space to Southwest Airlines.

100th Post!

This is the 100th post for my blog, and I really am enjoying posting to the blog, it has been and is a lot of fun for me. 
The big news right now is something that we have all heard murmurings about for a long time "Delta Airlines is hiring for flight attendants!"
Delta is a wonderful carrier, and there are thousands who have been waiting to become a Delta applicant, but until now, they have not opened their doors to hiring. 
For first day applicants, the process was a long one. The Delta site was hit very hard by potential applicants vying for a position with the legacy carrier. The site kept collapsing, leaving applicants wondering what to do. 
Fortunately, Delta already had that figured in, and, with a handy toll free number and a patience for hold time, applicants were able to get help once they were stuck with a page that displayed the dreaded "loading" sign at the top of the page. 
After the person came on the phone, and hold was over, the person on the other end of the phone was unfailingly courteous, thoughtful, and asked and answered questions with a pleasantness that is not often seen in todays' version of customer service on the phone. 
A screening involved answering several questions, and giving many facts over the phone. The  process was easy and painless. 
For a lucky few, they were informed that they were cleared of this portion of screening, and that they would have their resumes reviewed and that follow up contact would be made between 2-3 days from now all the way up to 3 weeks from now. 
From then, another phone interview, and then, successful applicants will be informed that they will be flown to Atlanta for the final interview. 
For all of the applicants out there, I wish you all the best of luck, and to Delta Airlines, congratulations on a profitable last quarter, and to opening the floodgates to thousands who would love to be a part of your fine organization. 

Nicest things to do when you fly for others around you

When planning to go on a plane, for those that have never flown before, and as a reminder for those that have, here are some handy tips that will make your fellow travelers, and your flight crew grateful for the extra measures that you took to make your emotional footprint as small as possible. 


Eat before you leave. Even if you are getting up and leaving from a hotel, plan to bring a small snack with you. Flights get delayed, airport food is expensive, catering to the plane sometimes gets fouled. Even if it is merely a small granola bar or a piece of fruit, keeping your blood sugar in the sane range is something that really WILL help you if Murphy throws his monkey wrench into your travel plans. 


Hydrate. But not with alchohol. Drink something. Juice. Water. Coffee even. But avoid the booze. There is no such thing as a fun drunk when you are being obnoxious, or ill, or any other host of effects that can happen to people when they have been drinking. Alcohol DOES affect you differently on a plane than it does on land. Do you really want to use the air sickness back because of a glass of wine and some well timed turbulence? Ruin the white shirt that you are wearing because of same glass of wine? Don't drink alcohol. Drink water, water is your friend. If you cannot stomach the taste of water, there are plenty of companies that sell little powders with flavors that you can put into your water. Carry a water bottle and fill it at the water fountains to save on the cost of food and drinks purchased at the airport. 


Take a long bath or shower in which you soap up your entire body with a non-offensive or unscented soap. You may adore your wonderful perfumed soap that smells just like a field of flowers. Your seat mates may be suffering from allergies and/or asthma, and the whole flight will be uncomfortable to them. DO practice good hygiene. Wash everything. If it seems really dirty, wash it a few times. Wash your hair. Again, try to keep the scent load down. 


Perfumes and other skin scenting items. I have a lot of perfumes that I adore. I do not use them in a metal tube that recycles the air that we are breathing. I DO wear a strong unscented anti-perspirant/deodorant. I use it under my arms, and I use Gold Bond powder under my breasts, and in my panty area. I also sprinkle some on the insides of my shoes. 


Choose clothing that is not floppy or flowing. Last time I flew to Europe, the lady across from me wore a long caftan that was strung with beads of all different lengths. Every time she would get up to go to the restroom, she would turn around, and the little beaded caftan became a beaded dress of cat-o-nine tails. Those little whips really hurt and stung when they got me. 


Comfortable shoes. Your feet might swell. I coveted a gorgeous pair of Ferragamos when I flew once. The woman looked so attractive and sleek in them. Her foot looked liked a painting. At the end of the flight, she was hobbling out on the arm of her gentleman companion, unable to walk well. Why? Her feet swelled and she took off her shoes. Her feet swelled some more. When the flight ended, her shoes no longer fit. Be considerate to yourself and to others. Wear comfortable shoes. 


Clean clothes. Now I am not talking about when you are stranded and you have to re-wear the same clothes you were wearing. I am talking about normal conditions. Wear clean clothes. No heavy fragrances, just clean clothes that are not beaded, bangled, and so forth. Clean clothes means I do not have to smell your prior adventures if we are seated near one another. 


If you are a person of size, call ahead and learn the dimensions of the seat that you are going to be in while you are flying. Ask what the policy is if you are unable to fit in that seat with the armrest all the way down. American Airlines is one of the carriers I am aware of that tries very hard to accommodate larger passengers without charging them an extra fee. Of course, if all of the seats are filled on a flight, they will not be able to do that. Make yourself and your fellow passengers content and check this fact out. As we all know, seats have gotten smaller and smaller. 


If you have to use a seat belt extension, you may not be seated in an exit row. This is not the flight attendant being mean, this is the law. 


Bring something to entertain yourself. If you have a laptop, check and see if there is a row that has a power port if you are going to be on a very long flight. Travel to Paris was a lot of fun when a friend and I were able to watch movies in between naps. 


Pack a change of underclothes and medicines in your carry on bag. 


Remember essentials such as chargers for all of the things that need them. 
Have a piece of paper stored somewhere that has the most important numbers on them, in case something happens to your cell phone. 

The Flight Attendant interview, employment tips, tricks, hints, and helps

In a world where the economy is barely beginning to crawl along, people still have their dreams. 
I have always dreamed of being a flight attendant, of walking crisply up and down the aisles, telling funny anecdotes to travelers who were happy to hear them as I also dispensed beverages and snacks. 
I have had this dream since I was a small child. My mother tells of a story when I was on a flight with my grandmother from Houston to Los Angeles. We were late for the flight because of a horrible car wreck in Houston. Running as fast as we could, we made it to the gate, Hollywood style with aplomb and drama. "Run, Run, Run!" My grandmother shouted as we ran past gates. She called out the number that we were looking for, and, soon enough, we were on the plane, settled into seats, and snoozing until we reached LA. As we got off, the stewardess stopped us to pin small badges on us. My brother was a junior pilot, and my sister and I were junior stewardesses. I still have my pin in a small jewelry box with some other very sentimental things. 


More flights filled my life, some good, some bad. I have racked up more flights than most people I know, and many friends joke with me that I live out of a suitcase and in a hotel room. 


The first time that I ever interviewed with an airline, I really blew the interview. I did not know about their corporate culture, and I blathered on and on about the good things that free travel would allow me to do. Needless to say, they were not impressed, and I was declined the chance to work in the sky. 
More interviews happened, and, finally, I was selected to be a part of a sky crew. 
Here are some hints and tips that I will share with you as I prepare to go on an interview in a few hours. 


Look the part. When airlines say "Dress professional" in their information, they really mean it. Men, you should look like you are coming from a funeral. Dark suit, white shirt, nice tie, pocket square is optional. Your shoes should be clean and shined. Your hair should be tidy and neat, with no extreme style. Think pilot,male flight attendant, Men in Black, or minister in dark suit. 


Ladies. Really? Really? This is not a night club, nor is it a fashion show. Dark, conservative suit. Conservative blouse. No cleavage. Yes to sleeves. Think flight attendant, lady pilot, lady employee at funeral home. 


You are not interviewing for a cheerleader at the football game. Yes, you can be cheerful. Your clothes need to present a serious image. This job is all about safety, not silly. A recent interview I was at had attendees wearing no bras, sleeveless shirts, one man wore a pair of shorts that I would attest looked like swim shorts, and I stopped counting flip flops and sandals once I sighted ten pairs. 


Read the directions. Twice. Then proceed to follow them. Have everything that you are being asked for in front of you. Go over the forms on the internet twice to make sure that you have filled them all in correctly. 


Check your resume before you send it. Read it and make sure that it is correct, that it is complete, and that it is concise. A gal pal shared with me that a resume came across her desk that listed the potential employee's  best attribute as "A rockin hard bod, a soft heart, and a attitude that kicks ass and takes names". This person was applying for a position in hospice. She did not get the job. 


Tell people if you are going to use them for references. Aunt Mabel will give you a good reference, if she is expecting the call. If not, she may be hurt, offended, or worse, give out bad information. 


A good email address. Again, from my human resources friend Cat, a lot of people list off their personal email addresses, and some of them can be very telling. Email addresses that mention sex, drugs, temper, bad choices, or anything else that is not work related can cost you the chance to get a job. Bad choice would be HotHighHoochie@IcantbelieveIamsober.com . Good choice would be JanisJSmith@professionalemailaddresss.com . Obviously, I have made those up to be dramatic, but, it is important to think about how you are looked at. 


If your FaceBook, MySpace, or other social networking site has photos and inferences to you partying, drinking, having illicit sex, or making other poor choices, either make it private to friends only, or remove all of the incriminating photos. Cat tells me that if it is between two potential employees, a quick trip to the internet usually breaks the tie fast.
If you have a LinkedIn or other professional networking site, make sure that it stays professional. No future employer should read about "Work Sux, gonna drink". It is also not fair to the people who have linked to you professionally to post about such things, since LinkedIn and others are all about making business connections. 


Do a search for yourself on all of the search engines. Are there any things that pop up that you don't want others to see? Check under your usernames, email addresses, webpages, and any other ways that you connect on the web. Remove, make private and delete all things that would be bad if a future employer learned about you. 


Change most settings to private. It is your world. It is your life. It is your choice about what you put out there, but sometimes, the hardest person to get around is yourself. Make choices with employment in mind. 


A friend of mine recently posted on her personal page a series of photos from many years ago that show her going from sober to drunk in the series. Her boss found them when looking online, and she was reprimanded, her review was poor, and she did not get an annual raise that year. 
Her boss raised the question of "If I found this, our clients could find this. It could cost us revenue." 


Password protect private things. Sure, photos of trees and birds and a river are sweet. No need to make them private. Your photo of you and your sweetheart wearing only tshirts and underwear is not something that you would want the boss to see. Password protect albums and photos that are of a personal nature, and you will not have to be the talk of the office. 


Before the interview. Look at the company online and learn about them. Take notes. 
During the interview: ask good questions, interesting questions, and let the interviewer talk. Don't ask questions simply to ask. These people are tired. Show that you are interested, but be brief. Note the name(s) of all of the people that you interact with from the company. Write them down if you need to, but not in front of them. 
At the end of the interview, thank people for their time. Wish them well in finding the person that is the best fit. Don't beg for the job, or tell them how desperate you are to work. 
After the interview, send thank you cards. To each one of those people you met. To each one of the people in the email chain. To the company itself. Email if you have it, but most assuredly, do send written cards as well. It stands out more than you know. 
If you do not make the first cuts, still be gracious. Still send cards. I got a job once when I was not selected for the first cut simply because of the cards I sent after. When another applicant was ill and could not come, I was who was called. I asked how I was chosen, and all 4 recruiters told me that the cards I sent were thoughtful, and they kept me in the mind of each one of those four people.


Be yourself, but the corporate, responsible version. Good Luck!

RyanAir Child falls while boarding plane

On RyanAir, a small three year old child named Olga was walking up the steps unescorted as her mother was holding her 18 month old brother and handling their luggage as well. She turned around to speak to her mother and fell in the gap between the plane and the ground, landing on the tarmac below. 
The child was flown to a hospital, where she was released 24 hours later. 


Details here. 
I have a question. Have you ever looked down at the distance between the ground and yourself when you are on the stairs or jetways between the plane door and yourself before you step over? Sometimes, that distance can be high up. A wrist strap broke on a camera of mine, and the camera plummeted to its' demise. The only thing I was able to retrieve was the memory card. 
Why on earth would you allow a child to travel the same jetway or stairs without holding a little ones' hand? 
I do not care how much you think you need all of the things that you are bringing on board the plane with you. If you cannot hold all of what you are bringing on board, wear it in a small backpack. 
Small children are allowed to board with their families early so that they have a little more time. 
I am still baffled by this as I do not understand how this mother could have let her child walk up that stairway to the plane without holding her hand until that tall threshold between the plane and the stairs was crossed. 

Steve Slater, American Folk Hero or Troubled man?

We have all read the accounts of Steve Slaters' incident with a passenger in which Mr. Slater was struck on the head by the overhead bin when a passenger refused to kindly return to their seat. 

Mr. Slater was injured, and a cut can be seen on his head in some of the footage that the news has shown us. 

According to all of the reports, Mr. Slater then began a very ugly rant, using profanity, slamming profanities out to everyone via the PA system on the airplane. 

Amazing is what happened next. Steven Slater became a folk hero overnight. There is a fan page that has nearly 200,000 members in less than 24 hours since his release from jail. 

What is it about the event that has everyone talking? Well, there was his grand exit. He threw his bags down the emergency slide that he deployed, grabbed a beer, and then slid down after his luggage, took the crew van to the car, threw down the company tie from his neck, and rode home, where he was arrested soon after.  How many of us have had the fantasy of "getting even with the boss"? How many of us have thought of some grand and dramatic way to make that exit in a way that would demean the person or the company, and build up our ego? Of course, most of us have thought about it. 

I once held a temp job where my employer would block all of us until their chime on their watch went off, not allowing us to exit until then. Persons who clocked in late at the same place were told to come and talk to the boss about the tardiness, even if it was within 5 seconds of on time. No matter that you had to wait behind others to clock in, you better be on time. 

Another boss made us clock in at a time clock near our computer, and clock out at the time, but the computers had keystroke monitors, so, there would be notes on the computer for "idle" time. (Such as when I would be away from my desk to get a fax or make copies) "idle" time of more than 3 minutes came out of your check. When I left, I made a flip show using post-its from the office. Childish? Sure. Wasteful? Sure. Harmful? Not really. 

Steve Slater deployed the emergency slide during a highly emotionally charged moment. He was up to his eyeballs, frustrated, and could not deal with it. So, he made the announcement, deployed the slide, and down he went....after grabbing a beer. Which is startling, because on two of his social networking sites, he mentions 12 step programs. I certainly hope that Steve did not drink, but the indications seem to be that he did. 

People are coming unglued wanting to know the identity of the mystery woman that struck Steven in the head. She is being vilified as an indecent, rude, pig of a woman. (and that is being nice. You should read some of the descriptions of her, and what people are saying about her elsewhere.)

Personally, I do not think that the woman who struck him in the head intended to do so. I think that it was a genuine accident that injured someone. Was she wrong for getting her bag before she was supposed to? Sure. Wrong for failing to comply with the directions of cabin crew? Sure.

Was she in violation of the law for not giving Steve an apology? No. Rude, yes, but breaking the law, not really.

When I was in a tug of war a long time ago, the person in front of me was pulling the rope so hard that their hand slipped and they bonked me in the face, giving me a black eye. They were unaware that they had done it. We finished the tug of war, and afterwards, I got ice. When the person saw what happened, they asked how it happened. I said that it was during the tug of war, honest accident, no harm, no foul. 

For Mr. Slater to DEMAND an apology, as has been reported elsewhere was a little over the top. I agree, she sounds rude, but it is not his place to teach someone manners. I know, I know, I seem harsh right now, too. 

For him to grab the PA, make an announcement to the entire plane using extremely crude language was, although dramatic and memorable, completely uncalled for. 

Finally, for him to grab an alcoholic beverage from the galley cart, open the emergency exit and deploy the slide, was completely reckless in regards to the crew, the passengers, the ground crew, and the safety of the airplane.

Had I been on board the plane, I would have been amused and concerned at the same time. 

JetBlue suspending this man pending an investigation is completely understandable. 

Much attention has been brought forward to show the amount of stress load that a typical flight attendant endures in a day. It can be heartbreaking to read some of the stories that the men and woman who work in the cabin endure on a daily basis. On the other hand, a quick search on any search engine will show equal amounts of articles that are given over to rude flight attendants. 

I have read over and over about flight attendants who nearly fall over when they are thanked for pouring a beverage. I always say Thank you when I am served, and sometimes it is noticed, and sometimes, it is not. 

I have read accounts of people who bring screaming children on board a plane, and scream the entire time that they are in the air. 

I think that there is a place we all as air travelers need to return to. That place is civility. Treat every person as though they were you. With Mr. Slater, I hope that he will find happiness in whichever direction his life leads him, and that this very published story will lead to a lot more courtesy in the air for a while.....from both the passengers and the crew.

 

Wonderful HOT summer in Arizona!

It has been a wonderful, but HOT summer for my nieces and I, who came to see me while I was in Arizona, which is why I did not get a lot of posting done while they were here. 

We went to Tombstone, where one of the things that we did was to have our fortunes told by Pappy, the animatronic fortune teller, who, told a little joke and dispensed a fortune card at the end of his fortune telling.


The reason I mention this is that both of my nieces loved this machine. I told them about the movie "Big", starring Tom Hanks, and about some of the other fortune telling machines that are out there.  


Pappy only cost us $1.00 per fortune, so, for $3.00, we all had fortunes told. It was fun, it was cheap, and the girls talked about Pappy for days after we were gone from him, elaborating on their fortunes, and how they were coming true. 


If you are traveling with children, sometimes, it is the BIG things that will garner their time and attention. Other times, it is the unexpected and simple that will bring some calm and happiness into your and their day. 


During the time that we were in Arizona, my nieces and I did a lot of things that I was really happy to take them to see. We went to Tombstone, saw some ghost towns, made a really good time happen. Pappy was not part of the plans, as I did not know that he even existed.  For a head start on their homework, I had them interview a lot of the characters in Tombstone who portray people from Tombstones' boom days. We talked about it on the night before, they did a lot of research, and they were happy to finally get there and meet the people that they had read about, seen in movies, and that their aunt (me) talked about. 


An interview by my younger niece with one of the stage coach drivers got her some great knowledge about the town, but he also gave her a silver nail used for driving the horseshoes into the hoofs of those big beasts. 


At the Rose Garden in Tombstone, where the Worlds' Biggest Rose resides, the owners kindly let us have pears, crab apples and pomegranates when they learned that we were making jelly.  


A reminder to the kids that we were not going to rush through anything, and making them find things in each room of places and ask them about things was a great deal of fun, because it made them still themselves and enjoy where we were, not where we were headed to. The girls would ask me about things as well. 


Well behaved children who were very hot got a treat of ice cream in the morning. They really liked it, and it was a perfect stop to cool down. 


Tombstone, if done right, without running from one end of the town to the other is assuredly a place that would take 2-3 days to see, especially if you ventured off the main streets, like we did. 
We saw the Good Enough mine tour, took a US Mail stage coach around town, saw the Bird Cage theater, went to many gunfights, and we had a really good time. In fact, we had a good enough time that we went to Tombstone 4 times! 


I write this to tell you that with children, sometimes it is not the video games, the computer games, the fastest rides, but instead, spending time with those you cherish in a casual and relaxed setting. 


Have a great time on your travels!