Come Fly With Me

I've had a lot of time on airplanes this year and I would like to salute the flight attendant and bring attention to what seems like a thankless job.

  

Back in the old days they were called stewardesses. At some point, that title became politically incorrect. Now the correct term is “flight attendant” and that is probably more accurate. These ladies (and occasionally a gentleman) attend to the needs of everyone on the plane. It was probably much more glamorous in the beginning when airline travel was an event and a luxury. People were quite civilized and even dressed up to fly.

These days, flying is routine and everyone is in a hurry to get where they are going.  Most people look presentable when they get to the airport, but I have noticed that more people are looking like they forgot to set their alarms, had to roll out of bed and race to make their flights.

Although people rarely pay attention anymore, the flight attendant shows us where the exits are, demonstrates how to inflate the flotation device, shows us how to place the oxygen mask on our faces and how to put on our seat belts. I know how to do all these things, of course, but it just seems rude not to pay attention. She/He serves drinks and snacks and then has to clean up after messy travellers. Most of them do this with a smile on their face. If it were me, I’m sure I’d lose my patience with the folks who have to be told more than once to power down their laptops, iPads, cell phones or who don’t pay attention when the captain says to remain seated or buckle up.

We fly on Southwest Airlines more than any other and what I have noticed is that these flight attendants generally have a better sense of humor than those employed by other airlines. I guess that means that Southwest is a good company to work for – I don’t know for sure but that’s what I imagine. Otherwise, how could a person stand to be trapped in a flying metal tube all day with crying babies, loud children, inconsiderate, messy adults while serving them snacks and drinks with a smile on her/his face? I know they are paid to do it, but they deserve a "thank you" for a job well done.