1 comment
Eileen says
February 1, 2015
Dear Kara:
How you flight attendants handle this job, for the pay you get is what does not make sense to me.
Numbers 5, 8, and in particular #10 I can totally sympathize with. Why passengers can’t make the
leap to try, and understand how hectic your life is, and how many times per week you answer the same questions. Seriously….who cares what you are flying over? Can’t people understand the FA is doing a job, she/he is not there as a tourist.
In regards to hotel rooms (#5). I stay at a hotel quite often which is near an airport, and I continually see pilots, and FA’s from various airlines checking in, and out. Would a hotel that
frequently has aviation clientelle, or perhaps a contract with a particular airline for providing
hotel rooms, not figure out that FA’s, and pilots are booking the room for rest before a turn around? One would think they would try to group them on one particular floor if possible, or
people in town for business etc. Put the family on holidays, or the group staying over for a gambling weekend somewhere well away from the aviation layovers.
In regards to number 10, I can sympathize with this one most closely. I work as a Registered Nurse in an Emergency Room, and I don’t think I need to elaborate much on this one. Basically just because I am standing in front of the patient, or some family relative thereof, they figure screaming at me will make it so they can get their way. They don’t care less that what they want makes no logical sense, or it is totally out of my control. After nineteen years of this I am at my breaking point, and ready to quit. I cut my hours back three years ago because I was fed up with it all. I don’t fly to all corners of the earth like you probably do, but rotating shift work, and being phoned at all hours of the day because the hospital needs a nurse despite the fact that I’m not actually on call, nor do I get on-call pay, has totally screwed up my sleeping patterns, and nerves.
When I first started nursing I went to work every time that phone rang, plus all my regular scheduled shifts. Of course they would always phone me in on my days off, because they knew I would come in if they phoned. One day I was called in on my day off, and the day was absolute chaos for ten hours, I got absolutely no thanks from anyone for coming in and putting up with everything because everyone just wanted a nurse in there for extra help, and didn’t care less who it was, or how tired they were from previously working seven days in a row. I got home mad from that, and did not unplug my phone from the wall, I tore it out, and threw the phone onto the sidewalk in front of my house. I did nicely shut my cell phone off without smashing it. That was the last time I ever picked up an extra shift, or traded a shift with anyone.
I have alot of respect for FA’s, and pilots, and I think you all take alot more crap than you ever deserve in three lifetimes. After working with the public in the capacity I do, I try even harder to
not be a royal pain in the butt to other’s who also work with the public, whether it’s a waitress, a nurse, or a flight attendant etc. After all the beligerent drunks, and drug overdosed patients I have dealt with in the E.R. I have no tolerance left when I see one being an idiot toward a FA, barmaid, or waitress.
Good luck to you Kara, please don’t work yourself to the point where you totally burn out, and stop caring about anything the way I did three years ago. BTW, my hair is now near the bottom of MY list of priorities anymore. (lol)