The Life of a Flight Attendant

1) This is only a glimpse into the life of a Flight Attendant
2) Everything written here is "for the most part"


I am on another bender. And I am not talking an alcohol bender I am talking work bender. This time it is 30 days. This was not planned, it never is, who in their right mind would do this to themselves. This time is was because I need to have most of August off to visit family and take care of business in the states, so therefore I have to manipulate my schedule months in advance to make that work and then pray it does, and I once again got screwed on my schedule. Actually I didn't get screwed, I just didn't hold off 4th of July week. Personally I don't care about having it off. We don't celebrate the 4th in Mexico, That was going to be my week off to recoup. I knew it would be a cold day in hell to hold that off at a mere 17 years so I am not surprised. We are all working so hard right now, our schedules are full with no time to breathe. Summer sucks for people who work in the biz. I also got screwed on my August schedule so more manipulation will be in the works. Actually once again I didn't get screwed I just didn't get the pre plotted days off I asked for so that I can do everything I have to do in August. So the 30 days was not a waste and it was a good thing I planned 3 months in advance manipulating my schedule to hopefully get off the needed time in August. 17 years did not get me the days off that I need but it did give me lots of practice on how to work the system.

So I was thinking, how am I doing this, what is wrong with me? And I came to realize that if it wasn't for the people I work with I couldn't do it. Flight attendants are a very special group of people. And when I say special I mean in every way. Use your imagination here. But I love that specialness. It keeps this job entertaining and it keeps me from going absolutely crazy.

We are a different breed, we understand each other, we have our own language and we are each others psychiatrists, which is called jumpseat therapy. Every time we do a trip it is with different people. Sometimes you know people on your trip but more often than not you have never seen them and won't see them again for many years. Especially in very large bases. But you have this connection with them so you feel you can tell them what is going on in your life, good, bad or indifferent. The thing is that you don't even know their name. Yes, you were introduced in briefing and you have their name on a piece of paper in your pocket but you have to look at it to remember, if it is even important. You spend three days with these people, you are a team, your lives are in each others hands, you connect right off the bat like you are long lost friends, everything about you is out there and thrown on the table, you eat together, drink and party together, sometimes do things that you would never do with people you knew, laugh together, sometimes sleep together, as in share a room, and yes, what you originally thought as well. They know where you live, know about your family, kids, good and bad in your life, you travel the world together. And even after all this you sometimes still don't know their name unless you refer back to the piece of paper in your pocket. The best part is that you are with people that understand your world and when the trip is over you say bye, great flying with you, if it was, I hope we can do it again. You don't exchange phone numbers or email addresses, oh wait, that is not done anymore anyway, you don't Facebook. That person is walking away with your deepest, darkest secrets and they will never be told because the second you walk off that airplane they will be forgotten. You were able to vent, bitch, complain, brag all for free and they aren't going to hold it over your head, throw it back in your face and you don't have to worry about them telling anyone. No one judges you either, because we are all crazy and we have heard of or experienced some wild shit in our career so it would be hypocritical to judge. You dont have to worry about anyone stabing you in the back or throwing you under the bus. I see that so often with people who claim to be good friends and think what the hell? This is probably the main reason I have only a very few close friends. Why would you want close friends who hurt you when you can have work partners who have your back, listen to your problems, travel with you, don't have expectations of you, don't gossip about you and don't want your phone number.
(Actually I have been thrown under the bus. I used to be on a dedicated crew who flew the San Diego Chargers to away games for two years. We spent a lot of time together, which was the problem. I did nothing wrong, the guy just wanted my position on the list so he tried to get me fired. He just ended up looking like an ass hole in the end).

This is the biggest family that we all have, that we don't know, that we may never see again, but this is our family when we are away from home and I am grateful for them.

I only have two more days left on my bender and then I can go home to the family I know and love and miss so much, the family where we know each others name.

And I may have to go on a small alcohol bender to erase the month of June from my mind.